Schools Workforce Agreement - Head Teacher = Network Manager

[mark]

Come December 2005 all Teaching staff must not have anything to do with supporting IT in schools.

At my school, our ICT Coordinator has been told that come December, he will no longer be allowed to be the 'Acting Network Manager' and that the Head Teacher will assume that position!!!

Does anyone know if this is right? I have a good relationship with my Head Teacher and have been working closely with her since her installment nearly 2 years ago. She is not in any way technical, but rather relies on another senior manager for objective advice.

He [the other manager, and now Head of IT [teaching]] is slated to be my line manager, alongside the current ICT Coordinator [something i've resisted as I don't think it sensible to have 2 line managers mainly, and also as a faculty head as well, he's far from objective].

Again, how can a person paid as a teacher, with no real skills in the specialisation, have any place managing a technical post?

[GrumbleDook]

I struggle with the job title ICT Co-ordinator now ...

The job is almost redundant.

All the Techie stuff cannot be doen by them. The curriculum is designed and lloked after by the HoD ...

The strategy should be done by Senior Manglement with advice from Middle Manglement ...

The only thing left is ICT across the curriculum.

That should not really affect you apart from you helping to make sure all subjects have access to resources and facilities ... and you helping them to make the most of it.

You should ask the Head to make sure only one is your line manager ... and that you would also like to see the job descriptions of the Head of IT and the ICT Co-ord so that you know who is doing what job.

And try to get the agreement from her that if things get political you can go and have a quiet work with her so that you don't get involved.

[mark]

But who should take the responsibility of Network Manager - are you saying that it's ok fer her to do that as Head?

Our new Head of IT is also a member of the SMT. Useful to have that leverage but personally a pain in the neck, and as hidden Network Manager not a pleasant prospect at all.

[andy]

Our ICT Coord is deputy head - he also teaches ICT (although by trade he is a music teacher). It appears to me he is happy to take orders (so to speak) on teaching ICT from the HoD. The ICT Cord however takes charge of strategizing(?) for the whole school - deciding where resources should go, etc.. All technical details are left to me It goes very much like this, for example:

Deputy Head: We are going to put a cluster of ICT in History, here's how much money we've got, how many machines can we have?
Me: about 7 with a bit of change, couple of hundred more for another (I say a bit sheepishly because I know he expected more, but didn't account for the networking, servers, etc. also involvedin the project)
Deputy Head: Let's have 8 then, here's the money (he doesn't actually hand me any money)
HoD: My Whiteboard's not working - is something wrong with the server?

It works (IMHO) very well, and we all get on!

(I should have been a script writer)



Andy.

[beeswax]

that's a fairy tale.
here in my new school things seem much the same as your experience, but in my last school things weren't so hot.
example - called to his (head of ICT) room (it's a long trek) because his computer isn't working, my expert diagnosis finds that the kettle lead isn't plugged in to the machine or the mains.
his reply? it isn't my job to do that.
please, show a little initiative
beeswax

[Ric_]

@mark: Whay can't you be the network manager? Surely it's you that makes all the day-to-day decisions about the running of your school network?

Here, I am the network manager and my line manager is one of the assistant heads (a member of the SLT).

I have pretty much free reign and just discuss bigger things with my line manager who generally bows to my better judgement. He also takes some of the flack for me

[RobC]

Our ICT Coord is deputy head - he also teaches ICT (although by trade he is a music teacher).

Anyone else concerned about the number of ICT Teachers around these days who are actually from other departments but just happen to be teaching ICT?

I would have thought ours was a subject that would require a certain amount of properly qualified knowledge...

[russdev]

@robc

think it depends on size of school a small school I would say its the norm but in bigger school it is seen less and less.

russ

[tarquel]

Our ICT Coord is deputy head - he also teaches ICT (although by trade he is a music teacher).

Same thing here, although he was the technology teacher - the job got put upon him so to speak.

I agree with you rob - they should be qualified to do it, but then again, some of us arent so........*walks off whistling*



Nath

[Netman]

Totally with Ric_ on this one - We have the same setup here. I'm Network Manager and report directly to DHM. Who never bothers with what I do anyway so am independent really. Why oh why would any teacher be given responsibility for ICT management? I don't walk into a classroom and start teaching history ('cause I'd be cr*p!!) so they shouldn't try to run a network ('cause they'll be cr*p!!).
@Mark - put yourself forward to be Network Manager - even if you were a newbie to ICT (not saying you are!) you'd still be a better choice than a teacher... if you get on with the head then use that to get the post yourself...

<goes off mumbling about bloody empire builders....!!>

[Dos_Box]

I would suggest getting hold of a job spec for a network manager (Becta has some I think) then asking youir head if they fulfil those roles, especially under the new workforce agreement. It sounds like penny pinching to me.

[GrumbleDook]

We are a bit different to most places ...

We have a Head of ICT (looks after KS3 & 4, but also works with the various depts to embed ICT across the curriculum), we have the Head of Faculty for ICT & DT (who looks after general ICT Curriculum issues ...)

They have the usual entourage of teachers, a dedicated curriculum technician to do their admin stuff (but she is also a dab hand with a screwdriver) and then some LSA support for admin too.

On the support side we have me on the leadership team as Director of IT (equiv asst head) dealing with the strategy (working with the Head of Faculty), looking after the data management stuff (MIS, woorking with exams officer, reports officer, statistician, etc) and overall in charge of support (but not meant to be doing any)

We then have Stephen, who is NM and looks after the day-to-day, week-to-week stuff ... and his team of asst NM and technicians.

It sort of works ... there are a few times when it gets confusing who is in charge of what ... but basically anything in the ICT curriculum goes finally through Head of Faculty but I get my say in it too ... and anything else goes through me, but I include others too ...

The Head of Faculty is Line Managed by the Head ... as am I .. and thankfully he is switched on to most things ... but most of all his is aware of his limitations which is why he has people like me around.

[ninjabeaver]

Here, I am the network manager and my line manager is one of the assistant heads (a member of the SLT).

I have pretty much free reign and just discuss bigger things with my line manager who generally bows to my better judgement. He also takes some of the flack for me

Same here. Sounds like the same guy to me.

My Line Manager takes the flack then moans at me about it. I get it sorted and we carry on, plus we can have a laugh afterwards at the stupid things staff do. :P

[mark]

@mark: Whay can't you be the network manager? Surely it's you that makes all the day-to-day decisions about the running of your school network?

Yes - why can't I! & yes, I do!

I would suggest getting hold of a job spec for a network manager (Becta has some I think) then asking youir head if they fulfil those roles, especially under the new workforce agreement. It sounds like penny pinching to me.

Good idea!

The job descriptions are here

[beeswax]

I posted this before finishing it. sorry

that's a fairy tale.
here in my new school things seem much the same as your experience, but in my last school things weren't so hot.
example - called to his (head of ICT) room (it's a long trek) because his computer isn't working, my expert diagnosis finds that the kettle lead isn't plugged in to the machine or the mains.
his reply? it isn't my job to do that.
please, show a little initiative

I was going to finish by saying that it's obviously my role as techie to sort this out, but the amount of times I get stopped going from office to it suite, it would have been quicker, and better for the pupil sat in front of a dead machine, for the teacher to use a little gumption. Is this the level of detail we're going to have to reach in order to define our roles?

beeswax