The T&T kissing up to Irving

The front page of The Moncton T&T carries the story of George's brother, Jeb Bush touting (they may have meant pimping) competitive education and standardized tests. Mr. Bush who has never taught, and who has no training in education, was speaking to, among others, John Irving who is associated with a group called Atlantic Marketing Institute - a propaganda institute which publishes absurd "scientific" reports on how schools should be run like businesses. Mr. Irving has been coy about the extent of his training and experience in education. The photo with the story did, though, have one person in education - the President of St.Mary's University. However, university presidents who have any training in education are extremely rare. They are not hired to teach. Their job is to suck up to the Irvings of this world in hopes of getting handout.

Mr.Bush's speech was enjoyed by an audience of business people. Of course; why bother to invite rabble like teachers? They're not educated enough. If they were, they'd be making as much money as Mr. Irving. Yes, they would. Mr. Bush said as much.

He said workers' incomes are directly tied to education levels. Obviously, this is something for New Brunswickers to look at seriously.  Most teachers in News Brunswick have more education than John Irving. If Mr. Jeb was telling the truth, we should be looking a some pretty big raises for teachers.

Jeb Bush also said promotion to top jobs in education, as in business, should be based on performance. Good point. His brother (George) got his first job as CEO of an oil exploration company. Bright lad, George. He ran into it into bankruptcy in a short time, but managed to sell all his bonus stocks before anybody else knew how bad things were. From there, it was onward and upward. It was just like the Irving boys, working their way up and, by coincidence all performing brilliantly.

In discussing performance and accountability, Jeb did not have time to touch on the examples of those among his many friends in banking who performed by driving their banks broke, and then showed accountablility by demanding millions in bonuses.

The reporter, clearly a hard-nosed digger for the whole story, concluded with the statement that the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies is a "non-partisan" think tank. Like hell it is. It has direct links to the Harper Conservatives. I prefer to think the reporter could not lower himself to add that last sentence to the story.  I prefer to think it was done by an editor.

But that could not have happened.  No editor of an Irving-owned paper would tell such a lie. I believe that. I also believe a baby is born whenever a fairy burps.

Curious. The Moncton T&T rushes to print a story on opinions about education when they come from any sources connected with the Irvings or with neo-Conservative "think tanks". And it has never written a word of criticism of either the Irvings or a right wing think tank.

I cannot remember it ever carrying a contrary opinion by a major scholar of education.


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