Can’t go to work and headteacher unimpressed

[BrutusMcDogface]

I mean, I can’t blame him as it’s a ball ache for him but there’s no need to be rude, is there?! I had covid and my kids are getting it one at a time which will be two weeks off for me. Wtf can I do, though? Aibu? No I’m not!! Anyone else in this boat and being faced by a grumpy boss?

Google teachers leaving the profession and teacher shortage. There are now so many jobs outside teaching that are family friendly compared to teaching.Our local secondary school now finishes at lunchtime one day a week. Staff are given non contact times on this child free afternoon.
Eventually there is going to be a need for this practice to spread to primary schools.
Believe me, the number of Head teachers leaving their jobs is higher than it has ever been.
Most people are really sympathetic to mothers taking time off school until it impacts on their child's class. As a country we will have to look at new ways of managing cover, either by sending classes home if teachers are absent. Or finishing early one lunchtime a week (as is already happening in many schools)

Schools are not about childcare but about education.

It is both.

www.tes.com/magazine/analysis/general/schools-making-impossible-timetable-change-reality

Many schools are now going across to lunchtime finishes

Or finishing early one lunchtime a week (as is already happening in many schools)

How will that help with managing absences?
Schools are about education, but the children won’t be getting educated if they’re sent home every time a teacher is off sick, will they?
If supply teachers weren’t treated so appallingly at many schools, it would probably be easier to find cover.

Look at the TES articles I have posted. Head teachers cannot continue to magic cover when supply teachers are non existent.

www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/future-fridays-its-yours-make/32-period-week-frequently-asked-questions

A half day once a week is becoming the norm in many authorities

Many schools are now going across to lunchtime finishes

I’m fine with that, as long as mine and DH’s bosses are fine with us taking a half day off every week, or paid childcare provisions are made available for that half day.
The problem with saying ‘schools aren’t childcare’ is that for decades there has been a societal presumption that children will be in school 9-3 5 days a week, meaning that these hours are available for a parent to work, and also that there is no alternative childcare available in term time for school aged children.

Look at the TES articles I have posted. Head teachers cannot continue to magic cover when supply teachers are non existent

I still don’t understand how a half day one day a week would help with that, unless the staff member happens to be ill on that day?
And yes, agree about supply not being available. I have a couple of friends who were long term supply but they were treated so shoddily by SLT’s and permanent staff that they’ve changed careers.

The problem is not just about supply teachers being treated appallingly. Many teachers claim their working conditions are intolerable. It is now harder than ever to appoint staff, particularly in London.
As other jobs become so much more family friendly, honestly, who is going to consider teaching?
There have to be other ways of dealing with the problem and half days are here to stay.

I must be being entirely thick but can you please explain how, for example, having a half day every Friday would help provide cover if a teacher phones in sick on a Monday?
Like I said, happy for a half day if it genuinely helps. But it would mean that employers would have to accept fewer working hours from their employees, or paid childcare provisions for school aged children would have to be available, as I doubt anyone would be impressed if I left my 8 and 6 year olds at home alone every Friday from lunchtime.

@ReadyToMoveIt
If staff have their non contacts at a time when students are not in school it means a Headteacher has a bit more money and flexibility when teachers are absent.

It is getting to that stage where it's starting to be a pain when people are off a lot- everyone knows there's nothing that can be done but I can understand it being frustrating for an employer. I'm not totally sure where you stand with Carers leave / working from home as a teacher? Technically be mindful they could ask you to take it as unpaid leave but this never seems to happen in teaching.

In the past teachers have two or three non contact lessons during the week. Now all non contacts are Friday ( if that is the day) afternoons. It means there is money to appoint permanent Cover Supervisors ( not teachers) who cover classes when a teacher is absent.
Obviously it is not ideal to have non teachers covering classes, particularly if it is a specialist subject.
You imagine GCSE language/ maths/science classes doing without a specialist teacher for four weeks.
I think the majority of secondary schools now use cover supervisors instead of teachers to cover absence.

I thought the issue was lack of availability of supply? Will more money help with that?

If there is already a fall of 25% this year in the number of applications, imagine ten years down the line. Teachers will rightly say they want conditions in line with other jobs which are much more family friendly.
You just don't find specialist subject teachers ready to act as supply. It is so difficult if a teacher is constantly absent.
Many of you will agree that teachers conditions should obviously be in line with other professional jobs but that increasingly has to mean compromise, the use of early finishes and non teacher cover supervisors

If it’s proven to help, then yes it should be a consideration. It will have a huge impact on working parents who will have to drop their working hours (unless childcare provision is available), so it will have to be proven to be worth it.

@ReadyToMoveIt, there is a huge lack of availability with regards to supply so most schools have now gone across to alternative ways of covering absent teachers which means employing cover supervisors.

Early finish school days have been very successful in terms of saving money and staffing. OFSTED does not have a problem with them. Early finish days will increasingly become the norm.

If teachers like the OP want the right to take four weeks off to cover her kids with COVID, you have to think about the implications for the school. Imagine the OP is a Spanish teacher or Chemistry teacher, there is not going to be a specialist teacher to take her place, so it means GCSE classes a few weeks from exams, having a cover supervisor for lessons.
As you can imagine it is not ideal for students.

Honestly I can kind of see her point. it's 9 days until testing ends, you chose to test your kids (not mandatory) and keep them off school. Imagine she is aware that a significant number of parents have stopped testing so wouldn't be in this situation yet she now paying you to isolate when in 9 days she could have a school full of COVID and you won't even know

If teachers' conditions to be brought into line with other professions will this include holidays

I think teachers have lost a lot of holiday time since the introduction of directed time. Over the Christmas holidays when many teachers are marking mock exams, I think there was just five days this year that were not Bank Holidays. Teachers are expected to revise Schemes of Work and Programmes of Study in their own time.
I can imagine that parents faced with Inset days forget that teachers are working those days.
Teachers are not paid for D of E trips, Field Trips, School Drama productions and the numerous other school activities that staff regularly give up their own time to ensure they go ahead.
I think the Civil Service (and many other employers) now allow a minimum of six weeks holiday a year plus the ability to build up flexi time.
You cannot argue with statistics that teaching as a career is increasingly less attractive. There have been so many threads on MN about teachers wanting to quit.
Head teachers and Governors have to look at alternative ways of providing cover for absent staff

Already so many teachers want part time work which means split classes. Most Heads will do their best to ensure that reception classes have experienced full time teachers. Ditto Year 6. Also exam classes need continuity if at all possible.
Head Teachers try to cope with impossible conditions and to keep their schools open and functioning, hence early finishes and the introduction of cover supervisors.

In France, if a teacher off sick, classes are sent home. Perhaps we ought to introduce that in this country?

Alternatively we could just fund schools such that there isn't a teacher shortage, cover is available and teachers aren't always knackered.

I know which one would be better for the economy in the long run.

I agree with your head.
You chose to test children and you chose to isolate.
As it is no longer mandated, then presuming you are well enough you should be in work.
So many people with mild symptoms staying at home for 10 days causing further disruption to education

I'm also loving the posters saying the other parent should just return.

Seafarers cannot just say to return a ship to port so they can get a flight home for their I'll child.

For a start they'd also likely be over it by the time they returned dependent on position at sea when the call is received!

It's very frustrating and the government has cause this. Savid Javid was on tv this morning refusing to actually have any position or opinion on this saying it's guidance to isolate and people should make their own sensible decisions. They do - to isolate - and it becomes their fault.