Stephanie Mills's Page

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10605223
This editorial from the Herald on Sunday, together with Steve Braunias' spoof diary of Anne Tolley in the Sunday Start Times on Sunday was a welcome reprieve from the generally anti-teacher, blindly pro-league tables approach of most of the major dailies. However, it's interesting to note that a recent Ot… Continue

The Ministry has posted a summary of feedback from parents and educators on its site:
http://www.minedu.govt.nz/theMinistry/Consultation/NationalStandards/ConsultationFeedback.aspx

Reporting from the consultation meetings in Taranaki, here's an opinion piece from the Taranaki Daily News...(rather more informed than a recent editorial in the same paper!

http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/2561366/Its-a-blackboard-jumble

Martin drew attention to one aspect of Perry Rush's oped. As a parent, I found Perry's comments about "plain english reporting" interesting. On the one hand, it is clear that out here in "parentland" there is a strong desire to better understand what teachers are saying. On the other hand, talking to teachers and principals over the last few days, I've heard a strong sense that schools feel they are already communicating well about children's achievement. So I found Perry's view on it useful. In… Continue

National standards and their impact on teaching and learning are a hot topic around the tables at the Rural and Teaching Principals Conference in Rotorua I'm attending this week. There's quite a lot of support in principle for the standards, but some concern about how the standards will measure and report on a child's progress, as against their attainment... and a pretty hostile view of school leagues tables! Minister Anne Tolley will be addressing the conference tomorrow, so it will be interest… Continue