NF - How Childish

[John Bacon]

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/toronto/Union+student+teachers+over+Harris+degree/3129533/story.html

 

 

Philip Ling, Canwest News Service · Wednesday, Jun. 9, 2010

 

The Ontario Teachers' Federation says it objects "in the strongest possible terms" to Nipissing University's plan to confer an honorary degree on former Ontario premier Mike Harris -- going so far as to suggest its members will not place the university's student teachers if the ceremony goes ahead.

 

In a May 12 letter to Nipissing's board of governors, association president Reno Melatti called Mr. Harris's degree--planned for Friday --a "misguided plan of action."

 

"We find it incongruous that a university that prides itself on being a school for future teachers and for aboriginal students would deem it appropriate to confer any honour on an individual who decimated the funding of K-12 and post-secondary education in Ontario," said Mr. Melatti, who wrote the letter on behalf of Ontario's 155,000 public school teachers.

 

"Given the insidious treatment of the profession by former premier Mike Harris, and his total lack of respect for its members, we cannot predict how teachers may demonstrate their displeasure should the university ... confer an honorary degree on [him]," the letter reads.

 

He said some teachers have indicated that they may "reconsider" accepting student teachers from the university for their mandatory placements in schools.

 

"We encourage the profession by encouraging teachers to do whatever we can to assist [the students] in their program. But at the same time, we can't compel them to do that," Mr. Melatti said.

 

The federation has not taken a position on the matter, he said, but its executive will meet in late June to determine if a recommendation against placing Nipissing students will be necessary.

 

The university, located in Mr. Harris's hometown of North Bay, announced in May that the former premier will receive the honour because he "was supportive to the process that saw Nipissing University receive its charter as an independent degree-granting institution in 1992."

 

Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/toronto/Union+student+teachers+over+Harris+degree/3129533/story.html#ixzz0qQ3ZVUPj

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Edited June 10, 2010 by JohnBacon

[Cudz]

Harris is the least popular premier with teachers.

Lots of reasons.

[John Bacon]

Harris is the least popular premier with teachers.

Lots of reasons.

 

Still, threatening not to hire studends from a university that gave him am honourary degrees is getting pretty silly. Why should the students suffer because their university gave him the degree? I doubt that they were consulted. Hopefully some of the 150,000 teachers that she claims to represent make in clear that they do not support her threats.

Edited June 10, 2010 by JohnBacon

[Terry]

I understand them doing that

he did a lot to the teachers and they will never forgive or forget.......

 

it may not be fair to the students, but it's a way to let people remember the slice and dice of our education system by mike

[lookinforwalleye]

We need more politicians like Mike Harris!

[Cudz]

Still, threatening not to hire studends from a university that gave him am honourary degrees is getting pretty silly. Why should the students suffer because their university gave him the degree? I doubt that they were consulted. Hopefully some of the 150,000 teachers that she claims to represent make in clear that they do not support her threats.

Basically if teachers graduating Nipissing get black balled, no university undergrad with enroll in their teacher's college and therefore it will kill the program. Here is an easy solution. Don't give Harris the honourary degree. So simple.

[splashhopper]

Basically if teachers graduating Nipissing get black balled, no university undergrad with enroll in their teacher's college and therefore it will kill the program. Here is an easy solution. Don't give Harris the honourary degree. So simple.

 

Being blackmailed by the teachers UNION, yet again is not a simple solution.

Edited June 11, 2010 by splashhopper

[AzuluSpookd]

Bingo! You got it Cudz. Harris sux

 

Basically if teachers graduating Nipissing get black balled, no university undergrad with enroll in their teacher's college and therefore it will kill the program. Here is an easy solution. Don't give Harris the honourary degree. So simple.

[Cudz]

Being blackmailed by the teachers UNION, yet again is not a simple solution.

Maybe not, but is it really worth it for the University to give out a bogus un-meritted degree to a former premier and risk an entire program, not to mention the future of the current enrolled students? There are times when you go all in and there are times when you fold. I am not saying the teacher's union is right here but can the University afford to bluff here? I wouldn't risk it, but then again I don't gamble.

Edited June 11, 2010 by Cudz

[Nemo]

Regardless of what people think about Harris or Nippissing conferring an honorary degree what business is it of the Teacher's Union to:

 

a. Stick their nose in the decision.

 

b. black ball students from a particular institution..I can't believe this is true and I think this may be illegal.

 

c. Why does the union think it is a good idea to publicize this message.

 

 

P.S. Mike doesn't give a damn he is home and dry with a nice pension. Pretty good for a golf instructor.

 

 

Also doesn't the teachers union have more to think about like...

 

a. Double dipping by retired teachers

 

b. Summer vacation .....

 

That's all Ive got to say about that....Forrest Gump

[Dara]

I wish he would have made a law stopping teachers from striking

[John Bacon]

Basically if teachers graduating Nipissing get black balled, no university undergrad with enroll in their teacher's college and therefore it will kill the program. Here is an easy solution. Don't give Harris the honourary degree. So simple.

 

 

Where do you draw the line? Lots of universities give out honourary degrees. I am sure that pretty much every university has given an honourary degree to someone that you don't like. Do we all refuse to hire students from universities who have given a degree to someone we don't like?

[Cudz]

Where do you draw the line? Lots of universities give out honourary degrees. I am sure that pretty much every university has given an honourary degree to someone that you don't like. Do we all refuse to hire students from universities who have given a degree to someone we don't like?

You are right. Again, I never said I agreed with what the union is doing, all I said was that I wouldn't risk a whole program on something as small as an honourary degree.

[Dutchy]

You are right. Again, I never said I agreed with what the union is doing, all I said was that I wouldn't risk a whole program on something as small as an honourary degree.

 

Got to stand up to the Unions. Someone has to in Canada at some point.

[lookinforwalleye]

Harris is the least popular premier with teachers.

Lots of reasons.

 

 

IMHO Premier Harris was liked very much by the average joe working man but I can see why left leaning Liberal/NDP`ers would not like Mike.

[Chris]

Still, threatening not to hire studends from a university that gave him am honourary degrees is getting pretty silly.

 

Not to mention very, very unprofessional. Great example to set for students. Then again we have teachers getting paid leave to go on the campaign trail with the Liberals out here in eastern Ontario, so this doesn't surprise me in the least.

[Jer]

I understand them doing that

he did a lot to the teachers and they will never forgive or forget.......

 

it may not be fair to the students, but it's a way to let people remember the slice and dice of our education system by mike

 

 

So the current students in the program get to suffer for the sake of a history lesson?

[lookinforwalleye]

Ontario could use Mike Harris`s politics again to fix the mess McSquinty and his band of lefties has Ontario in.

 

Imagine having an idea that requires chronic welfare bums to work for the hand out,shame!!!

[Terry]

So the current students in the program get to suffer for the sake of a history lesson?

 

I did not say I agree

 

I just understand their reasons for doing it.....and remember how many people lost jobs, hours and money with Harris at the helm......

[mbac31]

Mr Harris had a tough job to do and did a dam good one at that. Got rid of all that Fat Cat type of spending and made a solid foundation or at least attempted to do so until the Non Essential unions that we do not need anymore and cry babies voted him out. Now we have a socialist Jackass that only the rich enjoy having around and continues to screw us. It seemed to be only the people who had their hand in the perverbial cookie jar were the ones who had a problem with him because they were all caught with crumbs on the corners of their mouths.

[Radnine]

yah, ands they gets all sumer off two!!

Gym

[irishfield]

2 more weeks Gym....

[Gerritt]

While Harris pissed off alot of special interest groups, I am of the personal belief he made the hard decisions that needed to be made,

 

That being said you have to respect a man willing to stand up for his convictions.

 

At least Mike Harris had the balls to do something.