End seniority-based teacher hiring, group urges

Ron Owston, dean of York University’s Faculty of Education, said the regulation has proven to be a roadblock for many young graduates. “Regulation 274 creates a significant barrier for our Faculty’s increasingly diverse and talented graduates from entering and renewing the teaching profession,” he said in CTV News April 29, noting the problem will worsen when the school graduates its first class of its new two-year bachelor of education program in 2017. Read full story.

Cheeky Scottish beer maker tells regulator where to go
Depending on the demographic they want to reach, brands can sometimes benefit from appearing edgy or rebellious, said Schulich School of Business marketing Professor Alan Middleton in The Globe and Mail April 29. . . . He pointed out that while a rebellious image works best for startups, it is not often a good long-term marketing strategy for bigger brands, especially in Canada. “There is pressure for niceness,” he said, as stereotypical as it sounds. “Tim Hortons hitting its 50th year? That was not based on being a rebel.” Read full story.

New economic model needed to combat poverty: expert
Area agencies and organizations are doing what they can to combat poverty at the local level, but change has to happen at the top in Canada, according to York University instructor David Langille, who spoke to audiences in Owen Sound on Tuesday. “We can do better,” said Langille in the Owen Sound Sun Times April 29. “This economic model is not working, of giving tax breaks and hoping that companies will somehow create jobs as a result.” Read full story.

University of Toronto axes inner-city program for student teachers
York University runs a similar program in Regent Park, which it considers a priority along with one that focuses on urban aboriginal education, said Dean of Education Ron Owston in the Toronto Star April 30. “We feel it’s a commitment we want to keep” as teacher education moves from one year to two years, and as per-student funding shrinks, he added. “We looked at cutting down on the number of off-sites, but not this one.” Read full story.

Update: Make casino election issue, Markham councillors say
The idea of a casino in Markham has resurfaced and residents are betting on red, reported the Markham Economist & Sun April 30. . . . “This is a political football,” said Mayor Frank Scarpitti. “The timing is horrible. We’re working to bring York University to the city. Not many corporations would appreciate establishing a casino in their vicinity. I can tell you, a university definitely would not.” Read full story.

Richmond Hill residents excited by prospect of York campus
Richmond Hill residents are rallying behind a bid to build a postsecondary campus in the Hwy. 7 and Yonge Street area, reported the Richmond Hill Liberal April 29. The town is one of three municipalities shortlisted for a proposed satellite campus of York University and Seneca College and the idea is being cheered by many who think Richmond Hill is the perfect spot Read full story.

How to reform the Senate in as little as one year’s time
“On Friday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that Senate reform was dead,” wrote Bruce Hicks, the BMO Visiting Fellow and an adjunct professor at York University’s Glendon School of Public & International Affairs, in the Toronto Star April 29. “But what if I were to tell you that a wide range of Senate reforms are not only possible, they could be achieved in as little as one year’s time?” Read full story.

Determined university football star’s road to CFL draft not an easy one
York Lions running back Errol Brooks, who took part in the Canadian Football League (CFL) Combine in March, said he’s looking forward to the CFL’s college draft on May 13. He’s worked against steep odds his entire football-playing life to get to this point, reported the Toronto Observer April 29. Read full story.

Purple martin’s migration sheds light on where and how she spends her time
The Purple Martin Association of the Dakotas is collaborating on this tracking program with researchers from York University in Toronto and the Purple Martin Conservation Association, which is based in Pennsylvania. Funding came from the Wildlife Diversity Program of the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks in cooperation with York University, reported the StarTribune April 29. Read full story.