The Silo

Misconception That Education Is End Of Road

“Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” -Socrates
There is a misconception that education is the end of a road. On the contrary, it is merely the beginning. For many of us, youth is taken up with those things we feel we need to learn and less so with all that we most desire to know. Once we come of age, we begin to truly earn our education, gleaning the knowledge we have craved all along. This is the case for many artists who spend years, decades in other pursuits having been told that their inclination toward art is unsustainable or simply wrong.


Peter Cole is is a poet who works prodigiously with painters. Recently he has worked with Terry Winters who asked him to write about his current works. Some of that series appeared in Paris Review and sparked a series of work from Winters in turn which again sparked another series of writing and so forth.


Cole’s work includes translations from Hebrew and he explains that one of the most famous aspects of translation in the 20th century is that poetry is lost in translation. To hear more about Cole’s work as well as more about the concept of translating poetry, listen to the complete interview.
Diego Leclery is presently working in his studio in Queens. When he left school his work dematerialized considerably for roughly 11 years until very recently when he and his wife were able to get a house and designate studio space. At the moment he is hard at work building out a studio space.
Although Leclery could have afforded a studio when he worked full time, he hesitated and waited until he could afford a practice that was entirely material and could be everything or nothing.

Diego Leclery


To hear more from Diego Leclery, including his thoughts on modern day confusion and feelings, enlightenment thinking and pre-me-too ideas, all of which culminates in an understanding of limitations, listen to the complete interview. For the Silo, Brainard Carey. Read more from Brainard by clicking here.

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3 responses to “Misconception That Education Is End Of Road”

  1. Toby Barrett Avatar
    Toby Barrett

    Ontario releases plan for safe re-opening of schools in September 2020
    Province Providing Critical Investments and Resources to Keep Students and Staff Safe
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    TORONTO — The Ontario government has unveiled a
    plan<https://www.ontario.ca/page/guide-reopening-ontarios-schools?share=df1f50a0-d1a2-11ea-8b1a-e3b1c683b5f9>
    for safe re-opening of schools in September that prioritizes the health and safety
    of students and staff, and provides school boards with unprecedented resources and
    flexibility, while accommodating regional differences in trends of key public health
    indicators.

    “It’s been hard on families to balance work and child care, while kids have been
    separated from friends and other kids their own age. We want to get our kids back to
    school, but it has to be done safely,” said Premier Ford. “That’s why we’ve worked
    with our public health experts, Ontario Health and the medical experts at SickKids
    to develop a plan that ensures students can return to the classroom five days a week
    in a way that protects the health and safety of our children, teachers, and school
    staff.”
    This plan provides flexibility for parents and students while using advice from
    health care professionals on staying safe. Elementary schools will re-open with instruction five days a week while secondary
    schools will use a blend between in-person and on-line learning learning. If,
    however, a secondary school is in an area with low risk, it will be allowed to
    re-open five days a week. In all cases, students will be required to wear masks from
    Grade 4 and up.
    Elementary schools (Kindergarten to Grade 8) will reopen provincewide, with in-class
    instruction five days a week. Secondary schools with lower risk will reopen with a
    normal daily schedule, five days a week, while most secondary schools will start the
    school year in an adapted model of part-time attendance with class cohorts of up to
    15 students alternating between attending in-person and online. Students from Grade
    4-12 and school staff will be required to wear masks.
    Parents will continue to have the option to enroll their children in remote
    delivery, which respects their fundamental role in making the final determination of
    whether they feel safe with their children returning to school.
    Based on the best medical advice available, the province is implementing additional
    public health protocols to keep students and staff safe when they return to school
    in September. To support the implementation of these protocols, the government is
    providing over $300 million in targeted, immediate, and evidence-informed
    investments, including:
    · $60 million in procurement of medical and cloth masks for students and
    staff, with direction to boards to ensure that students who cannot afford a mask are
    provided one;
    · $30 million for teacher staffing to support supervision, keeping classes
    small and other safety related measures;
    · $50 million to hire up to 500 additional school-focused nurses in public
    health units to provide rapid-response support to schools and boards in facilitating
    public health and preventative measures, including screening, testing, tracing and
    mitigation strategies;
    · Over $23 million to provide testing capacity to help keep schools safe;
    · $75 million in funding to hire over 900 additional custodians and purchase
    cleaning supplies for schools;
    · $40 million to clean school buses, to ensure that students are in a
    thoroughly cleaned transportation environment;
    · $10 million for health and safety training for occasional teachers, who have
    historically not been covered by professional development that is offered to
    permanent teachers;
    · $10 million to support special needs students in the classroom; and
    · $10 million to support student mental health.
    This funding is in addition to a $25 million investment in mental health and
    technology, which will see an additional $10 million dedicated to mental health
    staff, resources, and programs, as well as $15 million in technology funding to
    support the procurement of over 35,000 devices for Ontario’s students to support
    their synchronous learning in-school and beyond.
    “This plan reflects the best medical and scientific advice with a single aim: to
    keep your child safe,” added Minister Lecce. “While this plan will continue to
    evolve to respond to the changing threat of COVID-19, we will remain constant and
    consistent in investing in the resources, staffing, and cleaning supports, and
    strict health and safety protocols to keep our communities and our classrooms safe.”

    The Ministry of Education has received clear and compelling public health guidance
    to inform the delivery of instruction for boards for the 2020-2021 school year.
    These decisions are adaptable to changing public health situations and were based on
    the rigorous and data-informed guidance of leading medical, epidemiological, and
    paediatric leaders in the province.
    “Based on the current data, we are seeing that overall instances of COVID-19 are
    declining in Ontario. When considering the health of the whole child, and as long as
    this trend continues, we believe that with the appropriate measures and strategies
    in place to handle potential outbreaks and prevent spread, schools are expected to
    be a safe place for Ontario’s students and staff who attend in person,” said Dr.
    David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health. “We will continue to closely
    monitor the situation to ensure the safety of students and staff and will be
    prepared to transition to alternative options should circumstances change.”
    “As a society, we’ve made an important shift in the dialogue about our children and
    the adverse health impacts of school closures,” says Dr. Ronald Cohn, President and
    CEO of SickKids. “While we recognize that COVID-19 will be with us for some time,
    continuing to stay home from school has become untenable for many children, youth
    and families. Effective, evidence-based strategies can help promote the safety of
    students, teachers, school staff and families as they return to school.”
    The Ministry of Education will continue working closely with public health and
    school boards to monitor and report on the health status of school communities,
    which is part of the government’s outbreak management plan. This plan, which was
    developed with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of the Solicitor General and
    the Ministry of Health, outlines clear protocols and authorities of the multiple
    agencies and organizations involved in the public health landscape. In the event of
    positive cases of COVID-19 among students, parents, teachers, or other staff, these
    protocols will enable immediate action by health and education sector officials to
    identify, track, and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the education system. Every
    school board will have communication protocols in place to keep families informed.
    This plan was developed in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health,
    the COVID-19 Command Table and paediatric experts. Details on the safe restart of
    the 2020-2021 school year were provided today by Premier Doug Ford, Christine
    Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Stephen Lecce, Minister of
    Education, and Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health.

    Quick Facts

    * Since June, school boards have been planning for three models of instruction
    for the 2020-2021 school year: conventional delivery, adapted instruction, and
    remote instruction, bolstered by live, dynamic synchronous learning. As the public
    health situation unfolds through the course of the school year, boards will
    continue to rely on these three models to respond nimbly and pragmatically to
    local public health dynamics.
    * Over the summer, students and families took advantage of expanded summer
    learning across the province. Over 150,000 students enrolled in high school
    programs, including more than 21,000 students who took Reach Ahead credits.
    Elementary students participated in literacy and numeracy programs and students
    with special education needs and mental health concerns are participating in new
    targeted and transition programs in preparation for the coming school year.
    * The government will be releasing a Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM) to school
    boards to outline the requirements for educators and board staff in utilizing
    synchronous learning as part of remote and online forms of instruction during the
    school year.
    * As part of Bill 197, the government enabled a double-cohort of students in the
    province’s demonstration schools for the 2020-2021 school year, which will provide
    critical support and learning for students with severe learning needs. This was in
    direct response to the potential learning and development loss resulting from the
    school closure as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
    * On June 19, 2020, the government released a provincial reopening guidance plan
    to school boards and asked boards to prepare their own restart plans for the
    upcoming school year, which they will present to the Ministry of Education in
    early August.
    * The Ministry of Government and Consumer Services will supply key personal
    protective equipment and cleaning supplies to schools. Supplies needed for
    September are ready to be delivered to schools by mid-August.
    * Prior to school starting, School Mental Health Ontario will provide school
    boards with a professional learning framework and toolkit to support the mental
    health of all students that can be tailored at the board and school levels for
    different audiences. The professional learning will have a strong focus on
    building students’ social-emotional learning skills so that they can build
    resilience, manage their stress and build positive relationships.
    * On March 20, 2020, the Ministry of Education unveiled the Learn at
    Home<https://www.ontario.ca/page/learn-at-home?share=3032aa70-62de-11ea-ad72-e97032f287f1>
    / Apprendre à la maison<https://www.ontario.ca/fr/page/apprendre-la-maison>
    portal, which provides online resources for families and students while schools
    remain closed.
    * Parents and guardians still have until August 31, 2020 to apply for Support
    for Families. Under this program, parents or guardians of children between 0-12
    years old, or up to 21 years old for children and youth with special needs, are
    eligible for a one-time payment, per child, to purchase educational materials to
    support learning at home.
    Background Information

    * Actions Taken to Keep Schools Safe During
    Reopening<http://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2020/07/actions-taken-to-keep-schools-safe-during-reopening.html>
    Additional Resources

    * Guide to reopening Ontario’s
    schools<https://www.ontario.ca/page/guide-reopening-ontarios-schools?share=df1f50a0-d1a2-11ea-8b1a-e3b1c683b5f9>
    * Up to Speed: Ontario’s Broadband and Cellular Action
    Plan<https://www.ontario.ca/page/speed-ontarios-broadband-and-cellular-action-plan>
    * Up to Speed: Ontario’s Broadband and Cellular Action
    Plan<https://www.ontario.ca/page/speed-ontarios-broadband-and-cellular-action-plan>
    * Learn at
    Home<https://www.ontario.ca/page/learn-at-home?share=3032aa70-62de-11ea-ad72-e97032f287f1>
    / Apprendre à la maison<https://www.ontario.ca/fr/page/apprendre-la-maison>
    * Federal Guidance for School Bus
    Operations<https://www2.tc.gc.ca/en/services/road/federal-guidance-school-bus-operations-during-covid-19-pandemic.html>
    * Ontario
    Together<https://covid-19.ontario.ca/how-your-organization-can-help-fight-coronavirus>
    * Information on
    COVID-19<https://www.ontario.ca/page/how-ontario-is-responding-covid-19>

    For more information, contact MPP Toby Barrett at 519-428-0446 Please mention The Silo when contacting.

  2. Toby Barrett Avatar
    Toby Barrett

    UPDATE New measures to achieve a discrimination-free classroom

    This July, the Ontario government announced bold changes to help break down barriers
    to success for Black students.

    Some of these changes include eliminating discretionary suspensions for Kindergarten
    to Grade 3; destreaming curricula starting with Grade 9 math; and providing
    anti-discrimination professional development for the education sector. The
    government will also be strengthening sanctions for teachers who engage in racist
    behavior.

    For too long, too many students in Ontario have been left behind. No longer can we
    sit idol. We are laying a foundation to set up all students for success in the
    classroom and beyond.

    And the foundation we are laying is built on, what I consider, Ontario’s proud
    history of breaking down racial barriers.

    In 1850, Haldimand-Norfolk native Egerton Ryerson – who would become known as
    Ontario’s Father of Education – acknowledged the need for equal schooling for
    Blacks, realizing the prejudice of the times. His Separate School Act permitted any
    group of five Black families to ask local public school trustees for such a school.

    On Dec. 9 1850, Black families in Simcoe petitioned the municipal council of Norfolk
    County for funds and by 1852, with the help of Egerton Ryerson, were able to build
    their own school next to their church – the British Methodist Episcopal Church
    which, along with the Baptist, served the 300 members of Simcoe’s Black community.

    The Town of Simcoe and Haldimand-Norfolk have a proud history of fighting anti-Black
    racism and discrimination, as do such Ontario notables as Egerton Ryerson.

    Fast-forward to April 14, 2020, – the day our government passed an amendment to the
    Education Act to help ensure consistency, equity and fairness in the treatment of
    suspended students. More information about making Ontario schools safe and accepting
    can be found at Ontario.ca/safeschools. Everyone has a role to play in promoting
    healthy relationships and contributing to a school climate of appropriate student
    behavior.

    By September 2021, Ontario will begin the process of ending Grad 9 streaming.
    Students enrolled in applied courses are four times less likely to graduate, and 50
    percent feel they do not belong in school. Only 33 percent graduate to go to college
    or university compared to 73 per cent of academic students.

    To achieve a discrimination-free classroom, the Ministry of Education is encouraging
    the hiring of educators that reflect their classrooms and ensure a high standard of
    merit and diversity among teachers.

    The ministry is working with unions and trustee associations to develop additional
    anti-racism and anti-discrimination training. Working with the College of Teachers,
    the government will publish a Professional Advisory for teachers, and will provide
    guidance in dealing with racist remarks or behavior. There also may be amendments to
    the Ontario College of Teachers Act to create clear, transparent and effective
    accountability and recourse measures.

    The demographics of much of Ontario are changing rapidly and data collection –
    including race-based data – must change to better serve students and staff. Every
    student, irrespective of the colour of their skin, faith, heritage and orientation,
    deserves the opportunity to succeed in the classroom.

    Our aim is to unlock the full potential of every child. To ensure equal opportunity
    is a reality for all students that leads them to higher learning, better jobs and
    more positive futures.

    Toby Barrett MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk

  3. The Silo Avatar
    The Silo

    If you read something today…thank a teacher

    Many are familiar with the catchphrase, “If you ate today…thank a farmer.” As a former teacher, a member of several generations of farmers and teachers, and a great believer in teachers and the job they do, I’d like to state, “If you read today, thank a teacher,” or for that matter, if you wrote something or did some calculations.

    Being a farmer, you might think that I am over the top asking for thanks on two fronts. Farmers work hard, but I also want to state unequivocally that I appreciate how hard Ontario’s teachers work to educate young people — something teachers have been doing even before the days of Egerton Ryerson, a local boy also known as the Father of Education in the Province of Ontario.

    Because we have been taught how to read, write, and calculate numerical problems, I think everyone can thank a teacher.

    Our plan, “Education that Works for You” is working to create an environment conducive to both teaching and learning. Plus, teachers, parents, students and employers can rest assured that what is being taught will help to produce a bumper crop of young people fully-prepared for challenging and fruitful careers.

    I would like to reflect with gratitude on a teacher with a connection to Haldimand-Norfolk who really made a difference in our education system for generations of Ontarians.

    Dr. Vera Good, born in 1915, was a legendary and inspirational educator. Her career encompassed teaching 32 children from grades 1 to 8 in the one-room Riverbank School near Breslau, to 1948 India and hearing Mahatma Gandhi speak the day before his assassination, to earning her doctorate in education from Columbia University, to being the Ministry of Education’s first female inspector to, and perhaps most famously, being the original producer of the educational and entertaining TV Ontario production, Polka Dot Door. That’s an impressive series of accomplishments. Quite a career!

    I know that some of us were able to enjoy and learn from Polka Dot Door. I was a few years past their target audience’s age range when it was first broadcast in 1971. My elementary school experience was also one-room school. As in the day of Dr. Good — 8 grades in a one room, one teacher, 32 kids in her case — as was the case in so many one-room schools.

    Being a teacher with 32 students in a one-room school with 8 grades, one can only speculate what Vera Good would think about the provincial government’s plan for our school system. For example, we are maintaining class sizes for Kindergarten to Grade 3, establishing a consistent approach to class sizes for grades 4 to 8, and aligning secondary school class sizes more closely with other Canadian jurisdictions. We are introducing a new approach to e-learning and reducing pressure on school boards to put students in portables and split classes.

    Dr. Vera Good was an excellent educator. She taught in so many ways on so many platforms: classrooms, offices, television, and in our provincial government. So I say thank you Dr. Good, a visionary — whom I had the pleasure to meet locally a few years ago — who, at the age of 104, recently passed away in Simcoe. With her expertise and forward thinking, she was able to make positive change in Ontario’s schools.

    Toby Barrett

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