The evolution of professionalism - Centre for Policy Studies in ...

from Liberals, to New Democrats, to Conservatives and back to Liberals over
this 14-year period. These include centralization of fi nances and governance, the
adoption of common results-oriented standards for teaching and learning, increased
regulation of teaching as a profession, increased accountability for the quality of
student performance through systems of standardized testing, and attention to school
safety. Notwithstanding the consistency in these trends, different governments have
not necessarily taken the same approach to policy development and implementation.
These differences in approach are most clearly evident in the shifts that occurred
following the ascension of the Liberals after seven years of majority Conservative
rule. The Conservative government emphasized the reduction and rationalization
of education expenditures, increased government control over teachers’ working
conditions and compensation, and quality control through increased accountability
for local spending and student learning outcomes in relation to centrally prescribed
goals and standards. Publicly this government conveyed little regard for the
opinions of teachers as to how to improve the education system, and invested more
in developing a provincial accountability system than in developing the professional
and material capacity of local educators to meet the provincial expectations
placed upon them. The signifi cant shift that began to take shape under the Liberal
government was marked by a new willingness of government authorities to enlist
education professionals in defi ning problems that need to be addressed and identifying
solutions to those problems, to assume joint responsibility for student success, and
to invest signifi cantly in developing the capacity of education professionals, schools
and school districts to achieve provincially defi ned goals.
References
Bhattacharjee. 2003. The Ontario safe schools act: School discipline and
discrimination. Toronto: Human Rights Commission.
Boyle, T. 2004. Toronto School Board a tricky balancing act. The Toronto Star,
December 29.
Brennan, R. 2004. Law to force school until 18. The Toronto Star, November 7.
Brown, L. 2004. ‘Zero tolerance’ gets a second look. The Toronto Star, April 6.
Brown, L., and T. Boyle. 2004. Grade 9 math revamped. The Toronto Star,
November 26.
Canadian Press. 2004. Literacy test challenged in court. The Toronto Star, February 9.
COMPAS Inc. 2003. The state of the teaching profession in Ontario, 2003. Toronto:
Ontario College of Teachers.
Education Equality Task Force, and Rozanski, M. 2002. Investigating in Public
Education: Advancing the Good of Continuous Improvement in Student Learning
and Achievement (Review). Toronto: Ontario Ministry of Education.
Education Quality and Accountability Offi ce. 2004. EQAO implements assessment
enhancements (September 23, 2004). . http://www.eqao.com/13e/13_5e.aspx
(accessed October 5, 2004).
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