Four New Academies in East Dulwich

[MichaelDavern]

Academies cannot "get rid" of teachers any more quickly than in any other type of school.

What is it BB100 that you have against unions? Is it just the teaching unions or all unions in general? Are you a member of a union? have you ever been? If so why?

Do you not see how over a hundred plus years unions have been a force for good for all workers(holidays. lower working hours, employment rights) which would not have been given up but for the struggles of organised labour. Trade unions have also been a check and a balance with regards to often ill-thought out government decisions such as these fast-tracked academies we are seeing at the moment.

[BB100]

My Headteacher was once president of the NUT. She only liked the sound of her own voice, meanwhile she run her own school into the ground, with her staff spending most of the time in the smoking room or asleep in the lesson.

I'm not in favour of the fast-track academies but any opposition by the NUT reaks of self-preservation. Sorry to be brutal but over a hundred years trade unions have also stymied development of education. Academies in some ways spells liberation, although fragmentation of the sector is not desirable either.

[MichaelDavern]

So it is just the NUT that you are against then based on the experience of one Headteacher. Do you truly believe that her style was to do with the NUT and do you think, though, that trade unions have been a force for good (holidays, pensions etc) in all sectors not just in education?

You personally have benefitted from the struggles of trade unionists including the NUT over the last hundred years. Struggles that go beyond the working conditions and pay of the members just as the current campaigns against academies are bigger than than a campaign to protect teachers' working conditions and pay.

[BB100]

MichaelDavern Wrote:

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> Do you truly believe that her style was to do with the

> NUT

Yes, yes and yes - not one headteacher but the president of the NUT. I know she would turn in her grave if she knew her school was applying to be an academy, bless her. I think it is not unwise to regard any opposition by the NUT with suspicion unless proved otherwise. It doesn't hurt to be cautious.

[Fuschia]

BB100 Wrote:

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>

> This statement appears correct when on the news

> yesterday they reported that only 11 teachers have

> been sacked for incompetance in the past FORTY

> YEARS. The problems with schools is the teachers

> are not performance managed. And it is the unions

> that have managed to prevent it.

Teachers are removed via other means all the time... encouraged to leave, capability proceedings followed by resignation or compromise agreement... actually risking the costs of an IT for sacking isn't usually in the school's interest. The school I work in has probably lost 11 teachers in the last 6 years alone, using these methods. Teachers are very thoroughly performance managed in any half-decent school.

[Fuschia]

BB100 Wrote:

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>

> My husband went to school here at 5yrs old knowing

> no English at all and passed all his GCSE's.

> Similarly at my secondary school refugees arrived

> with no English in year 7 and 8 and left with 8

> GCSE passes each

My school will do the same in such cases. Much harder with 25% mobility and many pupils only coming to the country in year 9 or 10...

[BB100]

Fuschia Wrote:

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>> Teachers are removed via other means all the

> time... encouraged to leave, capability

> proceedings followed by resignation or compromise

> agreement...

Therein lies the problem - poor performing teachers just move on elsewhere. I live with a HR manager so I know the problems inherent in sacking people, but if schools are following the correct proceedures it begs the question why are there so many poor performing teachers?

[BB100]

Fuschia Wrote:

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Much harder with 25% mobility and many pupils only

> coming to the country in year 9 or 10...

So it is more complex than just language & poverty. Why does the school have 25% mobility?

[Fuschia]

BB100 Wrote:

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> Fuschia Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> So it is more complex than just language &

> poverty. Why does the school have 25% mobility?

Lack of secure housing, high levels of immigration from eastern Europe