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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Teachers given lie-ins and extra days off

1000 replies

LaughingPig · 19/09/2024 15:37

The Guardian is reporting today that state schools are offering perks in an attempt to attract and retain teachers. These include lie-ins, whereby teachers will start later one day a week, a day off each fortnight and even the chance to work from home.

Clearly there is an issue with getting enough high-quality teachers into the profession and keeping them there. However, I’m not sure how these initiatives will go down with taxpayers on the back of successive teachers’ strikes, schools closing for months during lockdown and now inflation-busting pay rises.

Would you be happy with your DC’s teacher arriving to school late after a relaxing lie-in or logging on from home?

YABU- teachers deserve lie-ins
YANBU- teachers should be in class teaching DC

Link

Teachers in England offered lie-ins to make job more appealing

Other perks including nine-day fortnight and more planning time at home offered to attract recruits

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/sep/19/teachers-in-england-offered-incentives-to-make-job-appealing

OP posts:
Frazzlededucator · 20/09/2024 09:01

@LaughingPig if you think it is so easy and you fancy a lie-in, please feel free to train as a teacher and come and join us Grin

GingerScallop · 20/09/2024 09:08

@LaughingPig You say "One point I do think needs to be considered is that parents and taxpayers want to see teachers ‘working for their wage’ so to speak, given these are funded through taxation."
This is very true. Unfortunately this is not happening because they are severely underpaid. If parents want to see teachers work for their wage what are we doing to increase their wage so that they can actually afford to live and dare I say, thrive? Most of the teachers in our school do not live where they teach (Avg rental for 2.5 bedroom here is £2100). They cant afford to. The people shaping the minds of the next generation of leaders and followers are paid less than those stacking shelves (no disrespect meant). They are shaping future PMs, surgeons, police, army, teachers, volunteer workers, researchers etc and yet there is so much disrespect and underappreciation for them at every level. Teachers deserve better

LaughingPig · 20/09/2024 09:10

@TrumpIsACuntWaffle

DH doesn’t come from a teaching background, but was approached by the organisation which founded the free school he leads as they believe the best teachers don’t always make the best leaders, and vice versa.

DH brings a unique perspective to the role and treats his school as a business when it comes to developing and retaining staff in order to deliver the best possible experience for students and parents in an efficient way.

OP posts:
pollyglot · 20/09/2024 09:18

LaughingPig · Today 09:10

**
DH doesn’t come from a teaching background, but was approached by the organisation which founded the free school he leads as they believe the best teachers don’t always make the best leaders, and vice versa.
DH brings a unique perspective to the role and treats his school as a business when it comes to developing and retaining staff in order to deliver the best possible experience for students and parents in an efficient way.

I don't swear on MN, and indeed at all.
But...

FUCKING HELL...ARE YOU SERIOUS???

MultiplaLight · 20/09/2024 09:19

pollyglot · 20/09/2024 09:18

LaughingPig · Today 09:10

**
DH doesn’t come from a teaching background, but was approached by the organisation which founded the free school he leads as they believe the best teachers don’t always make the best leaders, and vice versa.
DH brings a unique perspective to the role and treats his school as a business when it comes to developing and retaining staff in order to deliver the best possible experience for students and parents in an efficient way.

I don't swear on MN, and indeed at all.
But...

FUCKING HELL...ARE YOU SERIOUS???

What she said.

Fuck me.

OP you are a total utter twat.

bringincrazyback · 20/09/2024 09:21

LaughingPig · 20/09/2024 09:10

@TrumpIsACuntWaffle

DH doesn’t come from a teaching background, but was approached by the organisation which founded the free school he leads as they believe the best teachers don’t always make the best leaders, and vice versa.

DH brings a unique perspective to the role and treats his school as a business when it comes to developing and retaining staff in order to deliver the best possible experience for students and parents in an efficient way.

😂😂😂

TrumpIsACuntWaffle · 20/09/2024 09:24

bringincrazyback · 20/09/2024 09:21

😂😂😂

Very unique. No other head teacher or slt I know (and I know a lot) would be so deluded.

What a cunt.

pollyglot · 20/09/2024 09:24

Well it's no wonder OP's DH's leadership style is counting cars in an empty carpark. How...productive.
I am reminded of Sir Joesph Porter in HMS Pinafore ...
"I thought so little they rewarded me
by making me the ruler of the Queen's Navee."

BarbaraHoward · 20/09/2024 09:24

LaughingPig · 20/09/2024 09:10

@TrumpIsACuntWaffle

DH doesn’t come from a teaching background, but was approached by the organisation which founded the free school he leads as they believe the best teachers don’t always make the best leaders, and vice versa.

DH brings a unique perspective to the role and treats his school as a business when it comes to developing and retaining staff in order to deliver the best possible experience for students and parents in an efficient way.

I can think of little I'd want less for my DC's school than this.

MistyMountainTop · 20/09/2024 09:32

LaughingPig · 20/09/2024 09:10

@TrumpIsACuntWaffle

DH doesn’t come from a teaching background, but was approached by the organisation which founded the free school he leads as they believe the best teachers don’t always make the best leaders, and vice versa.

DH brings a unique perspective to the role and treats his school as a business when it comes to developing and retaining staff in order to deliver the best possible experience for students and parents in an efficient way.

Oh, you're THAT person. Explains an awful lot.

Teenagequeenwithaloadedgun · 20/09/2024 09:32

LaughingPig · 20/09/2024 09:10

@TrumpIsACuntWaffle

DH doesn’t come from a teaching background, but was approached by the organisation which founded the free school he leads as they believe the best teachers don’t always make the best leaders, and vice versa.

DH brings a unique perspective to the role and treats his school as a business when it comes to developing and retaining staff in order to deliver the best possible experience for students and parents in an efficient way.

How is counting cars efficient or delivering the best possible experience?

independencefreedom · 20/09/2024 09:35

LaughingPig · 20/09/2024 09:10

@TrumpIsACuntWaffle

DH doesn’t come from a teaching background, but was approached by the organisation which founded the free school he leads as they believe the best teachers don’t always make the best leaders, and vice versa.

DH brings a unique perspective to the role and treats his school as a business when it comes to developing and retaining staff in order to deliver the best possible experience for students and parents in an efficient way.

Does his unique perspective include the ability to see through curtains? I wouldn't want anyone with such a voyeuristic mind and no background in teaching as head of my dcs' schools.
'best possible experience for students and parents' - what about the experience of the teachers?

Todaywasbetter · 20/09/2024 09:37

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

hilariousnamehere · 20/09/2024 09:37

LaughingPig · 19/09/2024 18:41

@Dandeliontea123

George Osborne was very clear that “it is unfair that people going out to work see the neighbour next door with the blinds down.”

That specific comment was about benefits claimants, but we don’t want the general public thinking similar of teachers with their blinds closed.

I mean, by that logic, it's also unfair that I work evenings into the night while other people get to have dinner and go to sleep - what kind of batshittery is this?? I also regularly leave for the day at 7am leaving my curtains shut because I cba to open them, and my bedroom curtains are never closed.

I think OP is either woefully unemployed with too much time on her hands, or has a very inflexible job and can't bear the idea that someone might get better working conditions that she has.

meieixhw · 20/09/2024 09:37

🤣🤣

YoYoYoYo12345 · 20/09/2024 09:38

LaughingPig · 20/09/2024 09:10

@TrumpIsACuntWaffle

DH doesn’t come from a teaching background, but was approached by the organisation which founded the free school he leads as they believe the best teachers don’t always make the best leaders, and vice versa.

DH brings a unique perspective to the role and treats his school as a business when it comes to developing and retaining staff in order to deliver the best possible experience for students and parents in an efficient way.

Is DH unique experience being able to count the cars in the school car park?

narns · 20/09/2024 09:39

I don't think it's the business of tax payers tbh. If teachers are achieving their goals and educating our children I don't give a flying fuck how many lie ins they are getting or if they can WFH.

I don't need to see teachers burning out and working till their backs break to feel satisfied that tax payers money is being well spent.

MigGril · 20/09/2024 09:42

LaughingPig · 19/09/2024 21:55

@cardibach

Not every teacher can or wants to be a leader. However, as stated, there are opportunities for classroom teachers to earn up to £16k for additional responsibilities and then over £85k as a classroom leasing practitioner.

I would love to know where you get your figures from. Non of our lead practitioners are on anything near that. I mean yes the head teacher is and the executive head was advertised at £105,000 but that's 2 roles in the whole school. The rest of the teachers don't earn those sort of salaries. My head of department earns less then my DH and he has a far more stressful job in comparison. The number of times DH has been asked if he'd like to train as a teacher because he'd be good at it.

He's like errr no, I don't need the paycut or the extra stress. I could train as a teacher as I work in a support role and have the qualifications but no I'm happy not having to take my work home, even if the pay is pants. If I wanted to earn more I'd go back into industry.

hilariousnamehere · 20/09/2024 09:42

YoYoYoYo12345 · 20/09/2024 09:38

Is DH unique experience being able to count the cars in the school car park?

Tbf I've definitely had some private sector corporate bosses who were like this - they thought they were great, the staff turnover said otherwise and no one sane would ever have let them anywhere near running a school 🙈

LaughingPig · 20/09/2024 09:45

@independencefreedom

DH aims to provide a flexible, innovative and dynamic environment for all staff. Being a free school gives him the flexibility to reward every member of staff according to their individual skills and contribution.

This means that there are two less practitioners in the school at the top of the pay band. However, he also believes in giving opportunities to talented staff who may not have teaching qualifications and brings them in on the unqualified teacher pay scale. This also frees up resources to attract and retain experienced and exceptional staff elsewhere.

OP posts:
LaughingPig · 20/09/2024 09:46

*lead practitioners

OP posts:
MigGril · 20/09/2024 09:50

LaughingPig · 20/09/2024 09:10

@TrumpIsACuntWaffle

DH doesn’t come from a teaching background, but was approached by the organisation which founded the free school he leads as they believe the best teachers don’t always make the best leaders, and vice versa.

DH brings a unique perspective to the role and treats his school as a business when it comes to developing and retaining staff in order to deliver the best possible experience for students and parents in an efficient way.

Oh dear God, no often the best teachers don't make the best heads. But that is why there is a crap teacher at DS school who is a deputy head. He seems actually quite competent at that job, but please never let him try to teach my child again.

But he's been in the classroom and knows what it's like and I wouldn't want a head who hadn't at lest experienced teaching and all it entails as otherwise how could they possibly understand the pressures the teachers have to put up with on a day to day basis.

And yes I'm a big believe that unless you've done the job you have no idea what is involved. Which is why most heads have no idea what my job involves at all and the technical knowledge needed to do it either.

I'm a science technician in a high school.

LaughingPig · 20/09/2024 09:54

@MigGril

DH occasionally teaches GCSE business studies and economics, so he has a good understanding of teachers’ day-to-day experience.

OP posts:
oldest · 20/09/2024 10:02

LaughingPig · 20/09/2024 09:46

*lead practitioners

Some usernames are genuinely appropriate, hein, @LaughingPig?

Another view:

I used to work in a (publicly-funded) school, not in UK though I taught in English. Contractually, I worked 19.25h per week for 36 weeks per year (so 16 weeks annual holiday). I was not expected to be on school premises when not in class, although I could be - I had my own room, only used for my classes, where I could prepare work when not teaching and catch up on correspondence, drink coffee with colleagues, read quietly, etc.

I was timetabled, as my colleagues, with a minimum of two free afternoons each week. Following the luck of the timetable draw, some days I would start late, occasionally after lunch. I was always home when my children got in, and was able to take them to out-of-school activities regularly.

I did no after-school or lunchtime clubs or supervisions myself; these were taken care of by colleagues employed for that (who did no teaching). Behaviourally-challenged children were likewise dealt with under supervision by non-teaching colleagues - all the children in my classes behaved more-or-less impeccably more-or-less all the time.

No teachers were ever expected to cover for absent colleagues - that was taken care of, again, by a cohort of specially-recruited colleagues.

I was paid more than twice the salary of the job I left to go there, as Head of a large department in a big comprehensive in a northern English town.

For a while I acted as subject coordinator and a staff representative, for each of which position I was entitled to an hour's reduction per week in teaching load (or, as was sometimes convenient for me and my pupils, overtime paid pro rata).

I was contracted for two parents' evenings per school year, and I also met with parents regularly, though not contractually obliged to do so. Generally I had good relations with parents.

And so on and so forth. That was a decent job, with reasonable pay. My pupils did well from their schooling - better, much better on average than their peers from UK (whether in state schools or those dreadful private establishments (or "free" schools, @LaughingPig)). Many still contact me with their news after thirty-plus years, though I am generally remiss at replying.

Teachers in UK, and parents, take note: it really is worth fighting for decent pay and conditions for teachers ... something they certainly don't have currently in UK. "Working from home" would be a (tiny) start ...

You have a long way to go. How much do you value education, British people?

Hatty65 · 20/09/2024 10:05

LaughingPig · 20/09/2024 09:10

@TrumpIsACuntWaffle

DH doesn’t come from a teaching background, but was approached by the organisation which founded the free school he leads as they believe the best teachers don’t always make the best leaders, and vice versa.

DH brings a unique perspective to the role and treats his school as a business when it comes to developing and retaining staff in order to deliver the best possible experience for students and parents in an efficient way.

Unique. Well that's one description. Unskilled would be another.

Never taught in a state school. Not a qualified teacher. Not got a fucking clue. And works for 'an organisation' that founded a free school. A 'manager'. A bit like Gavin Williamson as Secretary of State for Education, with as much idea on how schools work.

No credibility in other words.

I did not believe that you were actually the wife of a head teacher as I've never encountered one who is so utterly ignorant of the job, or so utterly contemptuous of teachers.

If your update is actually true it almost explains your woeful lack of understanding. And probably your arrogance. Like springs to like - neither you nor your DH have a fucking clue about schools. I shudder for the kids and staff at his place.

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