It's Snowing, So What!

[DangerUXD]

Most of the schools are out! What has happenned to society? I can't remember ever having a day off school due to weather. When the heating broke we had lessons in our coats! Is this some sort of health and safety effect?

[gness]

Well JL...you'll have to do what other parents do when their children need to be cared for. Get a grip and deal with it.

[humbersloop]

jo

life/unfair/introduction/interface

and then you die

and your children do not inherit the earth


other lives are also available

[sherrardk]

They can moan about the snow as much as they like (and do) but they have no impact on the decision to close the school. Anyone seen to be not making the effort to get into school can have their pay docked and can be reprimanded. Schools don't close lightly but they have to put the safety of the students first (and the safety of the staff is not overly high). Head teachers are not renowned for sitting in the staff room having a good old laugh about shutting the school and pissing the parents off. Your skewed view point (probably based on zero experience) is clouding your judgement.

[naomi24]

Joe, I don’t think it’s fair or reasonable to call teachers ‘lazy’. They’re not. They're usually very dedicated. Having said that, I don’t believe their lot is any worse than that of people in other professions. My husband is out of the house for a minimum of 14 hours a day, he often works weekends for no extra pay, and even when we’re abroad on holiday - if he can spare the time from the office to actually take a holiday - he is in contact with his office dealing with problems every single day. His salary is good – but he bloody well earns it - and he deserves every penny!

[DaisyNonna]

Joe, what is it you are missing? I am too polite to say but you are definitely not missing the ability not to listen or the ability to be extremely rude.
I do have backbone or I would not stand up to your bullying rants.

[joeluke]

So if the members of the emergency services decided they couldn't work due to adverse weather?

"Sorry we can't attend your serious RTA due to the snow"

[Prudie]

Lordy Joe why do you persistently ignore the posts that detail all the other professions that don't get to work because of snow? Neither the postmen or the dustmen turned up today, the buses and trains and flights were all affected by cancellations, office staff were sent home early or not expected to come in. Lots of shops in Dorset (my area) closed early. You just enjoy having your constant knock at teachers which I suppose makes for an entertaining thread.

[sophie_1003]

I think you need a member of the emergency services to check out your sudden onset of blindness JL.

[naomi24]

He knocks it because it affects him.

[sherrardk]

I presume the emergency services would draft people in from other shifts to 'plug' the gaps. Teachers are CRB checked (v important to the safety of YOUR children), year/subject specific to your child. There are no substitutes to draft in for staff who can't get in. Maybe the school could drag some locals in to supervise your child(ren) so your plans are not upset? Or maybe one teacher could supervise all the children in the school, so what if there is an accident, at least you won't be inconvenienced in any way.

[Barmaid]

It's actually a right arse for teachers to be off when the schools close. They have a curriculum to teach and targets to make. Kids have to make assessments at KS1, 2, 3 etc and then mocks and course work and GCSEs. The more they are off the harder it makes their jobs. The longer the school is closed, the harder it is for them to squeeze extra lessons into already planned lesson plans. If you want to have a go at anyone, have a go at the council bosses who send their staff home at the drop of a hat, thus preventing people with pressing local issues to be dealt with.

[sunny-dave]

Too much stereotyping on both sides here.

Teachers are not all Saints, but neither are they all Sinners.

They are good/bad/idle/diligent/caring/uncaring/bright/dim like just about every other profession.

FWIW I don't begrudge teachers their 13 weeks holiday - they need some time to 'de-compress' from a stressful job - plus the kids need a break too.

But, by and large, I don't buy the stuff about excessive hours needed to be worked in term time. From personal observation I think that (if they pitched up at 8:30 and worked solidly until 5:30) they could get the job done in 'the normal working day'.

To return to the precise debate here, I wonder how much 'technology' has made it easier (too easy?) for 'the management' to close schools.

Before texts/mobiles/etc most kids would have pitched up at school expecting it to be open - and then could not have been sent home to empty houses - so the school would have had to limp along with whatever staff were there - which would have then exerted some serious peer pressure on colleagues to arrive (even if a tad late).

[sophie_1003]

sunny-dave; I don't moan about the extra hours in term time too much as I appreciate the holidays and do the extra hours because I love my job but there's no way I could get everything done between 8.30 and 5.30 even if that was working solidly. (I know this because I currently do more than that!)

[gness]

Dave. I "pitched up" at 8.45. Taught til 3.30.Sometimes managed a tea or lunch break. Those were the hours for which I was paid. Worked most days til 4.30 in the library or getting ready for the next day. Or maybe I took some kids to football, netball or another out of hours activity.
We did school plays....music festivals....I couldn't make the costumes and teach or support deaf children so I used my time. Shall i mention the trips and ....oh think I'll stop now.....really pissed off for myself and my colleagues who were bloody good and dedicated teachers and support staff!
I know there are bad eggs but they are few and far between these days.

[DaisyNonna]

Recognise your input Gness. Some people just don't want to understand.
Teaching is not just a job.

[sherrardk]

I will hold my hand firmly up in the air - I only went into teaching for the holidays (so I could look after any future children). Turned out to be v good at it, got promoted to the maximum level of my extent to wing it. Left to change our lives, would rather stick wasps up my arse than go back to it. Those who can. do, those who are not sure, choose a job with Fluffing good holidays (but the majority of teachers work their arses off for the good of other people's children).

[sunny-dave]

I was trying to take the heat out of the debate and be even handed - but seem to have failed :+(

My experience, admittedly of secondary rather than primary, was that (averaged over the school year) the working week was highly variable but not excessive.

Teachers tended to split into "get home before the traffic, but work in the evening" and "get it sorted at school and then the evening is my own" - and yes there was extra stuff sometimes (parents' evenings, am-dram, sports, whatever) but also quiet weeks during exam periods.

[joeluke]

^ Those who can can't be @r$ed to turn up when it snows

[joeluke]

Sunny dave gives us a realistic view to dispel those 'I work all hours' fallacies

[sherrardk]

JOELUKE!!!! The teachers don't close the schools, the decision is made by the higher beings. Can't you read or something (maybe your school had so many snow days you didn't get the chance). Teachers don't decide, repeat, teachers don't decide!!!!