School Strikes 26th March - Invoicing the LEA

[Bexinder]

Just wanted to share what I'm doing, and I wonder if we can get some sort of campaign going. Lots of UK schools are closed due to teacher's industrial action next Wednesday 26th March. Given that we parents have absolutely no leeway when it comes to taking children out of school during term time and will be hit with heavy fines per child if we do without permission, I'm invoicing my local education authority for failing to provide education on this day. They haven't asked MY permission to allow the school to close.....Now I'm not expecting them to pay this at all, but I am wanting to cause a stink. They can close the school over the pay and pensions row, but I can't take my children out of school for a funeral.
Sorry - rant over... if anyone wants to copy the invoice, let me know and I'll post it. Thanks!

X-posts with loads of you!

rollon

I have just noticed that 2little1s never mentions teaching just "senior management", being a governor and OFSTEAD (sic).

Mine this year says
85% of children achieve level 4 ( this year I have 1 statement, 5 EAL, 4 on the SEN register, go figure!)
all children to make at least 2 levels progress
all lesson observations to be good or better.

It will be the same next year ( and then I have 2 statemented children!!, 1 EAL and 3 SEN) so I can't see any pay rises on the horizon.

At least I love my job!

(Apologies, thread moved on while I typed that. My PM targets involve every member of my mnaths group making an average of 5 points (that's just under 2 full NC levels) of progress this year. Which is more that ANY of them have made in total over the previous 2 years. But because the school has an unrealistic target from Gcve / Ofsted, each individual teacher simply feels the knock-on effect of its ridiculousness. I don't mind that I will get no pay increase - but I do mind the fact that I can, and do, get a series iof Outstandings in lesson observations / book scrutiny etc but because the numerical target is almost unattainable [I teach a low set] I am regarded as 'failing'.)

But when performance management is rolled out from the top of such a large organisation, including teaching but also other private or public bodies, it will never be totally fair. Broad brush rules never are as they do not and cannot take into account the local situation/individual circumstances and all the various twists in between.

The sensible thing to do would be for local management to apply these with a degree of fairness relating to both staff and students. Governments seem to be removing more and more power and decision making from heads and this is certainly not what you would expect from a non-leftist government!

So I sympathise with the objections but can't say am shocked as many of us working for large organisations have had this sort of system for 20 years now including a full erosion of pensions.

But 2little...you are required to not reveal your OFSTED status Merefin has informed. So..you can't reveal what you like then, can you? As you are obliged not to.

Boneybackjefferson-interesting, isn't it? I wonder what being a senior manager entails?

Oh...and I have more chance of fitting a spaceship up my arse than Gove has of becoming PM

Well, I think it was Feenie and so did MN othewise they wouldn't have acknowledged the vitriol. I might have opinions about views and philosophies but I'm not usually rude to posters themselves. You picked over it the other day and have done it again today.

rollon...what I do is my business

Did you work for Ofsted as an inspector?

"The sensible thing to do would be for local management to apply these with a degree of fairness relating to both staff and students."

I agree. Unfurtunately, as you point out, this option is not always available, as HTs have less freedom of manouvre.

Found the pm - I didn't actually even swear, and it is in no way vile. I am perfectly happy to post it here if you persist in spreading lies about it, minus any details which would out you because I am only interested in refuting your unfounded accusation that it was 'vile'.

rollon - Bursar maybe. (insert the usual Pratchett flashbacks)

Just seen you last post insisting it was - are you happy for me to post it here then? And MN didn't do any such thing once I'd explained the goading. Please stop saying it was - you know it was not.

I know performance management is about pupils making progress but it shouldn't be about a certain number achieving a level - unless their data based on previous performance indicated that percentage.

Would be very interested on reading the PM, Feenie!

Would be happy for anyone to read it - with Wendy's permission, and minus anything which would out her as a courtesy.

Wendy? Windy!

Philoslophy

The problem is that the previous data is from the end of KS2 so is not only five years out of date but doesn't take in to account any recent issues that the child may have.

But it is, that's why the unions are objecting to performance management. Not because of the principal -that good teachers should be rewarded for good performance- but because of how it is applied. As a year 6 teacher I HAVE to ensure the children reach the levels required to keep the school out of OFSTED's clutches, the Head is not permitted by the SIP to set PM targets which are below that required by floor targets so I am stuck! Just as no teacher will be willing to take on lower sets in future, no one will want to teach Year 6!

Gove is highly unlikely to become PM as a lot of senior Tories reckon he's lost the plot completely and they are gunning for him.

I am not saying that it is not without issues, which is why PM targets shouldn't be about 100% of students hitting target and may have an attendance clause in. However they should not be random figures of children hitting a random level or grade.