What could be done to stop the teacher recruitment and retention crisis?

[noblegiraffe]

The situation in teaching is absolutely dire and parents would be up in arms if they knew the true extent of the effect it was having on their children's education.
So what can actually be done about it? There is an issue with workload because while some is pointless, some actually does benefit the kids. e.g. In maths, the new GCSE has 3 papers instead of 2. My school also introduced a second mock in March as well as November. This has tripled the amount of mock marking compared to previously. In addition, we have to enter each mark for each question for each student by hand onto a spreadsheet which then generates a list of all their strengths and weaknesses. Huge extra workload. But if it was suggested that the second mock and the analysis was binned, there would be a pang of guilt because it is actually useful. Think of the children!

So what can be done?

1. My school should have considered workload before it introduced the second mock. What we didn't have already, wouldn't be missed. If any new initiative is seen to increase workload, then workload has to be decreased elsewhere to compensate. Always. That might focus a few minds on what is really necessary.
   
   
2. Ofsted are considering dropping the outstanding rating. This would have a huge impact, but they are being held back by the fact that parents like it. The views of education professionals should outweigh parents in this instance.
   
   
3. Scrap any notion that teachers' pay should be linked to individual student results or class results. Unions already advise against it, but Ofsted should ask to see appraisal objectives and any school that has results in there should be not allowed to get higher than requires improvement. Student and class results are too volatile to be used as a positive performance indicator. Cohort results for those with a cohort responsibility I'm not sure about...
   
   
4. Cap CEO of academy pay linked to how many schools they are responsible for. School funding should not be lining individual pockets. On top of that, increase base funding for schools so that they have enough money for sufficient TAs, support staff and so on.
   
   
5. Way more funding for SEN. Open more special schools, review the EHCP process, better training for teachers and so on (there are people way more knowledgeable than me with ideas about this).
   
   
6. Behaviour - do not make having a poorly behaved class increase the workload of a teacher to an unreasonable degree. Centralised detentions. On-call support that actually turns up. An escalating series of sanctions/intervention that is actually followed, and doesn't involve the class teacher doing anything once the kid fails to turn up to their lunch detention/persists in being a pain/is a pain across the school. This should be verified by Ofsted because otherwise SLT will get away with not doing it.
   
   Any other ideas?

[albertcamus]

I hope this thread stays up because noble 's OP is a thoughtful and constructive and sums up many of the key demotivators. I agree wholeheartedly that parents would be truly appalled if they knew what really goes on.

Ofsted have, in publishing their latest workload poster, tried to shirk any responsibility for the crisis : www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-workload-poster-and-pamphlet

However, while bloated SLTs continue to get away with doing so little, if anything, of any use, the problems for teachers and students, especially SEN, will persist. If all teachers taught a full timetable -10% PPA, class sizes would be dramatically reduced, especially in primary, with exponential improvements in achievement and morale.

Much of the 'work' carried out by 'management' is unnecessary and, in the case of constant monitoring of peers, increases stress, cynicism & distrust.

[FlameOutTeacher]

I'm bumping this with the fantasy of linking to it when I finally flame out and hand in my resignation letter. So many good points. If only they would be read by people with the power to change things for the better.

[sashh]

I've been doing supply for ages, there needs to be flexibility in the system so schools can respond to the community they are in.

Some things I have come across that have worked in one school but might not in others.

Compulsory and free breakfast. OK no one is forced to eat but everyone is forced to go to the room where breakfast is available. It needs to be a good variety too.

Behaviour detentions done by SLT. Detention is the same day as the reason for it.

Rewards systems that reward the quiet kids who just plod on getting average to good grades not just the high flyers or the disruptive students.

Teachers to be treated as professionals, not as someone who can be replaced by a teenager or an ex squaddie.

CPD that is relevant and useful and allows teachers to follow a particular route eg SEN in mainstream

Some lessons that are not linked to GCSEs. One local school does 'enrichment' that is a series of 12 week courses in dance, martial arts, languages, art, music etc.

Better use of technology, using something like moodle effectively can cut down on marking for teachers and give instant feedback to students. I'm thinking things like drag and drop labeling of diagrams.

Homework clubs could involve tech so students can log on to a virtual classroom with a teacher to help in each subject area.

[IsabellaDMC]

appuskidu we didn't do double or triple marking. We marked work that needed marking (occasional classwork, weekly homework, slightly more for A level, plus end of topic tests) and gave numerical score plus www/ebi type comments. They were just starting the dreaded 'purple pens of progress' when I decided to jump ship.

While we don't have the threat of ofsted, but "the school recognises that exercise books are often the way that parents will judge the quality of teaching" so every piece of class work has to be checked for mistakes. It is a PITA but still better than deciding whether to move James up from a 3.5 to a 3.6 and how to justify the improvement considering KS3 grades were largely made up nonsense.

[Foxyloxy1plus1]

I do think here is a recruitment and retention crisis and I think that until it directly impacts upon children in classrooms and therefore the hire parents, teaching will continue to be regarded as a soft option.

By that time it will be too late. Academies will still be a law unto themselves with a massive imbalance in salaries for executives compared to staff at the sharp end. Unqualified staff will be the norm and the workload will become more and more onerous until there is meltdown.

[karriecreamer]

I think it is probably this straightforward. It's a cost/benefit thing, employees will put up with higher levels of shit in their job if the financial rewards are big enough.

Not the only consideration though. Take experienced practising doctors and dentists, they're well paid, averaging over £100k, but they're choosing to reduce their working hours to avoid the penal marginal tax rate of 62% on their earnings over £100k. Others are leaving the UK for a better work/life balance. But, for certain, the pay is certainly not too low for middle aged qualified/experienced GPs and dentists. (I do their tax returns and practice accounts as part of my business, so I know the numbers!).

[Slightlyperturbedowlagain]

basically pay us a decent wage for what we do and the hours we work.
As a 'visitor' from outside 'the staffroom' but with long previous experience in the NHS, I think it is probably this straightforward. It's a cost/benefit thing, employees will put up with higher levels of shit in their job if the financial rewards are big enough. Same for nurses and all the other professions that are having trouble recruiting and retaining at the moment.

[jellyfrizz]

Nodding along to pretty much everything that has been said here.

It was the pointlessness of much of what I was being asked to do that proved the tipping point for me. I wouldn't have minded the hours so much if what I was having to spend my time doing was of any use at all to the children.

[Appuskidu]

Some things are worse - I have to do cover, the marking is more

More marking than in a state school-really?! Marking was the main problem at my last school-it was just ridiculous. Double marking, triple marking, deep marking, steps to success, green for good, pink for growth, highlighting, levelling individual pieces, ways forward etc etc

I’d always imagined that side of things to be more sensible in a private school
-without the threat of Ofsted.

[SandyBeachandtheDeckchairs]

In an ideal world with a limitless budget, I feel I could do a good job if I had a full time, well paid TA. If they could start at 8 finish at 4, help with the marking and preparation of resources that would really help me leave on time. Also some subject specialist teachers would be good, so I could have maybe PE lor music lessons free, that would make a massive difference too.
If there was also the option of starting at 10 some mornings, maybe cover teacher/TA taking register, guided reading etc, that would be a godsend too! I could actually take my own daughter to school.
Obviously there is no budget for the above, but it would be amazing!

[IsabellaDMC]

I recently moved from state secondary (grammar) to private and I don't think I will ever go back. I'm annoyed because most of the things that make it better could be introduced with little / no increase in cost and, on the whole, actually reduce the workload.

Things which are better here:

1. no micromanaging - I am given a decent scheme of work and allowed to adapt it to my teaching style
   
2. no pointless data - obviously I still have to fill in some spreadsheets but far fewer than I used to and it is sensible (no more decimalised number grades proving each child has made progressed at least 0.2 each term)
   
3. proper behaviour policy - students are responsible for their own behaviour
   
4. useful feedback - we had a book scrutiny two weeks ago and was dreading it but it turns out it was a genuine attempt to learn from each others work
   
   Some things are worse - I have to do cover, the marking is more than I am used to, we have more after school things and some INSET stuff is done in our own time. But none of that outweighs the fact that I am treated as a responsible professional with licence to use my own judgement.

[karriecreamer]

Any new bit of work / red tape / change should be accompanied by setting fire to something else

I don't think that's unique to teachers. Lots of jobs/businesses are being bogged down by constant change, unnecessary regulation & bureaucracy, form filling for it's own sake, etc. I thought that a past government had imposed a "one in, one out" rule on new legislation - it didn't last long did it? Or how about the "bonfire of the quangos" - that's gone quiet too!

[Appuskidu]

Any new bit of work / red tape / change should be accompanied by setting fire to something else

Absolutely!

[MrsKnightley]

Base new stuff on evidence, not ideology. Teachers are usually fairly open minded about trying out new things but need to know that it is properly researched and will actually make a difference. Uniform is a case in point. Is there any evidence of improvements to learning? If there is, then how does that work?

Teachers should not have to deal with things like uniform, permission slips, money, lost bags and pens, problems with repeated small infringements. We should be teaching. Others (if essential) should be dealing with the petty shit.

Only record data that is actually useful. I teach in Scotland (very different) but we are currently being forced into a huge, unmanageable moderation exercise that is of no benefit at all. None. It will take hours and hours and show us absolutely nothing at all.

Any new bit of work / red tape / change should be accompanied by setting fire to something else.

[0hCrepe]

My advice is to move into a specialist area- visual impairment or hearing impairment. I moved quickly into SEN and it’s a better balance; more focus on far fewer children and it brings in other skills and disciplines. We’re short on teachers of the deaf too.

[Theworldisfullofidiots]

When I say people I mean non teachers and there is an assumption that teachers don't work in the 'holidays'

[Theworldisfullofidiots]

I'm a governor so not a teacher. We really concentrate on staff well being and as governors challenge unnecessary work. Our results are good and we don't struggle with recruitment yet. However lack of funding will do it for us. It isn't about giving a pay rise but about having enough resources including staff to just manage. I don't think people understand quite how stressful being the adult in a class can be or managing families. Particularly when it is such hard work to get support for these families or for individual children e.g. ehcp, camhs etc. Society is changing and the kids coming into school seem to be higher need socially as well as educationally.
I'm frustrated that there is are no sensible reviews of how resourcing impacts on results by Ofsted etc. Interestingly very few schools in well resourced areas are below the floor standard.

[Eolian]

I was only able to go part-time and then eventually stop doing proper teaching in secondary schools because of dh's salary as a stressed-out, ground-down deputy head. I would like to go back to some less bitty work, but the thought of going back to a permanent secondary school teaching job now fills me with absolute horror tbh. I worked for a number of years in a private girls' school and, my god, it was like a totally different job.

[Piggywaspushed]

I have a budget of £150 for my subject. One textbook (quality regardless!0 cost £30....

[Acopyofacopy]

Don’t get me started on the quality of textbooks! I regularly tell my students to cross stuff out or discover that the answers suggested by the book are wrong. That is for languages at GCSE and A level. It’s beyond dire.
Add to that a bunch of airhead SLT idiots who are just making my life more difficult...

[cassiewoo]

Am utterly exhausted. Primary school teacher on 0.6. Phase leader. Various other responsibilities. Verbal feedback given on everything we do and a comment about what was discussed.
Planning every lesson from scratch as planning was shit for this year group last year and slt keep changing the way we do stuff.
Constant requests for various things.
Not enough support staff and so many children of different abilities.
Lessons differentiated a trillion ways. Working on days off/weekends to get work done.
It's utter madness.
And I work with a very strong staff who all support each other...
Not sure if that made any sense but too tired to string a sentence together.

[Shadowboy]

I’m desperate to leave. What’s stopping me? I have no idea what else I’d do because honestly I actually think I’m a decent teacher. But I’m so so so tired. Typical week is teaching 24 hours per week but then 26 1-2-1 progress interviews every term - each interview 15minutes long. 3 parents evening this term. An open evening. An open Saturday. 3 trips- 2 of them residential. 109 Courseworks to mark. Teaching 7 x 25 kids and setting HW each week means I mark 175 pieces of work per week.
Plus planning, staff briefing, development meetings, mentoring my PGCE trainer. I’m wiped out.

Oh and my appraisal is results related so I can work my ass off- get a great observation but if Jonny is lazy and doesn’t meet his MTG....

[0hCrepe]

Yes we like to reinvent the wheel and make it fancier. But also trying to find the right thing often takes longer than making it myself so I end up doing that first now usually.

[Piggywaspushed]

mane = mean. My typing is so poor.

[Piggywaspushed]

Well, of course the new specs mane text books from even two years ago are obsolete. Some of the new ones are very good but very expensive....

Teachers can be martyrs about resources and resourcing I think.