5 and , I use testing in works

to show how systems quickly reform to to show how systems quickly reform To show how neoliberalism To and science, with the intent to bolster learning in disciplines that support global economic competitiveness for industrialized nations. test is administered The triennial standardized globally at an estimated cost of $80 million USD (without calculating the teacher labour to then compiled administer the test), which are in global education and analyzed, resulting 2019). rankings (Sjøberg, for constant growth and improvement, and for and improvement, for constant growth funding, the system to perform better with less end-goal, the Without a defined is ever-present. internationalneed to compete at higher levels in with testing, and continually align schools (which is uncertain and economy the future of deep anxieties out of fear unknown), creates being left behind. education policy and how it is replicated of the political party in power regardless exemplars, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia as discourse to expose deconstructing their reform its underlying logic. I’ve focused on crisis achieve their goal—to use public schooling as a vehicle for global economic competitiveness. “Hijacking” PISA: 2001 since education public created International PISA assessments were by the OECD in the late 1990s as a way to track mathematics, student performance in reading, - Pamela Rogers Pamela , Maude OS/OS

Neoliberal education education Neoliberal

and never-ending reform never-ending and

are we there yet? we there are Barlow wrote that public education had Barlow wrote of become the “scapegoat” for all types societal ills, including an unskilled work and the reason a failing economy, force, for Canada falling behind in international competition: n the July 1994 edition of

Are we there yet? there we Are The simple answer to this question is no, substantiated by fact is lost in the school reform reform substantiated by fact is lost in the school zeal. (p. 77) advent of the the this before Barlow wrote Educators are being loaded with society’s being loaded with society’s Educators are find quick fixes, when they don’t and failures, solutions... with radical ready are “reformers” gaining cheap currency. myths are Many current turning out scientists and Our schools aren’t is mathematicians. That none of these myths be subjected to constant cycles of one major after the next, which begs the plan reform question, is no “end” to neoliberal reform. because there Much like the goals of capitalism, the demand during a time of drastic education funding cuts Canada in across and back-to-basics reforms the concerns she raises, such the 1990s. Yet as the push for science and mathematics, and much present-day very zeal” are “school reform matters in public education. Over 25 years public education in Canada continues to later, OECD’s Programme for International Student Programme OECD’s strategic Assessment [PISA] test, and before political messaging over social media, but I 6 does notsolve theissueofteacherworkloads; intelligence “to reduce teachers’workloads” student competition.Further, theuseofartificial ability-based classeswillfoster highlevelsof based onperformance,with theclaimthat sound innovativeonpaper, thechangesare assessment (p.10).While these suggestions by implementingartificialintelligencetoolsfor rooms (p.9),andtolessenteacherworkload ability-based groupings overage-basedclass to implementmassiveshifts,suchasflexible the standingscontinuetobeusedpolitically of theindustrializedworld. farcryfrom fallingbehindtherest of testing—a and 7thinmathematicsthe2015PISAround schools ranked4thinscience,2ndreading, results showthat,onaverage,Canadian are provided in Pan-Canadian, andprovincial assessments ment, fullstandardized testingresults inPISA, jurisdiction by2030.Atthebackofdocu aims forNewBrunswicktobecomeatop-10 mathematics, thedocumentstates: world forscience,7threading, and19thfor Citing thatNewBrunswickwas10thinthe are usedtosetthetoneforreform plan. education system?”the2015PISArankings do wemeanwhentalkaboutaworld-class After abriefintroduction, underthetitle“What for theProgressive Conservativegovernment. Education, Succeeding atHome:AGreen Paperon In NewBrunswick’s 2019reform plan, Another “failed” PISA test? public education. and analyzedabroad, steerslocaldecisionsin to asingletestwhich,althoughdeveloped dire consequenceswhen politicallysubscribing education systemsgloballyisbutoneofmany (p.14).The“hijacking”ofpublic overnight” all empiricallyfoundedare introduced, often of aprocess where “reforms thatare notat PISA a“hijacking”ofpubliceducation,part in localcontexts.Sjøberg (2019)hascalled testing the purposesandeffectsofinternational Kuehn andMichaelCorbett,havequestioned including essaysby Since the1990s,criticalconversations, But evenwithgood-to-excellentresults, Based onthesefigures, the to lagbehindorevenjustkeeppace.(p.3) enough—we needtodobetter. We cannotafford However, in a rapidlychangingworld,thisisnot stage. to performwellontheinternational New Brunswick’s educationsystemappears education isnamedakeypriority Appendix B OS/OS (pp.16–22).These authorsLarry Green Paper

- - in theExecutiveSummarysettone: Every Student Quo: NovaScotiansDemandaBetterFuture for the consultationdocument results asthebasisforreform. Beginningwith Like NewBrunswick,NovaScotiausesPISA “The future of Nova Scotia depends on it” to PISA. the reform planbeginsand endswithcatering aresition andstudentlearning also included, track studentperformance. of teaching,standardizing assessmenttoeasily professional autonomyfrom anessentialaspect it essentiallyprovides technologytoremove (p. 5).Inother words, student testscores in to leadproductive livesinourchangingworld” and literacy, andthatthey are betterprepared that ourstudentsdobetter, especiallyinmath adds, “Inthesimplestterms, wewanttoensure scores. IntheMinister’s Message,Karen Casey swer tothiscrisisisaddress theissueoftest assessments,andthean failing ininternational are basedonthenarrativethatNovaScotiais the proposed changes. (2015), Education, The3R’s: Renew, Refocus,Rebuild months later, the follow-upreform documentreleased four full rangeofrecommendations” (p.4).Andin tomoveforwardfor thegovernment withthe summary suggests“There isapressing need accordance withthissentiment,theexecutive a rateSjøberg In describedas“overnight.” crisis istopushthrough neoliberalreform at the Canadianaverage. Nova Scotiaconsistentlyperformsat,orabove, PISA reading andscienceresults, inwhich and interestingly, thereport doesnotinclude have fluctuatedonlyslightlysince2003(p.10), mathematics results showsthattestscores 4). Inreality, thechartforNovaScotiaPISA “the future ofNovaScotiadependsonit”(p. be overhauledcompletely, andimmediately: beyond repair, and,therefore, thesystemmust ardized assessmentscores are claimedtobe world, thisisdeeplydisturbing.(p.3) that ouryouthneedtosucceedinacompetitive school system.There isnoother choice...Given significant changeforthemanagementofour The panel’s recommendations constitutea Although discussionsonclassroom compo Like NewBrunswick,thesuggestedchanges So, whythefuss?Onereason toevoke Disrupting theStatusQuo

the samelevelofcrisisisusedtoframe Nova Scotia’s ActionPlanfor (2014), assessmentresults cited Disrupting the Status Disrupting theStatus is alarmist.Stand - - - 7 ------rec Disrupting the Action Plan Green Paper Green was released was released argued that teaching argued addresses teacher addresses Action Plan increasing standardized assess standardized increasing Green Paper). Green outwardly positioned high-quality teaching through technology. Such actions are not actions are Such technology. through Under the fourth pillar, “Excellence in Under the fourth pillar, Where do educators figure into education do educators figure Where Later in the document, the document, the Later in the This bait and switch strategy accomplishes even though, statistically, 70% of respondents 70% of respondents even though, statistically, receiving already that students were reported highly effective teaching in their classes, Disrupting the Status Quo tight recommending fixed, be to needed quality er personnel management and higher standards for certification. and Leadership,” the Teaching ommends an overhaul of teacher certification, ment is benign: the discussion of teacher workload institution side-stepped, ignoring systemic and demands. al factors that contribute to increased to Likewise, the use of artificial intelligence auton assess student work diminishes teacher and tracks data on teacher and student omy, students performance. In effect, teachers and the “machinery.” become data to measure the push for Perhaps unsurprisingly, reform? in education also means higher test scores performance reviews, accountability, more a variety of and lessened teacher autonomy in and ways, including in curriculum, planning, assessment. through teachers” “Supporting management performance The Nova Scotia consultation, months after a province-wide on the and closely based its recommendations The document, results. reported Status Quo as fundamental for systemic change. But cogs carrying out the state formula for public for public state formula out the carrying cogs evaluated on their to be and are education performance student to improved contribution of the (the goal will be sup that teacher workloads suggests primarily artificial intelligence, ported through the (ironically, of student assessment in areas which track student use of digital technologies directly discussed are and teacher performance development, the section titled “Teacher before of dealing [pp. 9–10]). Instead teacher freedom” of teacher workloads, with underlying issues by lowering class and supporting teachers or composition, classroom sizes, addressing time, the plan suggests preparation increasing help take over some of that technology could often the work for teachers “struggling with 10). excessive demands on their time” (p. two things: it workload, while - Action

Minister and are presented as the presented are Green Paper, Green Green Paper Green autonomous professionals autonomous professionals not test scores, test scores, oscillate between crisis—mainly oscillate between around While seemingly innocuous, these statements In this way, public education, and more and more public education, In this way, point to future teacher performance evaluations point to future In as a function of the educational machinery. like “advance spite of strategic use of words ment” and “support,” the underlying message is that teachers are in the education system, but instead are professionals who should be “working solely to professionals advance their students,” within an education system that needs to be assessed on its support of teachers. But at the same time “teachers should be evaluated on how their students advance” (p. 5). teachers are applauded, and in another, they applauded, and in another, teachers are to an oversimplified equation of subject are their place in the “machinery of the education system” (p. 5). The section titled “Students the most important part of and teachers are the education system” positions teachers as On the last page of the the most important are states “Teachers Cardy We need you. people in New Brunswick. We work” (p. need you to feel supported in your that describe the exact details 23). However, this “support” in the how teachers will receive plan seem contradictory: in one breath reform priorities are in the details of the plans, teacher in priorities are tracking performance management and student digital tools and/or artificial intelligence. through in best” pieces “the are Teachers education of machinery the framing the system, students, and teachers, framing the system, students, and with strategically placed positivity throughout, which makes for a confusing, emotionally are interesting more Perhaps fraught read. two the similarities in these two plans, from two governments and from provinces different political parties. The actual educational different Teacher performance and education crises education and performance Teacher the The discourses in Plan education and an aging failing tests scores system—and plans use Both reform hope. similar tactics: deficit discourses negatively but also as a measure for how the system is how the system for a measure but also as students’ possible futures. functioning, and for for the amount of pressure This is an enormous to be judged on a random education system taking a two-hour test highly sample of students and analysis. criticized for its methodology math and literacy are directly correlated to their to their correlated directly are and literacy math economy. in a future be “productive” ability to specifically, of the system, for the functioning best measure 8 into motionthe nextconsultation.Ineffect, paper, andanidentical reform plan,whichset stage foramajorconsultation, aconsultation confidence inpubliceducation, whichsetthe used PISAtestscores tocreate acrisisof research orconsultation withteachers. to educationsystems,oftenwithoutproper public intoacceptingswift,andmajorchanges been veryeffectiveatshockingthegeneral new ororiginal,andinmanyjurisdictionshave immediate needtoreform. Suchtacticsare not rhetoric outoffearfallingbehind,andurge an Education reform plansofteninvokecrisis The Equation: Consult, Reform, Repeat might call“overnight.” trators removed from theNSTU;atapaceone were dismantled,andwithinmonths,adminis was notcreated, butelectedschoolboards from theNSTUanditsmembership,college creation ofacollegeteachers.Duetoaction Nova ScotiaTeachers’ Union(NSTU),andthe boards, removal ofadministratorsfrom the Bar on teachersafterfailednegotiations, legislatedBill75,imposingacontract ernment and oneyearaftertheprovincial Liberalgov Avis Glaze.Three yearsafterthe Raise theBar, portive” ofteachers’workloads. positioning disciplinaryactionsasbeing“sup places more pressure onteacherperformance, addressing systemicissues,the increased control ofeducators.Instead bottom line,andthewaytocontrol itisthrough plans showthatstudentperformanceisthe that teachers’professional workmatters,their educators face.Whilebothprovinces insist to theenormousdemandsandresponsibilities tochangeunderlyingissuesrelated (p. 33)—not the contextofenhancingstudentachievement and structure” thefocuson increasing demands,”and “needsupport,time, teachers have“enormousresponsibilities and teacher appraisal.Whileitismentionedthat of anewperformancemanagementsystemfor with rewards forexcellence,andthecreation performance, efficiency, andeffectiveness, within neoliberaleducationdiscoursesof Action Plan workload andclassroom composition,the Green Paper, management system”(p.33).Unlikethe and theneedfora“more robust performance the possiblecreation ofacollegeteachers, In the case of Nova Scotia, the government In thecaseofNovaScotia, thegovernment In January2018,asecondconsultation, called forthedismantlingofelectedschool positionsteachingandleadership which atleastdiscussesteacher wasreleased, authored byDr. support Action Plan Action Plan issolelyin Raise the - , - - reform measures quickly, withlittleresistance to fears andemotionalresponses todrivethrough and nothingatonce,playonthepublic’s of neoliberaleducationreform: sayeverything confusions are notneutral,butpartofthelogic ucation systemisincrisisandfailing.These excellent, andontheother, statingthattheed hand, claimingthattheeducationsystemis is theuseofconflictinglanguage;onone performance managementinbothprovinces. assessment inNewBrunswick,andtightened introduction ofartificialintelligence forstudent PISA testscores, whichare usedtosupportthe crises ineducation.Thisisjustifiedbyciting message isthatbothprovinces are facingmajor Scotia’s was notasaggressively neoliberalasNova reform, dismantle,andrepeat. education reform perfectly: consult, pattern Nova Scotiademonstratestheneoliberal Philosophy andPolitics we perceive pupils,schoolsandeducation. Sjøberg, S.(2019).ThePISA-syndrome–How theOECDhashijackedway promo/summit/GreenPaper.pdf Retrieved from (2019). New BrunswickDepartmentofEducationand EarlyChildhoodDevelopment Retrieved from Nova Scotia’s ActionPlanforEducation,The3R’s: Renew, Refocus,Rebuild. Nova ScotiaDepartmentofEducationandEarlyChildhoodDevelopment(2015). www.ednet.ns.ca/docs/disrupting-status-quo-nova-scotians-demand-better.pdf Student, ReportoftheMinister’s Panel inEducation. Disrupting theStatusQuo:NovaScotiansDemandaBetterFutureforEvery Nova ScotiaDepartmentofEducationandEarlyChildhoodDevelopment(2014). raisethebar-en.pdf Nova Scotia. (2018). Nova ScotiaDepartmentofEducationandEarlyChildhoodDevelopment of OECDindicators. Kuehn, L.(1999,June).Globalizationandthecontrol ofteachers’work:Therole Scotia. Corbett, M.(2006,Winter).RidingthetigerofeducationalaccountabilityinNova Schools, OurSelves,5 Barlow, M.(1994,July).ClassWarfare: TheAssaultonCanada’s Schools. References alliances to support public school educators. in improving workplace conditions and building community former high school teacher from Nova Scotia, Pamela interested is systems of neoliberal accountability and digital surveillance. Asa on policy discourseformation and teachers’ lived experiences in University of Ottawa, Faculty of Education. Her research focuses Canadian Teachers’ Federation, and Adjunct Professor at the Dr. Pamela Rogers dismantle publiceducationsystems. clearly, andtoresist thosechangesthatworkto of reform more policiestoseethepatterns critical thatadvocatesunderstandthelanguage thenextinline.Itis its “bestbefore” date—to past re-selling thesamedefunctpackage—well Alberta readers mightbeexperiencingdéjà-vu), cross jurisdictionalboundaries(Ontarioor what isconfigured as“commonsense.” Overall, perhapsthemostconfusingtactic New Brunswick’s reform plan,onthesurface, Neoliberal educationreforms continueto Succeeding atHome:Agreenpaperoneducation inNewBrunswick. CoherentandResponsiveAdministrativeSystemfor Raise theBar—A Our Schools,Selves,15 Retrieved from Action Plan https://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Departments/ed/pdf/ https://www.ednet.ns.ca/docs/educationactionplan2015en.pdf Our Schools,Selves,9 (3), 77–94. is aResearcher is and Policy Analyst at the , 7 (1), 12–65. https://www.ednet.ns.ca/sites/default/files/docs/ , but,theunderlying (2), 57–74. Confero: EssaysonEducation, (6), 117–129. Retrieved from

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