Surely after the chaos of the rural schools …

Comment posted Major success for Argyll and Bute Council education staff and for Kilmodan school by neil macintyre.

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.

neil macintyre also commented

  • 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.

Recent comments by neil macintyre

  • Argyll and Bute Council: Councillor McCuish leads again
    Come on folks the weather is beautiful in Oban it could be a sign of better things to come and my horse won the 5.30 at Goodwood. It will not matter who is in power as we have seen in Oban especially over the last few years nothing has been done.
    We now await the so called Miracle from TIF to bring what?
    If that debt wings its way to us who will pay for it?
    The goalposts have been moved back to 2030 but of course by then the Directors and the big boss will all be retired with a nice big cheque in the bank and with no worries about the mess they have left.
    Oban Airport is a wonderful example.
    Old regime or new regime = same faces no change just more money for consultants.
    But the sun is still shining and hopefully the penny will drop eventually that we are being taken for mugs.
    Cheers Neil.
  • Argyll and Bute Council: Councillor McCuish leads again
    You have to admire Graeme with his “just a little local difficulty”.Looking forward to seeing how his SNP Councillors who are in the Administration handle a big problem.
    And just for a bit of fun how will his SNP Councillors who are in the opposition handle a big problem?
    Sorry folks but I am lost and I,m writing this.
    Never mind Graeme I am sure the SNP in Argyll will be nominated for one of the comedy awards they are shu-in.
    Cheers Neil.
  • Argyll and Bute Council: Councillor McCuish leads again
    Sorry Phil but will give you the story when the dust settles. Worth waiting for I promise.
    Cheers Neil.
  • Argyll and Bute Council: Councillor McCuish leads again
    This is beginning to sound like a script for a James Bond movie.
    Lets have some suggestions for the main characters from our councillors. I am sure Roddy would enjoy playing Bond and Marion would certainly make a great Miss Moneypenny.
    Think about the publicity for Argyll if it was filmed here and all the spin offs for the tourist industry.
    Now that Salmond has given the SNP councillors the nod to work with the bedroom tax tories the skys the limit.
    So in this new coalition we must embrace the coming together of a new dawn and banish forever the thoughts of Independence in Argyll.
    I just got carried away a wee bit I blame it on the cider.
    Cheers Neil.
  • Argyll and Bute Council: Councillor McCuish leads again
    Lets have a close look at the councillors under the banner “Argyll and Bute for change” these are most of the dinosaurs that have done nothing but follow Dick Walsh blindly for years. I certainly agree we need to change them but sadly they are here for a few more years yet.
    Cheers Neil.
    PS.
    Poor councillor Duncan MacIntyre will be shattered he must of thought he was going to receive the holy grail.

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16 Responses to Surely after the chaos of the rural schools …

  1. 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.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  2. So, is this Aileen Goodall one of these much maligned immprovement officers we keep hearing newsie and FA rubbishing??

    Mmm??

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

    • 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.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

        • 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

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  3. 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.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

    • 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.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  4. 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.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  5. 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?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

    • 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.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  6. 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.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  7. 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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