Taking aim at Atlantic Canada’s think-tank
In this first of a two part series, Times-Transcript columnist Norbert Cunningham remembers the birth of AIMS and pays tribute to the independence of the work it has done through its first ten years.
A Tale of Two Cities: How to put the International Northeast at the centre of the new global trading patterns.
The Atlantica message is being heard by some of the most influential policy makers, business leaders and academics on both sides of the border. This commentary is based on a talk AIMS president Brian Lee Crowley made in Connecticut at the invitation of the Council of State Governments.
Council of State Governments
AIMS president Brian Lee Crowley was invited by the Council of State Governments to make a presentation on Atlantica to the Eastern Regional Conference in Connecticut in July.
Education superintendent uses hands-on assessment
Angus McBeath brought members of PEI's Task Force on Student Achievement inside a successful and heralded school system. AIMS brought McBeath to the task force meeting in Charlottetown so members could hear first hand why the Edmonton school system is such a successful one. In this article in the Charlottetown Guardian, McBeath explains the importance of standardized testing.
Individual schools should be given more control over finances.
AIMS brought one of North America's top educators to the PEI Task Force on Student Achievement. You could hear a pin drop as Angus McBeath, superintendent of Edmonton Public Schools, shared with the task force members his experience and success making the Edmonton school system one of the best in the country. Mr. McBeath's comments prompted several newspaper articles, including this one that explains that the purse strings need to be taken out of the hands of the central office.
Equalization Reform that Works
Equalization has failed. The system encourages dependence not independence. It promotes debt not fiscal prudence. In this commentary, presented to the Expert Panel on Equalization and Territorial Financing Formula, AIMS provides four key public policy changes that can make equalization work.