Teachers, how are things as regards cuts?

[fivecandles]

If you teach, how are you being affected by the cuts? Have there been any reduncies at your school and if so on what basis? It's starting to hit my place of work now and it's rubbish. No redundancies yet but it's generally expected to happen at the end of next year unless people leave which they can't because there are no jobs anywhere else either.

Mme B's opening gambit on this thread was that there had been an 'outrageous' increase in support staff and 'correction' was needed, a view with which noone else on this thread agreed and which was tactless to say the least given the nature of the OP.

Believe me, I have listened.

Yes, I saw it. In my experience ( and I was working in the state sector at the time) she is quite correct in that observation.

As you point out, neither she nor I work in a school now with many TA's . We certainly do not have classroom supprt. Beyond that I can see little similarity between our situations. She has SEN. I do not. You yourself say that your own child goes to an independent school which has large numbers of TA's on the staff ( now I find that very odd for an independent) and seem to want to devalue both mmebluebery and myself for having a different view.

Lat week fivecandles you were most hurtful with comments you made concerning my redundancy at my last school. You were equally dismisive of the independent secotr even suggesting to me that my school was obviously at the point of fiscal ruin and I would lose my job ( because I dont do all those extra's you do) and now you are here telling me that your own job is at risk in the state sector?

You have all my sympathy for your situation. There is nothing worse than giving your all to your school ( job) and your pupils and to find you may be dispensibel " just like that"!

You ask if the situation is the same for others and how budget cuts have affected them. As far as I can see, people have responded.

sorry about the typo's

Jabed, what I ACTUALLY write and your interpretations are so far removed that well, I don't know what to think.

For example, I have never said that my own job is at risk and I have never made any such assumptions about your school or job. I really don't know where you've got this stuff from.

I am also honestly totally baffled by your and Blue's continued presence on this thread. You hold a minority opinion which is considered offensive by everybody else here and would be considered offensive by most teachers even in the independent sector (where as you rightly point out cuts are taking place too). You have no current experience of cuts at your place of work even though this was the explicit question in the post.

I seriously wonder what your agenda is. Are you here to gloat? Are you here to make other people feel worse about the cuts they're experiencing? It is very strange.

I have never said that my own job is at risk and I have never made any such assumptions about your school or job. I really don't know where you've got this stuff from.

Its not affecting you ? You are not losing your job or at risk then? I am sorry I misunderstood when you wrote the following originally:

Have there been any reduncies at your school and if so on what basis? It's starting to hit my place of work now and it's rubbish. No redundancies yet but it's generally expected to happen at the end of next year unless people leave which they can't because there are no jobs anywhere else either

Which begs the question of all questions, why the question in the first place?

what I ACTUALLY write and your interpretations are so far removed that well, I don't know what to think

I couldnt have phrased it better. My feelings about you exactly.

You hold a minority opinion

Holding a minority opinion is not of itslef an offence in any way. It is not illegal to express it as the content is in no way illegal.

Everyone is entitled to a view. I see you as entitled to a view and to express it even if I do not agree with you. I will not attempt to censor you. You seem to want to censor anything that you do not agree with.

I seriously wonder what your agenda is. Are you here to gloat?

Since these cuts are not affecting you personaly either fivecandles I am seriously wondering what your agenda is too.

I am not here to gloat over anyones problems. I have experience of them and have put that into the discussion. You on the other hand.... ???

I have worked in state and independent (secondary). They are different. I currently teach a GCSE class of 34. To copy cut up and sort a card sort or diamond 9 activity takes me nearly an hour. We have two photocopiers for over 100 staff.

I am not saying cuts shouldn't be made, and I happily do my own displays etc.

But so many staff are outstretched, teaching outside their specialism, large classes etc

We need learning managers etc, for the violent pupils who kick off mid-lesson.

'Which begs the question of all questions, why the question in the first place?'

Why? Just because my own job is not at risk does not mean that I'm not affected by cuts and sympathetic to others who are. Why is that so difficult to understand?

I've said very clearly that the cuts are starting to hit my college. Earlier on in the thread I said that I'm not allowed to buy any new books. It's expected that there will be redundancies although fortunately my job is safe.

'Holding a minority opinion is not of itslef an offence in any way. It is not illegal to express it as the content is in no way illegal.'

No not illegal, just inappropriate, and insensitive and disrespectful.

Look, I started the thread so that teachers who are suffering from the impact of the cuts could talk about it.

What a shame that couldn't actually happen without the likes of Blueberry making unpleasant and crass comments.

Several people have said they would leave the thread because of these. Several people have said that they have been angered and upset because of the way in which Blueberry and you have expressed your views.

It does amaze me that you don't seem to show any concern about this.

'Since these cuts are not affecting you personaly either fivecandles I am seriously wondering what your agenda is too.'

Look, Jabed, you seem to seriously struggle to follow the debates on here. You make stuff up and don't actually seem to understand what is said.

I AM being affected by the cuts.

I would like to ask you and Blueberry again, respectfully to stop attacking me personally and other teachers. This thread is supposed to be supportive of those teachers who are suffering in the current cuts. If you have another agenda, I think you should start another thread. It is grossly insensitive not to.

I haven't attacked you personally. I just asked if you were really a teacher, which is something you asked me.

I'm hesitating to join in this argument but - as a tutor I've had a lot of opportunity to work with and observe children at both independent and state schools. From my experience I would say:
The numbers of children with major learning difficulties are significantly greater in state than in independent schools.
The range of behavioural problems is usually greater in state schools. Independent schools tend to have a higher proportion of parents willing to address poor behaviour and support the school.
Class sizes are larger in state schools (Madame B has told us the largest class she teaches, I'd be interested in the smallest and the modal sizes)
State schools in general provide more levels of differentiation than independents. Some small independents I know provide virtually none and have left slower or dyslexic students to sink (by trying to make them keep up with the rate at which the rest of the class is taught when they can't). Having said that, I know an independent where the teacher is great at providing individualised learning (but with only 14 in the class!)
State schools can fail to address the needs of all their students due to an over-emphasis on SATs scores/statistics.
Independent schools can fail to address the needs of all their students due to an over-emphasis on stats for progression to grammar/good independent secondaries.