“SFU education professors, including Shaker, have been fierce critics of the Fraser Institute’s school rankings for a long time. Last year, Shaker went further by engaging in a public debate in Langley with Peter Cowley, who creates the rankings, in front of scores of educators. Shaker stated at the time that the right-wing think tank doesn’t take demographic variables into account, and he claimed that this renders the whole process meaningless.” Georgia Straight
BC’s School Ranking Debate
The school ranking debate has illustrated the challenge British Columbia faces as educators and concerned citizens seek to resist American style high-stakes testing. The Faculty of Education has joined this dialogue in depth and in various media.
Featured videos:
First, a debate on school rankings sponsored by BCASCD.
“The Great Debate: Measuring our Schools”with Paul Shaker and Peter Cowley, Director of School Perfornance Studies, Fraser Institute, (January 18, 2007)
Second, an overall look at evaluation:
“What really counts! Rethinking accountability”
A keynote speech by Paul Shaker, Dean of Education, SFU (Oct. 2006, BCTF Conference).
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“Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears.”