I have had a somewhat fractious relationship with my son's school for the past year. There are lots of very good things about it, but the situation has become difficult because if their failure to respond and monitor his SEN. There has been very poor record-keeping, unwillingness to access expert advice and work with us as parents. He is autistic (diagnosed this year) and very able but underperforming because of his difficulties.
Anyway, two vacancies arose for Governors? positions and I thought this would be a good opportunity to feed into school policy in a constructive way. I have always been very involved in school activities (PTA, helping out on trips etc) and I would rather work with than against.
I knew the Head would not be happy to see me as a Governor. He is very dictatorial and precious about his ?outstanding? school but very defensive and hard to work with. He finds it difficult to see other views. Parents always feel communication with the Head is poor. He calls them apathetic. I thought I could work to improve this.
Anyway, a failure of more than two applicants saw me and one other appointed without election as Governor.
News of our appointments went out to parents.
Two days later, I was approached by the Head who said (perhaps I imagined the glee!) that my appointment had been rescinded because certain issues had been raised about the appointment. A standard nomination form had been issued which gave a date from last year. At an open evening for new parents (for next year?s intake) a couple of existing parents had spoken to the Governors present about this and said they had missed their chance to apply. She said they would have to hold the nomination process again.
I received no apology from the Governors until I wrote to the clerk and pointed out that they should be open about their mistake and I asked whether the decision to rescind appointments was made by the Governing Body.
I begrudging apology was then made and I was told there rules about returns of forms were clear (i.e. to be returned within 14 days) so it wasn?t their fault parents had been confused. Governors would be deciding how to proceed with a new nomination/ballot but as it was nearly end of term this may now be next year.
I asked that parents be told what had happened and that, if others were interested, that this be welcomed as a sign of increased engagement. I emailed this to the Head too.
I?ve heard nothing since and no correction has gone out. I imagine they?ll gloss over it all and just send out letters next term saying ?we have two vacancies?.
Am I being petty or do you think this is a poor show? I wondered who had the right to overturn the appointment anyway? I wouldn?t want to cling to an appointment if it had been unfair but this all seems very high handed.