I originally wrote this as a post on Facebook. Then the more angry I got, the more I wrote. So I decided, why the hell not blog it. Not that I ever do blog much (I seriously need to!). But I just felt I had to share this wee rant with whoever would read it, just for a sense of realise of anger I suppose.
If you haven't already, here is the original article I was referring to Amanda Spielman Gets Nod Next Ofsted Chief Inspector - thanks to the Literacy Shed for posting it.
I'm getting share happy at the minute, but this has really turned me sick. Some people may call this an overreaction, and think 'oh bloody hell, here's the teacher moaning again' (feel free to unfollow, friend, mute, whatever. Or get used to it, I do it a lot) but it's things like this that make me seriously worried about my career and where it will take me. Plus, anyone with kids, thinking about kids or will be having a family in the future, this could affect whether your little 'uns are taught by someone who has earned the right through blood, sweat, tears and plenty of caffeine to be at the whiteboard by gaining a degree or post-grad, or someone who just walked into the job unqualified cos they 'fancied it'.
I always said, even before the white paper, that I would leave teaching if forced academisation happened. Not to prove a point, or because I'm stubborn, but because our government is handing over our vocations (note. not jobs) to people who haven't a clue about education or teaching. I am there for our kids, always have been, and academies haven't exactly got the best track record for putting the kids first (BEFORE ANYONE KICKS OFF...I know that there are some amazing academies out there, and some of my friends work in them who are just incredibly inspiring teachers). In fact, look at the amount of Heads leaving over the fact that they didn't get into the job to run a business or to be up to their eyeballs in numbers, data and unnecessary stress (my dad being one of them!), and the fact that kids as young as 6 are being turned into exam sitting robots and losing their love of learning so young. Also, us teachers have little, or no, security over things like pay or our jobs themselves. The fact that Ms. Spielman has been recommended, ahead a number of trained teachers including the gen sec of the Heads union (who, after hearing him speak in Decemeber, would have been brilliant) Now, I'm sure Ms. Spielman has got plently of schools experience to be able to lead HMIs and AIs out of the mess that Ofsted is...oh hang on. She's the head of Ofqual, an education advisor (without ever working in a school as a teacher!) and is a sponsor of an academy chain. Nope, not a classroom practioner. Whoopie. Let's just push academisation in the more subtle way why don't we? Let's not beat around the bush, there has got to be a politcal agenda in there somewhere.
I'm at a loss as to why the government can't trust us teachers and schools (yes, Nicky, we do work together within our local authorities already and yes, it flipping works) and understand once and for all that us teachers - not politicians - know what is best for our kids. Yes, it was originally suggested by Labour and no, this is not necessarily Tory bashing, but those people at the DfE, Ofsted and my 'best' mate, Nicky, need to have a word with themselves.
I seriously hope that this lady proves me wrong. I seriously doubt that she will.
Rant over.
