If you’re a student in Alberta hoping that the school boards will offer some official protection from anti-gay bullying, it looks like you’re going to have to keep hoping. Last week, the Alberta School Boards Association rejected a proposal to adopt a province-wide anti-bullying policy aimed at protecting GLBT students and staff. So, now that […]
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mike watkins dot ca: B.C. School Seismic Safety
See article in The Georgia Straight: B.C. schools are still waiting for seismic upgrades According to the B.C. Ministry of Education, 121 seismic projects had been completed as of August 2012. Construction work is happening at 14 schools, including Sir James Douglas Elementary School in Vancouver, which Watkins’s two sons
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Liberals, No One Forgets The Common Refrain
You don’t spread a message by only saying it once. This Conservative government has created Canada’s largest deficits, the largest government and has spent more money than any other Canadian government before it. On the most important things people don’t just speak up and than sit back down smug that
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Principal Cancels Course To Prevent Gay Student From Taking It
The lengths people go to in order to stop gay people from enjoying their life… Thomas Amons, a principal for the Beaumont Independent School District’s Taylor Career and Technology Center in Texas, has canceled an entire cosmetology course rather than let a student whom he thought was gay take it.
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Christian Group Sues School Board Over Lesson Plans
A group calling itself the “Parental Rights in Education Defense Fund” along with an anonymous “beleaguered parent” is suing the Ontario school system for not providing advance notice of gay subject matter. “The parent seeks nothing more than to be given advance notice so that he can […] withdraw his
Continue readingTrashy's World: Back to school today!
And if I see one vehicle ignore the flashing lights of a school bus, I will chase you and hunt you down., I will. Please be mindful of buses, students and crossing guards. Don’t be a moron. (9) Trashy, Ottawa, Ontario
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Climate Science Denier Debunks Greenhouse Theory With Two Fish Cooler Boxes And A Roll Of Cling Film
IMG_0761.jpg SOMETIMES in the world of climate science "scepticism", things can become a little surreal. A bit odd, if you will, to the point where you need to inflict a sharp pain upon your person to confirm you've not drifted off into an alternate reality. Like the time, for example, when Australian mainstream
Continue readingFive of Five: Gay is the Word
I was in the gym tonight when Toronto Archbishop Tom Collins came on the television. The Ontario government is currently fine tuning proposed anti-bullying legislation, which of course affects catholic schools. The legislation would allow students to form anti-bullying, anti-homophobic groups, sometimes known as Gay-Straight Alliances. The issue right now
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Ontario Catholic Schools To Get GSAs
I admit it. I jumped the gun with my Congratulalien last year. When the Ontario government announced that all schools—including Catholic schools—must allow the formation of student-run GLBT support groups, I took that to mean students would finally be getting GSAs. Having endured twelve years of Catholic schooling myself, I perhaps should
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Principal Disqualifies Student for Supporting Same-Sex Marriage
An assistant principal at Fullerton Union High School in California interrupted and disqualified a student competing for the title of Mr. Fullerton (A silly contest the school has going on, apparently) because the student said he hopes that same-sex marriage will be legal in California so that he can get
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Anti-Gay Protest In Ontario
A crowd of about 200 appeared in Queen’s Park, Ontario yesterday, protesting provincial legislation that will help eliminate anti-gay bullying in schools. This rally also marked the unveiling of some brand new terminology to be used by the anti-gay lobby, as a spokesperson began referring to Gay-Straight Alliances as “homosexual
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Utah Proposes Anti-Gay Censorship Bill
The Utah state senate has voted in favour of a bill forbidding discussion of homosexuality in classrooms, even if a question was posed by a student. Other jurisdictions are now reportedly considering legislation forbidding discussion of Utah.
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Homophobic Lobby Group Freaks Out Over Anti-Bullying Video
Hundreds of students from schools across Vancouver have collaborated to creatd a YouTube video called the Pink Project, a creative effort to help spread the message that bullying is not OK. The video features students from eleven different schools dancing to Lady Gaga’s “Born this Way,” all wearing pink shirts
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: We All Lose In BC Teacher Labour Dispute
Who will win in the latest labour dispute between BC teachers and the provincial government? It doesn’t matter, we are already losing. Now a politician isn’t going to tell a province this, a union representative isn’t going to hold a press conference to point it out, and people aren’t going
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Parents Flip Out Over Teachers’ Safe Space Card
Two fifth grade teachers at West Park School in Altona, Manitoba are being demanded by parents to remove cards from their classrooms indicating that they have completed training on how to support GLBT youth. Stephanie Fortier and Peter Wohlgemut had voluntarily taken training sessions from the Rainbow Resource Center in
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Newfoundland Gets GSA Fund
Looks like Ontario may need to go to Newfoundland for some schooling on schooling. Clyde Jackman, Newfoundland’s education minister, just announced MyGSA, a $90,000 fund to help support the establishment of Gay-Straight Alliances. And it’s available to all schools offering grades 7 to 12. Cool stuff! It’s about time tha—Hey, McGuinty! Pay attention!
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: School Trustees Censured For Online Video Controvery
Ken Denike and Sophia Woo, two trustees at the Vancouver School Board, were publicly reprimanded last week after misrepresenting the school board’s anti-homophobia policy. The trustees were already the focus of some controversy when a video surfaced online showing them talking to supporters before last November’s elections. In the video,
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Teacher Receives Death Threat Over Anti-Homophobia Policy
A teacher in Burnaby, British Columbia has received a death threat over the school board’s proposal to adopt anti-homophobia policies designed to reduce incidents of bullying and make schools safter for GLBT students. The letter, adorned with illustrations of bloody knives, reads as follows: Must immediately withdraw POLICY #5.45 Adhere to the basic social principles! […]
Continue readingEnvironmental Law Alert Blog: Vernon parents kick pesticides out of school fields
Friday, October 7, 2011
A group of parents and kids in Vernon are celebrating, after School Distri…
Continue readingTrashy's World: I need some help from the Ottawa Twitter and Facebook communities…
… in trying to track down some scumbags who defiled Pleasant Park School (OCDSB: JK -> 6… yeah, little kids) with some truly disgusting graffiti at some point over the past few days. As in TRULY disgusting. Swastikas. Racist crap. The works. The police are not likely to be able do anything other than log […]
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