New recruit teacher is inadequate

[BoboChic]

This, basically. DD in Y7 started secondary school 2 weeks ago. One - and only one - of her teachers is totally inadequate. He is a new recruit. Parents and pupils have noticed pretty quickly that he doesn't have the first inkling of the subject he is supposed to be teaching. One approach has already been made to the school to alert them. What are the best words to use to describe this situation? Inadequate? Lacking subject knowledge?

TheFallenMadonna - where budgets/strategy decisions are made is always the right place to go when you want changes made. Roles and responsibilities are very different across organisations, of which there are very many types, in education as elsewhere.

I bet the HT has had a bloody big glass of wine tonight

Well, thank goodness this school has you.

Indeed, thank goodness for France that you're there. I do hope they understand how lucky they are, given your modest and practical attitude to solving crucial problems.

The meeting with the MD will take place on Monday at the latest. We're moving fast.

BoboChic
"The teacher can't solve the problem"

But they can aid in smoothing the way to change, especially if you can use them to go with you to approach the Head.

But the MD will be discussing strategy with you, a parent, and not the Head of the school which it affects. Who agrees with you re strategy, but thinks that you will get further with it with the MD than them. If that is the case, then of course you are right to adress the issue yourself, but the ineffectual Head would bother me very much, whatever the reason for it.

The curriculum that we want exists and is an "official" French Education Nationale Curriculum. So not terrifically difficult to implement. It's the mindset that is hard to change (major issue).

And what is happening with the teacher?

Who made the decision to adopt a different curriculum? And will it cost anything to switch?

TheFallenMadonna - the Head is not the strategy maker so he's not ineffectual. But he does buy in to the fundamentally flawed curriculum. Except today he began to see the light . Fortunately he likes innovation and is able to take on new ideas - which I think is a quality in a head.

I love this thread

So, HT recruited the worst person possible for the job in the hope of stirring parents with form into action? It seems bizarre to me that a fundamental flaw in the entire curriculum only has an impact on one subject.

Cor blimey - the principal of 5 schools? If you are going to teach in France, don't get your spellings wrong! That'll learn him.

I wouldn't be a teacher for a bloody gold clock with parents like this to contend with

You'd like parents to ignore teacher errors like "black" and "grean"? You'd better not become a teacher, then.

You sound lovely Op. I challenge you to teach a class for a whole year seeing as how you are such an expert.

The curriculum that we want exists and is an "official" French Education Nationale Curriculum. So not terrifically difficult to implement. It's the mindset that is hard to change (major issue).

The French education system is soooooooo lucky to have you

But now you have, in an hour, changed his outlook to the point where he has completely changed his ideas about curriculum, he nonetheless feels the person who can take the decision is more likely to listen to a parent on a matter of education strategy than him, the Head?

So if he is right in that, why would the MD be more likely to agree strategy with a parent than the Head?

The meeting with the MD will take place on Monday at the latest. We're moving fast.

Good grief OP, is there enough room for yourself and your ego in your room

I'd say something eminently sensible and encouraging.. But I'm too busy being agog.

This is my current fave WTF thread

InimitableJeeves

That was an analogy given by the OP as a general point as to why she disliked the new teacher against the old ones.

So if he is right in that, why would the MD be more likely to agree strategy with a parent than the Head?

I don't think he is. I think there is some placating going on

*he or she

at GlistensIs

That sounds a bit arsey, sorry about that.
I have in my mind the purchasing power of parents outweighing the educational arguments of the professionals. I do realise you are arguing from an education PoV yourself, but is that how the MD sees it?

I'm wondering if this teacher wanted to teach a subject outside his specialism in the first place, and what the consequences for him will be.

Have you actually met the teacher, OP? Or have you just reacted to the homework and your child's comments? Cunning move on the part of the HT, to deflect all blame from themselves! I feel sorry for the teacher who, apparently, is not worthy of consultation and has been condemned by you for being incompetent generally, rather than for being an inappropriate person to teach that particular subject.