Comments on: Chopper Tolley – her neck on the block?

By: Arts

Arts — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:19:03 +0000

National Standards implementation, and the re-jigging of the roles of advisors – presumably turning science advisors into maths advisors, music advisors into literacy? I don’t know but it looks like there will be a waste of expertise and their resources here. They will react. They are most likely reacting now behind the scenes!

By: Chopper for the chop? Tolley to go? « Red Alert

Chopper for the chop? Tolley to go? « Red Alert — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:37:10 +0000

[...] legendary. The chopper ride was just stupid. Night class cuts have annoyed Nats as well as others. Not reading the budget papers she signed cutting teacher numbers. Cutting and narrowing teacher professional development in [...]

By: Swampy

Swampy — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 04:58:53 +0000

@Paul – sorry to burst your bubble. If Labour had continued the amalgamations then far more schools would have been closed that are still running today. Although they do close anyway. Aorangi should have done years ago. It is a very poor example to cite here, the community in that area is very well supplied with schools with the two nearest primaries only 720 and 855 metres away (as the crow flies). All that nonsense about bulk funding is just scaremongering anyway.

By: Swampy

Swampy — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 04:48:06 +0000

@Paul – what nonsense is at Aorangi? None. There are four schools within a 1.5 km radius, all of which could take their piffling small roll of less than 100. In fact it was originally set up as a satellite of one of those schools and has only been in existence a few decades. All its buildings are badly run down and will cost millions to rebuild, compared to say three new classrooms at another school plus maybe some addons. And that doesn’t take into account the value of the land when it is sold. Labour closed many more schools with much less justification, in fact Aorangi should have been closed during their term of office,

By: Chopper Tolley - does she know what she is doing « Red Alert

Chopper Tolley - does she know what she is doing « Red Alert — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 23:28:05 +0000

[...] Alert education followers will remember the revelations around Tolley

By: Linda

Linda — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 09:17:50 +0000

AND did you see in another Stuff website story about proposed parenting courses for behaviourally troubled students she is quoted as saying there are pockets of money about and they (Ministry) just need to figure out how to put them together (to pay for courses) – so I guess that’s where the money for night classes and school advisors is heading. Strange that they can’t keep track of ‘pockets of money’ when most NZers are very aware of where their dollars are not stretching to during a recession.

By: n0exit

n0exit — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:56:21 +0000

Oh no! Not the Bulk funding drama again!!!!!

By: Paul

Paul — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:24:58 +0000

This is another example of her inability to make good decisions, understand her portfolio and from where I sit, I get the distinct impression that soon our education systems will be in tatters! Just look at the nonsense going on with Aorangi – If one did not know better, one would think the moe are most certainly setting her up for a big fall. However, if you are a minister, you should read ALL the information you are given. What concerns me is that she actually DOES NOT have any credibility in terms of this portfolio – being a parent whose children have gone through the systems does not mean you understand the subtleties involved and make you an expert – and if you actually don’t have any credentials, then you make sure you read things indepth so that you understand it. If you ask me, I would suggest that the real push behind her is the ex principal Nat MP – I bet he is just waiting for her to fall so he can step in and ‘save the day’. Then watch the Nats put in performance pay and return to bulk funding, so that the rich can get richer and the poorer trampled! How many schools like Aorangi are going to be the collateral damage in this puppetry act!

By: mjwkiwi

mjwkiwi — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 06:40:31 +0000

“I don’t think that I thought they were actual staff.” Too many “thinks” and no actual thoughts, at a guess. She probably really means “I wish that I thought…”

By: Arts

Arts — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:25:07 +0000

I love this quote:

‘ I thought there would have been some [redundancies] but I didn’t think they were all actually on the ground and in place,” Tolley said last night. ‘

There is a panic-stricken edge to these protestations.

I don’t think the bumbling Ministry of Education are keeping very good care of her either. What is going on here? Are they giving her just enough rope to hang herself? Or is it simply impossible to get good synergy if nobody knows what they are doing?

Education continues to disappoint, as it did with Labour for a great part. Not while you were in charge though Trevor!