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

[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]
What?!?! Well, I guess it is flattering that they won't accept your resignation!

Hope tomorrow's meeting goes well.

U4T can have my Y9s too, if they like. They're individually lovely, but chaotic as a group without, um, strong handling.

The Y9s would eat any parent volunteer for breakfast.

The lib dems are on the side of schools shutting, btw: twitter.com/libdemdaisy/status/1345704661639172096

Not sure how relevant they are these days, but good to know one party is on our side, as it were.

Oh yes @oddsbodkins that letter basically says you're fine to be in tomorrow. It does not day from tomorrow.

It could be read as them knowing something's to come (which could only be the case if your LA's on the move?)

Our year 9s are delightful.

I'd definitely give U4T year 8.

Your HT has watched too many films, Mumsneedwine.

@SansaSnark

U4T can have my Y9s too, if they like. They're individually lovely, but chaotic as a group without, um, strong handling.

The Y9s would eat any parent volunteer for breakfast.

Yep they'd soon crush their fluffy idealism

I'm almost ashamed to say I'm looking forward to going to school tomorrow I'm doing kw provision for year 9 and so long as there's social distancing and low numbers they are the best tonic because they are totally irreverent even in the face of an international pandemic.

mumsneedwine - have you ever tried to unsubscribe from NOWTV? It's all like screen one, are you sure you want to leave? Yes. Screen two, how about if we offered you free movies for a month? No, still want to leave....... Screen 18 what if we give it to you for a pound a month and send someone round to wash your windows? Oh, ok go on then.

Maybe trying to resign will get like this? A convincing bluff could see you double your wages and get a week a year in a timeshare in Ibiza.

Sorry if my making light is misjudged mums! Hope you're ok. It's a big decision.

Not being in school (or allowed to go out for coffee or whatever) can be hard as a single parent honey!

Apparently Cumbria county council and the public health authority wrote jointly to the dfe to ask if we can go to remote learning as they are in London. Neu describe the response as callous and dismissive, so have said members in Cumbria should send in the s44 letter to their heads. Our union reps are requesting a (virtual) meeting with the head tomorrow to discuss it and want to know numbers who will be signing the letter etc. I don't quite know what to do, I thought we had a bit of breathing space as we're at home this week. I genuinely think things will change before we need to physically be in school, so sending the letter now would only make life even more difficult for the head without actually changing anything for our school.

Obviously the situation is different for primary schools and primary teachers need to make their decision today as they are due in for inset tomorrow. It's all such a mess!!!!

Checking in, radio silence here STILL!

mumsneed pretty sure they can't refuse, you're free at Easter!

Sorry mumsneedwine I missed your news. I hope your meeting goes well tomorrow, and your head accepts your resignation. It's a huge decision to make, and once you've made it you just want it to happen.

Our council have released a statement ordering primary schools to open. We do have low local figures, but it saddens me when there ought to be a national approach so that all staff and students are in the same boat.

As a lifelong member of the NASUWT I am so disappointed in them for not supporting their members or the NEU. The HT union has been clear that it will instruct it's members to support any teachers who raise concerns about Health and safety.

I'll say that again - the Headteacher's Union!!!! If they can see sense that why are the NASUWT being so spineless.

If I were still teaching I would be switching unions - with great reluctance as over the years I knew many of the hardworking NASUWT reps and officers. Shame on them.

The more I think about it, the more illogical I find NASUWT's position to be. They've called for schools to close for 2 weeks, but they are essentially saying schools are safe for teachers?

That seems quite a contradictory position?

That's interesting MrsAD
Our numbers in the south are quite low but the whole county is tier 4.
We've had a very long email telling us we're safe and supported in school so that's nice. Colleague with a CEV wife has been given permission to stay at home, which is good. He had to ask though - school have known about her illness from the get go.

Sam freedman on Twitter:

Essex council have unilaterally decided to close all primary schools till at least Wednesday. Other councils have written to the DfE asking for permission to do same. Some multi-academy trusts and individual schools have decided to go online only. Absolute, total, shambles.

@Medra

Our council have released a statement ordering primary schools to open. We do have low local figures, but it saddens me when there ought to be a national approach so that all staff and students are in the same boat.

That's interesting and saddening.

Our LA (Birmingham) have sent heads a letter of support stating that they would back school closures.
They fell short of blanket closures but at least this is something.

Locally, next nearest school is closed tomorrow, online to end of week. We are open fully....

Sorry to hear that mums. As if anything they say will change your mind?!

Just saw that re Essex neuro. Boris' bullshit earlier means I forsee a national lockdown from 4pm tomorrow.

Two classes in a local school closed. The head there has two kids at my sons school. They're open though.

Pinched from another thread:

^Watching in horror and disbelief from Australia. My city closed all schools (except key worker kids) back in March, when our cases reached 1.5 per 100k population. Yes, 1.5. Per 100k.

So thankful for proper leadership from our State premier^