The indicative ballot closed at midnight on Wednesday 26 January 2011.   Part 1 related to ballot verification then two questions were asked.   The response to questions 2 & 3 were:

This Association will be carefully monitoring the situation in Aberdeen City and would ask every member to contact us immediately if they are threatened with any of the actions listed above. Members will be kept fully informed of any information received and will be contacted as soon as the situation becomes clear.   In the meantime please do not hesitate to contact either the office or your District Secretary, John Gray, if you have any questions or require support.

Yours sincerely

Ann Ballinger

General Secretary

You may have been asked to communicate with pupils via electronic means during this inclement weather enabling staff to work from home in severe weather and avoid possible injury attempting to travel to a building already closed to pupils.    

Some schools even ask staff to use electronic means to distribute, discuss and mark homework.    

This type of communication should only be undertaken using the authority Intranet.   Properly set up and monitored intranet systems protect their users from abusive communications and from malicious accusations.   Other forms of electronic communication do not provide teachers or pupils with the necessary protection.     Do not, under any circumstances, give your personal email address to pupils.

If you have any doubts at all about the electronic system you are being asked to use please contact the office at info@ssta.org.uk

With best wishes

Yours sincerely

Ann Ballinger

General Secretary

You may have been aware of recent attacks on this organisation by the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Mike Russell.

Long memories are a rare asset in politics.   Mr Russell was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2007 as a list MSP.   He was elected by 27.8% of the 58% who voted, perhaps 15% of the electorate.

The Cabinet Secretary has felt it necessary to twice mention the SSTA in his recent pronouncements.   The cynic among you will doubtless say ‘we must be getting things right'.   Perhaps more than the cynics, in fact!

27% of members took the time to vote in our indicative ballot, held during the last week of a very long and tiring session.   95% of those who voted were in favour of a formal ballot.

We are currently working on a ballot paper which will allow all members to express an opinion on future action.   In the meantime I will be happy to answer any queries you may have.

With best wishes

Ann

ANN BALLINGER

General Secretary

We believe that it is essential that the views of secondary teachers are firmly represented.   Secondary teaching is not simply more specialised primary teaching.   The current problems associated with CfE should make this clear.   If you wish your views as a secondary teacher to be fully represented, there is only one union you can join.   Join the SSTA now!

Every member has direct and immediate access to full-time union officials who are always ready to advise and support members with problems or queries in relation to their employment.   We do not use our school representatives to provide advice on highly technical (or confidential) issues. Not all unions can offer this facility.

All new members to the Association can benefit from our new special offer of 50% off the normal subscription for the first 12 months of paid membership when sending a completed direct debit instruction with their application.   This represents a saving of up to £89.40 a year based on current 2010 subscription paying by monthly direct debit.

To join the SSTA you can complete an online enrolment form here. This offer is available to new members only.