Here's my message via @MPDNUT to MPs:
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
NUT Lobby of Parliament
Thanks to my colleagues at Conisborough College agreeing to cover my teaching this afternoon, I'll be joining the NUT Lobby of Parliament this afternoon.
Here's my message via @MPDNUT to MPs:
Here's my message via @MPDNUT to MPs:
Monday, 9 June 2014
Fear, Hypocrisy and Ofsted
Wilshaw complains that inspectors have found schools with “high levels of staff turbulence, low staff morale”. This from the man infamous for saying that “if anyone says to you that ‘staff morale is at an all-time low’ you will know you are doing something right.” !
The provocative response to the supposed “Trojan Horse” threat will only have increased that fear. Now David Cameron is threatening ‘no-notice’ inspections which will further ratchet up the already intolerable pressures on staff.
If politicians are serious about improving morale – and about encouraging local accountability – then they should bring academies back into democratic local control and support the demand raised in my General Secretary campaign – to abolish Ofsted.
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| This DfE publication today didn't get quite the same attention - with the irony pointed out by @miss_mcinerney
UPDATE: I have contributed to a longer feature discussing the broader implications of the 'Trojan Horse' affair, published on http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/814/18746/11-06-2014/trojan-horse-who-is-attacking-education
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Sunday, 8 June 2014
An Election Poster for the Photocopier - VOTE POWELL-DAVIES 1
A few colleagues have asked if I can send them a poster that can be copied more easily on a photocopier - so here's a simplified version, especially to copy and share - please do!
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| Click on picture or go to http://goo.gl/GJchaq and click on 'file' and 'download' |
PRP in schools: unjust and irrational
Among the many supportive messages that I have received this weekend, I received the story below from a primary teacher in the Midlands.
In a week when the press have been erroneously trying to claim that many teachers support performance-pay, it speaks volumes about the injustice and irrationality of trying to apply PRP in schools :
"On Wednesday evening our SLT met with middle leaders to explain a new method of carrying out observations they had devised. They thought it was similar to the OFSTED model and would help with PM judgements. The observations are taking place this week! We've only had two this year, to be fair. And we've had OFSTED, we got a good.
The middle leaders spoke to their year teams on Thursday and tried to explain the new system although they hadn't got a handle on it themselves. Basically most of the observation would not be on the teaching and learning. It would be on progress over time. So they would look at generally how the lesson went but it wasn't the main focus. It wouldn't have to be all singing, all dancing or outstanding. They would look to see progress in books and would look at your current group's data instead. These were to be maths observations.
There was a glaring flaw in all this. We have ability groups for maths which change regularly. The group I have now are the newly arrived or children that are SEND and hardest to shift. Those that have made the best progress have moved on. It's the same for the other groups except the top one. I went to see SLT and explained this.
They had begun to see the flaw. Then the School Advisor turned up (an NUT member). She basically told the Head that the whole idea was ridiculous. We are now going back to our usual method.
But it still begs the question. How on earth do you prove who has made the difference in learning over the year for PRP? With changing groups, interventions and teams of teachers and TAs you simply can't.
Of course we know that, but Heads are going to come with equally mad ideas".
Saturday, 7 June 2014
Voting Papers have arrived - please read the statements - and I hope you'll decide on POWELL-DAVIES 1
Voting papers are now starting to arrive at the home addresses of NUT members across England and Wales to elect the General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers from 2014-2019.
Votes must be posted in time to reach the ERS scrutineers by midday on Wednesday 25 June. Not all papers have yet arrived - if you haven't got yours by Wednesday June 11th, ring the NUT election hotline on 020 7380 4825.
There is a straight choice to make: between re-electing the existing General Secretary by voting BLOWER 1 - or voting for new leadership, by choosing POWELL-DAVIES 1.
I would ask every NUT member to read the election statements enclosed with the voting papers (posted below) and then to vote. I am confident that teachers who are looking for a clear strategy to defeat the attacks we face will give me their support.
UPDATE: As Christine's campaign has also now released a video, you can also compare and share the two candidates' videos via: http://youtu.be/LeAI0ubaQlE and http://youtu.be/4X9dy0DSSaM.
Votes must be posted in time to reach the ERS scrutineers by midday on Wednesday 25 June. Not all papers have yet arrived - if you haven't got yours by Wednesday June 11th, ring the NUT election hotline on 020 7380 4825.
There is a straight choice to make: between re-electing the existing General Secretary by voting BLOWER 1 - or voting for new leadership, by choosing POWELL-DAVIES 1.
I would ask every NUT member to read the election statements enclosed with the voting papers (posted below) and then to vote. I am confident that teachers who are looking for a clear strategy to defeat the attacks we face will give me their support.
UPDATE: As Christine's campaign has also now released a video, you can also compare and share the two candidates' videos via: http://youtu.be/LeAI0ubaQlE and http://youtu.be/4X9dy0DSSaM.
Thursday, 5 June 2014
Answering My Critics - Achievable Objectives and a Calendar of Action
As I have explained in an earlier post this evening, some of my opponents seem to have decided on 'twitter trolling' as a means of campaigning against me - which is never the most constructive way of conducting debate. Nevertheless, the exchange pictured below actually goes to the heart of what my election stand is about, and is worthy of a longer response:
Let's start with the cost of my demands - and the implication that they are therefore unachievable. If so, then that's a serious issue for the Union, because my demands are just a bold statement of the kind of objectives that most NUT members think we are still campaigning for. They are:
Of course, the Conservatives, and all those in support of 'austerity' would argue that the Union's demands were unaffordable. That's why the NUT rightly pointed that, over the lifetime of our pension scheme, £46 billion more has been paid in compared to what has been paid out. That's why the TUC and affiliates like the NUT and PCS have explained that there IS an alternative to austerity (See for example: http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/campaigns/campaign-resources/austerity-isnt-working-there-is-an-alternative.cfm ). That's why many of us will be marching on June 21st on the People's Assembly "No More Austerity" national demonstration.
Our demands for decent pay, pensions and working conditions for teachers - and for decent learning conditions for our children - are certainly not unachievable. However, they do directly confront the austerity agenda being peddled by all the main political parties. That's why we have to be honest with NUT members and explain that we can't expect to win serious concessions out of talks with the DfE until we show that we are prepared to take a serious calendar of strike action.
In building for our next national strike on July 10, I've written in a newsletter sent to every Lewisham NUT member that "we’ve got a clear choice to make. Do we just accept defeat and allow things to get even worse? Surely, the answer has to be NO. If we do, then even more colleagues will resign or be driven out of a profession that they once loved. Conditions for teachers - and for our students - will deteriorate. So, the only choice is surely to step up our action so that Cameron and Gove - and all of the political parties - have to take notice of what teachers are saying about the damage being done to education".
That would be the message that I would take across the Union if elected General Secretary - and, from that, build - in the words of 2014 Conference Policy - for "a series of strikes through the autumn term and into 2015".
Preparing for a series of strikes - a calendar of action - is essential. At present, each strike seems to many teachers like an isolated protest action with no clear idea of what is following next. We need to be in a position where we can tell members - and warn Gove and the Government - what will follow next if they refuse to back down from their attacks.
Of course, such a campaign would need to be built for right across England and Wales and, as a newly-elected General Secretary, I would be using all my energy to do exactly that. There would be teachers who would be placed in financial hardship by such ongoing action. That's why I believe we do need a more consistent campaign for hardship funds and to urge members to 'save to strike' in advance of action where they can. However, what's certain is that, if we don't take that kind of action, far more will be stolen from teachers in lost pay and pensions - and in the unmeasurable costs of stress and excessive workload on teachers' lives.
The feedback that I have consistently received in meetings, is that teachers would be willing to accept further strike deductions, as long as they can be convinced that the NUT has a strategy that looks like it has a serious chance of winning our dispute. At present, many members are questioning whether we have such a strategy.
So, I am asked, what do I think such a 'calendar of action' should look like? Of course, I made that clear at NUT Conference when I proposed LANAC's amendment calling for "a programme of action for the Autumn Term [that] will consist of a week of action before the half-term break and a further week of action in November. In each week, all members covered by the union’s ballot will be called upon to take at least two consecutive days of strike action". Such a formulation could have allowed 2-day action to be divided regionally so that some areas take action on Tues / Wed and others on Wed / Thurs, spreading the impact of the strike over three days.
My opponents will be quick to point out that this specific proposal was defeated. True, but the idea that we need to threaten Gove with more than just one-off strikes but with an ongoing programme of action is gaining ground. What Conference did agree was that we should consult over the precise pattern of action that we should take. I would still put forward LANAC's proposal as a starting-point for those discussions about our ongoing action strategy. The possibility of co-ordination with other unions would also clearly be another factor in trying to arrive at a common calendar of co-ordinated action.
In conclusion, I believe that my proposed strategy is clear - and, as perhaps my opponents recognise, is gaining support. If they don't agree, then I think it is for them to set down their alternative strategy to winning the Union's demands.
Let's start with the cost of my demands - and the implication that they are therefore unachievable. If so, then that's a serious issue for the Union, because my demands are just a bold statement of the kind of objectives that most NUT members think we are still campaigning for. They are:
- Real limits on teachers’ overall hours
- At least 20% PPA for all
- A full pension at 60 - not 68
- End Performance-Related Pay
- A £2,000 increase on all pay points
- Abolish Ofsted and league tables
Of course, the Conservatives, and all those in support of 'austerity' would argue that the Union's demands were unaffordable. That's why the NUT rightly pointed that, over the lifetime of our pension scheme, £46 billion more has been paid in compared to what has been paid out. That's why the TUC and affiliates like the NUT and PCS have explained that there IS an alternative to austerity (See for example: http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/campaigns/campaign-resources/austerity-isnt-working-there-is-an-alternative.cfm ). That's why many of us will be marching on June 21st on the People's Assembly "No More Austerity" national demonstration.
Our demands for decent pay, pensions and working conditions for teachers - and for decent learning conditions for our children - are certainly not unachievable. However, they do directly confront the austerity agenda being peddled by all the main political parties. That's why we have to be honest with NUT members and explain that we can't expect to win serious concessions out of talks with the DfE until we show that we are prepared to take a serious calendar of strike action.
In building for our next national strike on July 10, I've written in a newsletter sent to every Lewisham NUT member that "we’ve got a clear choice to make. Do we just accept defeat and allow things to get even worse? Surely, the answer has to be NO. If we do, then even more colleagues will resign or be driven out of a profession that they once loved. Conditions for teachers - and for our students - will deteriorate. So, the only choice is surely to step up our action so that Cameron and Gove - and all of the political parties - have to take notice of what teachers are saying about the damage being done to education".
That would be the message that I would take across the Union if elected General Secretary - and, from that, build - in the words of 2014 Conference Policy - for "a series of strikes through the autumn term and into 2015".
Preparing for a series of strikes - a calendar of action - is essential. At present, each strike seems to many teachers like an isolated protest action with no clear idea of what is following next. We need to be in a position where we can tell members - and warn Gove and the Government - what will follow next if they refuse to back down from their attacks.
Of course, such a campaign would need to be built for right across England and Wales and, as a newly-elected General Secretary, I would be using all my energy to do exactly that. There would be teachers who would be placed in financial hardship by such ongoing action. That's why I believe we do need a more consistent campaign for hardship funds and to urge members to 'save to strike' in advance of action where they can. However, what's certain is that, if we don't take that kind of action, far more will be stolen from teachers in lost pay and pensions - and in the unmeasurable costs of stress and excessive workload on teachers' lives.
The feedback that I have consistently received in meetings, is that teachers would be willing to accept further strike deductions, as long as they can be convinced that the NUT has a strategy that looks like it has a serious chance of winning our dispute. At present, many members are questioning whether we have such a strategy.
So, I am asked, what do I think such a 'calendar of action' should look like? Of course, I made that clear at NUT Conference when I proposed LANAC's amendment calling for "a programme of action for the Autumn Term [that] will consist of a week of action before the half-term break and a further week of action in November. In each week, all members covered by the union’s ballot will be called upon to take at least two consecutive days of strike action". Such a formulation could have allowed 2-day action to be divided regionally so that some areas take action on Tues / Wed and others on Wed / Thurs, spreading the impact of the strike over three days.
My opponents will be quick to point out that this specific proposal was defeated. True, but the idea that we need to threaten Gove with more than just one-off strikes but with an ongoing programme of action is gaining ground. What Conference did agree was that we should consult over the precise pattern of action that we should take. I would still put forward LANAC's proposal as a starting-point for those discussions about our ongoing action strategy. The possibility of co-ordination with other unions would also clearly be another factor in trying to arrive at a common calendar of co-ordinated action.
In conclusion, I believe that my proposed strategy is clear - and, as perhaps my opponents recognise, is gaining support. If they don't agree, then I think it is for them to set down their alternative strategy to winning the Union's demands.
Answering My Critics - Staying on a Teacher's Salary
On today's evidence, some of my opponents seem to have decided that they'll be bombarding critical tweets in my direction throughout the campaign!
They're welcome to do so - and I'll respond when I can. However - and as I suspect they'll be reading this blog - I can't promise to always post replies as quickly as the tweets come in! My day-job of supporting and advising teachers, organising Union campaigns in Lewisham and teaching have to come first.
140 characters on Twitter also isn't the best way to respond in the detail that my critics seem to be wanting - so I'll use this blog when I can to explain my case more fully.
Let's start with today's debate about my pledge to remain on a classroom teacher's salary if I am elected NUT General Secretary.
Andrew Baisley, one of the organisers of Christine's campaign, tweeted me @MPDNUT to say that "I notice that you aren't pledging to give salary back to the NUT but give [to] some of your fav causes. Who will be getting the money?"
First of all, I'm not sure how you could object to a trade unionist who has chosen to voluntarily donate back salary to the movement choosing to give it to causes that she or he favours! However, if it's a genuine question, then it's not an accurate one. I've already explained further on my blog about this campaign pledge: http://electmartin1.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/nut-general-secretary-election-my.html
8. Remain on a classroom teacher’s salary
A Union leadership needs to show its members that it is in touch with the problems they face. If elected NUT GS, I would want to be seen as a teacher who is speaking up for classroom teachers.
Following the example of the new leadership elected to the Chicago Teachers’ Union, I believe that the salaries of Union officials should be linked to the salaries of the members they represent. There is increasing distrust of politicians, and some senior managers, who seem happy to award themselves large salaries and expenses while others are finding it hard to pay their bills. That’s also one way that officials can get out of touch with their membership. Any such suspicion can undermine union strength, particularly when politicians are trying to find ways to divide opposition.
I pledge that, if elected NUT GS, I would continue to take only my existing classroom teacher's salary, with any additional essential expense claims fully open to members’ scrutiny. I would donate the considerable additional salary that the General Secretary is entitled to under current NUT rules towards trade union and solidarity campaigns and to assist the work of the Union.
Now there would be no shortage of good trade union causes, strike funds and international solidarity appeals that could benefit from financial support. Which particular causes would obviously depend on particular disputes and appeals current at the time - but I would of course consult with colleagues and welcome suggestions. I would also make sure that details of that expenditure was open and available to anyone who wanted to see it. Of course, following the example of Chicago, I would also want to see if there were specific NUT projects that could be supported from money that I could return to the Union in this way.
Concretely, my current salary as an Inner London UPS Teacher is £45,450. Looking at the information on the NUT website ( http://www.teachers.org.uk/financialstatement ), my pledge to donate additional salary might generate £50,000 or more (I have no information on how the additional pension package operates). If elected, that's the kind of sum that would be donated back to the Union and the wider trade union movement through my pledge.
UPDATE: It was remiss of me not to add yesterday that one of my 'fav causes' at the moment is the British Heart Foundation after the fantastic support given to Lewisham NUT Treasurer, Lawrence Stevens, by staff at St.George's Hospital in April. Next weekend, I'll be cycling from London to Brighton for British Heart Foundation because, as I've put on my justgiving page, "Lawrence from Lewisham NUT could be any one of us". Donations would be very welcome via http://www.justgiving.com/Martin-Powell-Davies
They're welcome to do so - and I'll respond when I can. However - and as I suspect they'll be reading this blog - I can't promise to always post replies as quickly as the tweets come in! My day-job of supporting and advising teachers, organising Union campaigns in Lewisham and teaching have to come first.
140 characters on Twitter also isn't the best way to respond in the detail that my critics seem to be wanting - so I'll use this blog when I can to explain my case more fully.
Let's start with today's debate about my pledge to remain on a classroom teacher's salary if I am elected NUT General Secretary.
Andrew Baisley, one of the organisers of Christine's campaign, tweeted me @MPDNUT to say that "I notice that you aren't pledging to give salary back to the NUT but give [to] some of your fav causes. Who will be getting the money?"
First of all, I'm not sure how you could object to a trade unionist who has chosen to voluntarily donate back salary to the movement choosing to give it to causes that she or he favours! However, if it's a genuine question, then it's not an accurate one. I've already explained further on my blog about this campaign pledge: http://electmartin1.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/nut-general-secretary-election-my.html
8. Remain on a classroom teacher’s salary
A Union leadership needs to show its members that it is in touch with the problems they face. If elected NUT GS, I would want to be seen as a teacher who is speaking up for classroom teachers.
Following the example of the new leadership elected to the Chicago Teachers’ Union, I believe that the salaries of Union officials should be linked to the salaries of the members they represent. There is increasing distrust of politicians, and some senior managers, who seem happy to award themselves large salaries and expenses while others are finding it hard to pay their bills. That’s also one way that officials can get out of touch with their membership. Any such suspicion can undermine union strength, particularly when politicians are trying to find ways to divide opposition.
I pledge that, if elected NUT GS, I would continue to take only my existing classroom teacher's salary, with any additional essential expense claims fully open to members’ scrutiny. I would donate the considerable additional salary that the General Secretary is entitled to under current NUT rules towards trade union and solidarity campaigns and to assist the work of the Union.
Now there would be no shortage of good trade union causes, strike funds and international solidarity appeals that could benefit from financial support. Which particular causes would obviously depend on particular disputes and appeals current at the time - but I would of course consult with colleagues and welcome suggestions. I would also make sure that details of that expenditure was open and available to anyone who wanted to see it. Of course, following the example of Chicago, I would also want to see if there were specific NUT projects that could be supported from money that I could return to the Union in this way.
Concretely, my current salary as an Inner London UPS Teacher is £45,450. Looking at the information on the NUT website ( http://www.teachers.org.uk/financialstatement ), my pledge to donate additional salary might generate £50,000 or more (I have no information on how the additional pension package operates). If elected, that's the kind of sum that would be donated back to the Union and the wider trade union movement through my pledge.
UPDATE: It was remiss of me not to add yesterday that one of my 'fav causes' at the moment is the British Heart Foundation after the fantastic support given to Lewisham NUT Treasurer, Lawrence Stevens, by staff at St.George's Hospital in April. Next weekend, I'll be cycling from London to Brighton for British Heart Foundation because, as I've put on my justgiving page, "Lawrence from Lewisham NUT could be any one of us". Donations would be very welcome via http://www.justgiving.com/Martin-Powell-Davies
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