AIBU to think that support staff should not be put in line of fire to save others being in school

[downwiththatsortof]

Hi
Longtime lurker. I work as support staff in a large secondary school, 3 days as a TA and 2 days as cover. Since this lockdown I have been covering key worker children and have been expected to double my days cover, from 2 to 4 whilst others who cover full time are only being put on the rota for 2 days. There are hundreds of staff at school (circa 230) and obviously with live learning, own children and vulnerabilities some people are not in school at all. Aibu to expect with a staff this size and the rest of people only covering one day, that I should not be expected to have to cover double my usual amount?

@downwiththatsortof

Thanks for the messages *@tier4tears* - I'm glad you managed to sort it but you shouldn't have to take a pay cut - plus your children come first and *@toocold54* - I understand teachers have to do the lessons etc, but they need to share around the duties and not just rely on the same people all the time. I do think support staff need to start to work together to get better treatment and pay

Join a union. If you want the power of people joining together, it’s the best way for you to get support, advice, and lobby your management for safe ans equitable treatment.

@Woolff

I understand teachers have to do the lessons etc, but they need to share around the duties and not just rely on the same people all the time.

'Doing' the lessons 'etc.', as in planning, preparing, delivering and providing feedback is actually the teachers' full time roles. They don't need to share anything, just like you don't share their marking or Parents' evening responsibilities!

Yes it would be nice if you could WFH - ordinarily, when all children are at school, teachers don't have this option either, but there's nothing about the cover and supervision you're paid to do that is compatible with not being physically present.

I read the OP as meaning 'they' as the school/SMT, rather than the actual teachers, need to share out the duties more. I may be wrong, but I think the OP is saying she is in school more than other support staff, and that is what she is finding unfair.

@lanthanum

One reason for the disparity may be that they're trying to help out those members of staff who have children of their own, particularly if those children are of an age where they do not need to take up a key worker place if their parent is working from home, but do otherwise. Demand for key worker places in some primaries is very high, so if other schools are able to help reduce the take-up, that's helpful.

It's not fair for some support staff to always be at home if they are not working from home though, just because they have children. Lots of people can't wfh and they don't expect to stay at home on full pay, whilst their colleagues do all the work, so they have to manage childcare somehow if they are not keyworkers.

@DietrichandDiMaggio - yes I meant SLT should be ensuring that the duties are shared equally and I agree that staff with young children should still have to come in some of the time. I have a teen who is very casual about the amount of work he's putting in and I'd like to keep him on task, but obviously he can be left at home whilst I work.
I would like to know if it's mostly support staff who are in schools currently.

My husband is a teacher in a primary 2 classes per Yr group. Teachers take it one week in with key workers and a live lesson, one week at home, live lessons and recording lessons.
TAs support both online (supporting / working with groups of children) and in class in a similar setup

This isn’t how every school works.
In our local the load is shared, teachers teach a bubble half a day, the other half support staff supervise so teachers can prepare Online work

It varies so much. Myself and the other Year 1 teacher are in most days whereas the other teachers are in for one week this term. Some of the TAs are in every day and some are in for one week. It should be shared equally I do agree, especially for the TAs.

Tbh mate, instead of my doddery in laws who are bragging about getting a vaccine next week when the only place they go is the now (closed) “the club” I’m fucking fuming on your behalf.