Mr Blunkett replies
Published Date:
16/05/2008
Modified Date:
16/05/2008
The next steps?
Received this via the school from Edutrust.
Not sure what I think about it or whether there is any point replying. I have written to Edutrust previously and they never bothered to reply not acknowledge receipt of it. I guess I'll wait and see how I feel in a few days time as I've been a bit poorly sick and had a couple of days in the Hallamshire last week.
Published Date:
12/05/2008
Modified Date:
12/05/2008
More Great Publicity for Academies
A real life example why selling off schools to anyone who will take them is wrong and why doing it is potentially putting kids in danger. The fact the council in Newcastle is unable to do anything about it should be a warning sign to all councils considering such radical and short-sighted actions now and in the future
Sex Addict Sponsor of Academy
The fact the council now 'hope' the government act underlines just how stupid the whole situation with academies is. They are under 'No Obligation' to do anything as its no longer their responsibility and that I think is wrong. It also underlines that the people pushing the 'Academy' agenda onto schools don't really give two hoots for the children and its a disgrace on a national level it really is.
Published Date:
06/05/2008
Modified Date:
06/05/2008
Great result for parent power
Barrow in Furness - people opposing the council there selling off a school into private ownership stood and won 4 seats on the council and will probably mean that they think twice before any other attempts at privatisation there. A real great result for parent power, saving their local schools.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7381927.stm
Perhaps we missed a trick in Sheffield and should have stood candidates on a similar platform, as it was Labour have lost control of the council here and the signs are encouraging that perhaps the short-sighted approach of the council over many things has come back to bite them in the rear. A great day on Friday and to Harry (who will now be facing a bit of pay cut and redundancy from his Education leader post) shame. Hopefully the next lot will be more willing to listen to parents. A message to Labour politicans everywhere, 'forget about the people and they will forget about you' and they did on Thursday.
Published Date:
05/05/2008
Modified Date:
05/05/2008
Still Concerned ......
So I wrote to Mr Blunkett to see if he can be bothered to reply
FOR THE ATTENTION OF:
David Blunkett MP
Sheffield, Brightside
Monday 5 May 2008
Dear David Blunkett,
In the Sheffield Star of April 29th 2008 you stated you were writing to
constitutants in response to some public opposition to your plan for
Parkwood to become an academy. As of this point I have not received
this letter and I am interested to see what you think the real benefits
of the proposal are.
I was disappointed to read that you felt parents who were concerned
enough to raise questions about selling off the school to a company
with no 'real' experience of running a school were cast as 'not caring'
when it effect the opposite is true and the silence and seeming apathy
of some parents is a real sign of not-caring I think.
I suspect these letters were only sent to selective parents in the area
and you have got to wonder why? For the record I am a parent of a child
currently at the school and I am also resident in your area so would
like to put a couple of questions to you regarding this. My first point
is should local parents reject the proposal would you as our MP be
willing to fight tooth and nail to keep the money promised for the new
school as whether it is an academy or not, it should still be entitled
to the money to bring it up to a satisfactory standard should it not?
And in light of that, if the answer is 'No' as it is suspected ,
doesn't that mean that the money was simply a crude bribe and the whole
project smells of political manipulation and casts real doubts on the
validity of the so-called public consultation process?
Finally back to the letter, where did you get the addresses from of
parents at the school? Did the school provide them for you? I have
concerns that potentially some breach of the data protection laws has
happened if the school has given this data to an unauthorised source.
Would you not agree that this is potentially another data blunder and
you've got to ask just who else they are providing data for and why?
Equally did you write to parents who are not constitutuants in your
ward? It was mentioned that your letter had reached a user on Sheffield
Forum in Burngreave ; which seems a bit out of your ward? The fact is
was just before the council elections makes it smell of political
opportunism.
I don't actually expect any sort of reply from you; why should you
bother, but if you've got a spare minute to clarify yourself it would
be appreciated.
Yours sincerely,
Longley Resident and Parent of a child who is directly affected by your proposal.
Now I don't actually expect him to answer, they are not known for their attention to detail and dealing with ordinary people is not something most politicians like to do unless there is a camera or photo opportunity there....
We shall see
Published Date:
05/05/2008
Modified Date:
05/05/2008
Public recognition of a job well done
Dear Readers,
This statement is in response to some comments I made yesterday. On reflection it could be inferred that I felt Chris Mallaband at the school was actively involved in mis-leading the public about the 'academy' proposal. This is not the case and want putting on record I have nothing but admiration for the role he is carrying out in educating my child. I do not believe he is deliberately misleading anyone but understand the difficult position he is in as head of the school. He is also in a position of great privilege and responsibility with so many young peoples destinies to influence and guide in the right direction and I for one believe he does a great job so wish to apologise for any misunderstanding that might be inferred from my previous post. It was directed at the politicians and council officers who are pushing this agenda not the staff at the school who simply have to follow their direction.
No one can doubt the school is in dire need of a facelift, I can understand the head's position that he feels that going academy is the only way he can secure the funding needed to develop the school as he would (?) wish. My point is the status of the school should not and if you listen to politicians nationally does not come into it, yet here in Sheffield that is clearly not the case. You must ask why?
Blunketts release to the media today sums it up a treat. Who cares if he's dating? Is it really that important to get the column inches he demands. Forget the roads, the prices and the potential lack of fuel. Forget that we have troops actively involved and dying in foreign fields or that the NHS is on its knees.....David's got a girlfriend. You couldn't make it up.
Anyhow, I've promised myself to be happy today (once a week is enough for anyone) so I'll leave it there for now.
Be back soon
Mick
Published Date:
30/04/2008
Modified Date:
30/04/2008
In response to Plunkett
In Response to Plunketts article in the Star, which annoyed me so much as I'm not left wing at all. I posted the following response although I doubt the Star will print it as Blunkett seems to threaten them if anyone says anything about him...
David Blunketts latest missive in the paper is
interesting if not wholly correct. I wonder how many parents he has actually
spoken to ; they are not against having decent school buildings but seem to be
against the crude blackmail attempt in forcing the academy proposal through in
order to get them. The first stage of the consultation process was a real
success for the school and democracy. From 1500 parents & potential pupils
parents they got 15 (fifteen) in favour of progressing and that includes the
blatent lies about the new 20million pound building (which I note has now become
only 15million) , the laptops to all pupils to take home to encourage family
learning and the University as a 'academy partner' which has been dis-spelled
already. I'm a parent of a child at the school and I'm unhappy that the
proposal to sell off the school to any private sponsor who will take them is
being so actively chased despite the fact it is proven that academies have not
worked and not brought the 'step' change in improvements they were expected to
bring. Edutrust the proposed sponsor were threw out in Bradford....ask yourself
why? They have also been rejected at Fir Vale by the governers there ; so if
they are not deemed suitable for Fir Vale or Rhodesway then why should they be
allowed to experiment on kids at Parkwood? Blunketts comments about the far left
is interesting as he is desperate to be seen as far right in order to get back
in with the Labour party hierachy in order to get his ID cards scam back on
track. Its a real disgrace and for the record I am not a member of any far left
organisation although it must be agreed that they seem to care more about the
futures of local kids than the current political power brokers. I personally
cannot wait for the next stage of the consultation process, when we will see the
'vision' and be able to pick it apart and maybe just maybe one of the brokers of
it might just be able to answer the odd question about it honestly rather than
the spin they put on it as it currently stands. I end by asking Mr Blunkett a
question......do you agree that Edutrusts performance in Bradford is one he'd
advocate at Parkwood?
I doubt anything will be printed or responded to. Just in time for the local elections; Mr Blunkett you are so obvious and crass, its shameful
Published Date:
29/04/2008
Modified Date:
29/04/2008
Blunkett tries to calm the protests
Tonights Star has this....
http://www.thestar.co.uk/headlines/Parkwood-School-academy-protest-led.4029187.jp Parkwood
School academy protest led by far left – Blunkett
By Richard
Marsden
DAVID Blunkett has attacked protesters who are opposing plans
to turn Shirecliffe's Parkwood High School into Sheffield's third City
Academy.
The Brightside MP, who is in favour of the plans, said the
opposition is being led by campaigners from the far left Socialist Workers'
Party - not with young people's interests at heart but because they oppose
private sector involvement in education.
He has written to
constituents, saying: "How dare they talk about 'Saving OUR school'? They don't
live in the area. They don't have children at school in the
area.
"These people don't give a damn about what is happening to our
children, they are using them as a political football."
Mr Blunkett,
who would have been a pupil at the school himself but for his blindness, added:
"Our children deserve the best - they deserve a first class
education.
"The children at Parkwood High deserve a first class school.
Local parents also tell me that is what they want.
"The current head
and staff have done an excellent job in improving the results and outcomes for
children at Parkwood. But they recognise that there is the potential to achieve
even more.
"Alongside them, I have fought tooth and nail to get the
£15million to rebuild the school and create a new academy," Mr Blunkett
added.
Following consultations with parents, detailed proposals on the
Academy plans are now being drawn up and will be presented later this
year.
If the plans are approved, Parkwood will also be completely
rebuilt over the next three years - an issue which has been seized upon by
critics who say it is wrong the school will only receive such funding if it goes
down the academy route.
The academy would be run by education charity
Edutrust, with Sheffield Hallam University as a second partner.
If the
application process goes smoothly Parkwood will become an academy in September
2009, with a new building expected to be ready two years later.
Published Date:
29/04/2008
Modified Date:
29/04/2008