I’ve voted liberal, as my parents did, all my life, and can’t really ever see voting conservative. But, you say, does that mean you like Big Government? In a way, yes. In Canada, there are many ways that the government is involved in education, like standardized tests. In the end, we want teachers and principals and superintendents to be accountable to students and parents regarding BEST PRACTICE. A common curriculum is part of this too. Whatever way we can ensure high accountability and standards of practice are important in doing the best we can for students and families. One example of this is how in certain school boards the progressive “Math Makes Sense” program was instituted, only to be challenged later because the students were slipping in their test scores and so a “back to basics” call was initiated. The problematic nature of this math program was immediately evident to teachers because the math textbooks were written above student reading level! Contrast this with the excellent practice of using picture books in junior grades to focus on creative and inferential thinking skills. In the end, I want doctors who have rigorous accountability and standards of practice, not individuals doing whatever they want and making it up as they go along.