to want to know what parents can do about the teaching crisis?!

[BrightRedSharpie]

I'm in Scotland, btw, but I know there is a similar problem in England.

My DD's school is really understaffed. The P1 teachers have both been off all week, which has caused absolute havoc. They have had different teachers for mornings and afternoons because there are also no supply teachers available. P7 had to be split up for a teacher to come and take the little ones.

2 classroom assistants are also off on maternity leave, which either isn't or can't be covered. That's left 3 classroom assistants for around 300 children.

I know the school are doing their best. I've written to my MP and MSP. Is there anything else a concerned parent can actually do?

Wonko the SNP provided funding for extra teachers, but the councils are so strapped for cash many of them were forced to spend it elsewhere. My own local school asked for an extra teacher and were refused so had to make composite classes to fit in all children.

In their most recent manifesto the SNP promised to give money directly to head teachers for new teachers, so we will see if the HT's can do this or if cuts will force them to spend it elsewhere too.

Council tax only provides about 18% of local authority funding, so the freeze hasn't had that great an impact. It is estimated that the funding from central government to local has been cut by over £300 million, and it is that which is put such horrendous pressure on budgets.

If you want to help, firstly, vote in the council elections next year. They decide what money your school gets, and in the same year my school was refused an extra teacher, they spent £1.1 million on cycle lanes and £340,000 on facilities for a private golf club. Making sure the people who decide on school funding prioritise education can have a massive impact on how councils spend their money.

It seems to me that would make all the difference, teachers are hard working professionals who can cope with their jobs, but they shouldn't be expected to cope with doing more than a full time job covering other classes because there is no money. They definitely don't deserve the consequences of the cuts being angry parents shouting at them because their child has suffered. It isn't the teacher's fault, and they are suffering too.

Sorry OP my post is not aimed at sensible people like you who want to help

I also think parents can help by being vocal to MSP's and MP's. There's no point banging onto the schools/teachers about how ridiculous all the testing/paperwork/stress put on pupils is - they don't get to choose to implement yet another new regime.

Stop voting for a bunch of data-obsessed numpties who think that if they test children to death, they will somehow magically turn the UK into China or Singapore?

Ah yes, the missing cardigan...... " how difficult can it be to find her cardigan? It's your job" is what I was told by an angry mother a few weeks ago. When I asked if it was named, she replied " No, I haven't got time"

My colleague was screamed at (proper in her face screamed at) when she asked if the child's lost coat had her name in. The mum yelled, 'of course it's not got her name in. It's f*cking designer. It cost me £70-I'm not ruining it by writing her name in it!'

Nice.

NotMe calling parents 'entitled twats' is not exactly going to endear them to you. Not that I expect you call them this openly to their faces but, believe me with vitriolic name calling such as this, it will not take a genius to pick up on your attitude.

My child has had some additional needs, along with significant individualised funding and a Statement. What made my life difficult was the shocking (and in some cases bordering upon illegal) behaviour of teachers. I was in the position where I had no choice to question teacher's actions and expertise, just so my child could receive an adequate education. And the term PFB is down right insulting.

Please provide your child with a pen or preferably twenty as they have lost three today and it's not break yet and I paid for them myself. Feed them breakfast. Limit their cash so they haven't had two monster energy drinks by 9am from the local shop.

they will somehow magically turn the UK into China or Singapore?
Ah yes, the PISA tests

I read the Economist - which is all about Free trade and privatisation
until its readers hauled it up on the errors in the PISA data discussed ad nauseam elsewhere

Data is great if the users have the foggiest

Here's my best bit of current data
www.nao.org.uk/report/comptroller-and-auditor-generals-report-on-the-department-for-educations-financial-statements-2014-15/
Damning does not even come close .....
"£100m handed to unaccountable groups without oversight and the results are still shite"

chase your own bloody child to do the work they need to do for their exams. If I let you know - by e-mail/text/letter (usually all three) of deadlines at least 4 weeks in advance, I should not be chasing your child 4 weeks after that deadline for their work. I shouldn't be having to spend my time (and precious time missed with my children) sitting with your child getting them to complete work they couldn't be arsed to do in class. I didn't leave school for 2 1/2 hours after the bell this evening - because I was sitting with 4 children doing work that should have been done months ago.

I never sleep at this time of year - the worry that I haven't done enough. I don't see any parents or their offspring asking themselves 'have we done enough'. Strangely enough, I can't do the revision for you. I can only teach it. The rest is up to the individual.

I know it does chicken but at least you can either have your kids on site (or I can anyway) and can work at home/in clubs/on the run or whatever (again, ime anyway, maybe different schools are different to this). Key is to have your children in the same school as where you teach, I think but, again, perhaps not possible for all. And of course the main thing is no holiday childcare needed. Certainly, as a single mum of three, I can't think of another career that I would be able to handle.

Personally, I don't think it's parents driving teachers out of teaching, it's the ridiculous demands being made by the government. There always have been, and always will be, difficult parents. But the shifting goalposts and unreasonable expectations from the govt are ever worsening.

Don't vote the fucking Tories in for a start.

Well said Ithink

Quod
Academies were invented by Labour
PFI could have been stopped in its tracks by Labour during their 13 years - but their noses were in the trough too

sadly all politicians are morally and financially corrupt and I'm still seeking the alternative

Empathy for teachers would be great.

I had an email from a parent at 4pm Friday (I don't work Fridays as am part time) complaining about her son getting stressed over his controlled assessment. All issues he was getting stressed about I had explained repeatedly plus emailed all info. Obe if the items he should have completed 4 weeks previously and I had chased him weekly.

I was in A&E that night, had emergency op on the Sunday at 15 weeks pregnant.

I got a chaser email at 10 am on the Monday morning. I replied whilst on sick leave on the Tuesday, apologised for lack of reply with an explanation for the delay and answered all the questions. Got a very shirty reply back that it wasn't good enough!

Attitudes like this are getting more and more common. Email has not helped in some respects.

Trusting teachers do know what they are doing would help. As others have said getting students to take responsibility for their work also. I have no issue with parents raising issues but sometimes it is how you do it.

Some of the things I see on here show how little we are respected sometimes. Bomb incident one for example today, how quick some are to blame teachers without checking facts.

Supporting teachers in strikes - no teacher strikes with little thought. We can only strike over pay and conditions but if you read into a lot of the other reasons it's to protect education but there is very little public support due to childcare issues it causes.

At the moment, the single best thing parents can do to combat the teaching crisis is to protest at the forced academisation of our schools.

The fact is that the government are now trying to marginalise parents as well as teachers from education; if both were to unite against this, they would be a force to be reckoned with.

Great post ithink.
A little understanding from parents would go a long way. I've just picked up a class from a teacher who left suddenly after a breakdown. They are really behind with only 6 weeks before their final exams. I've worked tirelessly, stayed after school for hours, given up my holidays and marked incessantly to help them catch up, but all I've had is endless grief from parents and one in particular who is demanding I send him my lesson plans to show how I 'intend to sort this mess out'. Another parent has complained that I'm putting her daughter under too much pressure.
I understand their concerns but it's hardly my fault the previous teacher left. A bit of support would be nice.

Cannot GCSE controlled assessments by any chance? I feel your pain.

I sent letters home with deadlines and predicted grades (poor this year) weeks should. I invited parents to contact me... out of 25 only one parent rang!

Whilst at school, I wanted to teach - but then chose a different degree. I am a school governor, which I like to think is a bit of a way of helping the school.

Writing to MPs will do four fifths of fuck all about anything in my view. other than making them feel important.

I leave teachers to the teaching, and don't always assume everything my child tells me is absolute gospel.

Help with homework, and try not to get over invested in perceived slights at the school. Avoid the school gate 'alpha's who just whip up tension.

Read notes in the book bag, sign all forms promptly - and then get on with the rest of your day.

I am a career-teacher. I went to a top 5 university and have a PhD in my subject.

Where do I teach? Abroad.

Why? Because where I teach parents respect the teachers and expect their children to do the same. I am paid well and spoken to properly.

My son is at primary. One of his teachers, who gives up an hour of her time a week for their (free) choir club, decided to take them to a concert. It was far away, and a rare opportunity for the kids due to the nature of the concert. She gave up hours of her time organising the trip, liaising between organisers and parents, going outside of school hours, rehearsing, etc. Instead of thank you emails, she got a couple of shirty ones about the fact that the kids from our school didn't have a banner to take to the concert. It really broke my heart for her. And this is not the only example of shitty behaviour.
I do think there is a degree of entitlement that wasn't so common years ago.
I think primary school teachers have it worse on the parent front.
It's different for me. I'm a secondary school teacher, and the huge majority of my parents are at least vaguely supportive, which I really appreciate! Obviously there are notorious exceptions but I definitely can't complain!
However in the past 5ish years, my job has changed beyond recognition. At government and school level there are issues: change for the sake of it, and admin. I'm working a minimum of 60 hours a week and struggling to juggle this with 2 children under 7. A lot of this extra work has nothing to do with helping children progress, and everything to do with creating a paper trail to prove I'm doing my job properly. I understand there are shit teachers, but instead of making life hell for everyone maybe the shit teachers could be targeted?
On another note, I really do feel for students in this day and age. There is so much pressure on them to succeed a lot of them end up feeling like failures/ idiots when they are not. I think the best things parents could do is to encourage kids to try different subjects and giving them all a go without fear of failing. So many kids give up on trying because they are afraid, because the government says there is only one way to be smart. It's bollocks!
Raise them in the confidence to be themselves and know they can always better themselves, and in the belief that with hard work, they can and will find their own way.
And also not to forget they too have responsibilities!

IThinkIMadeYouUpInsideMyHead Fri 22-Apr-16 18:27:01

"Assume that the teacher knows more about education than you (they have trained in it, after all"

Doesn't that rather depend on what the individual parent knows? For all you know, little Johnny's mum may be the person who wrote your textbook, or the research that underlies it; she may well have better qualifications than you or (age permitting) more teaching experience.

I think it would be nice if we could all stop making assumptions but approach each other with mutual respect.

corythatwas you are so right! I think people forget it's a partnership between 3 parties!

I don't know that parents can do anything about the teaching crisis because teachers are leaving because of the immense and unsustainable pressure from politicians and Ofsted. That and the shrinking financial resource.

What parents can do, is to encourage their children to take responsibility for their own learning. As a PP said, teachers can teach it, but can't make the children do it. That's up to them and taking responsibility for their learning themselves is a good life lesson.

Corythatwas, that's exactly the nit-picking mentality I was talking about. So what if you wrote a textbook/have a similar degree? I still know what I'm doing and wouldn't be taking notes from a parent who, after all, does not have to teach my particular class, with its own unique dynamic.

Interesting, malike-

looking at it from the other angle, as the parent of a disabled child I would have said that the openness and supportiveness from teachers, and the willingness to educate themselves about a condition, was mainly to be found in secondary.

Dd's secondary were absolutely wonderful- from the head and all the way down. Our appreciative letter was quoted in the Ofsted report, but I also made sure to write to individual members of staff and explain how much they had meant to us and what a difference they had made.

The primary. not so much. It could of course be blamed on the HT, and no doubt he did set the tone, but I find it difficult to respect an adult who refuses to question discrimination against a child she is teaching because she is afraid of causing awkwardness. I teach adults. I could never stand by and watch one of them be treated as dd was treated.