header image
 

COMMENT

I welcome your comments and will make some more of my own on this page. You can also contact me privately through the contact page.

  • Share/Bookmark

9 Responses to “COMMENT”

  1. SOME RECOMMENDED READING
    Chris Bonnor & Jane Caro [UNSW Press 2007]: The Stupid Country : How Australia is dismantling publice education.
    Chris suggests that you “…replace John Howard with Kevin Rudd..and Julie with Julia.” The authors ask “…whether we really want to continue stumbling blindly down our current path, risking the health of out public schools and everything they have created – our prospertity, unity, stability – even, perhaps, our democracy.”
    {Google ‘bonnor stupid country’]

    Tom Newkirk [Heinnemann 2009] : Holding on to Good Ideas in a time of Bad Ideas.
    One reviewer suggests that the book is a reminder that “…we are professionals, not technicians. Newkirk illuminates teaching as an intellectual endeavour, a continuos process of observation, small experiments and reflections that inform and change what we do in classroom.”
    See : http://www.hienemann.com/products/ED2123.aspx

    Karen Horowitz : White Chalk Crime
    The author a victim of teacher abuse, suggests that EducRATS are the New Mafia. She defines an EducRAT as “…a hired, appointed or elected leader more engrossed in $$$ and Power than in educating our children.” By the calculated use of psychological terror, they squelch resistance from Principals, Teachers and Parents. They are more interested in expanding their power than in expanding children’s minds. One reviewer says that Principals and Teachers have become sheep, afraid of losing their jobs or becoming the next target.
    See : http://www.whitechalkcrime.com/what.html

    Phil Cullen said this on July 7th, 2009 at 1:36 am

  2. Wonderful that you are prepared to share your wisdom. Wisdonm is sadly lacking in those that determine what is expected in schools these days.

    Bruce Hammonds said this on July 15th, 2009 at 1:48 am

  3. Thanks Phil for continuing the reflective journey for me.Some history….
    I married kathy jackson back in 1974.your brother Ted did my first year inspection at Dimbulah with bernie.

    harvey Martin said this on July 17th, 2009 at 1:08 am

  4. Read your article on On Line Opinions.

    Someone panned your writings there. Evidently you don’t have any “real life” experience and don’t know what you are talking about.

    So perhaps you should have been a plumber THEN become a teacher. As a plumber you would have gained “real-life” experience and would be better qualified to teach AND comment on improving the education system?

    O.K. His lack of logic did confuse me a little.

    Nice website anyway…and you appear to know something about education.

    But what would I know.

    You may have even been a great plumber too – if you had ever bothered to get a real job. Ya know eh.

    Bring back the cane!!! It worked!!

    Cus Cus said this on July 28th, 2009 at 12:28 pm

  5. Thank you Bruce Hammonds. Your site http://www.leading-learning.co.nz was inspirational. I hope that its messages spread across The Ditch.

    Phil Cullen said this on August 30th, 2009 at 4:07 am

  6. Harvey Martin, thank you. You tickled the memory pool….your own inspirational leadership in schools and Kathy’s cheerful dedication. When she was a super-secretary at Longreach Primary, I tried to persuade her to move to Regional Office, but she would not leave her Principal, Cec. McDonald.

    Phil Cullen said this on August 30th, 2009 at 4:11 am

  7. Yep, Cus-cus. Turns out that my critic was a shopkeeper who writes often to OLO, telling folk to join the ‘real world’. He’s correct. I haven’t been in the real world of shop-keeping, but I’ve kept a few country pubs on their feet.
    Looks like it’s plumbing for me in the new life; then I can get a job in Gillard Garage.

    Phil Cullen said this on August 30th, 2009 at 12:15 pm

  8. Phil
    I love your contributions to the Queensland Teacher’s Journal and pine for the good old days of school inspectors such as yourself who used their wisdom to inspire, advise and support teachers across the state. My father-in-law was Bryan Grant an old colleague of yours who left the Education Department to become Registrar of Gatton College. Your daughter Michelle trained as a Stock and Meat Inspector with my husband Steve. Keep up the wonderful contributions… they are a highlight when I read my magazine.
    Regards
    Kathy Grant

    Kathryn Grant said this on September 9th, 2009 at 10:05 pm

  9. Cultivating and nurturing that love of and zest for learning within the hearts and minds of our Primary School pupils has always remained the inspirational message you have, for so long now, so ably and effectively promoted. I, like so many others, share the philosophy to which you subscribe. Our classroom teachers – the only ones who can make a “real difference” would undoubtedly be highly appreciative of the sentiments you express.

    Les Treichel said this on March 25th, 2010 at 11:42 am

Leave your comment