Stop Argyll & Bute Council’s “Empowering our Educators” proposal process

Stop Argyll & Bute Council’s “Empowering our Educators” proposal process

Started
13 July 2022
Signatures: 640Next Goal: 1,000
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Why this petition matters

Started by Lisa Beckett

We are the Parent Council for Dalmally Primary School and we oppose Argyll & Bute Council’s proposals for the Empowering our Educators (Collective Leadership Model).   The process of the consultation has shown itself to be deeply flawed and we are calling for it to be stopped NOW before it can progress to the final stage. We are not adverse to change BUT we want to be included in it from the earliest possible moment and we want to work positively and equitably with Argyll & Bute Council to shape that change.

In Argyll & Bute, young learners in our schools, staff and communities are not at the heart of this proposal. Please sign to:

1. Demand that all councillors of Argyll & Bute scrap these proposals by 25th August 2022.

2. Ask for a wholly independent inquiry to scrutinise the process used by Argyll & Bute council.

The Council’s “Empowering our Educators” consultation closed on the 31st of March. It proposed radical changes to the school leadership structure of our schools. Schools would be organised in clusters now referred to as collectives and run by one Executive Head Teacher. The report on the data collected will be considered by and voted on by the Community Services Committee on the 25th August 2022.  

Stand, the marketing agency appointed to assist with the delivery of the consultation, will prepare the report and it will be available on-line one week beforehand on the Council’s website. Some see this a clear conflict of interest and are questioning the objectivity and validity of the report: akin to marking your own homework.

 The FOI documents released in June highlighted that the stated “goal” for this project was to “drive acceptance of the schools clusters concept”. 

This is NOT Consultation but a clearly defined marketing exercise. The “Empowering our Educators” proposal does NOT provide a solid rationale for the wholesale changes, nor data, nor costings, nor risk assessments or a balance of information. The only reason there has been engagement is the persistence and determination of communities to ensure their voices are heard. Information sessions were ONLY rolled out to all because a group of Parent Council Chairs requested them. Gaelic was retrofitted and the needs of specialist groups overlooked.

We were assured these changes were NOT cost/savings driven yet the FOI documents reveal plans to remove clerical and janitorial staff from our schools to “enable schools to be managed in the most cost-effective way” and citing savings of £675,000.  The FOI documents clearly show this is a marketing campaign - but we believe that education is not a commodity, it is a necessity.

This model will undoubtedly change our school identity which is at the very heart of our way of life. Smaller schools will be viewed as remote/ additional classrooms of the cluster and the Head of School, a person instrumental in the formation of our young people, who knows and works with every school-age family in the area, is to be reduced to someone “responsible for the school building”.

We are deeply concerned about the nature of the information contained in the FOI documents and are requesting a STOP to the process and a full audit and scrutiny. Additionally, there is concern that this is already being phased-in through the back door.

Please stand strong, sign the petition & STOP poor process.

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Signatures: 640Next Goal: 1,000
Support now
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