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.
Trustee elections take place later this month. While some candidates have already been acclaimed, voters in other parts of the province have quite a few candidates to choose from. We should not take this election for granted. At this time last year, it looked like...
If you’ve been around for a while, you probably remember the phrase “politically correct.” Being called politically correct was not a compliment. Rather, it meant that you had an unhealthy obsession with not offending anyone, even if you had to say some rather silly...
Earlier this year, a group called Equity Matters asked the province to establish an education equity secretariat. They want this office to oversee equity officers working in Manitoba schools. Equity Matters wants to ensure that all Manitoba students are reflected in...
If you want a glimpse into Canada's future, look no further than the current public education of youth. Frontier Centre senior fellow, prolific columnist, and educator Michael Zwaagstra has a lively discussion with Leon Fontaine about the role of woke in the...
The Canadian Dream is increasingly being realized in smaller areas For decades, Canadians moved to the larger cities (census metropolitan areas, or CMAs) with their economic opportunities. The latest estimates indicate that CMAs have 72 per cent of the nation’s...
When the Premiers were first called to a sit-down lunch to talk about healthcare with Prime Minister Trudeau, there was plenty of talk about the potential for systemic change, innovation and accountability. It seemed that Canadians and their leaders were finally on...
Things are changing so fast that two-thirds of the jobs that will exist in 15 years haven't been invented yet. Perhaps you have heard this claim before or something similar to it, if so, then you have also heard that our school system is stuck in a 19th century...
Michael Zwaagstra is interviewed on BridgeCity News about political correctness on university campuses and the damaging trends towards teaching students "what to think" as opposed to "how to think. "
Michael Zwaagstra discusses back to school issues on CBC Blue Sky Radio.
“Teachers – don’t worry if you don’t have the knowledge or skill set. You are the lead learner. Inquire not lecture.” This was an actual tweet from a prominent education guru. Sadly, this message is far from isolated. There is a common belief in education circles that...
Interview: Frontier Senior Fellow Michael Zwaagstra discusses changes to Ontario's sex-ed curriculum accompanied by scrapping discovery math model on The Roy Green Show. (~17 minutes)
The primary responsibility of teachers’ unions is to represent their members. This includes advocating for better wages, opposing unfair working conditions, and ensuring that all teachers receive due process when their jobs are in jeopardy. Obviously, these are the...
Michael Zwaagstra’s presentation on the importance of “Content Knowledge” at ResearchED which is an international grass-roots, teacher-led project that aims to make teachers research-literate and pseudo-science proof. Since 2013 ResearchED has grown from a tweet to an...
Michael Zwaagstra's presentation on the importance of "Content Knowledge" at ResearchED which is an international grass-roots, teacher-led project that aims to make teachers research-literate and pseudo-science proof. Since 2013 ResearchED has grown from a tweet to an...
Michael Zwaagstra is an educator, an author and a regular contributor to the work of the Frontier Institute. He's coming to researchED Ontario to talk about his belief that the importance of content knowledge cannot be underestimated when it comes to learning at all...