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.
Judging by Manitoba’s growing deficit, math doesn’t appear to be the government’s strong suit. Now the government seems to want all Manitobans to have equally poor math skills. Last month, the province quietly removed all subject requirements for entry into a...
“Resistance to colonialism is not terrorism.” This quote was shown to more than 5000 Winnipeg School Division (WSD) staff last week at a professional development session that Dr. Chris Emdin from Teachers College, Columbia University delivered. Not...
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...
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...
For the past 14 years, Vancouver surgeon Dr. Brian Day has led the charge for health-care reform, pushing for the right of patients to pay for private care if their health and well-being are threatened as a result of waiting in a stagnant and overburdened public...
The path to net zero, based on the much disputed belief that carbon dioxide is a pollution, is more steep and impractical than most people realize. Replacing fossil fuels with clean electricity will require much more power generation and a greatly upgraded grid to...
Education Minister Nello Altomare wants to reduce the number of students being suspended from school. To achieve this goal, his department released a new policy directive that urges school administrators to use alternative measures when dealing with student...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Student academic achievement is heading downhill in every single province in Canada. That’s what the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) report shows. Over the last twenty years, there has been a steady decline in the math, reading, and...
Want to become a public-school teacher? If so, you need a teaching certificate from Manitoba Education’s certification unit. Provincial regulations state that prospective teachers must hold a Bachelor of Education degree from a recognized university. This requirement...
Big Topics & Big Ideas
Earlier this month, Manitobans elected a new provincial government. As a result, NDP leader Wab Kinew will soon be sworn in as Manitoba’s twenty-fifth premier. No doubt premier-designate Kinew intends to make significant changes to education policy. So here is some...