Our Math SUCKS!! A look at NB's Education System

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like the Marine's motto “...leave no man behind”

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I really hope that a representation of our New Brunswick Teachers provide their thoughts on this article, as I am very aware that I am poorly researched in this topic, however, as our newspaper editorials and government is making all of their opinions public, why can’t I?

This Link does a pretty good job identifying how our middle school math scores are well below the National level.

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Almost 32,000 Grade 8 students in New Brunswick took the 90-minute test in the spring of 2010.

Mean scores by province in mathematics
Quebec	515
Ontario	507
Canadian average	500
Alberta	495
British Columbia	481
New Brunswick	478
Saskatchewan	474
Nova Scotia	474
Newfoundland and Labrador	472
Yukon	469
Manitoba	468
Prince Edward Island	460

New Brunswick students scored an average of 478 compared to the national average of 500. The standard for their grade level was 358.

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I firmly believe that Math Scores are the best litmus test on how we are doing across all of programs that our students are taking, as there is no room in math for subjectivity.. right or wrong.. that is all.. Having a national evaluation on History or Social Studies would be near impossible to generate any analysis on how our education program is doing versus other provinces. Therefore, I suggest that we can use our math rating as a general statement on our entire curriculum.

I laughed out loud as I saw the justification from John Grant McLaughlin (a UNB Math Professor) suggesting that our failing grade was a result of socio economic factors, fewer international students (as I guess they are smarter), teachers can’t teach math,  and that our students are not “inspired” by math.

Not inspired?? Show me a middle school student who is inspired – ESPECIALLY about math, and for my extrapolation – education in general. If we have a method to inspire teen angers – I think second to a cure for cancer, the world will be a much better place.

Another common “excuse” is the fact that our children miss a good number of days at school due to weather closures, or Teacher Professional development days. Although this may be frustrating to those parents who see our education as a daycare service, I stand firmly in a belief that if we added two, or even three weeks of education to offset these days.. it would have ZERO impact on the improvement of our provincial standings.

We look at the symptoms, and that is great for a politician.. we can spend millions on addressing the symptoms and get votes, and cut ribbons. We can write articles to the paper complaining about the number of field trips.. we can pay millions to re-arrange the deck chairs on the Titanic.. but these efforts, and actions (at massive tax payer expense) have been going on for years – and we continue to have poor education for our children.

So what is the cause? I am positive that it is a complex issue, but I think the fundamental issue is the fact that it is no longer acceptable to let a percentile of our students fail. More than ever, the pace of the curriculum is slowed to a snail’s pace. Our curriculum and expectations are progressively being tailored to the small percentage of the class of students to those experiencing the most difficulty. 

Pace, Content and expectations are targeted and designed for a small number of students, who years ago, would simply fail, and be forced to repeat the year. But now, for the love of god, like the Marines motto “we leave no man behind”, our average and advanced students are slowed to allow ALL to progress.

There is much more to the activity of teaching to the lowest common denominator t than leaving a handful of stellar student  bored and unchallenged - we are setting the bar so low to accommodate the lowest, that the majority of the average students now will strive only to that bar. The average student will achieve only what is expected, and will not find internal motivation to exceed goals that have been set for them. With the goals set only to make sure every student gets a passing grade,  we are setting a level of performance well below what is truly necessary.

The solution? Accept the fact that the children with challenges may be forced to repeat a year, sure this may seem cruel to the handful of children this applies to, but is in not worse to strip the challenge and education of most of our students..

Pick of the pace, raise the bar, and manage the few that are unable to meet the requirements. The world, Universities, Trades will all welcome the fact that our students have been conditioned to reach to bar, to meet challenges, to accept occasional failure. Not a graduating class that believes coasting is an acceptable result. Programming our children that they need only be a bit better performer than the worst performer of the group will not fare well in the fast paced challenging world that they are walking into.

Magic Money

As we are just wrapping up Tax Season, now might be a good time to take out your T4 and take a peek. You will see two very stomach churning boxes, with painfully large dollar amounts within. Federal Tax and Provincial Tax - and if you can stomach it - add these two numbers together. This total is what (for the sake of this diatribe) is what I will call - MAGIC MONEY.

It is also timely to look at this Magic Money, as it is spring time here in New Brunswick Canada, after a ferocious winter, and spring and winter is a time that Canadians rely heavily of the government for many of the services that we have learned to rely on to help us survive our climate. Such as snow removal from roads and side-walks, door to door mail delivery, road conditions (or poor road conditions) etc. Not for a moment to I suggest that we are accustomed to relying on our "mother government" for so many of the socialist benefits all year round, but seems the freezing and thawing time of year - these issues seem to be more present in the press.

A hot topic as of today is potholes in our roads and highways - everything from on-line competitions, to phone in programs, front page news.. and now drivers calling for the government to pay for vehicle damage as a result of the overstressed roadways.

Now, on the flip side  - our Government also has Magic Money. An endless supply of funds to quell all of the citizens complaints, and those complaints that are vocal enough are quieted with a dispersement to the very few whose voices are the loudest. Minuscule percentages of the populous that have the knack to get recognition of their issues. And for this case, bent tire rims, misaligned steering and other vehicle damage. These few unskilled drivers now demand that the government give them some of their Magic Money to repair their vehicles. What a great system. A outspoken negligent driver, gets his/her car repaired for free - vocal groups call out in celebration for this as of course it is the governments fault that the frost has cause holes in the road. It is Magic Money the government has anyway, so free alignments for all!!

The unions are incredible in accessing this magic money as well.. This winter, they were kind enough to offer a 1-800 number for citizens to call and make complaints about roads that are uncleared or not to the satisfaction of those that live off the beaten trail.. or as freezing rain is still falling this 1-800 lights up with complaints about slippery roads. It is unfortunate that many the gullible believe that this 1-800 paid for and answered by the Union is a selfless act of service that they offer us poor citizens. But as these unions approach the government for more and more, and more of the Magic Money - they have lots of anecdotes and horror stories to back up their demands for a unreasonable share of this Magic Money.

Again, a minority of our citizens become enablers for our provincial government to almost annually flip flop on language immersion programs - each change in policy costing millions - but millions of dollars of Magic Money - so what does it really matter.

City folks ranting about the loss of home mail delivery... a cost that has ballooned beyond the ability to make any fiscal sense whatsoever (again, Unions are the experts in hauling endless buckets of money from the governments bottomless pit of Magic Money)

Well of course - this Government stockpiles of Magic Money is the one and the same Magic Money on your T4 Slip. 

So, as we hear of the bent rim repair because of a pothole, or a car in the ditch because the driver was not capable of driving at safe speeds on a not yet salted road (If we had a sand/plow truck for each and every car on the road, the union and the tiny percentile of complainers would be pleased) and so one.. Just be reminded that it is your money paying for these repairs. You drive attentively, you watch your money, you appreciate how luck we are to have government service. But you, we, work every day to pay directly for these few.

Consider, as you are tempted to complain about anything beyond your own property - that you are paying for your neighbours protests for access to a bilingual ambulance attendant so their life can be saved in their official language.

Buy Local - Not Rubber Lobsters

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"...phenomenon called the 'Briefcase Syndrome' - it is an unfounded and almost laughable belief..."

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So much has been touted about supporting local business, but it appears that this whole movement has us conditioned in thinking if we purchase a rubber lobster at a mom and pop souvenir shop that we have done our part. Or picking up a jar of strawberry jam at the local market is what all the hoopla is about. 

I do my best in my writing to keep my professional career out of my editorials, and I will do my best to keep my thoughts as generic as possible.. but I am near at the END OF MY ROPE with the hypocrisy of Provincial Governments and Large Privately owned local businesses.

Large Businesses - I don't think I need to name them, but my disappointment is focused on those multinational employers of thousands of people that have germinated from New Brunswick family enterprises into world leaders. I wont bother googling and putting links up here of endless press releases from their owners, leaders of "being proud to be a New Brunswick (or Atlantic) business", and the value they hold on being a local business. The pride of the people that helped them grow to world industrial leaders. How they tout government (and utility) grants and discounts under the flag of being a New Brunswick Company. They ask for our support and understanding as they steer local political directions. 

Provincial Government - We (as it really is our money) pay millions on retaining our local workers, grow tourism, "buy local" campaigns.. Millions and Millions of our dollars are spend annually based on the pride we have to live and work in New Brunswick.

All good right? Well, simply put, these folks standing making speeches (for both private and public enterprise) CLEARLY do not speak to the actual decision makers in their own organizations. Or, and hopefully this is not the case, have set a mandate to those decision makers inside their organizations to disregard all of their wordage and philosophy on supporting New Brunswick.

I work in a business that started with 3 entrepreneurs that ran the risk and went on their own into a very competitive market. A true success story - and now exists as a healthy Mid Sized Organization. Virtually every dollar of profit, is either spent or reinvested in New Brunswick.

I (in my line of business) count on business from these above mentioned Private and Public Clients. A New Brunswick company - offering goods and services to organizations that very loudly proclaim supporting New Brunswick Business. Seems a pretty good model. But it is a severely broken model.

NEVER would I suggest that ANY organization when selecting vendors for good and services, even consider choosing a vendor that is more expensive or in any way a lesser quality - as business is business and I cannot support that fact strong enough. I am not in the least bit irked when we are provided an opportunity to do business with the our New Brunswick customers, and for ANY reason are not the best pricing or the best quality. That is a free market and the way it should be.

HOWEVER, almost weekly I am made aware of contracts being signed, purchases being made, services being procured from the government or these Local Enterprises that we were not even invited to show our wares, provide a price, detail or offerings. And although difficult to gain access to the nature of these awards - on the occasion that I do find details, we can offer a much less expensive and higher quality product. But we were never invited to even be aware of the opportunity. I could even sleep at night if these awards were made to other New Brunswick grown companies.. But almost without exception they are awarded to US based vendors, or Central Canadian Vendors. 

HOW, HOW, HOW can these back room procurements of good and services be awarded endlessly by both Private and Public Enterprises without even making the slightest of efforts of considering a local vendor as a viable option. Again - not for a second am I suggesting favourable treatment.. I am suggesting that local companies are at the very least invited to state their offerings and costing.. If we cant compete, we cant compete - that is fair ball.. BUT PLEASE let us compete,

To listen or watch a CEO make a tear jerking presentation on how proud they and their family are to be New Brunswickers, and at that exact moment back in their corporate offices - procurements are being made from foreign suppliers, without providing any opportunity for local companies to even bid. 

I have (not to be too specific) worked for months making Public Sector Decision makers aware of lines of business that are available a 5 minute drive away from their offices.. Only to find out at a later date that they awarded a contract of the exact lines of business from a US based company without even making me aware that they were making the purchase. This is not a single occurrence -this is habitual.. and 180 degrees counter to what our elected officials are saying about supporting New Brunswick Businesses. 

THE QUESTION: Why do these purchases for goods and services get negotiated and awarded to foreign vendors. Primarily because of a phenomenon called the "Briefcase Syndrome" - it is an unfounded and almost laughable belief, that if good or services come from a bigger business hub (Toronto/New York/Japan etc) then they MUST be better. If a consultant gets off a plane, carrying his briefcase, then he is clearly more skilled and knowledgeable that a consultant that you may run across buying groceries at your local store. THUS, clearly if you want the best - then you better have the best come in from the airport. 

This belief as ridiculous as it is, is engrained in our government, and local multinationals. How would it ever be possible that New Brunswicker have same or better skills than someone from New York? So therefore our Industrialists born and raised in New Brunswick have no other choice than not even consider a New Brunswick business to do business with, and not even inviting them to the table... but my sarcasm is wearing to read so I will stop.

So what is there to do - I think reluctantly we need to let our Government and Large Enterprises continue with their hypocrisy, and begin to personally act on this. When we in our professional roles require good or services, certainly shop the International Vendors, but source a locally owned business and provide them an opportunity to compete. They may or may not be able to  - but providing them the chance is all that is needed. I would suggest, that as a local business, with a much more limited geographical base with provide much superior commitment behind their products - and a company who appreciates your business with almost always offer the most aggressive pricing and attention to detail. Give it a try. I do.

Tax Increases - A New Episode of Hoarders

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"Government decision makers are hoarders"

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Federal and Provincial budgets are a complex and convoluted mechanism. So much so that we, without having Ph.D’s in Economics and/or Political Science are at the mercy of the political spin doctors and the press to see what the impact of new budgets will have on us.

As with any complex issue, lack of understanding leaves us helpless to comprehend what the real causes and effects of the messages may be. At this time, we are being prepared for increases in income taxes, sales taxes, user fees as well as new methods of taxation such as health care user fees and highway tolls.

All of these messages are being delivered hand in hand with the announcements of uncontrolled deficits, and potential reductions of services.

How about we find something to consider that might be easier to wrap our heads around. There is a rather successful television series that I confess I seem to be drawn into. The program is called “Hoarders”. A simple premise for a reality program actually. The producers seek out home owners, with the mental disorder of hoarding – filling their homes to extreme with collectables, useless items, garbage, and outdated junk. Their homes are filled to the ceilings, often impassable and dangerous.

Even with their homes filled near to collapse, many of the hoarders continue to acquire junk, to the point of bankruptcy, borrowing money to fill rented storage buildings. Even leaving a house filled with their clutter to rent a new home just to fill that as well.

A professional therapist and assistants enter the scene to attempt to change the hoarders ways. To stop buying, stop spending and clear out the mountains of expired belongings. Inevitably the hoarder fights vigorously to keep their excesses as seeing them all so important, and even on occasion continues to spend as the effort to clean out is in progress.

This is a frustrating show to watch, as a layman, even we can see that they need to stop acquiring junk, and the belongings they have serve no purpose other than take up space in their home. But it is not a complicated program to watch, nor solve their problem.. Clean the house, and stop buying junk, and for gods sake, don’t rent a storage unit and fill that also.

Back to the point - Federal and Provincial Budgets, and tax increases. Now it is much easier to understand. Our government decision makers are hoarders. It is that simple. We have an infrastructure filled to overflowing with waste, with duplication of services, with inefficiencies, with million dollar useless bureaucracy, uncontrolled spending on non necessary acquisitions. But they (our government) are unwilling to clean up this mess, this hoard of waste. Instead, they continue to spend - to near bankruptcy levels, like our friends in the television program. But unlike our friends with a finite amount of spending money, than can result in bankruptcy, our hoarding government continues to go to the bank for more money. But alas.. Taxpayers are their bank.

I wonder, if the therapists on the program, who are often successful in curbing hoarder’s behaviour  could come to the governments front door, ring the bell, squeeze inside past the millions and millions of dollars wasted daily within our government, and have an intervention. Have a nice sit down with the government, and (as they do on the show) have the hoarder, our government, sit on a chair, and look at, item by item and ask, is this expense needed, are these bureaucrats needed, is this new office lease needed, do we need to have two hundred employees doing a job that twenty-five could.. And start throwing out the trash. Part of the therapy would also require that they learn, not to continue to spend and add to the useless clutter, because although the government can’t go bankrupt – their bank sure can (the taxpayers)

Pre-teens with guns

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"I will try to do my best to flush the image of a pre-teen looking down a scope of a rifle."

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On August 30th, the New Brunswick government announced that it has lowered the minimum age for hunting small game to twelve years old. Ironically, the same news day, the Canadian Pediatric Society is calling for a ban on children operating All-Terrain Vehicles. Oh the irony.

“On Thursday, Natural Resources Minister Bruce Northrup said the lower age was supported by the majority of those who had provided input.”

We are now changing laws and government policies on “those who provided input”? For what it’s worth, I provided no input, nor was aware that there was input to be had.

The call for banning children’s ATV use, is from the Canadian Pediatric Society. I cannot help but have a bit more trust in the studies and results of a communities of Pediatric Physicians than “those who provided input” on the firearm age reduction.

I wonder, what (if asked) what the Pediatric Society would recommend on the allowing pre-teens to legally carry and shoot firearms. I am sure studies, but more so common sense, says that this is a bad idea.

In discussion with a friend on the irony of these two news stories on the same day, he succinctly summed it up (although harshly) at least kids on ATV can only kill or injure themselves.

I cannot clear my head (obviously) of the decision to drop the firearm age was based on “those who provided input”, but ridiculously was also based on the fact that other provinces have already done so. I have flashbacks to my mother pointing a chastising finger at me and asking “so if your friends jumped off a bridge, you would do so also?”…. My mother should have been a politician; maybe she would have been able to nix this new government policy that now has preteens and others in danger of gunshot wounds or worse, deaths.

“It also brings New Brunswick in line with most other provinces that already have a minimum hunting age of 12 or younger, he said.

Nova Scotia, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta allow youths over the age of 12 to hunt small game when accompanied by an adult.

In British Columbia, the legal age to hunt with an adult is 10-years-old, while in Newfoundland and Labrador, a person must be at least 16 to obtain a permit”

I resist the urge to rant on the fact that BC allows 10 year olds to wander the woods with lethal weapons. Maybe that will be for another blog, and thank god for the Newfies.. at least one province has a morsel of common sense.

Our twelve year old population cannot get into certain movies, cannot buy or rent violent video games, are a year away from driving a car (which graduated drivers license laws strictly prohibit their ability to drive after midnight until 18 years old), are not legally allowed to babysit. They cannot even get off at a different bus stop on their way home from school without a written permission from their parents.

BUT, what a relief that this list of limitations these children must endure, no longer includes the ability to walk through woods, and fire deadly weapons. I am glad those “who provided input” now allow them that freedom.

Yes, the new policy does require that they are accompanied by an adult.. I will resist further comment on that, but I find very little comfort on that limitation.

It is law to wear a bike helmet, ATV age limits are being re-evaluated.. I will focus on these efforts to keep our children safe. I will try to do my best to flush the image of a pre-teen looking down a scope of a rifle.. and I may stay out of the woods.

Sure a twelve year old can be armed now.. but thankfully we no longer have to worry about the true danger to our children.. lawn darts are banned from all ages! We have a wise government.

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Public Service Job Cuts Don't need to hurt.. but they do!

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"Making cuts to service is the simplest, quickest methods to reduce spending, while protecting the inefficient monolithic internal infrastructure..." 

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Federal and Provincial Budgets have taken their toll, and are resulting in a large number of job cuts. For each individual affected, I am sure that this is a terrible life changing situation. But I need to step back from the personal effects of this, to consider the approach the government takes.

But first, let’s look at how the private sector deals with difficult financial times. Much like the government, layoffs are inevitable, cutbacks on spending and a halt to business projects that are not mission critical. But there is a fundamental difference between Private Sector and Government: Customer service.

It would be business suicide to reduce the level of service that they provide to their clients, in fact, when businesses are suffering, there is an increased commitment to not only maintain but improve the treatment of their customers. To save a struggling business, they must grow their client base, to offset reduced profitability, and at the very least maintain the customer base by offering premium service.

Now, back to the government, when job losses are pending, the very first message delivered, if for us (the customer) to expect reductions in service. Longer waits for services, complete elimination of services, as well, increased (taxes) cost to we the customers.

It is acceptable to us as citizens to endure these service reductions, as it is explained to us via the media, that in order to “balance the books” we all have to feel the pain. We are programmed to take the medicine. Certainly the Government opposition makes waves of these cuts, but they argue that the funding to programs should not fall victim.. But I have yet to see the opposition take a stand, accepting that there are only so many dollars to go around, but to protest the fact that regardless of the financial reality of required cuts, the onus on the government is to find ways to increase service to their clients (voters) with less money.

So how is it possible for the government not to reduce services and still cut spending? It is simply an engrained perception that has been built on for years. Less money, less service. I refer you to several paragraphs above; pointing out that private sector does this daily. An enterprise with eroding margins, finds efficiencies, improved processes, restructuring, but NEVER, NEVER, cut the quality of service to their clients. Any company that has tried this, is no longer in business, or is being devoured by their competition.

So my question, is why do we so willingly accept our government offering us less, and less, as the use the excuse that budgets are cut, when we deal on a daily basis with Corporation facing the same pressure fighting to keep us happy and continuing to improve our experience dealing with them.

So, it is NOT impossible to balance the government books, and not have to wait longer, suffer program cuts, and accept a decrease in service. Making cuts to service is the simplest, quickest methods to reduce spending, while protecting the inefficient monolithic internal infrastructure. And besides we as citizens accept it quite willingly. Oddly enough, if our home internet provider, doubled their rates, slowed access speeds down, and only allowed internet access a few hours each day, and offered no support, we would not blink an eye in complaining, and quickly switching carriers.