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.
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...
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...
They finally have a deal. After two years of negotiating, the Manitoba Teachers’ Society and the Manitoba School Boards Association reached a tentative agreement last month. If the agreement is ratified by teachers, this will be their first provincewide collective...
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...
The indictment of former U.S. president Donald Trump for crimes invented by his political opponents is the most egregious example yet seen of the weaponizing of the law. The United States is now full of examples. However, in Canada, we also see the law being...
OTTAWA, REGINA - Last week, two things happened that could have profound impacts on natural resources development in Saskatchewan. One is a hint the federal government might want to take control of natural resources away from the provinces, and the other is the...
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...
The debate over parental rights has become a flashpoint in the upcoming Manitoba provincial election. The Progressive Conservatives are promising to strengthen parental rights while the Liberals and NDP have both denounced this pledge as a “dog whistle” to bigots. One...
In a recent campaign announcement, PC leader Heather Stefanson promised to protect parental rights in schools. Specifically, Stefanson said that parents will have the right to be informed about curriculum, the right to be involved in addressing bullying, the right to...
Judging by the recent flurry of spending announcements, provincial politicians are eager to spend more money on public education. For example, the Ontario government recently announced that it will invest an additional $180 million to improve the academic skills of...
It’s not often that New Brunswick makes the national news. It’s rarer still for a New Brunswick premier to become a Canadian household name. But that’s exactly what’s happened to Premier Blaine Higgs. Last month, New Brunswick’s education minister announced changes...
There is a significant push by some educators to abolish traditional percentage grades. This “ungrading” movement wants teachers to eliminate, or at least minimize, the status of formal grades. A Winnipeg Free Press story recently described how one Winnipeg high...
The provincial government recently announced that it is partnering with a B.C.-based company to deliver virtual financial literacy programming in Manitoba classrooms. Starting next school year, Enriched Academy will provide lessons to about 1,500 Manitoba...
This election will have a big impact on the type of learning that happens in schools.
Keeping students safe must always be a top priority.