The Teachers Are Blowing Their Whistles!

Queensland classroom teachers are being bullied into ill health and out of work.

The Queensland Teachers' Union ( QTU ) has known about this situation since at least 2002.

"...With the average age of the teacher workforce now into the late forties, the union is seeing more and more members, who are the victims of bullying and harassment, retiring on the grounds of ill-health out of the workforce, unable to comprehend what has happened to them.

Some of those members had exhausted all avenues open to them with no avail. ..."

Bullying - Beyond a joke, Leah Mertens, officer responsible for WH&S issues, p.13, Queensland Teachers'Journal, 25 July 2002.

Ask your QTU Organiser :

What have the QTU been doing about workplace bullying since 2002?

Are fewer Queensland teachers being bullied out of work in 2009?

 

Queensland classroom teachers who are worried about workplace abuse may find the following website useful :

Bullyproof Yourself - a Guide for Queensland Teachers.

 

Classroom teachers who are being bullied at work may not realise that the bullying is affecting their health.

Bullied classroom teachers need to Get Legal Advice as soon as possible.

Bruce Flegg speaks out about bullying and aggressive behaviour by teachers (I presume he means school principals ) against teachers.

Figures released by the Queensland Government in November 2009 showed that the number of formal complaints of bullying and aggressive behaviour by teachers against other teachers had increased by more than 40 per cent over the past two years.

Dr Bruce Flegg, Opposition education spokesman, said that teacher-bullying is a systemic problem that requires government action.

 * In 2007, 26 Queensland teachers made formal complaints to the education department about the behaviour of "other teachers".

I would presume that most of the bullying and aggressive "other teachers" are actually school principals.

 * In 2008, 30 Queensland teachers made formal complaints.

 * In 2009 (to November), 37 Queensland teachers made formal complaints.

 

Opposition education spokesman Bruce Flegg said he had been approached by a number of teachers who were concerned about being told by other teachers to keep quiet about school problems.

"There's pressure to cover up ... I don't think there is any doubt whistleblowers are being bullied," Dr Flegg said.

"The agenda is about controlling the public relations rather than fixing the problems."

Teachers bullied to keep quiet on problem schools, AAP, 30 November, 2009 : http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26419876-5003402,00.html

A Queensland primary school principal was moved from one Queensland school to another, following complaints that he was "bullying" the classroom teachers.

At the second school he allegedly raised his hand to strike one of the female teachers.

The principal was "disciplined" after this incident.

The Courier-Mail understands that the "discipline" consisted of sending him to work in Education Queensland Head Office.

You have to wonder how many bully principals are working in Education Queensland Head Office, and if this form of "discipline" is appropriate.

Then the principal was sent to be principal of a third school in the Redlands area - in Brisbane's south-east - where he has been working for the last six years.

The classroom teachers at this third school recently moved a motion of no confidence in the principal.

And Education Queensland have confirmed that a principal is under investigation for bullying.

Education Queensland has a "Duty of Care" to protect classroom teachers from workplace abuse.

This story suggests that Education Queensland's "principal discipline process" is failing.

 

School principal investigated over claims he 'bullied" teachers, Alison Sandy, The Courier-Mail, 11 March 2010

In a previous life as a union organiser, it was my experience that there were quite a few principals who were bullying their staff.

Staff were too scared to make a complaint as they were often not taken seriously or because they feared further ramifications.

It was my experience that if these matters were able to be brought to a head by staff members making a complaint, the principal was promoted to an office position for a while and then moved back into the system.

Senior management don't like to admit that their processes have failed.

And they often look after their own.

Barcy Doug, Reader's Comment 18 of 26, School principal investigated over claims he "bullied" teachers, Alison Sandy, The Courier-Mail, 11 March 2010

The Principal that I work under hides behind the "Code of Conduct" system.

Anyone who has spoken out in the past has been automatically hit with a "Code of Conduct" violation.

Funny thing is, we only have one "Code of Conduct" investigator on staff and guess who it is - the principal!

Education Queensland get principals to watch over the teachers but no-one watches over the principal.

Well done to the Redlands school that spoke out!

Teacher of North Queensland, Reader's Comment 21 of 26, School principal investigated over claims he "bullied" teachers, Alison Sandy, The Courier-Mail, 11 March 2010

I am a school teacher and today I had a parent removed from the school grounds as she wanted to bash my head in.

Why?

Because I dared to question her child's very high, unexplained absenteeism.

The child has had more than 25 days absent and we have only been at school for 33 days.

It is not just school principals and the children who are bullying the teachers.

It comes from the parents towards the teachers as well.

Why do I teach? Reader's comment 22 of 26, School principal investigated over claims he "bullied" teachers, Alison Sandy, The Courier-Mail, 11 March, 2010.

I quit teaching because of bullying by parents.

I recently quit teaching.

I was intimidated and bullied by the parents of children who I disciplined.

The children knew their parents would back them and attack the teacher.

The smug little things then continued to dare me to discipline them again, forcing me to back off and second guess every basic decision I made.

I could no longer do my job and so quit in disgust.

These were grade 4 students in a very well-to-do area.

It's the parents that are causing the problems, the blame must surely be laid at their feet.

 

When a teacher is bullied at work, the only thing that they can do is to quit. 

I've decided not to practice teaching.

Many of my classmates from University went on to become teachers.

Two have burnt out, retrained, and gone on to other jobs because of workplace bullying in their schools.

Others have moved into supply teaching to avoid the workplace bullying in their first state government schools.

It is not just the school principals who bully, it is often other teachers who are the bullies.

It is rife within the system.

Given the difficulty of establishing a case against a bully and that standing up to them, even as a group, is most likely to result in retaliation, the only thing to do is to quit.

Perhaps schools need to start looking at psychological screening?

Veronica Chan of Birkdale, Comment 14 of 50, Teachers bully each other at school, Elizabeth Allen and Tanya Chilcott, The Courier-Mail , 13 May 2009.

Bullying is rife in Queensland schools all right - not only amongst students but staff as well.

It is also rife in other state government departments.

The current methods of dealing with workplace bullies make the victim feel worse.

And the bully rarely suffers any consequences because the bully has the right to "natural justice".

What everyone fails to understand is that bullies ingratiate themselves on people, they become the most likable person in the world, their bullying behaviour often goes unseen.

And the bully usually plays the "poor me....I am the victim here" card.

We are told bullying is not tolerated, yet the methods of investigating and dealing with bullies tolerates these behaviours.

Zero Tolerance must be enforced.

 

"A school registrar misappropriated a new computer by saying that it was stolen during a break-in by hiding it in the school with a view to retrieving it later for personal use."

"When it was found by a third party and reported to the principal, the whistleblower was given such a hard time she resigned."

  • Fred, a teacher with 30 years of classroom experience, quoted by Des Houghton in Teachers' view on the "missing" , p. 54, The Courier-Mail, May 30-31, 2009

"How many teachers are subjected to trumped-up investigations that were never substantiated but still drove them from the profession?"

  • Keith from Bargara , quoted by Des Houghton in Teachers' view on the "missing" , p. 54, The Courier-Mail, May 30-31, 2009

Des Houghton asks why so many Queensland teachers are not working as teachers.

For the large part of the answer to this mystery refer to the research by Dan Riley of the University of New England (UNE) which was released this month: http://www.badapplebullies.com/research.htm

The UNE research proves that teachers are being driven out of the profession first and foremost by bully principals (male and female) in both our state and private schools.

It is time to expose and punish these bullies, so good teachers feel safe enough to stay and deliver quality education.

 

After many years of teaching and working with a variety of different principals, I feel that it is a shame that a bullying, ego-centric principal can have such a detrimental effect on a school.

It is even more of a shame when a principal who has a long history of bullying behaviour goes from one school to the next, destroying the morale of staff and students.

The question we should be asking is why district office staff knowingly allow this sort of behaviour to continue.

And why they threaten teachers with "code of conduct " violations for speaking out when they see management practice that is detrimental to the best interests of students.

No doubt the minister will sweep this one under the carpet as it is a bigger problem than the public realize.

 

As a retired teacher (I am concerned about a growing trend towards) anti-intellectualism in the teaching profession.

The trend has become increasingly evident as the academic standard for entry to teaching has fallen.

This means that academically talented teachers are more at risk when it comes to bullying from fellow teachers.

Many teaching graduates are driven out of the profession by workplace abuse.

I left a private school due to the bullying nature of the principal and head of department - sent me into a nervous breakdown.

Many others in my graduating class from uni have left teaching citing similar examples.

I graduated in 2002 with 15 others in my particular subject area.

Only 3 remain as teachers today.

Had Enough of Brisbane, Reader's Comment 25, Teachers are 'worst bullies', Elizabeth Allen and Tanya chilcott, The Courier-Mail : 13 May, 2009

  • I quit teaching early because of the actions of bully school principals.

    Bullying by the principal was the reason I quit teaching early at age 57 from a school where there were lovely children and beautiful parents in a privileged area.

    I was fed up with the lack of equity in the school I was teaching at.

    Year in year out only favourite teachers were given the classes they wanted.

    Negotiation does not exist in many State Primary Schools.

    You have to teach the class you are given and the curriculum you are given regardless of what you assess as the children's needs and interests.

    One year I was given the largest class in the school in the smallest space.

    In 20 years of teaching in Queensland State Schools I experienced 2 principals who were fair and equitable and 6 who were definitely not.

    Sue Frampton, Reader's Comment 12: Teachers are 'worst bullies', Elizabeth Allen and Tanya Chilcott, The Courier-Mail, May 13, 2009: http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/comments/0,23836,25469790-953,00.html 

    I agree with Ex-Teacher (below) - Bullying of teachers by school principals/deputies etc is out of control and the department just doesn't care.

    Add to this teachers injured in the classroom and quickly fobbed off with early retirement without any form of rehabilitation.

    Add more... newly qualified teachers jumping through hoops to get a full time position, only to be left on waiting lists.

    Why wouldn't you look for a profession elsewhere?

    Bullying of classroom teachers by school principals is out of control.

    Maybe Education Queensland needs to spend some time thinking about WHY there has been a jump in the number of resignations over the past five years.

    Bullying of teachers by school principals/deputies etc is out of control and the department just doesn't care.

    People become principals, etc. because they can't stand the classroom anymore.

    Good teachers never become principals because they love the classroom too much.

    Principals are just bad teachers when you get down to it.

     

    The culture of bullying in the Education Department leads to so many good, moral teachers leaving the profession, while backstabbers move up the departmental ladder.

    Ned of North Queensland is correct.

    Bullying is endemic in Education Queensland at the staffroom, school and department levels.

    When staff assert themselves and report the matter, they are discredited as stressed or "unstable".

    Robina Cosser says that Queensland classroom teachers "are isolated, threatened and subject to impulsive and seemingly irrational punishment by school administrators".

    Monday, 23 February, 2004

    A former Cairns school teacher claims that Queensland classroom teachers are bullied by school administrators.

    And then the classroom teachers are threatened when they complain about the bullying.

    In breaking her silence about the abuse, Robina Cosser said that Queensland classroom teachers were being driven to despair by the bullying and threats.

    Ms Cosser, a teacher for 30 years, said that the Education Queensland "grievance" complaints process was inadequate.

    "Teachers are being punished for making complaints about workplace abuse.

    And they are being advised that there's no hope of justice," she said.

    "Bullied classroom teachers are being isolated, threatened and subject to impulsive and irrational punishment by school administrators."

    "Classroom teachers are being driven into ill health by the bullying."

    Ms Cosser said that, although Queensland classroom teachers who were trapped in the system were silenced, retired teachers should speak out.

    Ms Cosser plans to establish an organisation that will try to protect Queensland classroom teachers, especially teachers who are dealing with workplace bullying, harassment, mobbing, discrimination and victimisation or "payback".

    Ex-teacher says bully tactics rife, Regina Titelius, Chief Reporter, p.3, The Cairns Post, 23 February, 2004.

    Edited by Robina Cosser, M.Ed of Far North Queensland: robina@theteachersareblowingtheirwhistles.com 

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