Birbalsingh vs Phillips

[Beebo]

She courts publicity and revels in her reputation, but can’t seem to take mild criticism.
Going straight for the race card is a pretty blow.
She was all over the press recently claiming pupils identify as cats in class. Despite there being very little evidence to support it.

 

[Ian H]

She courts publicity and revels in her reputation, but can’t seem to take mild criticism.
Going straight for the race card is a pretty blow.
She was all over the press recently claiming pupils identify as cats in class. Despite there being very little evidence to support it.

Regarding the racist thing, there's this, which I'm posting without comment.

View: https://twitter.com/sturdyAlex/status/1675459479012245504

 

[AuroraSaab]

I think part of the discussion is that Jess Phillip's comments brought Birbalsingh's tweet to wider attention which then resulted in posts which she feels were racist in nature.

I think Phillips was wrong not to give Birbalsingh the benefit of the doubt on the Ike Turner photo, but she can't be held responsible for other people's comments. Otherwise you're basically saying anybody with a large number of followers can never comment on anything in case somebody dodgy sees it.

It's the nature of social media that any comment, sensibly expressed or crassly expressed, can end up provoking batsh*t replies from all sides of the political spectrum.

 

[Rusty Nails]

A complete non-story inflated by the effects of social media.

I agree with the comments about Birbalsingh who has been lionised by the right wing press, but I do not believe for one minute she meant to link the photo with domestic violence. The fact she is a right wing idiot is irrelevant except for point scoring. She should have admitted the error and moved on, but outraged arrogance took over.

Phillips fires from the hip, which is one of the things I like about her, but in this case she was wrong and missed, as those who shoot from the hip often do, and not a bit averse to point-scoring herself.

Both of them should be made to sit on the naughty step for a while until the Twittersphere has other more pressing issues to get in a tizz about.

 

[theclaud]

I'm on team Jess on this one, but this was proper funny:


View: https://twitter.com/TheIDSmiths/status/1675589464452636679?t=RwVaCJFG76TY5MKoN3bHug&s=19

 

[theclaud]

I do not believe for one minute she meant to link the photo with domestic violence

In which case, why double down? Wouldn't you be mortified and apologetic if you were attempting to pay tribute to someone and instead you posted them with the abuser who made their life hell?

 

[Rusty Nails]

In which case, why double down? Wouldn't you be mortified and apologetic if you were attempting to pay tribute to someone and instead you posted them with the abuser who made their life hell?

Any normal person would, but I put her stance down to arrogance and not being able to admit to error or weakness. She clearly revels in her reputation in the right wing press.

I suspect that in putting out the tribute to Tina Turner to show her "I'm just an ordinary person" credentials she didn't even think about what including Ike Turner in the picture would look like. Perhaps she is not versed in pop culture and didn't even know about the violence.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I have come across several headteachers that were well thought of

except by people who worked for them

if you look at some of their school then you see a huge exodus of staff when they start there

Some of them are incapable of looking at other options and insist on the old "its my way or the highway" concept - they can never be wrong!

bad management basically

 

[AuroraSaab]

The academy system has given heads a huge amount of power and a free reign they never had under local authority control. That hasn't been a good thing in a lot of respects.

 

[Bromptonaut]

The academy system has given heads a huge amount of power and a free reign they never had under local authority control. That hasn't been a good thing in a lot of respects.

It's not been a good thing at all.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I was watching one of those "educating xxxxxx" series a while ago

It was about an academy "up North" somewhere - can;t remember where
One of the schools was in trouble - low intake and bad behaviour - hence most parents who cared did everything possible to send their kids to oneof the other school
School building in bad state of repair - windows that won;t open so the room is roasting - and windows that won;t close so the room is freezing
leaks whenever it rains
all of that

Just like where I used to teacher for many years

Anyway - the School Head was interviewed and was trying everything - he was desperate to turn things around
the Academy Chief Exec sent him an extar very experience teacher - but banned him from teaching - he was only there to gather data - none of which was any use to the School - only stuff for the Academy to use against them
and the school had his salary etc taken from their budget

Anyway - they had an interview with the Academy Chief Exec
He was told how worried the School Head was
He replied that the Shcool Head should be worried because if things didn;t improve then things would be bad for the Head

Hmmmm I thought
Bad for the School head is it??
not bad for you - who is in overall charge of the whole academy - and in control of the budget that could fix a lot of the problems


I looked up the salary of Academy Heads around the country

That academy ddin;t publish salaries of the senior officials

wonder why??

Academies are NOT there to make things better for the kids - at least not all are - I am sure some are very morally good
but then there are others!


end rant

 

[AuroraSaab]

It's not been a good thing at all.

There's been some minor positives. Unfortunately things like giving schools more control over their budgets has ultimately led to giving the higher ups big salary boosts and the development of academy groups with 'Directors of Learning' (or similar made up titles) on absolute shedloads of cash.

 

[Beebo]

She runs a free school with 700 kids that she has created from scratch.
By its very nature it will be self selecting as problem children will simply not put that school on the list, whilst good pupils will be desperate to get chosen who will have strong parental buy in to the boot camp ethos.

It’s also a very small school by comparison to most. Both my kids both go to schools with double the amount of pupils.

I would like to see her take on an established comprehensive with poor engagement to see how she copes in the real world.

 

[multitool]

She runs a free school with 700 kids that she has created from scratch.
By its very nature it will be self selecting as problem children will simply not put that school on the list, whilst good pupils will be desperate to get chosen who will have strong parental buy in to the boot camp ethos.

It’s also a very small school by comparison to most. Both my kids both go to schools with double the amount of pupils.

I would like to see her take on an established comprehensive with poor engagement to see how she copes in the real world.

I think there's a lot of truth in there. The regime is draconian and there are whole sections of young people who would not cope with it however much they wanted to. Pretty much any kid with social and mental health needs. Any kid from a chaotic household. Any kid with parents with drug or alcohol problems. I font get the sense from Michaela's output that they are interested in special needs provision.

Finally, I am struck by the demographics of their student base, judging by photos. I would say they benefit from an intake from cultures with a strong belief in education.

 

[Pale Rider]

I can't understand why anyone listens to either of them.