Temporary broom closet in lieu of staff creating a staffroom

[TheHoneyBadger]

Just in case she got lucky and is in the one school that still goes to the pub.

Anyone can do it. It's employment rights, not union related.

I totally get that looking after your own kids in lockdown is exhausting. DD is 4 (just missed cut off for going to school this year) and honestly, I'd rather control 30 year 9s than entertain her sometimes, I don't know how nursery/primary colleagues do it, my hat is permanently off to you.

But yes, I think a lot of it is that the cut backs to essential support has pushed all responsibility for children onto schools. From toilet training to being their escape from abusive homes.

They also then create empathy. We care about the other mums and kids that we gave birth around the same time as. We go to baby's groups and mix together based on a very loose connection and are exposed to people from classes, situations, language groups, religions whatever that we normally wouldn't engage with.

Those kind of engagements and connections - including the school gate mum networks despite me never being comfortable in that scenario - protect us against shit like the government announcing they weren't going to provide for free school meal kids over summer and everyone just nodding their heads and saying ok then because even if our kids don't need those vouchers we can immediately picture a kid who DOES need that voucher.

I'm thinking about how closing children's centres and such doesn't only neglect needy babies but breaks down the connections in a community between people of different social classes, incomes and education levels in which case if we're picturing an evil social engineering group of tories we can imagine a situation where they closed sure start centres EVEN if it was provenly going to be economically damaging public service spend wise.

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot

Anyone can do it. It's employment rights, not union related.

Ok thanks. I dont think many at my place are union minded any more, but this at least gives them a voice.

Frl yes, a then 1 year old and 7 yr old was bloody hard.

@Frlrlrubert

I totally get that looking after your own kids in lockdown is exhausting. DD is 4 (just missed cut off for going to school this year) and honestly, I'd rather control 30 year 9s than entertain her sometimes, I don't know how nursery/primary colleagues do it, my hat is permanently off to you.

But yes, I think a lot of it is that the cut backs to essential support has pushed all responsibility for children onto schools. From toilet training to being their escape from abusive homes.

Yeah, it is scary really how schools have taken on responsibility for everything.

And schools themselves are increasingly stretched in terms of resources, so more and more kids will fall through the cracks.

My curriculum budgets have shrunk by 60% in the last few years. We are so stretched financially.

Yes it's any employee who can do that. What NEU have done for us, from what I gleaned to listening in on their broadcast, is consult lawyers and take out the guess work so that you are not on thin ice worrying if you're allowed to do this. By consulting lawyers and by ensuring the legal findings were shared with HT unions as well they have effectively made it safe or safer for individual teachers to step out onto that ice.

Whilst everyone is busy moaning about privileged teachers and too much union power they have actually also made it easier for anyone to step out on that ice. With the whole race to the bottom focus people can't seem to see that if a precedent is won or acknowledged in one group of workers it can be held true and extended to other groups. If teachers can prove school isn't safe because of lack of x, y and z that means automatically that school bus drivers or public transport workers can argue the same on the same basis.

Sorry I need to reword that. NOT teachers can prove school isn't safe - if teachers can highlight that Heads CAN'T prove school is safe. Someone else pointed out that is the emphasis and it is important.

We don't even have to prove we're at risk, employers have to prove they're not putting employees at risk. I have been feeling sick for bus drivers who all seem to be relatively old and low paid being told they'd be expected to transport teenagers across cities who might be known close contacts. It's bad enough for us but when you never even signed up to safeguard kids or be a public servant and you earn peanuts it's even more of a piss take.

Labour MP for Illford on sky. He is better than Starmer!

@TheHoneyBadger

Sorry I need to reword that. NOT teachers can prove school isn't safe - if teachers can highlight that Heads CAN'T prove school is safe. Someone else pointed out that is the emphasis and it is important.

We don't even have to prove we're at risk, employers have to prove they're not putting employees at risk. I have been feeling sick for bus drivers who all seem to be relatively old and low paid being told they'd be expected to transport teenagers across cities who might be known close contacts. It's bad enough for us but when you never even signed up to safeguard kids or be a public servant and you earn peanuts it's even more of a piss take.

Yeah, this is definitely true.

They mentioned it on the zoom call that theoretically anyone could use the letter with some rewording- but they have specific evidence that schools aren't safe.

And the legal advice to NAHT and ASCL members is NOT to tell school staff their school is safe (presumably because they can't prove it).

@TheHoneyBadger

Referring back to a poster saying SureStart had lots of middle class mums and kids - the thing is that is potentially actually a really good thing because (not saying middle class means getting it right) there's a degree of modelling and seeing what engaged parenting looks like (eg those mum's didn't NEED to be there they were choosing to be there because it might be enriching for their kids and help them deal with the stuck at home with a baby stuff).

We don't really want parents to be ghettoised into the services their class needs or only in a children's centre if their kids are at risk.

That was me, Honey.

I nearly added something along the lines you've put, but am a bit too tired to be careful enough in the way I worded it as to not be offensive. I agree with you.

What’s the betting that just like when the government very quietly passed laws making it almost impossible for trade unions to strike, they will soon try to quietly shove Section 44 in in the bin and say it was EU ‘safety gone mad’ drivel.

I’m betting Us4Them would be thrilled. Am hoping Kier would actually pull his socks up and get involved at that point, but I haven’t been very impressed with him so far.

Lots of people on twitter asking why the Labour Party isn't supporting the NEU in their unprecedented action.

Prob because Keir said he wanted schools back no ifs no buts and would look a bit of a nob if he now put some ifs and buts in.

Yep because it's an outright lie presumably Sansa and their toe in the water consultation with legal teams has confirmed it could be easily proved to be an outright lie.

I hope people watch and take on board the messaging because I totally understand individual teachers feeling like they can't do it but if they take on board what's shared in that broadcast it's clear that they've done all they can to make that ground solid and it isn't some risky individual step.

I did put in the comments that they need to find a way to more clearly communicate that to people because people might easily be thinking oh well yeah that's ok for you because you're well established in your career or well I can't do that because I'm an expensive teacher and I'm worried about dodgy capability trends etc. The ground has been tested and both teaching and HT unions are on the same page from what I saw. People can take some confidence from that but it could be a message made more explicitly.

Staff room open again after a deep clean and fumigation.

The Thirty-ninth Republic - Covid Carnage continues and spring term is just about to start www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_staffroom/4124369-The-Thirty-ninth-Republic-Covid-Carnage-continues-and-spring-term-is-just-about-to-start

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_staffroom/4124369-The-Thirty-ninth-Republic-Covid-Carnage-continues-and-spring-term-is-just-about-to-start?watched=1

Come out of the cupboard - refreshments now available in the staffroom

I stupidly read some threads on the main board and started my own. (I think is back under a new name)
I've handed the kids over to DH and going back to bed. I'm done.
I went into teaching (leaving a rather well paid accountancy job in high finance btw) because I like making a worthwhile contribution to society, I'm passionate about my subject, and I actually quite like young people.
But I feel despised, worthless, unvalued, and what is the point? They want us to quit? Well they might just get their wish.

That was me, Honey

I nearly added something along the lines you've put, but am a bit too tired to be careful enough in the way I worded it as to not be offensive I agree with you

Oh yeah - they can be irritating fuckers with their organic goats cheese and only wooden toys but they have their uses

Honestly linking people up with mums who are coping a bit better, have more resources etc can only be a good thing. I can remember a little boy friend of my nephew who used to come for dinner and be wide eyed at the idea of eating leaves! My sister for all of her sometimes irksome middle class smugness ended up being a really good support for that family and advocating with them for an ehcp.

@TheHoneyBadger

Yep because it's an outright lie presumably Sansa and their toe in the water consultation with legal teams has confirmed it could be easily proved to be an outright lie.

I hope people watch and take on board the messaging because I totally understand individual teachers feeling like they can't do it but if they take on board what's shared in that broadcast it's clear that they've done all they can to make that ground solid and it isn't some risky individual step.

I did put in the comments that they need to find a way to more clearly communicate that to people because people might easily be thinking oh well yeah that's ok for you because you're well established in your career or well I can't do that because I'm an expensive teacher and I'm worried about dodgy capability trends etc. The ground has been tested and both teaching and HT unions are on the same page from what I saw. People can take some confidence from that but it could be a message made more explicitly.

I felt really reassured by the zoom meeting- I think it'll be available via YouTube and I'd urge others to watch.

@Achristmaspudsskidu

What’s the betting that just like when the government very quietly passed laws making it almost impossible for trade unions to strike, they will soon try to quietly shove Section 44 in in the bin and say it was EU ‘safety gone mad’ drivel.

I’m betting Us4Them would be thrilled. Am hoping Kier would actually pull his socks up and get involved at that point, but I haven’t been very impressed with him so far.

That's definitely the concern, but if they do that then I guess we need to kick up a huge fuss about that too!

Yeah can't say I've got any confidence in Kier to do anything other than try and make a line in the sand between him and Corbyn. Too focussed on rebranding to defend core values.

40th Republic here - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_staffroom/4126678-The-Fortieth-Republic-Schools-are-safe-but-they-are-vectors-so-go-online?watched=1

Gravity I would love to be a shoe designer

@MrsHamlet snap 1994 here too!

Also NRA which lifted ink off all my certificates. It’s a running joke amongst friends my age when you get a shit certificate for something to post it on ‘fb’ as one for my national record of achievement 🤣🤣🤣

@WhenSheWasBad that lesson sounds fab. How did you get them to submits their work at need out of interest?