ACTS ConferenceFebruary 2010

Joe McGeerUniversity of the West of Scotland

Research On The Chartered Teacher Scheme

Know your stuff

Know whom you are stuffing

Then stuff them elegantly(Lola May)

Chartered Teacher Definition?

‘Framework…to encourage the best teachers to develop their careers in the classroom’ (1998 consultation on CPD)

‘There should be opportunities for career advancement for those teachers who wish to remain in the classroom, especially teachers of acknowledged excellence’ (1999 McCrone Inquiry principle 3)

Origins of the CT.

It is showing initial signs of success Especially if the respondent knows the

work of a Chartered Teacher Chartered Teacher status will improve

pupil attainment The professional development and status

of the Chartered Teacher will be enhanced.

The majority of young teachers, under 34 years of age, intend to undertake the Scheme in the future.

Positive features from the survey of teachers

The CT Scheme has shown initial signs of being

successful. 1176 TeachersTook part

SecondaryTeachers

PrimaryTeachers

Familiar withwork of a CT (49.6%)

Not familiarwith work of CT (50.4%)

Agree/Strongly Agree

28.6 42.7 54.6 21.1

Neither Agree norDisagree

36.8 39.9 20.5 51.5

Disagree/StronglyDisagree

34.5 17.4 25.1 27.3

All CT’s should be subject to reappraisal at regular

intervals in order to retain status and additional salary. All teachers Head-

teachersTeachers aged 25-34

Male teachers

Agree/Strongly Agree

56.4 80.0 61.6 50.8

Neither Agree norDisagree

14.8 6.7 13.3 15.0

Disagree/StronglyDisagree

28.7 13.8 25.1 34.1

The structure does not meet the requirements of teachers, not being seen as good alternative career path

It did not make the best use of available funding.

Most teachers did not have a good knowledge of the Scheme.

Most teachers eligible will not undertake the Scheme

Concerns

Classroom observation should be part of the assessment process.

Regular reappraisal should take place. It should be operated along the lines of the

current Scottish Qualification for Headship Scheme.

Academic study should be part of it. (A point strongly supported by headteachers)

Suggestions for improvement 1

The success should be measured in terms of teacher retention and recruitment and pupil attainment

The quality of teaching in the classroom should be the critical measure of success.

Some assistance with the cost of the courses should be provided.

Suggestions for improvement 2

Costs. Excellence - a large majority stating that CTs

should be clearly seen to be excellent teachers. Future role not clear. Reduction of promoted posts in secondary

schools Lack of knowledge of the Scheme Workload an issue Some confusion over routes available Positive experience.

Written comments

A pay rise of 22% Achieved by APL from GTCS or MEd No classroom observation No headteacher endorsement No additional duties. Max cost circa 7500 – max return circa

165000 Trusted to be an ‘enhanced professional’. Review introduced some limited

accountability

The Scheme

GTCS General Secretary recalled speaking at a conference in Australia where:-

“they absolutely refused to believe that any government was actually doing that……that any government was putting that kind of public money in”

An outside view

Peter Peacock. Education Minister Dougie Mackie. EIS President Ronnie Smith. General Secretary of the EIS Matt McIver. The General Registrar of the

GTCS Gordon Jeyes. ADES Adviser to COSLA Michael O’Neil. Chair of the Review group Keir Bloomer. Chief Exec of Clackmannan

The Interviewees

Availability of large sums of new money. Newly devolved government in Scotland

wishing to be seen to be different. Pressure to come to a very quick deal. The low priority attached to the Scheme in a

very wide ranging deal. Not a deal breaker. The underlying philosophy of valuing, and

investing in, education and its teachers held by key individuals at the time, notably ministers.

The landscape in 2000/2002

£400m available in 2001. £135m in 1998

“Obtaining the money was important to break the log jam and…..we have got to try to make this deal work. If this one breaks down where are we collectively going?” Dougie Mackie

“ministers were prepared for it”. Peter Peacock

Funding available

‘Scottish Education has been ...a mark of national identity... and its supposed superiority has been a point of national pride’. Robert Anderson (1999)

“Since May 2007 the Scottish Government has attempted to tap into the importance of education to national identity in order to produce a particular ‘local inflection’” Ozga and Arnott (2009) But

“they seem to have ducked some of the most difficult issues”. Fiona Hyslop’s response to the Review (2008)

Scottish Parliament

robust, validated evidence of good classroom practice while retaining the principle of teacher self-nomination;

the need for senior colleague endorsement;

but, most crucially, the need to be seen, and used, as a valuable school-wide resource

Ministerial issues

Structure of Scheme proposed by Gordon Jeyes but later he described as “Shoogly” and “not the one he envisaged”

“a very strange process”. Ronnie Smith Deal needed by minister establish and/or

consolidate his position as a possible future First Minister. Interviewee.

Funding could and would be reallocated to other services, notably health. Interviewee.

Time pressure/lack of scrutiny

“I’m so very disappointed that in many ways the whole idea never got across” Ronnie Smith

“not top of the pile”, Peter Peacock Full Implementation group met on 5 occasions

with no substantive discussion about the Scheme.

Size of pay increase, the 35 hour week and the conservation of pay. (EIS priorities)

“the Standard is not the outcome of any process of systematic planning” (Purdon)

Low Priority

“act of faith” and “a very big objective about changing the whole profession and respecting the profession” Peter Peacock

Professional autonomy

McCrone “completely irrelevant” “important opportunity seriously messed up”. “If the headteacher wants to hang on to you, he’ll pay you more” Keir Bloomer

the quality of teaching in universities “variable”. Scheme “too provider driven” and external endorsement “required”. Michael O’Neil

Need to get a living wage for “the curious professional.” Gordon Jeyes

Professional Accountability

“a lack of willingness at Ministerial level to tackle the major issues surrounding self selection, a greater focus on school and the role of the Chartered Teacher”. Michael O’Neil

Opposition of the leaders of the teacher associations

Focus on desire to prevent a few teachers from entering.

No strong desire to end a long period of calm – still a consensus?

Review – limited change

‘My line manager has confirmed that he/she is willing to provide me with support during my Chartered Teacher Programme’

A compromise

Nature of endorsement?

Robust evidence?

Flexible routes?

Reappraisal?

School/authority wide role?

The Future