Stop Schools Cheating Please

[twiggles]

Whatever your child is like, some primary schools and nurseries are pretending children start off at the low end, so they can pretend to inspectors of private and state schools that the child has developed only because of their teaching. If your child's advanced , some schools in rich areas take it out on the child. They won't bother giving the child attention, because the child's advanced, so they let the child coast downwards. But they give reports in writing about the child that pretend the child has started off at a low point in development and then got much better because of the teaching at the school....when the fact is the child was able to read or write when the child started at the school and as the school is giving the child little attention, the child has coasted downwards. Tha's what many schools do so they can pretend they've developed everything in the child, they want all children to be the same standard, like a photocopier. Poor children. Some teachers admit they're cheating and don't take the reports seriously and write them to impress inspectors. This is happending all over the show and I can't understand why inspectors are allowing them to get away with it. If parents start grading teachers in the school every three months the teachers won't be able to hide what's going on to the inspectors and teachers who are pretending might stop. Teachers that aren't giving inspectors the facts need to be stopped...they're not giving children an honest education.

[mrz]

My class told their parents that I'm 128, drink blood and sacrifice the child whose name is drawn from the box of doom and some of that isn't true

[Lifeissweet]

Ha ha Mrz.

I had a parent of a year 1 child ask for a serious word with me because his 5 year old always answered the 'what did you do today?' question at the end of the day with: 'nothing'. He seemed to think it was possible that I made the children sit still staring at a blank wall all day, or something.

I would not like that parent judging my teaching.

[Labro]

And if your childs teacher writes comments about your child which you as the parent consider to be inaccurate (which I had to do with a Year 3 teacher who decided ds was 'autistic' because he chewed pencils) take it up with that particular teacher rather than wanting a nationwide assessment of all teachers - that would have been like me assuming all year 3 teachers are loony!

[twiggles]

In answer to one comment, I am well qualified and have work I have always enjoyed, thank you.

The subject I've raised is an important one and one that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. That's why I've taken the time to share it with you.

[teacherwith2kids]

Twiggles,

If your child has given negative feedback about their current teacher(s) - which I presume from your OP that they have - then

a) What steps have you taken to investigate the truthfulness of this feedback? Is it borne out by other evidence e.g. from books, from parents' evenings etc?
b) How many meetings or telephone calls with his / her teacher have you had to resolve issues?
c) Have you taken your concern to the head?
d) Have you referred concerns / complaints to the governors?
e) Have you investigated other schools?

[Lifeissweet]

I don't really understand how this 'cheating' happens anyway. The pure amount of evidence we need to provide for every judgement means that we couldn't possibly cheat even if we wanted to. If you have found a school where the teachers are making assessments without evidence, you have found a dodgy school and I would be removing my children.

[mrz]

qualified for what role?

[teacherwith2kids]

"The subject I've raised is an important one and one that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. "

Please provide evidence (in your next post, please) that this issue:
a) Exists in your child's school (which i presume prompted the post)
b) Exists more widely
c) Needs addressing at all (through robust nationwide statistical evidence, please - as a scientist by training I find unsupported assertions, especially those where there is not even any anecdotal evidence, painful)

I also ask again - please can my 10 year old come to see you at work and then pass on her views so that I can grade you on your performance?

[Labro]

The problem here seems to be that you have had an issue with a particular group of teachers at a particular school. That means that this is an issue you need to address for your child, possibly with assistance from the many teachers on these boards who would be more than happy to point you in the direction of how to get this issue resolved and how your particular county or LEA or the independent schools council would approach this issue. It isn't however a nationwide issue that everyone suddenly needs to be made aware of

[twiggles]

Teachers in schools need to be graded countrywide. The teachers on this thread don't seem to want to be and the question is what are they afraid of? If the get a high grade, they could get a pay rise. If they don't well, they'll need to improve, which would benefit everyone.

[ipadquietly]

Sir Michael Wilshaw and Govey have already thought of that one, twiggles!

[cumbrialass]

Teachers ARE graded countrywide (perhaps not is private schools, but certainly in state schools), just not by you!

[mrz]

twiggles you are behind the times teachers are graded it's called performance management ...we also have HMI, SIPs and Ofsted as well as observations/drop ins by parent governors.

[Snorbs]

twiggles, I'm a parent who is concerned by what you have written. Please can you give us at least an inkling about why you think this is happening and what evidence there is that can be pursued.

[Labro]

But you are suggesting they be graded by parents. This cannot work as a parent and childs judgement of a teacher is purely subjective to that parents experience. The teachers are already subject to grading from an independent body. None of them are objecting to being graded, just to being graded by a completely subjective body and probably based on whether dc had apple or banana for his snack or whether he was allowed to go to the loo 20 times!

[teacherwith2kids]

Twiggles, I am happy to be inspected and graded - I am observed and graded very regularly, and am also assessed against my annual targets. Those relate, amongst other things, to the children I teach making maximum progress from when they left the previous class (no opportunity to 'downgrade' children at the start of the year, it is from years' end to year's end, with stacks of supporting evidence which is carefully scrutinised).

The question is, who is appropriate to do that grading? A parent, with a second-hand view from their own child, or a number of professionals viewing a cross-section of my work (including, if need be, any feedback from parents - if parets are constantly beating a path to a head's door to tell them that a particular teacher is poor, then that will obviously have an impact on the ongoiung professional feedback and discussions between teachers and their line managers, in the asame way as a series of complaints (or praise) about a specific employee in any company would find its way to a line manager who would deal appropriately with the information)

[teacherwith2kids]

(Oooh, I've been deleted! First time ever! I'm afraid that my 10 year old was a bit too honest in how she reported her thoughts on Twiggles)

[cumbrialass]

You mean we're not allowed to say Twiggles is an idiot, when all the evidence so far suggests this is the case! Perhaps if she stopped behaving like one, we might stop thinking she is!

[enjolraslove]

Teachers country wide are graded. Several times a year.
No one disagrees that this is necessary, what we disagree with is the idea that parents are best placed to do this.
The views of parents are important but not wholly reliable. Some good examples have been given on the thread here are a few more parents I wouldn't want grading teachers:

• the mother whose daughter was sexually assaulted and told me her daughter asked for it
  
• the father who said he didnt want 'that dark one' teaching his kid
  
• the mother who asked why we taught other religions
  
• the many parents who say 'you do what you want with them- they don't listen to me'
  
• the mother of the kid who says it is only at school that anyone notices when he is upset
  
• the parents who do not talk to their kids, feed them enough, dress them properly or take any part in their education
  

Now obviously this is not all parents, but I would imagine most of these would grade me pretty low because i suggest (demand) that their views are unwelcome at school and they should do better. I'm sur even you twiggles would agree that this does not make me bad at my job
My question is shall we include these parents? Or only ''nice' ones? Who gets to choose? You? Me?

[pointythings]

I'm still waiting for some evidence, Twiggles... Ongoing unsubstantiated statements don't count, I'm afraid.

[enjolraslove]

The parent who keeps 15 year old at home to help with baby the day score an exam ?

[pointythings]

Ooooh, I've been deleted too - my first ever. Thanks, MNHQ!

[Bunnyjo]

My first ever deletion too...

[cumbrialass]

I haven't been ........yet