Teachers exploiting a position AIBU?

[Ackvavit]

Just been to lunch with group of people I've worked with on and off over many years. We all have varying degrees of friendship but generally have always got along well and socialised over the years. I've got in my car and am quite annoyed at the attitude of 2 of the group and disappointed at others for thinking their attitude is funny. We all work in education, all different places. 2 people concerned, one is Headteacher in small school, other is part of management. Head teacher isn't too bad as seems to be doing an ok job, but by her own admission can't quite believe she got the job. The other was working at another school on a part time basis but financially needed more hours due to personal circumstances changing. She sat there today and admitted she "got the job" because her friend was the Head and has manipulated her position into only now teaching a couple of days a week but presenting to the governors the need for a literacy co ordinator. I'm not disagreeing that this is probably a role the school needs but the lunchtime chat was all very " ha ha idiot governors walked right into this plan", it's a cushy number, I've even blagged my own office, the kids we get are from such transient backgrounds that teaching them the alphabet makes us seem amazing". I'm annoyed because I work in the same field and am absolutely passionate about my role, to the point if I had too I would do it for free. All these 2 discussed was salaries, management points and how little teaching they could get away with before they could take their pensions. No mention of teaching being something they felt could help pupils. Just greed and laziness really. I feel sad that they found it funny and were mocking me for explaining initiatives we are doing to enrich our students lives, in our own time. AIBU to feel I am not wrong that many many NQTs are passionate about teaching and these two are milking the system coasting until they take their pensions?. Sorry this is long! I don't think I'll bother with the next get together. Quite embarrassed they think it is ok. They are no better than benefit scroungers, taking money they don't deserve.

Blimey. What a bear pit.

Teaching is regarded as a vocation, but it has to be said:

Ackvavit, you come over as an insufferable prig.

Which careers can be discussed in public?

Co.plete

Completely agree with goblin. People must fond it v easy to wind you up. You sound so humourless. Fwiw, I have generally found teachers who claim to be way more passionate about teaching than others and who go on about how they take job as vocation etc etc are generally no different in terms of competence than other teachers.

Blimey. What a bear pit

Not really.
I find it refreshing that people are sticking up for teachers - for a change.

I don't find name calling refreshing really.
Each to his own though.

It has developed into a bit of bashing bear pit.
IMO the problem in schools and other work places is that individuals never fully understand the workload of other colleagues/professionals. SLT members, IMO, really do have a lot of pressure in terms of organising at very short notice compared to other teachers. However, they are often commented on as though they are just dealing with admin !?!
OP I think they were probably just trying to de-stress in familiar company.
The whole 'it's not what you know, just who you know' attitude is very annoying, shouldn't happen but does. Sometimes schools employ someone who presents well at interview tho and they turn out to be appalling, so you can understand why this happens.
Absolutely with OP tho on staff member getting in n then cherry picking a role to present to governors. Their school needs stronger governance with more questionning of what is needed. That behaviour is not OK in any way and does let the children, the teaching profession and the education system down.

Thanks for everyone's opinions. I'm amused at the negative comments which detail posters opinions of me, quite unpleasantly, yet do not see the bigger picture of just how cringeworthy the lunch was. I've had texts off other who were at the get together saying they agreed with me speaking up about being more respectful of the governors and parents. So to whoever said I should've spoken up and not been "mute", I did and wasn't. I was polite though. Thankfully I have a sense of humour, am not a "prig" and do stand by my OP. I will think twice before socialising with SOME of the group I went out with. I won't be bullied by small minded posters on this site. I have realised some posters have a history of fuelling arguments, having looked at their previous interactions. To reiterate once again, my OP was more to do with being professional in a busy place and "thinking" about the impact of their negative and arrogant comments. I apologise for upsetting genuine benefit claimants, I have no issue with you, my post only mentioned benefit scroungers, as in comparing the staff I was out with being happy to admit they were drawing a salary they didn't really earn and people who equally milk the system for benefits when they could work. Anyone entitled to benefits because they work and want to raise a family has my complete backing and they probably deserve the jobs of some of the people I had to stomach.
Good luck to anyone with an opinion on decent behaviour. I think the comments on my post show that I'm outdated. I'm good with that.

I think that people do complain about their jobs, whichever sector they are in and they can do it where they like to some degree (not naming names of people/saying sensitive information, for example). What I would be annoyed about would be how these two think it is ok to be so blatant about deceiving the governors and making mugs out them, where the role has then been manipulated to suit them. I hope the head doesn't mind risking her job for the friend, as that is what she'll be doing when it all comes out in the open (which it will do in time). They won't be laughing about it then, will they?
But, the teaching profession can get a hard time from the public at the best of times, so for them to be making such comments in public really doesn't help the reputation for rest of you, the committed hard workers. Public already think you work short hours, get several weeks of holiday off and spend all day talking at their perfectly behaved little darlings - I know this not to be true, but alas, that is the perception.
How many of the posters on here would be happy to overhear their children's teachers bragging about exploiting the system..? It'd pee me off for sure, as surely the position should've gone to the most competent person who was committed to doing a good job, not just someone who was friends with the head.

Perhaps op could jack in her job and work for free?

She claims she can't afford it, but I think she just isn't motivated enough, or even worse, is in it for the money.

If she really loved children she'd find a way.

What a shame that she is so mercenary. I feel sad for her and everyone she comes in contact with

FWIW, I'm a HoD and have no idea how I landed that job...

Bear-pit or not, as the OP points out, teaching is a profession. The OP remains blissfully unaware of her deficiencies in expressing herself clearly, and her desire to catch people out (colleagues, other posters).

OP you yourself display poor professional skills in some areas. Is it not unreasonable to expect a teacher to display professional levels of written expression and team working skills? An awful lot of what she writes just doesn't make sense. Because its so badly written.

Maybe OP you should focus more on your own job, as opposed to criticising others? You give me, rightly or wrongly, a notion that you want to catch your superiors in the workplace out in some way that blame can be laid on them, so that you, and your ego, can slip into their place.

Your lack of self awareness is breathtaking.

madge and Scremers... WTAF?! Have you heard yourselves??

The public doesn't pay my salary, and the folks that do are happy with my work, so ta anyway

Just catching up on the thread. Yikes! It's all got a bit heated since I was on here last.

Manicinsomniac, your hours aren't stated but that doesn't mean that's the same for every teacher . I'm working part time at the moment and get paid for 17.5 hours per week, but I work a great deal more than that. Also, I am blessed to work in an amazing department, so I certainly don't think of myself as better than my colleagues. If anything, I look up to them! Sadly, some teachers in my school are taking the piss though and this is a widely held view, not just mine.

I suppose every profession is the same; there are people who are genuinely passionate about their jobs as well as slackers and chancers.

This thread, (apologies for my awful writing and inability to express myself clearly as has been made terribly clear by posters Scremersford and others.) has made me realise how toxic people can be. Some lovely responses, also some personal thought provoking ones. Some plain nasty. Thankfully I have the sense to sieve out those that matter. For those posting on mumsnet, buyer beware, I'm safe and comfortable in my skin. God help those of you exposed to this site wanting support and seeking advice. Freedom of speech is one thing, haranguing bullying nastiness is not.

Obviously this post will be unreadable due to my appalling language skills Scremersford and Madgemidgerson. Good job I don't have issues that these posters could've really upset.

Good old teaching

If you don't sacrifice your entire existence to it, and worse, if you insist on being paid for your work, you are worse than Stalin

God help you if you admit to liking the holidays, or to having been attracted to the job by anything other than a desire to recreate dead poets society

Do people expect this same level of fervour from, say, dentists? Proctologists? If not, why not?

OP "AIBU?"
Posters "Yes you are."
OP "no I'm not! You are all horrible people and if am a wonderful person, so much better and more special than those other OLD teachers! I only posted here for you to tell me how wonderful, self sacrificing, special I am, so there!"

Here we go again.

OP ''You are all horrible people and if am a wonderful person, so much better and more special than those other OLD teachers! I only posted here for you to tell me how wonderful, self sacrificing, special I am, so there!"

And there we have it in a nutshell.