Bec, Reader's Comment, Teachers are powerless to stop schoolyard violence, NSW High School Teacher, 01 September 2009: http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/teachers-are-powerless-to-stop-schoolyard-violence/ Historical link preserved from the original page.
New South Wales: bullied teacher supported by the New South Wales Teachers' Federation - and she wins her job back!
Such a good result in a NSW teachers' case!
My congratulations to the teacher concerned, and to the New South Wales Teachers' Federation for supporting her.
I am so glad that things worked out well:
The teacher had been dismissed after enduring her principal's TIP (Teacher Intervention Program) for several months.
The principal had placed the teacher on a TIP because of the large number of disciplinary issues that the teacher had been referring to the school executive.
It is so much quicker and easier for incompetent principals to blame the teacher than for them to make the effort to deal with poorly behaved children!
The decision to dismiss the teacher was based on recent amendments to the NSW Teaching Service Act 1980 which allow NSW teachers to be dismissed to protect children from teachers who are incompetent or ineffective.
Does it allow principals to be dismissed to protect NSW teachers from principals who are incompetent and ineffective?
I bet that it doesn't.
The teacher had been working at the school for 14 years.
A child with Tourette's Syndrome was moved into her class.
Another student in her class had also been diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome and ADHD.
The teacher had no training in dealing with such problems so she followed the school disciplinary code.
She referred the disruptive students to the school executive.
The principal told the teacher that she was to be placed on a TIP.
The principal said that teachers must manage all forms of behaviour, no matter how bad.
12 weeks later the class teacher was removed to a non-teaching role.
She was later dismissed.
The behaviour of the students worsened and one student was suspended.
The commissioner said that the principal's focus on the teacher alone was misdirected and unfair.
The principal had disregarded the teacher's long, unblemished record of teaching.
The dismissal was found to be harsh and unreasonable.
The teacher was reinstated with back-pay.
Congratulations to the New South Wales Teachers' Federation for supporting this NSW teacher.
This is how unions are supposed to support abused classroom teachers.
7 April, 2009: http://ww5.cch.com.au/zsch/zsch2.html Historical link preserved from the original page.
Colyton High School, Western Sydney: two armed intruders entered the school grounds and made 'numerous threats'.
Teachers at Colyton High School in western Sydney were allegedly threatened by two armed teenage intruders this morning.
The boys, aged 14 and 15, allegedly entered the school grounds just before 9am (AEDT), the NSW Education Department said.
Police were called to the school after reports of two people making "numerous threats" to stab others.
Staff removed the two intruders from the school grounds, outside the school gates, which were then locked, " an Education Department spokeswoman said.
No one was injured.
Can the gates of your school be locked?
Armed teens allegedly threaten teachers at Sydney high school, The Courier-Mail, 10 November 2008. Historical link preserved from the original page.
Shoalhaven principal feels that the departmental investigation process rewards malicious parents.
A Principal from Shoalhaven contacted the Maralyn Parker blog in The Daily Telegraph. Historical link preserved from the original page.
The principal had been maliciously attacked by parents.
For five years the principal tried various strategies to satisfy the parents.
There was an investigation.
Some complaints were dismissed, the rest found unproven.
But the principal was not declared innocent.
She can never be declared innocent.
It will always be on her official record.
The principal feels that the investigation process rewards the behaviour of the parents.
They do not have to explain their behaviour or to apologise.
The principal does not want to return to the school as she feels unable to trust the parents.
She feels that "the system" has let her down.
Teacher turmoil false complaints fallout, comments, Maralyn Parker, The Daily Telegraph, Wednesday 19 September, 2007 Historical link preserved from the original page.
There should be consequences for children who make false allegations.
A female teacher from the Bankstown area in NSW contacted the Maralyn Parker blog in the Daily Telegraph. Historical link preserved from the original page.
She is currently being investigated because of an allegation that she hit a year four girl on the arm.
Three girls had stolen lollies from her desk.
The teacher spoke to the three girls calmly.
One girl told her father that the teacher had hit her.
The other two girls have given written statements that this did not happen.
But there still has to be an investigation.
Both the teacher and the principal are stressed by the injustice of the situation.
There should be consequences for children who make false allegations.
False complaints fallout, comments, Maralyn Parker, The Daily Telegraph, Wednesday 19 September 2007 Historical link preserved from the original page.
NSW teacher alleges that she whistleblew about workplace bullying - and was put on a Teacher Improvement Program the next year.
After teaching for 1 1/2 decades at a New South Wales school, with only praise and no complaints, my dismissal occurred after being put on a Teacher Improvement Program by a new Principal for two elements concerned with students behaviour - not my own.
The Principal and executive's subjectivity made bias.
Their poor skills caused an ineffective program, incorrect judgement, misunderstandings and misinformation.
But they were not the ones who lost their job.
Many older teachers are used as scapegoats and victimised into a humiliating resignation.
Under the Teacher Assessment and Review Scheme my annual reports never had a problem, then I was asked what the problems were.
I answered like any honest teacher of upper primary grades that some kids were off task and calling out.
Half a term later I was told I was going on an Improvement Program the following week.
As an older teacher I did not have medical problems interfering with my performance and took no sick leave.
I did extra duties and was popular with teachers, students and parents.
I did blow the whistle on an AP's bullying a year before my victimisation.
The union are supportive, but underfunded with these matters.
Future action is being taken.
In the meantime I tutor and hope to work casually in private schools.
I suffer from depression, insomnia and weight gain because of the bullying.
The union is funding me $11 000+ for arbitration court.
I having been reading other NSW cases on: http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/caselaw Historical link preserved from the original page.
My chances of success are low.
"Dismissed NSW teacher", 22 July 2007 - discussed in a series of emails to the Editor of the website.
Let's deal with workplace bullying in the education sector.