To think teachers should give notice of strike closure!

[Geeds]

I know teachers need to strike, I know they don’t need to give advanced notices, I know the whole idea is to ‘cause disruption’ but surely they also understand that normal working families need notice if they can’t go to work on a certain date?

The school is emailing saying they will ‘let us know by 8am on Wednesday’ about if school will be open or closed on Wednesday. I get 5 weeks annual leave to cover 13 weeks of school holiday, I don’t want to book a day if they then end up open as this will then eventually cost me money when I have to pay childcare in the holidays as I’m out of annual leave. I also can’t really afford the unpaid leave that I’ll have to take it as, if I don’t book annual leave.

I’m not slating teachers for striking, I understand and support the reasons. But AIBU to think they should give us a bit of notice? The strikes will ‘disrupt’ either way, but not giving notice to families is only going to affect the 30 odd parents in your class who also have their own stresses and money worries.

In any ordinary job, someone on a £38K a year salary nets far, far more than a teacher and WALKS OUT at 5 each day having WALKED IN at 9am. Try walking in at 7am and leaving at 7 pm with 180 books to mark on the back seat of your car, a curriculum map to update and a subject strategy plan to write-not to mention the amount of work that some (those few parents) make. Teachers should certainly not be losing £174 a day for striking. None of us make that-we are paid across 12 months in 12 instalments. We net far less than people realise as more stoppages come out mainly for the qualifications we have as well as the pensions we’ll probably never survive to access. Is someone seriously suggesting teachers get the ‘statutory’ 28 days holiday-if so- then pay us a private sector salary with overtime and bonuses. Police officers get overtime-so should we. The police work exceptionally hard and they certainly should get it. If I worked to rule and only worked my directed hours for 195 days , there wouldn’t be any lessons. All our professional duties are carried out for FREE in undirected time, at weekends and during the ‘holidays’. By the way-no teacher I know works 195 days. Did your child’s lesson plans and smartboard presentations just magically appear after half term? Perhaps you might want to consider the 52 Saturdays and 52 Sundays you included in days we weren’t working. 104 add 195 plus our 5 weeks and 3 days (ie 28 working days) ‘statutory holiday’ means we work a full year. Yes-we often juggle childcare too.

It's not the striking teachers that make this call - management know full well when strikes are planned, it is their decision to run business as usual with the possibility of last minute class cancellations. They could choose to close that day and give you advance warning, but they don't.

I'm a manager in a different education sector and the decision to open and turn students away last minute is motivated by funding, senior leadership are not all that fussed about inconveniencing parents/learners.

If you have been told your school will be open don't take it for granted just yet. My kids school was going to be open but just heard it will now be closed.

The whole point of a strike is to cause disruption.

Yes, it’s annoying that you need to take a days holiday at short notice, but count yourself lucky that you probably get paid well for the hours you do.

Teachers have been f*cked in the ass for long enough, they need this strike to have an effect otherwise your children won’t have a decent education in the next year or two as all the good teachers will leave and education will continue to be deprioritised by the government.

Staff don't have to tell the school that they belong to a union
Staff don't have to tell the school which union they belong to
Staff don't have to tell the school whether they plan to strike or not

The school leaders can ask all of these questions - but they may not get a complete response.

Our head has proudly declared that ALL staff will be striking on ALL 4 days, no critical staff places, school is CLOSED. Basically, up yours working parents, SEN children, free school meals kids. Thanks.

^this.
Ultimately, just this 🤷‍♀️

Teachers will face the same issues as other working parents. I will not strike, but I know full well my children's schools could tell me that children are working from home; only one of the two has done so, ther other won't know more until teachers don't turn up in the morning. Childcare is arranged for that eventuality, it's not like it's news that teachers are striking only as of this week.

Don't blame the teachers OP. The heads could easily make the decision now to shut the school if that's necessary. Heads know who is and who isn't in the union - even if they are not supposed to.

Exactly

Erm yes! Do you not understand what a strike is? Mind you, just because the Government have led you to believe that schools might operate similarly to during Lockdown, it appears they don't understand either.

The dates have been published, schools are aware of which teachers will be affected and they cannot confirm closure until the day of as often strikes are called off last minute due to talks reaching some sort of settlement.

Standard strike procedure.

In any ordinary job, someone on a £38K a year salary nets far, far more than a teacher and WALKS OUT at 5 each day having WALKED IN at 9am.

I support teachers right to strike, and think that they are underpaid compared to many other jobs. I think education is generally underfunded, and that teachers striking is in part to highlight this as much as it is about pay.

I am also fortunate that I won't need to take a day off work as my kids are teens and do not need me to be at home.

However I don't think its reasonable to assume that everyone in "ordinary" (assume non teaching?) jobs only works 9-5pm
Or will be able to take a day's leave (paid or unpaid) with minimal notice.

Surely not the teachers but the unions not sure if it will go ahead? Ie if negotiations are ongoing and something is proposed then the strikes might not go ahead.

So if the Head decides to close the school presumably all the staff get paid including those who would have been on strike and would have otherwise lost part of their day's pay. So low paid parents who will have to lose a day's pay are absolutely likely to be unhappy that effectively the teachers are getting an extra day's paid holiday at pare NJ ts' expense.

A number of teachers are in the same position as you, as we're parents too.

If my child's primary school is closed, I can't go to work. It'll be short notice to my boss and also unpaid leave.

As I'm a teacher, it will have a knock-on effect to our staffing levels and therefore how many of our secondary pupils can be supervised.

It's tough.

Eh? Where do you get that idea from?

"Over 40% of staff in our trust have dependent children, and that doesn't include any grandparents who might also be called into action for short notice childcare duties."

Well if the grandparent is at work tough shit. The parent will have to sort it and I'm sure most of them can.

@JangolinaPitt why you just making shit up? 🤣

You should be annoyed with the school, not the teachers. If the HT is in doubt, they should close the school.

No, the striking teachers do not get paid if the school closes.

The teachers who are not striking will be working. They may still be required to come into school, or they may be directed to work from home.

Are you one of those people who think teachers are only working if they are stood in front of a class?

They have. The dates have been published.

We were told nearly 2 weeks ago. We have the dates for February and March. Primary and Secondary.

We've told our head, none of us are but a few of us are having to bring our own kids in for the day as luckily their schools knew in advance.

No. Not true. If the building is shut those on strike get no pay; those who are not will be working and will get paid.