Militant Teacher Unions

[Bob McC]

Too many academy trusts are defrauding the tax payer.
At least 20 of them so far according to the DfE, and 60 have inadequate financial controls in place.

https://www.tes.com/news/theft-and-fraud-revealed-academy-trusts-accounts

(it’s not a paywall, you can sign up for free.)

 

[mandryka]

An academy will obviously say that LEA provision let’s people down, it’s part of their genesis?

I have just found that Harris has a particular strongly (militantly) articulated social agenda. It may be present in other academies, as you say.

 

[Mike Reed]

Indi

Indi? What's that? Your early career path describes a flat isosceles triangle if Sth Wales, but a triangle regardless; potential maths teacher? My career never got out of Thanet, except a bit of EFL in Norwich when we moved.

B.t.w., that 5m Van Damme h/ph ext. cable really is excellent and v. good v.f.m.

 

[ks.234]

Academies failing poorer students

 

[ks.234]

I have just found that Harris has a particular strongly (militantly) articulated social agenda. It may be present in other academies, as you say.

I didn’t say all academies, I said all schools. All schools promote their added value, their extra curricular activities and their commitment to the local community. It’s in the remit of all state schools

 

[misterdog]

Indeed. I welcome the day, assuming of course the term hasn’t been replaced with ‘fascism’!

I found it amusing that someone described Putin as a fascist the other day.

Appears that Russia has swung from an extreme left wing dictatorship to an extreme right wing dictatorship.

How could extreme left wing politics cause harm to their population, surely only right wing politics can do that.
My stepmother was a guest of Stalin in a labour camp for ten years, for having the temerity to have been born in Romania.

I love the way some wish to portray 'the opposition' as 'extremists' while at the same time ignore what the extremes of their own politics is capable of.

Same shit different colours, that's the only difference.

 

[Tony L]

I found it amusing that someone described Putin as a fascist the other day.

Appears that Russia has swung from an extreme left wing dictatorship to an extreme right wing dictatorship.

Probably me, and yes, I firmly believe Putin is just that. He has violently removed all real political opposition and press freedom, and if you are of the wrong race, sexuality or religion you are in for a remarkably rough time there and run a very real risk of murder, torture, imprisonment etc. Even in situations where the state didn’t actually do these things itself it will unquestionably turn a blind eye to those who did, so ‘gay bashing’ etc is a national sport. Chechnya is even worse. Sure, Putin’s murdering and brutality isn’t on the industrial scale of Stalin, but make no mistake this is a truly evil dictator that will do anything to keep power and money in his own circle, and that certainly includes using far-right bigotry and brutality to get his way.

 

[Rockmeister]

Indi? What's that? Your early career path describes a flat isosceles triangle if Sth Wales, but a triangle regardless; potential maths teacher? My career never got out of Thanet, except a bit of EFL in Norwich when we moved.

B.t.w., that 5m Van Damme h/ph ext. cable really is excellent and v. good v.f.m.

I didn't really have a career path at first. Fell into job 1 because I played Rugby, nearly packed in teaching altogether afte a spell in London comps, enjoyed the isle of Wight, then, and only then, made a plan to earn more

Glad you like the VanDamme. Excellent stuff and well nade.

Indi =
Independent

 

[Jonn]

I have just found that Harris has a particular strongly (militantly) articulated social agenda. It may be present in other academies, as you say.

Seems that the carpetbagger will do whatever it takes to appear successful.

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/en...0F73pk-_qTKq9TbHg0ou_OZ99fZSl8gpnwRZICdq9ZELp

 

[ks.234]

“Those concerned say the Harris Federation needs good or outstanding Ofsted ratings at all its schools in order to justify the bumper salaries of top staff. Its CEO Dan Moynihan was paid at least £420,000 in 2015-16.“​

At a time when most schools have been suffering under cutbacks for years and the top salary for a head teacher is £114k, how is it right that the CEO of an academy chain takes £420k from the public purse?

 

[mandryka]

Seems that the carpetbagger will do whatever it takes to appear successful.

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/en...0F73pk-_qTKq9TbHg0ou_OZ99fZSl8gpnwRZICdq9ZELp

I met him once, in a school in London Borough of Sutton which he took over after it was put in special measures and couldn't improve. I remember that he drove up to the school in a limousine which he parked in the middle of the playground! That was the school where I first noticed "militant" social ideas about improving the education of the working class inspiring the teachers.

In fact he was in my mind this morning because yesterday I noticed that he's just built a new Harris Academy near a supermarket I use sometimes, in Colliers Wood in South London.

 

[mandryka]

Seems that the carpetbagger will do whatever it takes to appear successful.

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/en...0F73pk-_qTKq9TbHg0ou_OZ99fZSl8gpnwRZICdq9ZELp

I don't know, but I can well imagine that he has "10 people turn up and remark all the books, tidy the school up and ensure that all [t]he weakest teachers are out of the classroom on the day of the Ofsted inspection." I think there's a system of rapid promotion, where good teachers are given peripatetic roles, supporting other teachers by sharing lessons etc. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that they're all sent in to polish things up the day before an inspection.

 

[Woodface]

Ofsted inspections are pretty short notice now, no time for book polishing.

It takes years & years to turn a poorly performing school around. Quick fix merchants will find it impossible to make permanent changes.

 

[ks.234]

Ofsted inspections are pretty short notice now, no time for book polishing.

It takes years & years to turn a poorly performing school around. Quick fix merchants will find it impossible to make permanent changes.

Forced Academisation is based very much on the assumption that there is a quick fix. That assumption is demonstrably false, but it is government ideology.

 

[Simon Vess]

When teachers are hired their flexibility and willingness to conform is a major factor. Teachers who aren’t willing or able to do what management demands get pushed into the reserve army of supply staff. That threat is sufficient to keep most of them in line whatever qualms they have about the nature of the job.

From a human resource management point of view it’s an extremely good system. It will be hard to change. Other professions have a similar structure, it has become quite widespread since the days of Regan and Thatcher, one of their most important legacies.

Really?

i think the difficulty in filling vacancies for head teachers and teachers in shortage subjects like maths and sciences gives the lie to that theory

Simon

 

[mandryka]

Really?

i think the difficulty in filling vacancies for head teachers and teachers in shortage subjects like maths and sciences gives the lie to that theory

Simon

Good point, I expect you are right. I was thinking about primary education, I should have made that clear. My bad.

 

[Simon Vess]

In 1999/2000 somewhere between 20,000 and 48,0000 died from the flu virus, did the education system close down due to the risk.

Did we choose to stay at home waiting for a safe and effective vaccine.

It's easy to choose when you are on the public payroll and your bank balance is topped up whatever is happening.

I don't see many teachers risking bankruptcy and loosing their homes as many in the private sector will/have.

That argument that goes something like “ we lose £X people every year through flu so why the big fuss over a few more” is essentially hypocritical......effectively saying that others’ lives are not important

And in any case due to the incubation and contagiousness characteristics of Covid 19, comparison with flu is disingenuous
Simon

 

[Woodface]

Good point, I expect you are right. I was thinking about primary education, I should have made that clear. My bad.

There is similar supply problem in Primary & you still have specialist teachers in that category.

 

[mandryka]

There is similar supply problem in Primary & you still have specialist teachers in that category.

All primary teachers are able to teach maths and science in state schools. In London it isn’t easy to recruit for a class teacher, but you can do it, and you can be selective I think. Retention is quite another matter, as is management roles.

 

[ks.234]

All primary teachers are able to teach maths and science in state schools. In London it isn’t easy to recruit for a class teacher, but you can do it, and you can be selective I think. Retention is quite another matter.

All teachers can teach anything. There is nothing to say that you have to teach your subject specialism, an art teacher could be deployed to teach maths, and if the head teacher so directs, then the teacher, within certain limits, will have little choice. In Primary it’s pretty much a given that you can, and likely will, teach beyond your specialism