This is the text of a letter published in the Daily Telegraph:
"SIR – The forcible transfer of 17,000 schools to academy status within the next six years, as proposed in the Government’s White Paper, will be a huge distraction from schools’ core functions of teaching and learning. Instead of focusing on children’s education, school leaders will be forced to hire lawyers, consultants and accountants, and manage the transfer of school land and buildings.
This is not what parents want from their schools; nor was this proposal part of the manifesto that the current Government put before the electorate. Under the White Paper’s plans, parents could also be banished from school governing boards.
What schools need most is stability, so they can make the latest reforms work. We stand ready to work with the Government to ensure we have an education system that meets the needs of all children and has the support of school staff, parents, local authorities, diocesan bodies and existing academy trusts.
Christine Blower General Secretary, NUT Mary Bousted General Secretary, Association of Teachers and Lecturers Cllr Melinda Tilley (Con) Cabinet Member for Children, Education & Families, Oxfordshire County Council Cllr Joe Caluori Executive Member for Children and Families, LB Islington Russell Hobby General Secretary, National Association of Head Teachers Lucy Powell MP Caroline Lucas MP Henry Stewart Co-founder, Local Schools Network Jon Richards Head of Education, UNISON Emma Knights Chief Executive, National Governors’ Association Michael Rosen "
Apart from its content, it strikes me as significant that it was published in the DT and the list of signatories.