derer1

And I scored Sox tickets for early April, mwahahaha

It's -22 C with wind chill here today. No, really. It's *Cold*

long time lurker/infrequent poster on WSF - although not so much now as their overseas coverage is very limited, primarily florida. Hanging around the mass/new england surfcasting forums more

It suprised the hell out of a lot of people here - it's armageddon here in Boston!

Fishing (Sea, Fly, Coarse), Motorcycling. Motorcycling to fishing locations. There's a pattern here (Video games also)

Want some of my snow? I've got a good few feet to spare....although this week has been warmer - daytime temperatures actually above 0C for a change

Where I used to be, the HT was on 95k+, and a *large* number of teaching staff were on 50-70 and up. I was on 18k, then 20k, and the rest of the IT staff were on 10-16k. We went back and forth a lot on this - always we had the 'we pay well for the area' argument thrown at us. Well yes, it's a deprived rural area - but when you can earn more shelf-stacking in the Tesco's down the road. No money for training, no money for payrises - yet year on year the HT got his payrise (over 100k by now I'd imagine) and the teachers paychecks got fatter and fatter. I did have to control my reaction to a department head telling me, with a straight face, that 'if I wanted money, I wouldnt be in teaching' - pray tell what - bank robbery? Same dept head also justified the reason for the abysmal pay for technicians by saying we 'werent paid to think' Guess what department? ICT teacher.

I must admit I picked up a lot - but not sure if it was from the students, or the vast numbers of staff for whom washing hands after using the toilet seems optional to. I'd go in, sit down to go - hear someone else come in, go, flush and straight back out the door into circulation. The exception were those who actually washed

Do bear in mind also that there's often a 'glass ceiling' only a thousand or two above your starting pay. Once you hit the top of that 'pay spine' thats prettymuch 'it' - no TLRs, no prospect to move upward etc. Not impossible for a technician to start on 10k, move up to 16k, and remain on that 16k for the next umpteen years, regardless of skills aquired etc

I know the feeling - on the upside I'm heading to about the most non-republican state there is, massachusetts! I'll be keeping dual citizenship however, once I do get US citizenship. Just in case I need to flee to canada

America! Once upon a time I was abit of a cisco ninja/network engineer over there, met my wife there, and finally the stars have aligned - they've issued me a permanant visa

UTTERLY agree on the pay issue!

Well, time to get out to preserve my sanity - emmigrating! If anyone wants it, there's a *very* challenging post avalible at my old place now, for those who are true gluttons for punishment :twisted: Edugeek's been a great resource, and a very welcome safety valve to boot - I'll try to read every now and again to keep up on things back in the Uk!

Hm - localzuk, drop me a PM. Our place used to do this as part of the Technology College remit - provide IT Support to the local feeder sites. Quite possibly the most insane time-sink I've ever seen, some of them needing vast amounts of investment/work at that point. Some of my guys have a lot of knowledge of the systems of some of the local feeders - can give you an idea of what you may be letting yourself in for.

I'm sure some kind of painless dart gun could be used, to tag them unawares in the wilds of the staffroom