IPPN

Published: 10 October 2019

Schools are currently making preparations for P/T meetings. Most parents look forward to the meeting, even if it is only for 10mins, to discuss their child’s progress. The majority of meetings proceed smoothly and with good humour and teachers generally feel appreciated and affirmed by the experience.

The following are some issues/suggestions that have come from IPPN members in recent times: 

• The task of allocating times to parents and especially accommodating parents who have more than one child in the school can be time-consuming, particularly when doing it with pen and paper. An interesting thread in IPPN Networking recently has highlighted an extension to one of the School Management Systems which allows parents to select their own times and which then produces the timetable for every class!! This is certainly worth checking out. There are also some school based Apps which can assist
• It is important to be mindful of situations where, for whatever reasons, both parents / guardians, require separate meetings regarding the same child.
• Sometimes difficult conversations take place during the course of P/T meetings. There are the situations where “what if” conversations with staff prior to meetings could prove helpful in achieving a better outcome if one is prepared: -
• What if a parent becomes upset and/or aggressive during a P/T meeting ---------?
• What if a parent wants to record the meeting ---------?
• What if more than the allocated time is required--------?

Discuss and agree the procedure to be followed in these cases.

• There may be instances where a teacher does not feel comfortable meeting a particular parent or parents on their own. In such cases is would be advisable to support that teacher by sitting in on the meeting or by having a Support teacher present during the meeting.
• Be aware that some parents may surreptitiously record a P/T meeting. This is illegal and can only be done with the consent of the parties involved. Many schools now post prominent notices to this effect
• Normally parents of children availing of additional support, will want to meet those teachers. These can be arranged as a follow-up to meeting the class teacher or involve both teachers at the same time. These arrangements will depend on the school context and procedures

Published: 04 October 2019

The closing date for the submission of appeals to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board for their October meeting is Wednesday 9 October.

Appeals must be submitted to Primary Allocations Section, Department of Education and Skills, Athlone, on the standard application form (Appendix F Circular 0019/2019).

Published: 03 October 2019

‘Does a substitute teacher have the same leave entitlements as a temporary or fixed term teacher ?’ This is a frequent query submitted to IPPN’s Professional Guidance team during the school year.

There are two types of substitute teacher:

1. Casual Substitute Teacher: A teacher who has worked less than 40 days in a school calendar year
2. 2.Non-Casual Substitute Teacher: A teacher who has worked in excess of 40 days or who is employed under a contract which obliges them to work more than 40 days. These type of contracts are typically linked to maternity vacancies in schools.

A teacher working as a non-casual substitute, is for the purposes of the Protection of Employees (Fixed Term Work) Act 2003 regarded as a fixed term worker. Under the Act, a fixed term worker is entitled to the same terms and conditions of employment as a permanent employee, with part-time workers availing of these entitlements on a pro-rata basis. All entitlements cease with the termination or end date of an employee’s contract, unless there is a renewed succeeding contract.

What does this mean for your non-casual substitute teacher?
A non-casual substitute teacher cannot be treated less favourably than their fixed-term and permanent teaching peers with regard to pay, in-school management posts and general conditions of employment including leave entitlements. All teacher absences and leave are governed by DES Circulars and approval of all leave needs to be approved by the Board of Management.

How do you record a substitute teacher’s leave?
OLCS does not facilitate the payment of two substitute teachers for the same role. Payment for the non-casual substitute teacher must be submitted to DES Primary Payroll using form Payment in Respect of a Non-Casual Fixed-Term Absence. If the approved leave is not substitutable (for example EPV days, self-certified sick leave) a record of the leave type is maintained by the school and there is no requirement to remove the teacher from the OLCS system.

If your teacher has queries regarding their terms and conditions of employment, it is advisable that they seek advice from the DES and/or INTO.

Published: 03 October 2019

As school leaders many of us believe that we are there to solve every problem brought to us and if we don’t we have failed, bringing with it feelings of guilt and inadequacy. Often when someone comes to us with a problem, certain expectations come into play. The other person can believe or expect that having come to you with their problem, they hand it over and now their problem becomes yours to solve. In addition, if you believe that you are there to solve all problems, then the burden quickly becomes yours.

This is where the expectations of others, but more importantly the expectations of self, have to be carefully managed. Managing self is deemed to be one of the greatest challenges facing school leaders today, but both sets of expectations need consideration. Over the course of the next number of weeks in e-scéal, focus will be directed towards providing strategies to help manage both.

What would you do with the following scenario?

Does it sound familiar?

A staff member comes to you at 2.30 on Friday afternoon with a complaint about another staff member, demanding to know what you are going to do about it. You spend the weekend worrying about the situation and how you will sort it out. Sunday afternoon finds you dreading the following day as you know it will be difficult.

Where do rights vs responsibilities fit into this scenario?

What part does communication play in it?

How will you manage yourself?

Note: Should you find yourself facing a difficult situation or need to have a challenging conversation, the IPPN Professional Guidance Panel are there to guide and support you. Contact the Support Office on 0214824070 or email advice@ippn.ie.