EVENT: Where is K-12 public education going?
Three experts, three points of view. An evening for parents, educators, and the public.
Date & Time: Thursday, November 28th, 7:00 PM
Location: Bricker Academic Building, Room BA101, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo
The trajectory of the Ontario public school system is hotly contested. While the Ministry of Education, Faculties of Education, and Boards of Education increasingly prioritize social justice, many parents are concerned about basic education. For example, the Ontario Human Rights Commission found that our schools are failing to teach children to read!
Many parents perceive a lack of access to education experts. Others feel that these experts are unwilling to persuade them of the benefits of new approaches. To address these perceptions, LaurierHxA has arranged for three education experts, each with different views, to discuss the direction of K-12 education. We hope this will reveal some common ground, provide clarity on points of disagreement, and help identify concrete steps toward improved education.
The Panelists
Ardavan Eizadirad is an education scholar whose research is grounded in anti-oppression activism, antiracism, decolonization and social justice. He will discuss how to better the education system based on his research.
Scott Davies is a sociologist of education who employs large scale quantitative research to survey the various directions educational policy has historically taken and the implications of those directions on School Boards, schools, and student achievement. He will discuss situating what he perceives as the current hegemony of social justice in the context of educational reform historically.
Stephen Reich is a PhD candidate-researcher investigating the growing influence of anti-oppression activism, antiracism, decolonization and social justice in K-12 education, mostly at the expense of approaches validated by learning science; a trend that has accelerated during the Progressive Conservatives’ tenure. He will discuss how to better the education system based on his research.
Given their different research interests and perspectives, Ardavan, Scott and Stephen will speak on their evaluations of Ontario’s current educational policies, and their prescriptions for bettering the system. They will pose questions to one another to draw out commonalities and conflicts, and better inform parents, teachers, principals and university professors about what options are available to improve Ontario’s K-12 public education system, assuming any are needed. Their dialogue will be followed by an opportunity for audience members to pose questions to the panelists to clarify the issues and possible solutions.
For more information, contact Geoff Horsman (ghorsman@wlu.ca).
