Comment posted Major success for Argyll and Bute Council education staff and for Kilmodan school by Gerry Fisher.
Yes – well done to EDOs, so why shouldnt all the QIOs become EDOs?
And I hope that Neil McIntyre gets the answers to his questions quickly – I cant think of a good reason why he shouldnt.
Gerry Fisher also commented
- I expect the new Lead Councillor on Education, who knows his area of reponsibilty , possibly better than his appointed staff, to lay down the law to his staff as to policies and guidance. The days of paid staff laying down policy, and failing to give correct information to the elected members and the Council as a whole, are over. One such occurrence such as we have seen in the last few years will lead, I hope, not to resignations and “settlements” but to termination with no recompence. The first real test will probably come in the next 2 weeks with the report on Spygate and the dealing with the culprits in that affair.
Recent comments by Gerry Fisher
- SNP Constituency Association Convener’s email tells a tale
Voxpop:Problem with “local” not “party” councillors is that they appeal for votes on the basis of the “good guy” label. They do not believe it is necessary to have a manifesto, or even the basis of a programme for government, certainly not for change. So they end up as the lobby fodder for someone like Cllr Walsh who knows he wants power, doesnt have to say what he will do with it, and can have the fodder wait to see which way he will jump before they make up what they would think was their opinion, even their minds.”Party” representatives are elected on the basis of a manifesto, a promise, to their electorste and are accountable to the voters when they wish to be re-elected. If you havent promised anything (except perhaps to do your best) it is a bit difficult to be held accountable for nothing specific.
- SNP departures from administration – was money a factor?
See above – the statement was nonsense. - SNP departures from administration – was money a factor?
Lynda:Since the News of the World has made plain that it is a criminal offence to hack into emails which are guaranteed the privacy of the Royal Mail, and darling Rebeccah is about to find out what that will cost her in time at her Majesty’s pleasure, did it never occur to you, or your legal advisors, that in publishing what may, or may not, be a hacked email, you might have been making yourself an accessory after the fact?
One straight factual matter which you could have ascertained by a simple phone call. Mr Ian McCann is no Chief whip to A&B or any other Council group. He is a paid servant of the Party whose job title is Clerk on Governance and Party rules, working for the National Executive Committee of the SNP at Head Office in Edinburgh. Is it too much to expect you to do a little journalistic professional work before exposing your personal biasses as a “story” ? - Rustle with Russell
LyndaYou really should admit to being misinformed about Bob Allan’s resignation – and name the liar. I know that journalists like to respect the anonymity of their sources, but that doesnt apply to liars does it?
- An independent Scotland and the pound
The point on the jobs is that no-one is talking of closing the Faslane base. What is being projected is the withdrawal of the weapons of Mass destruction and the jobs associated with them – a very much smaller percentage of those employed in the base.
Has any-one noticed the total failure of the NO campaign to run with the line ” Vote No to keep Trident on the Clyde”
Cant imagine why – its a great idea for Fear U and D to tell the Scots voters that they really are Better together with WMD in the Union.
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Yet another success for a school the previous administration, and in particular Cllr Marshall’s criteria, would have us believe is failing.
A little encouragement and a little support and our rural schools can, and do, demonstrate quite how effective they are and quite how well they deliver education.
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Well done Kilmodan! Great school, great kids and great community.
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So, is this Aileen Goodall one of these much maligned immprovement officers we keep hearing newsie and FA rubbishing??
Mmm??
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We could do chapter and verse on QIOs in general and in particular but it seems thrawn to do that right at the moment because our hope is that things will improve under new political guidance.
ARSN was always aware that QIOs follow instructions from their employer and indeed it was obvious that some were uncomfortable with the roles they had during the closure consultations, not least the dreadful scripts they had to read from (Vygotsky indeed!).
Now that there’s a new administration, we hope to see more of the kind of work Aileen Goodall is doing. Given all the negative tensions involved in the closure debacle, I’m sure it’s what our QIOs would rather be doing.
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Didn’t you read the Update at the foot of the article Simon?
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A bit unfair, B2. Simon’s reply was posted before newsy posted the update.
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Just checked our time logs. We posted the update at 08.23 and Simon’s comment to which Barmore 2 refers was posted at 09.09.
Apologies.
I had done this time log check myself and had not noticed the days, only the hours.
Simon posted his comment on 3rd June at 9.09pm.
Our update to the article was on 4th June at 08.23am.
Lynda
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It is certainly very interesting to hear what has been happening in Kilmodan.Has this been successful in the other schools across Argyll?
I would love to hear from the teachers and support staff on the closure story now that they are allowed a voice without
the threat of disciplne.Or have all the bosses seen the light.Still a lot of money being paid to the QIO,s or is this new title a change or additional staff?
I would hope that the education department and Carol Walker,s so called leadership will be examined very quickly by the new council along with giving us the answers to spygate and Jo Smith.Is she still sitting at home being paid to get a sun tan.
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Well done Kilmodan…!
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Well said Barmore 2. Kilmodan deserve our congratulations, as do all the wee schools who keep clocking up one prize or another for doing really special and wonderful work.
I reckon Argyll & Bute always had the best chance of implementing the Curriculum for Excellence because the wee schools already had to operate that way to an extent and the teachers really know how to make it work. Let’s hope they’re allowed to flourish now so the kids, and their communities, can move forward with security and confidence.
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Yes – well done to EDOs, so why shouldnt all the QIOs become EDOs?
And I hope that Neil McIntyre gets the answers to his questions quickly – I cant think of a good reason why he shouldnt.
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Regarding the update which reads ‘Auileen Goodall is an Educational Development Officer – not a Quality Improvement Officer. This keeps the pressure on the question of just what the very many QIOs at Argyll and Bute council actually do and whether that is worth what it costs us’
This is an important point of discussion. It would be interesting to know what are the remits of both roles and how much overlap is there. Based purely on title (which can obviously be misleading) they certainly appear to be roles which must have a lot of similar responsibilities. Are we getitng value for money from these two roles?
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I think the best people to enquire this with would be Head Teachers across Argyll & Bute and perhaps ask them to list the areas they have received help or have found QIOs and QIMs to actually have been a benefit to them.
I already know the thoughts of one area – so I would expect much silence to follow such a request.
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Thank you for the subtle prompt on the latest typo.
Aileen Goodallhas now been reunited with her proper name.
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Surely after the chaos of the rural schools proposed closures the points made by Integrity and Crazy in response to this story would be a great place to start for our new councillors The investigation into duplication of responsibility across the whole spectrum of council departments will surely follow.Jobs can be created and services improved if someone has the sense and guts to do it.
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I expect the new Lead Councillor on Education, who knows his area of reponsibilty , possibly better than his appointed staff, to lay down the law to his staff as to policies and guidance. The days of paid staff laying down policy, and failing to give correct information to the elected members and the Council as a whole, are over. One such occurrence such as we have seen in the last few years will lead, I hope, not to resignations and “settlements” but to termination with no recompence. The first real test will probably come in the next 2 weeks with the report on Spygate and the dealing with the culprits in that affair.
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