A public forum on education entitled Putting Students First and Fixing Our Schools on March 28, 2011 kicked off AIMS’ recent speaking tour on public education, featuring Michael Zwaagstra, author of What’s Wrong with our Schools?…and how we can fix them (2010).
Click here to watch Haligonia’s livestream of the public forum.
Zwaagstra gave an informed talk about the challenges we face with our public school system, and offered a peek at the alternative systems that other provinces are offering. His talk was followed up by reactions from a diverse panel of speakers, including AIMS President and CEO Charles Cirtwill. The event helped to facilitate a grassroots initiative launched by concerned parents, aimed at improving the public education system in Nova Scotia.
The following day, Zwaagstra spoke at Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU), to an audience of over 100 Bachelor of Education students. The talk was extremely well-received, and AIMS is proud to help create informed discussions for those who will be the future of education in Nova Scotia and beyond.
CBC Maritime Noon offers audio coverage of Zwaagstra’s talk at MSVU. Click here to listen in.
Michael Zwaagstra recently wrote an op-ed for the Winnipeg Free Press. The op-ed discusses the importance of transparency from the government concerning school performance. The public needs the appropriate information to make informed choices about the education system they pay for. Click here to read the full op-ed.
AIMS President and CEO Charles Cirtwill wrote an op-ed for the Chronicle Herald with Schoolhouse Consulting Director Paul Bennett, entitled Anecdotes are no antidote. The op-ed discusses the importance of citizen participation in education improvement. Click here to read the full op-ed.
AIMS is interested in actively improving public education across the country. In March we released the 1st Annual Report Card on Western Canadian High Schools. Click here to access the Report Card.