The Eleventh Republic - countdown to summer holidays

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

You are most welcome to this school staff support thread to get us through stressful times. It is meant for school staff. Baiters and bashers can jog on somewhere else.

If you are NOT staff and just have a general education query please start your own thread.

You can play here only if you are a member of one the following groups-

-ABBA - anti bashers and baiting association
-SWAB - school workers against bashers
-SWOT - school workers opposing teacherbashers
-STARS - schoolworkers together against ranting + slurs

Other requirements for staff room entry include the ability to find the staff room, the ability to find a clean mug in the staff room, knowledge of the photocopier codes, and the ability to sniff out where the toffee vodka is hidden.

If you are fed up with cakes and biscuits there is now a cheeseboard on offer

If you come with a stick to beat us with then please do so elsewhere and not in the staffroom

[Saucery]

They don’t give a fuck about the children being ill, CallMeAngelina. They only care that schools will have to close if too many staff are off.

[Saucery]

@ohthegoats

Teachers will just leave. I will if it all gets ridiculous. I realise I'm privileged in being able to do that.

Me too. I am waiting to see what hours and in what conditions I may be expected to work in Sept. I will send in my resignation over summer (I realise that is not an option open to teaching staff).

[Piggywaspushed]

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/28/only-13-of-uk-working-parents-want-to-go-back-to-the-old-normal

Interesting article : people are enjoying lockdown more than they will admit!!

So, all teachers and childcare providers must go back full time (preferably longer hours) so that they can facilitate people blissfully (and productively ) working from home.

Bizarrely, I think even teachers are in lots of ways more productive WFH : less travel time, more relaxed during down time , way more discussions -formal and informal- about teaching and learning, meetings more focused. If there were no kids to remotely teach it would be great! (last bit a joke... ish)

[Piggywaspushed]

Silly me!

I forgot some obvious ones from my list :

My child deserves a full time education and all schools should be open to all children at all times
Why should keyworkers get more education and make the rest fall behind?
Why are my keyworker children just colouring in?
I can take two week term time holidays now because missing school doesn't make them fall behind
My children are so behind
The all new small classes are brilliant
Why can't teachers teach classes of 970 in a disused Amazon warehouse?
and the old favourite:
So long as they wash their hands all the time and don't touch each other it'll be fine
The teacher abused DC's human rights by not letting her out to the toilet ...

[MrsHerculePoirot]

@piggywaspushed great summary!

@ohthegoats I’m not ruling out leaving during this year if necessary. I realise I’m very lucky to be able to have that as an option. Also luckily my school have been really good to staff so far and afaik have also been thinking about classes so next year I know I’m being timetabled for lots of sixth form and smaller classes as I’m vulnerable and if any slack I will get it in our department. I’ll obviously then have other extra things to do to support the department/school but they are really trying to work around us as a staff whilst keeping it fair.

[ohthegoats]

I post on another forum where an Irish guy spouts on and on about 'good hygiene' being the way to prevent all this. He runs businesses that had to furlough staff, lay some off, change everything in order to reopen, but he didn't want to have a lock down at all.

He's STILL banging on about 'washing hands, good hygiene'. His mum was on a ventilator for 3 weeks. I want to ask why she wasn't washing her hands enough, but that seems mean.

[ohthegoats]

luckily my school have been really good to staff so far

Oh, so is mine. I'll hand in my notice then offer myself as cheaper long term supply - none of accountability, no having to think about any of the logistics shit. Which I realise is dreadful of me, I should be martyring myself to the education of children who throw chairs at me, but never mind.

[ChloeDecker]

@Piggywaspushed

I have been doing a metaanalsyis of threads:

I want my DCs to do work all summer
I don't want my DCs to have summer work
Pretend it's the holidays now; teachers are just slave drivers
I don't want my DCs to have markings to correct or any feedback
My DC's work is not marked , even when it is
Of course I have spoken to the school : they didn't reply
The school keeps phoning us, invading our privacy
My school has done NOTHING, NOTHING I tell you
My school gives my DC too much work
Zoom is the only online meeting platform ever
All schools were given MS Teams for free
Won't anyone think of the pooooor?
All children have laptops, wi -fi and lots of tech
I can't WFH with my DCs around
Teachers should be able to WFH and provide live lessons with their DCs around
Too much screen time
Not enough lessons on screens
Not being at school is ruining my DC's mental health and they never see their friends
My DCs were out with all their friends having a party in the park last night so why aren't schools back?
Schools aren't back because of a lack of can do
Kids can't get or spread coronavirus
Teachers should wear masks and visors at all times.
Why do teachers want masks? Stop this doom mongering
We pay your salary and you get 53 weeks holiday
Private schools have all their children back
State schools just don't want children back because gin and gardens
Private schools don't have all their children back because they are so much better
Unions are the devil
Have you contacted your union?

That’s pretty much lockdown and education summed up a la Mumsnet style.

One big fucking contradiction!

Happy Sunday folks!

[ChloeDecker]

luckily my school have been really good to staff so far

Same here too. I have never been more grateful to not work in a MAT. We may be poor but my goodness, the wellbeing of children and staff has been at the forefront of every decision made.

[FrippEnos]

Happy Sunday.

Just power points to finish recording over and upload with the videos.

[eitak22]

@Piggywaspushed Love that summary - so much contradictions within those posts, definitely a sign we need to ignore.

Got a postive email today - DfE has apparently stated schools are not required to open over the summer. Our head is happy (they havent had a break since lockdown!)

[Appuskidu]

Does anyone know when the next lot of guidance will be released?!

[SaltyAndFresh]

My MAT has been absolutely great. So much better than my kids' primary which now doesn't want them back (key worker children can't possibly be included at school).

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

@Piggywaspushed - love the summary. Posters not working in schools probably can’t see all the contradictions.

No way will I limit my social interactions unless pupils families (ie whole school) agree to do the same. That will never happen in a secondary. I spotted groups of my secondary kids in the parks weeks ago.

[Appuskidu]

@Piggywaspushed that list is really funny-it should make more of an appearance on TB threads .

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

Yep need to stay alert! What an amazing virus it is being able to differentiate between being in school (do not spread) and being in shops/trains etc (do spread) 🤔

[PumpkinPie2016]

Piggywaspushed that list made me laugh out loud perfect summary!

I'm very lucky that my school has been absolutely great throughout lockdown. When the suggestion of schools opening in summer was going around, our head said that unless she was absolutely forced to, she would not be opening over the summer. She wants us to have a break and be refreshed for the September onslaught which will no doubt be more challenging than usual this year!

I thank my lucky stars every day that I work for such a good head teacher!

[TheHoneyBadger]

Just place marking.

[namechangedyetagain]

Marking place on new thread. Need to get some work done this week in preparation for finding out PGCE placements this week. Had nightmares about it last night. Hoping I get somewhere that will be supportive and help me get my confidence back. Just need to find some oomph to sit at the laptop and not faff about I now realise what a shit student I am 😮

[NeurotrashWarrior]

Brilliant piggy!

[RigaBalsam]

Hi all,

Piggy thanks for the meta analysis. So true.
Can't bloody win.

[noblegiraffe]

The unions are not only the devil but they are also HOLDING THE GOVERNMENT TO RANSOM.

Where has that ability been for the last ten years?

More contradictions:

Teachers are incompetent and can’t teach remotely or think outside of the box or do anything other than upload a few worksheets.

Teachers are essential at teaching kids how to read, write and add up. I haven’t a clue how to do it myself and need a teacher in front of my kid for them to make any progress.

[Beawillalwaysbetopdog]

Amazing summary piggy

Anyone read the DF article about us going back on Aug 18th? It's just some pressure groups opinion and some East Anglian MAT.

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

@Beawillalwaysbetopdog there is no way they will get all agreements and contact amendments in place before the end of term.

We will also find parents taking time off as firms will not allow people to carry over more than 3 days of holiday. So there could be another reason for students missing days in the autumn and spring term


#protectthesummerbreak

[Appuskidu]

Can a MAT head cancel holidays just like that? We aren’t an academy, we are still LEA, so I don’t know how the terms and conditions work once you become an academy.

What about parents and staff who had holidays booked with their families? Even if they can’t go away, aren’t they still entitled to the time?