Parents for Choice in Education

Edmonton Journal columnist makes an eloquent defence of standardized testing in this column, and suggests that the new revised tests should take place on an annual basis. What he proposes is similar to a Wildrose Party policy from the last election – that PATs should be reformed and replaced with something on an annual basis. PCE believes that standardized testing is an important mechanism by which parents are kept up to date on their children’s progress in public schools. We support the current exceptions for home educators – standardized testing is not necessary when parents themselves are doing the teaching, [...]

Parents for Choice in Education (PCE) is calling on the Government of Alberta to clarify certain aspects of their proposed changes to standardized testing. Assessments must measure what students are learning and their retention of key knowledge aspects of the curriculum, as well as the skills they are learning. “We applaud efforts to improve standardized testing in Alberta. However, it is important that the new tests continue to cover the knowledge content of the curriculum,” said PCE Executive Director Garnett Genuis. “Government communications thus far have emphasized ‘skill’ element of the new tests – things like literacy, numeracy and problem [...]

The Alberta government has announced a major overhaul of the way standardized testing is done in Alberta. You can read about it here, and listen to the press conference here. Parents for Choice is currently assessing the implications of these changes, and will be re-acting shortly.

I recently stumbled across this article about one home educating family in Alabama. Many different families home educate in different ways and put emphasis on different kinds of things. In this case, the family worked hard to fast track their children`s education by identifying their skills early and getting them into post-secondary while still in their teenage years. This family considers themselves average, but they were able to help 6 of their 10 children get into college before age 12. For parents who value the flexibility and opportunity to fast track their children that comes with home education, their story [...]

In Germany, a book released in 1991 has been circulating through Berlin’s first grade classrooms. Graphically illustrated, “Where Do You Come From?” teaches children ages 5 and up about stages of sexual arousal, and how to put on a condom properly. As if this is not shocking enough, two years ago, teachers in Berlin were urged to present a media kit to seventh graders explaining homosexuality and transsexuality, in addition to encouraging “role-playing”- cheap pornography dressed up as education. See the full article from Spiegel Online International here. In Berlin, parents’ complaints were ignored by the school board, until the [...]