Public Good – Details, episodes & analysis

Episode Description
In the fourth and final episode of a four part mini series about "parental rights", Stephen and Shannon speak with Heather Ganshorn from SOS Alberta.

Heather Ganshorn is the Research Director for Support Our Students Alberta, a volunteer organization that advocates for an equitable and accessible public education system. SOS believes that privatization threatens public education by diverting dollars from accountable systems that serve all children to unaccountable private providers who serve a customer niche rather than the public interest. Heather has written a number of media articles and op eds on current issues related to privatization and curriculum in Alberta. She is also an academic librarian at the University of Calgary, with experience in research support and knowledge synthesis.

Through this episode, Stephen and Shannon speak to Heather Ganshorn about the ways that the parental rights movement advance and legitimize privatization of/in public schools. Ganshorn describes the parental rights movement as a smokescreen for groups with a broader culture war agenda. In addition, Ganshorn elucidates the connection between groups stoking fear about parental rights and those calling for more school choice. Stephen and Shannon ask Heather about specific examples within Alberta and also what she has noted about the spread and alliances of parental rights groups across Canada. Ganshorn offers a clear answer about the problem of increased parental choice; these choices are not available to everyone and leave schools to make choices about students.

Episode Resources
Carter, M. (2008). “Debunking” Parents’ Rights In The Canadian Constitutional Context. The Canadian Bar Review, 86(3), Article 3. https://cbr.cba.org/index.php/cbr/article/view/4085

Cowen, J. (2022, July 20). After two decades of studying voucher programs, I’m now firmly opposed to them. The Hechinger Report. http://hechingerreport.org/opinion-after-two-decades-of-studying-voucher-programs-im-now-firmly-opposed-to-them/

Ganshorn, H. (2023, January 23). Populism, Polarization and Privatization in Alberta Education. The Monitor. https://monitormag.ca/articles/populism-polarization-and-privatization-in-alberta-education/

Ganshorn, H. (2022, November 8). Undermining public education. Education Forum.https://education-forum.ca/2022/11/08/undermining-public-education/https://education-forum.ca/2022/11/08/undermining-public-education/

Ganshorn, H., & Moussa, M. (2022, September 1). Beware “privatization creep” in education system. Leaderpost. https://leaderpost.com/opinion/heather-ganshorn-medeana-moussa-beware-privatization-creep-in-education-system

LeBrun, L. (2024, January 8). Conservative MP Helped Draft Text of Conspiratorial United Nations Petition, Author of Petition Says. PressProgress. https://pressprogress.ca/conservative-mp-helped-draft-text-of-conspiratorial-united-nations-petition-author-of-petition-says/

Magusiak, S. (2022, September 16). Danielle Smith Backs Plan to Spend More Public Dollars on Elite Private Schools and Homeschooling. PressProgress. https://pressprogress.ca/danielle-smith-backs-plan-to-spend-more-public-dollars-on-elite-private-schools-and-homeschooling/

Magusiak, S. (2023a, April 27). New Data Shows Danielle Smith’s Education Plan Benefits Wealthiest Socioeconomic Households. PressProgress.https://pressprogress.ca/new-data-shows-danielle-smiths-education-plan-benefits-wealthiest-socioeconomic-households/https://pressprogress.ca/new-data-shows-danielle-smiths-education-plan-benefits-wealthiest-socioeconomic-households/

Magusiak, S. (2023b, April 30). Mapping Canada’s Right-Wing Networks. PressProgress.https://pressprogress.ca/mapping-canadas-right-wing-networks/https://pressprogress.ca/mapping-canadas-right-wing-networks/

Magusiak, S. (2023c, October 26). Right-Wing ‘Take Back Alberta’ Group Purges Top Organizers As It Plans to Target School Boards Across Canada. PressProgress. https://pressprogress.ca/right-wing-take-back-alberta-group-purges-top-organizers-as-it-plans-to-target-school-boards-across-canada/

Ravitch, D. (2023, January 8). Josh Cowen: The Extremism of the School Privatization Movement. Diane Ravitch’s Blog. https://dianeravitch.net/2023/01/08/josh-cowen-the-extremism-of-the-school-privatization-movement/

Additional Resources
SOS Alberta: https://www.supportourstudents.ca/Have You Heard Podcast: https://www.haveyouheardpodcast.com/

Episode Description
In the third episode of a four part mini series about "parental rights", Stephen and Shannon speak to Dr. Wayne Journell.

Dr. Journell is Professor of Social Studies Education and Associate Chair of the Department of Teacher Education and Higher Education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG).
A former high school social studies teacher, Dr. Journell received his undergraduate degree and teacher licensure at James Madison University. He then received a master's degree in Curriculum & Instruction from Virginia Tech and a Ph.D. in Secondary Social Studies Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Since then, he has taught at UNCG, where he also coordinates the Secondary Teacher Education Program.

Dr. Journell's research focuses primarily on the teaching of politics and controversial issues in secondary education, with secondary interests in teaching social studies with technology and via inquiry. Dr. Journell has received numerous awards for his scholarship, including being a two-time recipient of the Exemplary Research in Social Studies Award from the National Council for the Social Studies. He is also the current editor of Theory & Research in Social Education, which is the premier empirical journal in the field of social studies education, and editor for the Research and Practice in Social Studies book series at Teachers College Press.
Bio source: https://www.waynejournell.com/

Through this episode, Stephen and Shannon speak to Dr. Journell about the distinction between public and private values--and the relevance of this distinction to the public school classroom. Specifically, we speak about issues that remain open and valid for discussion in public school classrooms, and those that should be approached as closed or settled. Dr. Journell introduces criterion that can help educators determine which issues are closed for debate in public school classrooms. In particular, we speak about the ethical responsibility of educators to approach issues as closed/settled when they impact the identity, rights, and well-being of students in the classroom. Dr. Journell’s writing, and responses through this interview, intersect with discussions of parental rights and the attempted enforcement of private values in public schools. As he says, people can hold private values, but in the public school classroom we must uphold decided public values.

Episode Resources
Journell, W. (2016). Teaching Social Studies in an Era of Divisiveness: The Challenges of Discussing Social Issues in a Non-partisan Way. Rowman & Littlefield.

Journell, W. (2017). Framing Controversial Identity Issues in Schools: The Case of HB2, Bathroom Equity, and Transgender Students. Equity & Excellence in Education, 50(4), 339–354. https://doi.org/10.1080/10665684.2017.1393640

Journell, W. (2018). Should Marriage Equality be Taught as Controversial Post-Obergefell v. Hodges? Teachers College Record, 120(8), 1–28.

Journell, W. (2022). Classroom Controversy in the Midst of Political Polarization: The Essential Role of School Administrators. NASSP Bulletin, 106(2), 133–153. https://doi.org/10.1177/01926365221100589

In the sixteenth episode of Public Good, Shannon and Stephen are joined by Dr. Benjamin Justice.

Benjamin Justice is Professor in the Department of Educational Theory, Policy, and Administration at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education. He is also an associate member of the History Department at Rutgers—New Brunswick and is a Senior Research Scholar and member of the Justice Collaboratory at Yale Law School. Dr. Justice is immediate past-president of the History of Education Society. Dr. Justice holds a B.A. (history) from Yale, and a M.A. (history) and Ph.D. (Education) from Stanford University. His scholarship is wide-ranging and interdisciplinary, appearing in journals in education, history, law, social and political science, and philosophy, as well as in mainstream periodicals, radio, and tv. In 2016 he co-authored the book, Have a Little Faith: Religion, Democracy, and the American Public School.

In this episode, Stephen and Shannon speak to Dr. Justice about his recent piece in History of Education Quarterly, Schooling as a White Good. Our conversation begins with a discussion of the Little Rock Nine--and the disparate ways this moment in history is viewed, and still echoes. Dr. Justice speaks about the ways that schooling has always been a white good, and shares his rationale for the intentional use of the terms gaslighting, hobbling and white cartel behaviour. This discussion encourages the listener to think about the public that is served by public education. This is not a call to dismantle public education, rather the conversation invites educational historians and public education advocates to consider their complicity in upholding the current education system. As Dr. Justice says, he is in favour of public education--and looks forward to the day that we have it.

In our fifteenth episode of Public Good, Shannon and Stephen are joined by Dr. Sean Carleton

Dr. Sean Carleton is a settler scholar and an Assistant Professor in the Departments of History and Indigenous Studies at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Treaty 1 territory and the homeland of the Métis Nation. Dr. Carleton’s research examines the history and political economy of colonialism, capitalism, and education in Canada. He holds a BA and MA in History from Simon Fraser University and a PhD from the Frost Centre for Canadian Studies and Indigenous Studies at Trent University. He is the author of numerous articles and books, including Lessons in Legitimacy: Colonialism, Capitalism, and the Rise of State Schooling in British Columbia published in October 2022 by UBC Press. You may also recognize Dr. Carleton’s name as he frequently comments on issues related to history, Indigenous-settler relations, and education for CBC, The Globe and Mail, The Guardian, Toronto Star, CTV, APTN, Global et. al. He is also a Contributing Editor with Active History, an Associate with thehttps://wilson.humanities.mcmaster.ca/L.R. Wilson Institute for Canadian History, and a founding member of the Graphic History Collective.

In this episode we speak to Dr. Carleton about his new book, Lessons in Legitimacy. This interview invites criticality about the history of public schools in BC, and the complicity of public schools in upholding settler colonial capitalism. Dr. Carleton places Public Schools, Day Schools, and Residential Schools into the same analytical frame in order to challenge the progressive narrative about public schools. "Critically understanding public schooling," he says, "can help us ask different kinds of questions and perhaps come up with different kinds of solutions". We hope this episode will encourage complexity about public education advocacy. If we think of public education as a good, which public is it good for?

In our fourteenth episode of Public Good, Shannon and Stephen are joined by Charline Grant from Parents of Black Children.

Charline Grant led the fight to take on the York Region District School Board to defend and advocate for her children and others against systematic racism. Her efforts led to: provincial changes in education; increased accountability and transparency around finances; and equity training within the York Region District School Board. Charline is a recipient of the Courage Award from the National Council of Canadian Muslims and the President’s Award from the Association of Black Law Enforcers. Charline is the Chief Advocacy Officer of Parents of Black Children. https://parentsofblackchildren.org/

In this episode Charline begins by outlining her road to advocacy, a journey that began as a result of the way her own children were treated in the education system. Stephen and Shannon ask Charline about her work with Parents of Black Children. Specifically, they inquire about the group's mandate, advocacy and list of demands. Charline speaks about the way Black students are streamed, over-disciplined, and policed within the school system. She also speaks about the lack of representation in the official curriculum. This is an incredibly powerful interview that is a must listen for anyone in the education system--at any level.

In our thirteenth episode of Public Good, Shannon and Stephen are joined by Stéphane Vigneault of L’école Ensemble

After studying political science (University of Ottawa, IEP Strasbourg, Stockholms Universitet), Stéphane Vigneault worked at home and abroad in the field of public policy and communications. He is one of the co-founders of École ensemble and is its coordinator.
https://www.ecoleensemble.com/

In this episode Stéphane Vigneault speaks about the moment that compelled him to become a common schools advocate in Quebec. He goes on to explain how his individual actions to raise awareness about the consequences of market thinking in/on education turned into an organization of like minded students and parents, École ensemble. Stephen and Shannon learn about the development of a three tiered school system in Quebec, and École ensemble's decision to take their fight against school segregation in Quebec to the United Nations. Stéphane also explains their vision for a common schools network in Quebec. Stephen and Shannon are left wanting to know more about the common schools network, in particular the lack of public governance. To read more about the work of École ensemble: https://monitormag.ca/articles/quebecs-sadly-distinct-education-systemhttps://policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/Holding%20Quebec%20accountable.pdf
https://policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/Holding%20Quebec%20accountable.pdf
https://world-education-blog.org/2022/09/07/a-plan-to-tackle-school-segregation-in-quebec/

In our twelfth episode of Public Good, Shannon and Stephen are joined by Dr. Annie Kidder from People for Education

Annie Kidder is the Executive Director and a founder of People for Education. Formerly a theatre director, Kidder became involved in public education in Ontario in the late 1990’s and since then has become an expert on education policy and funding. She regularly provides advice to policy-makers and government, and her writing on education has been published in a range of media. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Ontario Principals’ Council 2004 Outstanding Contribution to Education Award, the Canadian Teachers’ Federation 2005 Public Education Advocacy Award, and in 2018, an honourary doctorate from York University.

In this episode Dr. Kidder shares how her education advocacy work began. She explains how People for Education started and how it has developed over the last three decades. This episode offers a rich conversation about the purpose and future of public education. Specifically, if we are going to reimagine education whose priorities and vision do we center? In addition, Dr. Kidder suggests that we need to find a middle ground in conversations about public education. In response, Stepen and Shannon ask: Is there a way to meet in the middle, or does the middle demand that we compromise particular values? For more on People for Education: https://peopleforeducation.ca/

In our eleventh episode of Public Good, Shannon and Stephen are joined by Dr. Joelle Rodway

Dr. Joelle Rodway is an assistant professor in Educational Leadership at the Memorial University of Newfoundland. Her primary research interests focus on the role of social capital in educational change in K-12 contexts. Specifically, she examines the ways educators’ social networks mediate the ways in which they develop, understand, and implement educational policy and how these processes affect school improvement outcomes.

In this episode Dr. Rodway speaks about the specific political and historical context of Newfoundland & Labrador, and the way this context has impacted public education, public attitudes, and public education advocacy. In particular, Dr. Rodway speaks about the way scarcity in the province has impacted the response to marketization and privatization in/of schools. Dr. Rodway outlines the moves to centralize public education. Stephen & Shannon also ask Dr. Rodway about the government's recommendations for education, and the response of the N & L Teachers' Association. Although the goal of Public Good is to reveal the parallels between provinces in the fight for public education, Dr. Rodway reminds us that the rich histories of each province can result in distinct experiences and responses.

In our tenth episode of Public Good, Shannon and Stephen are joined by Samantha Becotte.

Samantha Becotte is the president of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation. She has bachelor’s degrees in education and science and a Master of Mathematics for Teachers. Prior to taking on the role of president of the STF, she taught mathematics and financial literacy. Samantha actively participates in the community by supporting local not-for-profit organizations. She is passionate about women in leadership and values continued professional development.

In this episode Samantha gives an overview of the Saskatchewan education landscape. She outlines how the reformers are employing the privatization playbook, including changes in tax structures, boasting about spending rather than actual spending, vilification of teachers, and a reliance on consultants. Sound familiar? Drawing on the recent revelations about Legacy Christian Academy, Becotte outlines the broader concerns surrounding public dollars going to private schools. She also speaks about the government's plan to develop a new Distance Learning Crown Corporation. As the president of STF, Samantha shares what she is hearing from teachers about the consequences of government reforms, and the efforts that teachers in Saskatchewan are making to stand up for public education. If anyone happens to be in Saskatchewan on April 19th, you can join Samantha and the STF, at a rally for public education: https://www.stf.sk.ca/sites/default/files/stf-001406d_20230217_hn.pdf

In our ninth episode of Public Good, Shannon and Stephen are joined by Bárbara Silva.

Bárbara Silva is a public education advocate, organizer and activist, with degrees in both Chemical Engineering and Education. She is most passionate about building support for an equitable and accessible public education system and creating awareness about the proliferation of privatization across Canada. In 2015, Bárbara co-founded the citizen-run public education advocacy organization Support Our Students Alberta, which led several campaigns and rallies in defense of public education across the province. She now lives in BC, where she is a fellow with the Institute of Public Education.

In this episode, we speak to Bárbara Silva about her public education advocacy in Alberta and British Columbia. In particular, we speak to Bárbara about the tactics and reforms utilized in each province to advance privatization and undermine public education. One such tactic is the employment of choice rhetoric. Barbara shares some key insights from her recently published article, "In education, does more choice actually equal more freedom." Through this article, and in our conversation, Barbara challenges the perception that choice translates to freedom--it is accessibility that truly equals freedom. She also speaks to the way that choice undermines communities. The episode ends with an overview of Barbara's important work with SOS Alberta, and now with IPEBC.
https://monitormag.ca/articles/education-whats-missing-from-the-choice-freedom-equation/
https://instituteforpubliceducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Occassional-Paper-8-November-8-2022.pdf