The Thirty-ninth Republic - Covid Carnage continues and spring term is just about to start

[SantaAssociationRepresentitve]

You are most welcome to this school staff support thread to get us through stressful times. It is meant for school staff only – a sort of room of requirement. Baiters, haters, goaders, 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 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

Do not give the staffroom password just in case it attracts the wrong sort

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 booze is stashed - Thirsty Tuesdays, Fizz Fridays now in operation.

If you come with a stick to goad us then that is not allowed in the staffroom and you will receive a detention

I'd quite like to see some us for them folks trying to teach bottom sat year 10 science. Bonus points of some of the year 10 have COVID. Not that I want anyone getting ill obvs, just want them to know what they're signing up for

Crack on with my mixed ability year 11, Corporal Kevin's mum. Targets are 2-8 and one of them has a really scary parent. I'll let you work out which one.

What has Kier actually said? He seems to getting mashed on Twitter for saying he wants a national lockdown but with schools open??

@Achristmaspudsskidu

What has Kier actually said? He seems to getting mashed on Twitter for saying he wants a national lockdown but with schools open??

“That delay has been the source of so many problems. So, I say bring in those restrictions now, national restrictions, within the next 24 hours. That has to be the first step towards controlling the virus.”
On schools, Starmer said: “It is inevitable more schools are going to have to close. And the Government needs a plan on children’s learning but also for working parents.”
He went on: “The more important thing in a way is that national restrictions need to come in the next 24 hours. Let’s not have the prime minister saying ‘I’m going to do it, but not yet’, that’s the problem he has made so many times.

Lots of primary schools in my town not opening. Backing of mayor.

On a side note, just to be a pedantic Scot for a sec, it's KEIR Kier are a construction firm..

It matters to me , not because of Starmer, but because of Keir Hardie.

@Piggywaspushed

Lots of primary schools in my town not opening. Backing of mayor.

On a side note, just to be a pedantic Scot for a sec, it's KEIR Kier are a construction firm..

It matters to me , not because of Starmer, but because of Keir Hardie.

Do I get a praise point for spelling it correctly?

He was named after him wasn't he Piggy?
Today feels very unsettled, and I am not personally affected so god knows how anxious a time it is for those waiting for news.

Yes riga, was already noted and a praise point awarded!

He was indeed named after Keir Hardie.

Crappy day making a difficult decision but have sent my S44 letter to head. A number of other NEU members at school have done so too. Now awaiting response. INSET tomorrow, no idea whether we were expected in.

I don’t know any school who would have them, to be quite honest.

Do they plan to storm gates with their children, and their pitchforks?

So what do we think to this as a response to the NEU's letter?

Has the RA changed much (presumably not)??

@oddsbodkins

So what do we think to this as a response to the NEU's letter?

That is written in such a way as to say that the INSET is safe as there will be no children... So staff should attend on the 4th.

@oddsbodkins

So what do we think to this as a response to the NEU's letter?

Has your MAT sent that to teachers?

I’d send it to your area union rep.

We're not expected in tomorrow. I need to run a team meeting at some point, expectation is that it will be over Teams. No idea whether my team will be in or not. I've done 2 hours on Teams meetings today with management sorting out what we're going to do for remote learning. Aagh. Much harder work to do this online. Fucking covid.

Right I've had an email exchange with the HT and HOD has finally emerged and sent a text (I don't blame her she has every right to her holiday).

Head has seen the stuff from NEU and the HT unions and basically emailed everyone saying she has lots of sympathy BUT we have kw kids in, we have duties when they're not in class, they were mainly supervised by tas and pastoral in the summer term but not fair to do it again, we need to up our game remote learning wise etc and she has ultimately decided to let us choose for ourselves except where we've been timetabled to look after kw kids.

HOD text was like she'd woken up after 2 weeks hibernation (as i said - fair play to her) asking if I'd read any of the emails from school etc. Let her know everything I've done and checked if there's anything I should be doing and if I'd see her - reply seems I've done everything and she doesn't intend to be in school despite her nursery being open because she'll have 'less distraction'.

Emailed head saying i've offered before and feel like a twat offering again (paraphrasing obvs) but I'm available and willing to be in school. Made clear I'd watched NEU zoom and read my NASUWT emails but I feel I'm safer this week than I have been since september due to low numbers and social distancing etc but that I totally support primary colleagues on the section 44 route and I may well feel differently come the 11th if infection rates are the same and the government is insisting on all in in full classrooms without mitigations (ie way paved for later developments). Lovely response from head bemoaning that she hadn't had anything from NASUWT. Replied saying HOD working from home so I won't have a department so really really do feel free to use me for ffs!

So dragged out silence and stress then a flurry of contact the night before. I feel clearer. I'll be in tomorrow to do year 9 kw provision for a lesson and to call as many of my year 7 parents as I can. If they don't come up for me to be in school FOR on Wednesday I'll likely work from home.

Checking in.

I'm NEU (ex ATL) but had no email communication - it's patchy at best but I still get a magazine delivered so I must be on their records somewhere. The local branch email me occasionally as well.

Our school have said we're fine to teach from home if we prefer, same with inset. It seems a long time until the 18th (I don't have exam classes this year), so I'm just keeping my ears open.

Had a nice day without my phone. I hope everyone is ok, it's just all so unsettling at the moment.

@mumsneedwine, so sorry to hear about your colleague . But I'm really pleased you've found a route out of teaching .

@oddsbodkins

So what do we think to this as a response to the NEU's letter?

I think that's a hell of a lot of clauses for one sentence!

@DreamingofBrie bloody head won't accept resignation !!! Have a meeting in morning to discuss 'my future'. Unless I am promised a screen, class of under 15 and a Ferrari I'm not changing my mind.

Sorry incoherent and unedited message there but I reiterate that I think it's a conversation to have not a now or never line in the sand re: section 44 letter. At this point I'm actually over and above what I'm willing to offer but making clear that I will draw the line IF....

We have to be smart in this and pick our battles. I'm actually looking forward to an hour of kw provision tomorrow and potentially a bit of banter with the odd colleague who has also volunteered to be in school when they don't have to be. Totally different to being forced to teach classes of 30 as if all was normal imo.

@WhenSheWasBad

We know we're not teachers but we're better than zoom

I would honestly pay good money to watch a random U4T person teach a tricky year 9 class.
Hell watching me trying to teach Year 3 English would be a car crash.

I can think of several yr11, yr 10 and at least one yr 8 class that they would be welcome to have.

[quote mumsneedwine]@DreamingofBrie bloody head won't accept resignation !!! Have a meeting in morning to discuss 'my future'. Unless I am promised a screen, class of under 15 and a Ferrari I'm not changing my mind.[/quote]
Oh I missed that mums! You resigned? (Or tried to at least?)

[quote mumsneedwine]@DreamingofBrie bloody head won't accept resignation !!! Have a meeting in morning to discuss 'my future'. Unless I am promised a screen, class of under 15 and a Ferrari I'm not changing my mind.[/quote]
They can't make you stay.

[quote mumsneedwine]@DreamingofBrie bloody head won't accept resignation !!! Have a meeting in morning to discuss 'my future'. Unless I am promised a screen, class of under 15 and a Ferrari I'm not changing my mind.[/quote]
Well that's flattering I guess!
But they can't make you stay... at least not after Easter.