➡️ Increased mitigation measures are surgical masks for staff and new guidelines in ventilation (windows open when not in class, partially open when in class)
➡️ No change in vaccination place for any staff currently
#2
➡️ Flexible work arrangements can be agreed by BOM. No guidelines on for who. These staff work remotely with pupils at home (by choice or on 50% off if in special schools)
➡️ Flexible arrangements in ARE substitutable
#3
But
In special classes in mainstream
➡️ School staff, teachers and SNAs already currently on staff should be substituting in the classes first.
So other mainstream staff potentially on call, or have to replace high risk/vulnerable staff in special class fully.
#4
➡️ Parents can choose to keep children home, and be marked present if engaging remotely.
So, I came home from teaching abroad and got a principalship starting Sept 2018. Great! Busy, full on, a million jobs to get my head around, but all going well.
Then, February comes.
Oh SET allocations are out, great! No. Not great.
So begins "The Cluster Games"
#2
The DES releases allocations. You may think these look like a random assortment of hours and minutes for each school that make no sense. You would be right.
Not actually that much in the documents so key points thread.
Supplementary Provision scheme:
➡️ Special school, special class & School support Plus in Mainstream eligible. Schools have flexibility to add to SSP taking into account current circumstances
➡️ 20 hours over 4 weeks
➡️ Outside of school hours
➡️ Flexibility for catch up over Easter/Spring Break
➡️ Can be done by Teacher or SNA, rates in image
#2
The school should :
➡️ Identify and inform eligible parents/children
➡️ If interested, fill out part 1 of form & pass on
➡️ Help to match school staff who volunteer with eligible pupils
➡️ Try to help find someone if possible if no school staff available
➡️ Send parents doc
➡️ BOM may waive 6 weeks notice
➡️ BOM can approve a pattern of leave, less than one week blocks. E.g where staff are available some days but not others, with childcare.
5 docs total
➡️ Letter to Principals
➡️ App1 -Framework for return
➡️ App2 -HSPC Guidance
➡️ App3 -Additions to COVID response plan needed
➡️ App4 -COVID response plan doc
My context, because this will appeal to different people for different reasons
How this impacts me:
➡️ Old payscale
➡️ New pension
➡️ Teaching Principal (benchmarking/ workload changes)
#2
Basis for the info for the thread
➡️ INTO Webinar & comms
➡️ Glór Webinar
➡️ @anseo podcast
➡️ The agreement itself (skimmed & in parts)
➡️ Other people's posts/tweets and chatting with colleagues
Long one: Live lessons, Equity, Access & Remote Learning
The demands for live learning and claims that it is the best option, or the only real teaching, or the closest to "normal" are getting louder the longer this goes on. Frustrated parents looking for support.
Absolutely understandable. Trying to navigate remote learning, apps, downloads, printables & support your child while working yourself at home, or outside is not just hard, for many it's impossible.
Each family sees this through their own lens, from their own perspective
#2
But, for every voice we hear saying "live lessons are the best" "live lessons are the only way" I worry about the voices we're not hearing.
Lots of things vary family to family, and for some live would be the best, but here are some overarching things we do know for sure