Headteacher can't spell

[bonmot]

The newish head teacher of our (very good) primary school speaks in a way that is grammatically incorrect and his written communication is littered with spelling and grammatical errors. Could he be an effective head teacher regardless or do others think that he needs to be able to speak and write correctly to fulfil his role? I have been tempted to highlight the errors in his newsletter and return it to him but marking his written work feels underhanded, how else could I raise my concern? Any opinions and advice gratefully received.

Spelling in a primary school is not meaningless.

And if the management have decided that it is let the parents know they need to make alternative arrangements.

I really don't know where the victim culture among teachers has come from. The wail of 'woe is me' really is deafening!

Anyone in a professional and managerial position should have correct spelling, punctuation and grammar. In any private sector role the idea that a senior leader could publish wrong spellings or bad grammar is inconceivable. But somehow we're supposed to turn a blind eye because, what, they teach children??

Yes, that's their job. They chose to do it and are paid accordingly. The poster above lists other things her DB might be doing above replying to a concerned parent. But fgs it's all just part of his job!! You don't get a medal for doing what you're paid for!

This attitude from teachers makes my blood boil.

Agree with you MrsNucky.

I'm a lawyer and poor spelling and grammar is just not acceptable in my job. Those who can't write properly are generally considered shit at their jobs because they are making a poor and sloppy impression. It's that simple.

I expect teachers to have a good command of written English. Teachers should be held to high standards. They work hard but they don't work harder than every other profession and they don't get a free pass on spelling and grammar.

The previous poster's brother (the deputy head) sounds chippy in the extreme and his comments are unprofessional.

The previous poster's brother (the deputy head) sounds chippy in the extreme and his comments are unprofessional.

Well let's all hope that my chippy, unprofessional, woe-is-me, victim of a brother isn't deputy at your DC's schools Fuckmath. Charming name!

I'm a lawyer and poor spelling and grammar is just not acceptable in my job. Those who can't write properly are generally considered shit at their jobs because they are making a poor and sloppy impression. It's that simple.

I've spent about 20 years correcting the "shit" spelling and grammar of a succession of lawyers. This professionalism you speak of in your career is hardly universal.

And a mumsnetter calling someone else chippy? Hilarious!

You corrected the shit spelling?

How ironic. Did they give you short shrift, directions to another lawyer, or point out that they have been busy doing other things that have rendered them incapable of spelling correctly or using correct grammar?

If the mistakes had been consistent, I would probably bring it up with one of the parent governors. It doesn't make the school look good. Any documents which leave school are 'publicity' and represent the school, even a newsletter.

Yes Sir because that was the job I was specifically paid to do. To proofread legal documents.

My DB is paid to help lead a school.

But feel free to carry on forensically examining my posts in a somewhat lame attempt to look clever. (The last part of that sentence is my DS's current overused phrase - perfectly encapsulates my thoughts.). I'm off for my lunch.

And this parent is offering the proofreading service for free!

Your DB is paid to help lead a school - and to teach occasionally, I presume. Therefore, he needs to lead by example (which involves recognising his limitations and ensuring his work is checked before it goes out to publicly represent the school and the standards which are expected) and by spelling correctly so that the pupils receive a consistently high level and factually correct education when he is teaching them.

You appear to share your brother's chippiness. If you post something then expect to receive a response - just as you did with your copying and pasting from another poster. I'll ignore the silly response you repeated from your child - as I do with my own children.

Trouble is, there's a lot of baggage underlying this issue. For a long time, teachers and schools were subjected to an ethos that claimed that spag was irrelevant, old-fashioned, boring, not to be taught. So there are a lot of adults around whose skills in this area are poor. And we are quite possibly looking at a shortage of headteachers very soon, because of the increasing (and often contradictory) pressures they are being put under.

Not only that, this ethos still lingers. There are still people in education who disagree with the idea that spelling etc are important, and who, crucially, think it is wrong to judge or assess children or adults on it. Some of those people have considerable influence.

Worst of all, the people who judge schools for failing to produce good spag results (Ofsted) may well then, as individual inspectors, criticize those teachers who use the most effective methods for teaching it, on the grounds that these are not sufficiently child-centred. So teachers essentially can't win.

All of this contributes toward the somewhat fraught attitude to criticism we've seen here.

Great post, kesstrel

All good point Kesstrel - and I agree with most of them. However, regardless of the reasons for consistent poor spelling by a tiny minority of teachers, the fact is that if you know your spag is poor then you get your work checked before it goes out to parents and other organisations - whether that's by professional proof readers (as per the lawyers upthread), or your colleagues whose spag is of a higher standard. You don't get all huffy about it and offer to provide references for another school, or give short shrift to anyone who points out the error - an error which reflects (poorly, imo) on the standards that the school expects of both its pupils and staff.

good points

I think kesstrel's main point was to explain why, as a head teacher, you may not get your worked checked before it goes out, or why you may get all huffy and give short shrift to people. I think that was the point of the post, as I took it, anyway.

I think saying was instead of were is a regional thing OP. Don't they use it in Essex?

I took it that way as well - but still maintain that anyone of a professional standing (especially in a job where a key role is to teach correct spag) shouldn't get so defensive when consistent errors are pointed out, but instead should be professional and proactive, and seek out ways to minimise or remove them completely.

SirC it seems that poor comprehension, rather than poor spelling, is your problem, as you seem intent on misrepresenting what I wrote in an earlier post.

I wrote this He also said he would be very happy to provide a reference to another school.

He said this in discussion with me, as is clear from the post as it began "spoke to my dear brother...... He would of course not say this to a parent, you twit!

Do continue being a twit & misrepresent to your heart's desire. We do not share the same opinion. We never will.

The important people in this are the children at my DB's outstanding school, that are making excellent progress often from below average starting points and leave his care with above average attainment and properly prepared for the next phase of their education.

They can even spell & do comprehension!

And so who exactly would he provide (with) a reference to another school? Is this the same person he would give short shrift to, or someone else?

And it's very heartening to read that someone at your DB's school can spell correctly. Just a shame it's not the DHT.

AHEM

Seriously, the poor headteacher is probably considering resigning each and every night due to BS complaints, lack of support, lack of budget, stupid Ofsted paperwork and unrealistic targets. I'm actually quite serious. ALL the headteachers I know are thinking of walking away. I don't mean to say therefore you can't hold them to any standards, but please think about this before picking holes in someone.

Is that a dress HEM OliviaMN ?

If one is informed that one is not just a twit but an then one may suggest the -doler-outer reads every post that one has written.

Or possibly not. Who can say.

Primary - that's not true of all HTs. The ones I know are very happy in their roles. I'm sorry that the ones you know are unhappy, but that simply doesn't excuse consistently poor SPaG that they do nothing to address.

Oh FFS. Of course it matters if the headteacher/head teacher can't spell or write properly. OF COURSE IT DOES. He's setting a bad example, showing that these sorts of things don't really matter, and making the entire school look bad. He must be aware of his mistakes, surely - in which case he should be getting his correspondence checked over by a more capable writer or even, god forbid, a spell-checker. How hard is it?

As for the goady posts from Change - I'm not medically qualified, yet oddly enough, I expect the doctor in charge of my husband's medical condition to be both qualified and competent. What a bloody odd attitude, to expect someone only to criticise a professional if they themselves possess the skills that they are criticising. What about parents who themselves can't read well, for whatever reason? Are they not allowed to raise concerns about the standards of literacy and teaching at their child's school?

Have the whole packet, go on.