Part-time teachers

[popsycal]

Bringing this over from another thread as I am hijacking too much and taking the thread off on an unintended tangent.

Part time teachers don't get paid to go into school on INSET days when they don't work. MOst do though, at their own expense, and are silently expected to by their bosses.

Most attend all parents' evening yet are only required to do so pro rata.

Part time teachers on the whole do AS MUCH AS as much work (pro rata) as their full time counterparts. In many cases, more for the hours that they do.

I have worked full time, 0.8 times and 0.4 time. I am by far a better teaching working reduced hours. And at the end of the day, it is your children who get the benefit.

Yes, there are issues of continuity. Part time staff spend their OWN TIME communicating, sharing information and planning together (just as full time staff do). Management should allow time in the school day to do this but, due because we teach during the school day, this rarely happens.

RANT OVER

I had to go into this in a lot of detail when I was teaching. Afer some bad experiences and a lot of time watsed I went to the Union.

I was told that PT teachers have NO obligation to attend any INSET or parent's evening that is scheduled on their days off. There is no obligation to do pro rata (or there wasn't when I left two years ago).

If the teacher does want to go and is able the school should pay them for their time, including any additional expenses which could, if you pushed, include petrol and childcare expenses.

Schools should plan INSET and parent's evenings throughout the year so that they hit different days each time.

I used to do Parent's Evings and INSET on days off. As said before I had some bad experiences of wasted time. After that I stopped doing it - shcool refused to pay me for my time - and stayed home. I had childcare issues anyway - I worked PT for a reason after lall, so working on days off were ligistically a big problem.

I did however make myself available to speak to parents at other times, on my days off, if they wished to do so.

I always put in way more than the 0,6 ratio of work when I was there, and outside in my own time re planning, marking, etc.

HULA - I know all of this. We are 'looked down upon', for want of a better phrase, if we don't go in. By the management, and clearly also by parents it now appears.

You know, I should just walk away from this. Not in the right frame of mind for an argument.

Many years ago, I boycotted all education threads and I think it may be time to resume my boycott.

I've just started back part time after having DD.
My head paid me supply for a mornings work on an inset day but I did not expect this in any way and feel very privileged to work in such a generous school.
I will be going in to parents evening even though my new role I do not have a class and will not have parents to meet. I simply feel obliged to do so.

I also think there has been a fair amount of teacher bashing on mnet recently

I am starting the thing the same thing. Only really went back to them as DD started school so wanted to join on that side, but get drawn in. And I don't even teach anymore!

Or - re. the only owrking on contracted day:

A PT teacher is only obliged to be available for work on the days he/she is contracted to work. If a meeting, parent's evening or INSET falls on those days they are not obliged to attend (if they do - see below)
However, if ALL the meetings, parent's evenings, etc fell on that teacher's wcontracted work day they would likewise be expected to attend. This is why schools should ensure such things are spread out on different days of the week each time.

I know, Hula. I still feel obliged (and am expected) to go.

I had that problem. But when things got really bad at school, which you MNetters all got me through and out in the end, I knew I had to do something for my health and sanity. And for a change I put me and my family first. And you know - not one single parent ever complained. Infact some were just more grateful that they could come and see me whenever I was around instead.

I don't have any experience of PT teaching (as a parent) and had no idea that you would be expected to do those things for no pay.

here here!

am 0.5 and often feel pressure from HT.

can absolutely relate. sympathies.

I 've just started doing 0.8 this year, and already I've come across occassions where it's been expected I'll attend a meeting on my day off. But I refused as I know that had I gone in then, then it would have become much harder to refuse in the future.

And like you've said, although I'm now paid 0.8, I still do the same amount of bloody work I did last year

I love my job and do it for no pay without thinking really (as all teachers do - part time or full time). But I feel so cross that people think that because a teacher is not at a parents' evening, they are 'not putting in enough effort'.

Sorry

I know, it's a bit like if you're a teacher you are public property 24 hours a day.

What do you think of this.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7029489.stm

Teachers who on on a career break would be expected to keep up to date. This would mean that an unemployed teacher or someone taking a career break might have to pay for themselves to do 5 days a year training to avoid losing their registration.

Nurses have had to do PREP to keep their registration for years. If they do not then they are forced to do quite a long refresher course. (possibly self funded?)

Any professional has to do a certain amount of training to be at the cutting edge of their field. You would expect a part time surgeon to be as up to date as a full time surgeon. A teacher who is not up to date should not be allowed near the classroom anymore than a surgeon who has not had up to date training in operating techniques.

Attending meetings, reading reports is an important part of lesson preparation. Prehaps part timers need to paid extra because they go to proportionately more meetings. I think that part time teachers should attend 5 inset days a year and be paid for them.

I find it very hard to see my son's teachers as I work full time. He only has two parent's evenings a year. Especially as his parent's evenings are between 3pm and 6pm so really are parent's afternoons. Since I work in a school I find hard to get time off in term time.

Deaf children aren't stupid, but they require suitable teaching to reach their full potential.

teacherss are expected to keep up to date

I work one day, do a play duty and have not been given any PPA. It doesn't matter that much to me as one day is not going to kill me, and the PPA would be next to nothing anyway, but I do feel that they just think, Oh they're just part-time.

I think working part-time in any professional environment is always going to be tricky. You do end up losing out - if you don't work in your own time, then you end up losing out on whatever is going on, and if you do work, you don't get paid. I don't think it's a problem exclusive to teaching.

i agree

BUT you are entitled to the PPA. A friend of mine (did 80%, just mornings) got paid extra for her PPA as they couldn't timetable in PPA time while she was there, but could do the work at home in the evenings (as all teachers are already).
It might be poeanuts but it is your right, go back and suggest they either give you a half day a month (or whatever it works out to be) or pay you an additional % to cover it.
It is a half day a week isn't it? So 10% of your time, or 10% of your salary.

So, following on from this, if one is thinking of possibly going part time, what sort of things would you bring up / agree with the head in the initial conversation? (btw, are heads required to give pt if you are returning from mat leave and request it?)
TIA

I get PPA - 10% of what I teach as I am supposed to. I get snide comments fro colleagues (half joking) about getting it despite 'never being here'.

It's not as is I work part time for full time money

dabdab - they are requred to give it but must have a serious business reason not to give it. OUr head has agreed some and refused others. For example, he refused a 4 day week request as he found it hard to find a pe teacher for 1 day a week

dabdab,

You need to start by looking at your contract to see what it says about part-time workers. I know that a new clause came into effect this year, but I didn't do any more than glance at it since I am full time. I think the gist of it was to prevent part-time staff from losing out.

Just wanted to say, that ds has just started reception and has 2 part time teachers, one does 2 days and the other 3, and it works fantastically imo.

Both teachers are fab with the kids, very well organised and always seem to be pleased to be there.

I was sceptical at first, but now i think it has many plus points to my dc's education.

the snide comments is definately not just a teachers thing - I get quite alot of "of off already" type comments. I usually reply along the lines of "yea, I work part time and I GET PAID part time aswell, as you know", or "well I don't get paid full time for working part time you know".

Not sure if this is a general thing or not, but at my school, both the teacher and the school can cut the hours by up to a full day each year.

I'm working full-time this year, but if no one chooses my A-level subject next year, I will probably be put down to 4 days a week (assuming all other staffing in my department is unchanged).

NUtcracker - I could kiss you