Page 83 - She's One Crazy Lady!
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Development Co-ordinator, Key Stage 2 Co-ordinator, Co-ordinator for Art, Design and Technology and a phrase in my job description that stated I was to do ‘anything else deemed necessary by the Headteacher’. Never afraid of hard work, and with everyone being quickly introduced to new initiatives and getting their heads round new implementations, I gave it my all and, as always, enjoyed it, never realising, for one minute, what was around the corner.
As much as I would like to tell you
‘everything’ that happened over the
next few months I’m sure you will understand that I cannot. What I can say is that it what transpired was heart breaking and totally unjustified. Even now, years later, I still get goosebumps and sinking feelings when I think about what did happen.
One day, when school had finished, and staff had gone home, the Head called me in to his office and asked me to read a letter he had written – an official letter addressed to me – a letter stating he was taking me to a disciplinary hearing for alleged professional misconduct where I was supposed to have undermined his position as Headteacher following a training day by speaking too openly with a group of colleagues, Governors and Parents when we had been set the task of assessing children’s standards in English. I stood there, aghast. Really? Surely not? Was this for real? To say I was shocked is an understatement – I was gobsmacked! I asked if we could talk about it – talk about the alleged accusations and for him to hear my account of the Training Day in question; a Training Day that I felt, as the lead person in our group had gone well, had been friendly and the set task achieved with open banter at all times. I remember
some of my group asking me how Training Days initially came about and how teachers spent them. I could recall these easily and was able to tell them that when Training Days were first introduced – ‘Baker Days’, we used to call them, the staff would attend a staff meeting first, then be given quality time in their classrooms to ‘catch up’ on tasks that were outstanding and to have a bit of breathing space – something that all staff should be given. I also
“I gave it my all and, as always, enjoyed it, never realising, for one minute, what was around the corner.
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