principal reduces class contact time for subjects

techteacher

hi all,
Some advice please on a situation in our school..... the new principal decided to stop teaching this year and off load his subjects on to me by reducing my teaching time periods so i can teach his. I used to have 4 periods per subject and now it has been reduced to 3 periods .This is only being done to me and is being done via the DP as she is responsible for timetabling (and is only doing what she is told).

I presume I can ask the union for support in this matter but do i get rep to deal with DP or Principal?

Random sample

I’m not sure i fully understand your situation, have you been given extra class groups within your 22 hours?

Are you talking about junior cycle or leaving cert classes that you have reduced contact with? Is the class allocation enough to meet department guidelines for your subject?

SligoBrewer

Just contact the union. They'll give you the correct advice and better than anything on an internet forum.

RealJohn

If all that's happening is that your contact time with certain classes (or all classes) has been reduced by one period each per week, so you can fit in more class groups on your timetable, I'm not sure you have much grounds for complaint. It will definitely make things a bit harder for you, between having to plan for extra class groups, exams/homework etc. for extra class groups, and trying to get your subject covered in less time, but that being said, I'm not sure there's any rule to say that you can have a maximum number of class groups, as long as it all comes in at 21.3 hours overall.

Treppen

RealJohn wrote: »

If all that's happening is that your contact time with certain classes (or all classes) has been reduced by one period each per week, so you can fit in more class groups on your timetable, I'm not sure you have much grounds for complaint. It will definitely make things a bit harder for you, between having to plan for extra class groups, exams/homework etc. for extra class groups, and trying to get your subject covered in less time, but that being said, I'm not sure there's any rule to say that you can have a maximum number of class groups, as long as it all comes in at 21.3 hours overall.

Singled out for unfair treatment maybe! Of course your hours haven't changed but really, with less classes to get the same course covered + taken on extra classes, that increases the workload.

Forget about school rep, this is most likely a legal question. onto the union ASAP. Although there are probably some people that wouldn't care less if a teacher took a legal challenge, they'd let their -paid by the school-solicitor deal with it for months, put you through hell and stress, and settle for pittance at the last minute on the steps of a court. And then go to town on your next 2020 timetable.

techteacher

Treppen wrote: »

Singled out for unfair treatment maybe! Of course your hours haven't changed but really, with less classes to get the same course covered + taken on extra classes, that increases the workload.

Forget about school rep, this is most likely a legal question. onto the union ASAP. Although there are probably some people that wouldn't care less if a teacher took a legal challenge, they'd let their -paid by the school-solicitor deal with it for months, put you through hell and stress, and settle for pittance at the last minute on the steps of a court. And then go to town on your next 2020 timetable.

I think the union is the next port of call, as this is a clear case of 1 teacher being given less time than another to cover a similar QQI level6 subject ( ie only given 3 periods where as other teachers are given 4 periods to cover a very similar module with the same class group)

Thanks to all posters for their advice