schools opening when it has snowed!

johnnyl

marisco wrote: »

Have you ever worked in a school? Do you really have any concept of how things work within one? In your line of business are you responsible for the welfare of 800+ children day in and day out?

It is very clear from your posts that the answer to all of those questions is no.

evidently you didnt read the point. I will make it again.

Why cant TA's and teachers come in 1 hour earlier than normal and do a little bit each. You know...when there arent 800 kids. Give me one reason why not.

We have a lot of responsibility in our work, we have to keep the premises safe for all and we have to keep it running. We cant just cry off because its the easy thing to do.

Auntie-Dolly

Damned if you do & damned if you dont. We stayed open until 12.30 on Friday. It had started snowing around 8am and many parents didn't bother sending their children in at all. When we let the parents know we were closing many of them asked to pick their children up earlier, before the roads became too bad. By the time the children had all been collected it was 1.30 and the staff then began their journeys home. As it was, the roads on my journey were nearly empty, but hindsight (or foresight) is a wonderful thing!

johnnyl

kingfisherblue wrote: »

Some teachers and TAs cannot get into school any earlier to clear snow, because they have their own children to get into school first.

.

some, but not all. It isnt rocket science, a few tactically placed grit bins in advance and a hand plough to clear the walkways and the jobs a good one.

6 or 7 people would box this job off in 30 mins max however there is no desire to do it because in the school bubble we can just get a free day off. As they say, those who can......

So next time anyone on here wants to challenge why there are negative views of teachers, this is why. Sadly, some teachers who are driven and hardworking are tarred by that brush.

kingfisherblue

johnnyl wrote: »

evidently you didnt read the point. I will make it again.

Why cant TA's and teachers come in 1 hour earlier than normal and do a little bit each. You know...when there arent 800 kids. Give me one reason why not.

We have a lot of responsibility in our work, we have to keep the premises safe for all and we have to keep it running. We cant just cry off because its the easy thing to do.

I already gave you a reason in my previous post - teachers and TAs often have to get their own children to school before they arrive at their own job.

Also, TAs are usually paid for term time only and only for the hours that they are actually in school. Their wages tend to be low. Why should they be expected to do yet more work without pay? Many already stay after school to do unpaid work that is necessary for their pupils, and others take work home, again unpaid. They are not salaried, they earn low amounts.

ETA: crossed posts with johnny

Gloomendoom

Goldiegirl wrote: »

When I was at school, I remember it closing just once in cold weather, and that was because the boiler broke, and it was freezing. The kids practically had to mutiny to get them to send us home, the teachers were all for keeping us there. But apart from that, we just used to walk to school in all weathers.

My husband is slightly older than me, and was at school in the bad winter of 1963. His school did close for a few weeks as the pipes were frozen. However, he had to walk to school every day to get his mark and walk home again.

There is a perception that schools close at the drop of a hat (or a snowflake) these days. I imagine its because many teachers don't live within walking distance of the school anymore. I seem to remember the majority of the teachers walked to school, like the kids.

I think your last point is an important one. The teachers at our village school used to live in the village but now they have retired and been replaced by staff who live miles away. It is the lack of staff that is the problem for us. Most of the children can get there whatever the weather. On Friday the school was shut but many of the children were having a whale of a time sledging down the road past it (under adult supervision, I hasten to add.)

The funny thing is that both my wife and I work in higher education and it is rare that a staff member fails to get in because of bad weather despite long commutes (ours is 23 miles mainly on country lanes.) The place is never shut. The difference being that if staff can't turn up, the students are old enough to look after themselves.

Incidentally, I went to school from the mid 60's to the late 70's and never had a single day off due to snow. Maybe the winters weren't as bad then?

johnnyl

kingfisherblue wrote: »

I already gave you a reason in my previous post - teachers and TAs often have to get their own children to school before they arrive at their own job.
y

and I refer you to my reply

johnnyl wrote: »

some, but not all. It isnt rocket science, a few tactically placed grit bins in advance and a hand plough to clear the walkways and the jobs a good one.

6 or 7 people would box this job off in 30 mins max however there is .

Incidently, is there any reply from Marisco as to why the snow cant be cleared before 800 kids come in?

johnnyl

kingfisherblue wrote: »

Also, TAs are usually paid for term time only and only for the hours that they are actually in school. Their wages tend to be low. Why should they be expected to do yet more work without pay? Many already stay after school to do unpaid work that is necessary for their pupils, and others take work home, again unpaid. They are not salaried, they earn low amounts.

ETA: crossed posts with johnny

pay them then, nobody is asking them to work without pay. It is this mentality that hacks me off with schools, its as if they dont realise that they are a service provider.

Things like this are planned for months in advance by businesses, the mentality is there to work out how to stay open if x, y or z happens. It is a situation that can be managed, it isnt impossible otherwise nobody would go to school in Canada or Norway.. It is inexcusable for there not to be plans in a school to have snow removed to allow it to open.

marisco_2

johnnyl wrote: »

Give me one reason why not.

I will go better than you request and give you several reasons. Then I will explain to you why your view of teachers is unjustified.

As with people in all professions teachers have family commitments to meet. Some have children of their own to get to their own schools. If these are shut they need to arrange for alternative childcare. Some teachers will look into this in advance when heavy snow is predicted. Some may just not be able to access babysitters due to being in very rural locations or having no friends and family to hand that can step in.

With the best will in the world travelling in adverse weather conditions to your place of work can take extra time. You may head off earlier in the hope to arrive with some spare time but traffic conditions can hold you up. Oddly enough this effects people who practice in every proffession.

I am a teacher of year 3 children. I work in a huge junior school which has not closed due to snow for at least the past 12 years under our current head teacher. I have arranged childcare in the event that my own childrens school is closed tomorrow. I am leaving home at 0730, once I have been notified by the head that the school is open, to do what is normally a 10 minute drive. When I arrive at the school I will do whatever is required as per normal.

The headteacher has asked that as much as possible every member of staff come in. Some travel long distances. He is a realist and accepts that some face awful journeys and so they may arrive late. In which case the rest of us who do make it in will pull together as a team and keep things running smoothly. The children in our care will feel safe and well looked after and be unaware of any upheaval the snow may cause. He likes to see the best in all his staff as unlike yourself he sees behind the scenes, sees the dedication we all put into our jobs and appreciates us.

You come across as having such an obvious hatred of teachers. Can you give me one real valid reason why?

kingfisherblue

johnnyl wrote: »

and I refer you to my reply

I did edit my post to say that I had crossed posts with you. You have also failed to understand why some schools cannot open due to transport issues, such as my older son's school, which caters for children with special needs. Without the transport, which is arranged by the council and not by the school, many children simply cannot get into school.

I think most posters would agree that it is preferable for schools to be open if it is safe and practical, but that there are times when this isn't possible.

bylromarha

You can't win on this one and it drives me insane.

FB discussion started on Thursday night - non teaching friend moaning that he has to get into work, so why don't all the teachers? All teachers stating they WERE going into work Friday.

Friday - we all get to work, me at my 2 form entry primary. We all open our schools. Parents start collecting from 10.30am when the snow starts falling. 60 phone calls taken by 11.15am asking if we're staying open...parents continue to collect from school.

11.45pm, a third of the kids already having gone home with a parent, text message sent saying school closed from 12.30pm, please collect if you can. 10 kids left in school by 2pm being cared for by staff who can walk home. 1 child not collected until 3.30pm - 25 mins after school closing time as she couldn't get in. Dread to think how many more kids would have been stuck at school if we'd left it later to close.

School currently open tomorrow, but loads of parents saying on FB they aren't bringing their kids in as snow is so heavy. The local secondaries and nurseries around us are closed, as well as many other primarys. So I have to struggle in to babysit a handful of kids - as it will be drawing, colouring, DVD day as they'll be so few in. When I'd much rather being doing the pile of work I brought home, knowing that a snow day was likely.

Can't do right for doing wrong on this one.