Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: It is your right and duty to vote

464 Responses

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  • JLM,

    Here, this vote is rigged. I suggested "Supersorry" on the original thread, and it hasn't turned up in the options. Who's bribing the webmaster?

    Judy Martin's southern sl… • Since Apr 2007 • 241 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    I managed to make one cat actually useful in Australia by training it to catch insects. Moths and blowflies that chanced to find their way into my apartment lasted about 25 seconds, and she dutifully ate them too. She managed to catch a pigeon that was about her size once too, but I managed to save it. Turned out that it had only fainted from the shock.

    Strange cat. Sickly from birth, she languished and we had fears she would just die from lack of eating. Then one day she managed to fall through the railings on the balcony and plummetted about 70 feet. She was totally unharmed, and seemed to have got a new lease on life, started eating, playing etc. Perhaps her whole life flashed before her eyes, or something like that, and she realized there was more to it than just lying around feeling sorry for herself.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Telfar Barnard,

    Speaking of democracy, I see Anne Tolley is deploying the famous "bring 'em on" manoeuvre that worked so well for George W.

    Seriously... Mummy is very cross; not only that Mrs Tolley, who clearly knows firetruck-all about education, won't listen to those who do; but also that I don't know what the firetruck I'm meant to do about it.

    I considered the possibility of telling the school that I refused to allow my children to be assessed, but other sources (not the school) tell me they don't have any choice. I desperately want to kick things, but it wouldn't set a good example.

    Any suggestions for action gratefully received. I can't believe I'm the only parent who's unhappy about this, but noone seems to be talking about it?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 585 posts Report Reply

  • Joanna,

    Everyone come along to the Wellingtonista awards on Thursday night! It should be a good evening;

    I swear I'm not paying Jack, but he's right. Get your votes in now or you can't complain about the winners. Actually, you can't complain anyway, but I'm sure people will.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 746 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    Am I the only person who has very little sympathy for people who complain about being woken by text messages in the early am? Admittedly, the PM needs to be contactable, but...is it really that hard to have one phone for people who absolutely need to be able to ring you at 3am if necessary (e.g. the Deputy PM, your wife) and one for the Andrew Williamses of the world?

    Of course, this doesn't make Andrew Williams any less crazy, but, seriously, John. The only person waking you up at 3am is *you*.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Mikaere Curtis,

    Any suggestions for action gratefully received. I can't believe I'm the only parent who's unhappy about this, but noone seems to be talking about it?

    There are Board of Trustee elections in March next year, so one option is to stand for election so you can influence the Board's position relevant to the assessment regime. My pick is that if enough Boards fight the Minister, she'll lose, big time.

    Tamaki Makaurau • Since Nov 2006 • 528 posts Report Reply

  • Carol Stewart,

    Our current cat Charles is very good at catching and eating blowflies. He balks at anything larger, which is just as well for the silvereyes.
    Slightly off topic, but just noting here that we've had a wonderful spring for birds in Wellington. Tuis galore, slivereyes, grey warblers, and the odd kakariki fly-by. A friend on the other side of the ridge gets regular visits by kaka. I'm not sure if it's the proximity to the Karori sanctuary, or the regional council's pest control programme, or both. Whatever, to quote George W., or should that be Anne Tolley, bring it on!

    Wellington • Since Jul 2008 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Litterick,

    This morning, I decided to devise national standards for myself and then refused to implement them.

    It was very satisfying and quite took my mind off the agreeing with Cameron Slater thing.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1000 posts Report Reply

  • Carol Stewart,

    There are Board of Trustee elections in March next year

    May 7, actually, Mikaere.

    Wellington • Since Jul 2008 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    Megan, are we related? I fortunately escaped the bird phobia, but my entire family is petrified of them. I fondly recall my uncle Gary at the North Shore dump, hyperventilating and swearing as he pressed himself backwards on to the side of his ute at the sight of a flock of seagulls. (I think he wanted to 'ruuuun, run so far awaaaay...' Boom-tish.)

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    There are Board of Trustee elections in March next year

    May, the elections are going to be in May. Nominations will be due some time before that obviously. Trolley has already threatened to dissolve the boards that should choose to fight the implementation of the standards.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    My pick is that if enough Boards fight the Minister, she'll lose, big time.

    If I were a parent, I'd be lobbying and supporting current BoT members to do just that. As Jolisa says, overseas experience shows this is one battle worth being fired over. The Minister can hardly get rid of all of the dissenting Boards faster than public outcry would have her removed.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • JackElder,

    I swear I'm not paying Jack, but he's right.

    Hell, am I working pro bono again? That bugger bono never pays up.

    (Jack, please ensure you bare those forearms on Thursday so I can recognise you, 'kay?)

    I'll wear my best t-shirt for you.

    Wellington • Since Mar 2008 • 709 posts Report Reply

  • Phil Lyth,

    Any suggestions for action gratefully received.

    Social media seem to be quite useful for reaching people. (How much that translates into action, I don't know. That's another question)


    10 days ago, news of the consent applications broke re dairying in the Mackenzie country.

    Today the Facebook group We Don't Want Cow Cubicles in New Zealand has over 19,000 members.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2009 • 458 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    As Jolisa says, overseas experience shows this is one battle worth being fired over.

    A lot of people aren't aware that if a board is dissolved and a commissioner is installed, the school has to pay for the commissioner. And if the commissioner runs down the school's finances, it will be the school that gets the rap for that and has to climb out of the hole. The consequences for small and low decile schools especially can be catastrophic.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    The other thing I'd do is remind any Nact voters you encounter that this is the "ambition" they put into power. Hopefully they might think a bit more before next time.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Fair point, Giovanni. The consequences of implementing this crazy arse policy are especially bad for low decile schools too.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Phil Lyth,

    BoT matters

    Elections, good. That might get peeps motivated and make the elections interesting for once. Rather than the usual effort to get nominees to fill all the seats.

    Also a subtle way for boards to work would be to place action way down the list of priorities. Perhaps so low all available resources are expended on higher priorities. It has been done before.

    proximity to the Karori sanctuary

    Do come visit, it is awesome. I am on duty as a (volunteer) guide sometime this weekend. </promotion>

    Wellington • Since Apr 2009 • 458 posts Report Reply

  • Jolisa,

    Lucy, I think a parental boycott would be awesome, and might - given how small NZ is - actually work. Done here, it may save the occasional kid but generally winds up punishing the schools, because of how tightly and punitively funding is tied to test results.

    It depends very much on the school, too. (Note to self, must blog this properly).What we found over here with the old school was that their very borderline test scores meant for year-round drilling in an effort to get the scores up. Officially, of course, teachers only "taught to the test" for the month before the test. Unofficially, I could count on one hand the number of class activities and/or homework that was NOT somehow related to the tests or delivered in test format. It was repetitive, banal, occasionally just plain wrong or stupid, and the cumulative stress on our bright kid was horrible to witness. Also, recess was cut back to two days a week, and field trips were cancelled so children could get in a little extra maths practice, that sort of thing.

    The one glimmer of leverage was that the school was anxious to retain every kid who could possibly pass the test without problem. As we discovered, they were terrified at the thought of parents keeping home the "smart" kids on the days of the test. Unfortunately the teachers were so strung out by the testing and its impact on their own careers - if scores drop below a certain level, schools are taken over or shut down, people lose jobs - that there was no possibility of common ground for broader action. So, no real parental leverage there. And of course test results were used to funnel kids into the gifted programs, so by boycotting the test you effectively forfeited any access to educational enrichment. Nice, eh?

    The new school (although also a public school) is composed almost entirely of children of the professoriat, which means the kids don't need to be drilled on test-taking all year long, and the test itself is way less of a hassle. I mean, it's still a hassle, but the kids can treat it as a game and/or a joke and/or challenge. Meanwhile, they also get recess every day, and learn Chinese, and work towards elaborate musical pageants and generally do all that cool stuff that excites the learning brain, which was not a feature of the old school, where any "enrichment" activities were a) planned by parents and b) done after school hours.

    The short version is that a national standards testing regime at the primary level takes a class system and entrenches it. The fight to get into high decile schools will only be fiercer, and children in low decile schools can pretty much kiss goodbye to any kind of fun, curiosity-driven, open-ended learning at school. The best they can hope for is creative ways of memorising material or approaches that will be on the test.

    I feel so strongly about this because I saw what it did to a group of children (and teachers) I had hung out with for three years and cared passionately about. I managed to get my little lad into a lifeboat, but the others are still out there bobbing around in an ocean of statistics and reports, along with the teachers, who want to do their best but are hamstrung at every turn. It's a mess, and a heartbreak.

    So, yeah. Bring it on. Boycott. Walk-out. Whatever it takes.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    Any suggestions for action gratefully received. I can't believe I'm the only parent who's unhappy about this, but noone seems to be talking about it?

    Well, given parents are the ones who are supposed to want National STandards and whatever we're calling not-league-tables now, I think a hearty public display of fucked-off parent-hood would be well useful.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Also a subtle way for boards to work would be to place action way down the list of priorities. Perhaps so low all available resources are expended on higher priorities. It has been done before.

    Ah, so you agree amiably but then don't resource the implementation. Does sound familiar.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Carol Stewart,

    What Giovanni said. Also, presumably the pressure for national standards came from parents/voters in the first place, so it's going to be a fractious issue within school communities.
    It's a great shame that Anne Tolley doesn't show more signs of having learned from overseas experience such as the SATS tests in the UK. And of course what Jolisa describes.

    Wellington • Since Jul 2008 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • Jolisa,

    Great link, Carol. And it confirms what we anecdotally observed when we crunched the numbers for School #1 over the last several years. Which is that while you can occasionally observe improvements in single subjects (reading, writing, OR math), you pretty much never saw across-the-board improvement. AND, signally, the harder you drilled the younger kids, the worse they did: their scores tended to drop year by year.

    Of course the larger irony was that the scores were pretty much steady; on the whole they fluctuate by the margin of error every year, but a borderline school stays borderline, and a high-achieving school stays high-achieving. No surprises there.

    Occasionally you will find a very, very low-achieving school that has a sudden leap in test scores on account of a gung-ho new principal or some school-wide initiative. Which is wonderful, and presumably what the whole apparatus is aimed at. It's also the exception rather than the rule.

    I would love to be encouraging about this -- any improvement in literacy is surely a good thing -- but it's hard to get super-thrilled about kids who've learned to read only in order to pass reading tests that are perplexing, deterministic, or patronising, and sometimes all three at once. That's not the kind of literacy we're after.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Occasionally you will find a very, very low-achieving school that has a sudden leap in test scores on account of a gung-ho new principal or some school-wide initiative. Which is wonderful, and presumably what the whole apparatus is aimed at. It's also the exception rather than the rule.

    It's also something that can be achieved without a rigid obeyance to national standards. Schools already measure student performance against a national benchmark, and it's a source of vital information for the educators.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace,

    School board nominations open 15 March and voting has to be done by 7 May. I think there is some school flexibility in there.Unlike for standards.

    I see my humans post on standards and their potential negative effects on autistic and other kids who learn differently, now has a reply from the Ministry.

    I can't understand why the Minister is so stubborn about this one tool. It has nothing to do with achievement. It is just one way to make a particular measurement at a point in time, and is pretty meaningless when you consider the diversity of our kids and their learning needs. Raising achievement is another thing altogether. Main problem for me is that it will label the kids as failures when it is really the system that is failing them.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

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