Michael Zwaagstra

Michael Zwaagstra is a senior fellow at the Frontier Centre and public high school teacher. He received his Bachelor of Education and Master of Education from the University of Manitoba and Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Liberty University in Virginia. He is the author of A Sage on the Stage: Common Sense Reflections on Teaching and Learning, and co-author of What’s Wrong with Our Schools and How We Can Fix Them. He is a frequent author of education policy research and newspaper columns across Canada. His research mainly focuses on curricula, teaching instruction and public education. Michael’s research and commentary have been featured in radio, television and newspapers across the country. Michael lives with his wife and children in Steinbach, Manitoba.

Research by Michael Zwaagstra

Diversity of Thought Among Teachers is a Good Thing

Diversity of Thought Among Teachers is a Good Thing

Visit the website of the Manitoba Teachers’ Society (MTS) and you might think that all teachers are left-wing ideologues. The reality, however, is quite different. There is, in fact, plenty of diversity of thought among teachers despite the one-sided political message...

Schools Should Educate Rather Than Indoctrinate

Schools Should Educate Rather Than Indoctrinate

Students across Canada are now back in classrooms. As the new school year gets underway, let’s encourage schools to focus on what matters most teaching and learning. No doubt there is room for improvement. According to results from the Programme for International...

Provincial Cell Phone Ban Makes Sense

Provincial Cell Phone Ban Makes Sense

The Manitoba government is banning cell phones in schools. Starting next month, K-8 students will not be allowed to use cell phones at all during school hours. High school students may use phones during breaks and lunch hour, but not during class time. This...

Featured News

Alberta Politics and Empty Promises of Health-care Solutions

The writ has been dropped and Albertans are off to the polls on May 29. That leaves just four weeks for political leaders and voters to sort out what is arguably the most divisive, yet significant, issue for this election - health care. On Day 2, NDP leader Rachel...

Micromanaging School Boards is the Wrong Approach

Micromanaging School Boards is the Wrong Approach

Remember Bill 64? Introduced in 2021 by the former Progressive Conservative government, Bill 64 proposed to abolish locally elected school boards. The NDP led the charge against this bill. Current education minister Nello Altomare, then serving as his party’s...

Focusing On the Classroom Is Always a Good Idea

Focusing On the Classroom Is Always a Good Idea

All students deserve a high-quality education, regardless of where they live or what background they have. If we accept this principle, we must invest in the things that have the biggest impact on achievement. This means that school boards should focus on improving...

Manitoba is Fortunate to Not Have Teacher Strikes

Manitoba is Fortunate to Not Have Teacher Strikes

Saskatchewan students are not having a good school year. Teachers in that province are currently engaged in rotating strikes and there is a real possibility of a full teachers’ strike in the near future. The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation wants class size and...

Schools Cannot Function Without Trust

Schools Cannot Function Without Trust

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s parental rights announcement has surely generated a lot of debate. Not only will Alberta require schools to obtain parental consent before changing the names or pronouns of students under the age of 16, but teachers will also have to...

School Trustee Suspensions Happening Far Too Often

School Trustee Suspensions Happening Far Too Often

It was just a few short years ago that the Pallister government introduced Bill 64. Among other things, Bill 64 would have abolished school boards and replaced elected trustees with provincial appointees. The reaction was fast and furious. The Manitoba School Board...