Page 202 - She's One Crazy Lady!

Pardon t“
new person was going to be appointed from a consultancy agency in Cambridge. The bells rang louder when I had finished treatment and had been given the all clear to return, but not before I’d had meetings with education officials in the interim period.
Still, with so many people telling me what they would do, I was more confused than ever and upset, when on the afternoon of my last session of radiotherapy I had a meeting with a Senior Education Officer and the Director of Education. In a nutshell I realised that having cancer may have cost me my job. The Senior Education Officer was, just over twelve months ago, on the interview panel for the Headship post at Highfields when I secured the position. Now, here he was talking to me about ill-health retirement saying they thought the pressure of going back as Head would be too much for me, that my health would be a risk to the school. I sensed they wanted me to make a decision there and then. What did they mean my health would be a risk? How could they say that? I felt choked. The situation at school was not of my making. I was told that I would be contacted by Occupational Health and other people in due course.
Advice was coming in from everywhere. A different doctor that I saw in Oncology advised me to seek the support of my Union and instigate more meetings with the education ‘chiefs’. The new Acting Head wanted to meet with me to find out where she stood and told me not to be bullied into making decisions, to take my time and, like the doctor said, get the Union behind me. The Chair of Governors made me aware that a phased return, working alongside the new, incoming Acting Head could be arranged. Next, the Acting Head invited me to a Strategic Governors Meeting in School where ‘September’, the start of the new school year, and the date when I should, legally, be able to return, was to be discussed.
Such confusion! In the meeting, representatives of the LEA stressed that the school would not benefit from two heads working together and the Senior Personnel Officer, who was in attendance, announced I would have to be seen by one of their Occupational Health Doctors. I mentioned that with all the time this was taking I would be on ‘no pay’ and was told, quite curtly: “You’ll have to go on benefits then.”
Pardon the language here but what a bloody mess! What was I to do? Who could I talk to?
I spoke with my Union again and they instantly told me I should not be put under so much pressure and that I should let the LEA know, in writing, exactly how I felt – to submit a letter of grievance.
I didn’t want this but so strong were my feelings – I put pen to paper.
The School now had a new Personnel Officer (not the one at the meeting, who was more Senior) so I arranged to meet with her. She herself said this was such a unique situation and indicated I should be allowed to ask questions, glad that I had the Union behind me. She told me that a Senior Education Officer described the school as being the toughest Headteacher post in the county. (Why? It wasn’t when Des
he language here but what a bloody mess! What was I to do? Who
could I talk t”
o?
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