Page 197 - She's One Crazy Lady!

Alarm bells
Towards the end of 2001, and before the start of my second term away from Highfields, it dawned on me that I would shortly be coming to the end of my six-month full pay period – moving on to half pay for the next six months... then what? With so much having happened to me physically and mentally I really hadn’t given this much thought, but now realised I had to make enquiries as to the consequences – to look at my bank balance and figure out how I was going to manage!
Communication from staff at the school had dwindled to almost nothing. Staff, good, experienced staff, had left, pupils had left – life there was not looking good. It was disturbing. After all the hard work we had done and the progress made it was so disappointing and upsetting to learn how unhappy they were, but I was powerless to do anything and very concerned that Inspectors were still visiting the school, with ‘Special Measures’ still in place. It was so hard when parents rang me saying they wanted me back – even more so when I saw children and they said the same. All I could do was to reassure them that matters would improve – I hope and prayed they would! The LEA had not been in touch with me at all so I rang the Personnel Department to see what the situation was, telling them how surprised I was that no one had been in touch, that no one had notified me or advised me about going on to half pay, wondering that if I had not rung them, would anyone have rung me? I was told half pay would start at the beginning of February 2002, but someone would come to see me at home to talk things through.
This was serious stuff, and I needed all the advice I could get so I also contacted the Macmillan Welfare Department, something I never thought I would have to do. They sent a Welfare Officer to see me almost immediately who was to the point but informative, telling me it was the decision of the Local Education Authority to determine and agree my pay but that she believed I should rightfully be allowed to return to my position as I had been given the appropriate medical clearance and that my health was OK. New vocabulary was introduced – ‘incapacity benefit’, ‘mobility allowance’, ‘disability allowance’. The Officer thought I would be eligible for all of these and should apply if half pay sanctions were introduced, but I would have to contact the Benefits Office. My mind was in a whirl – so much to think about, so
“It was so hard when parents rang me saying they wanted me back – even more so when I saw children and they said the same. ”
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