One month notice is sufficient I supposed

Who have received promotee email? :)

Don't worry. Management can perform magic.

The 2 words 'school needs' is very powerful.

Can mobilise the existing teachers and activate those with CS2 in the subject, even if they have never taught it since NIE days 20 years ago.

Not me. It seems like it hasn't been announced.

There was a period where the majority of second year HQ staff scholars did not get their GEO4. So either they extend in HQ or go for secondment and wait for that promotion or go back to school as normal teachers. Many eventually decided to convert to MX or left service altogether. The opportunities are no longer as comparable to 10 years ago. And the value proposition of being in school has dropped since COVID for people with more versatile skill sets.

Whatever you do, do not go for cross level deployment. I paid a very heavy price for it through my PB. The problem is always the SL. The HR side can say how accommodating they will be, DGE can come in etc and double down on how nurturing they will be but trust me, really not the case. I went for a 50 hours training in a subject which is neither my CS1 nor CS2 in Secondary - hence now I have a CS3. My expectation was that I need to be on par with someone who has taught that subject for the last 25 years. Really crazy. My RO was not helpful nor nurturing as she was just promoted and my SLs were simply too stuck in their preferred way of working aka their way or the highway.

SSES was really bad, about 8 to 9% of the staff members left. I am one of them. I am really happy to be away from the toxicity of that school. However, with the latest PB grade, it will cause my career to become stagnant. It does not matter if you are doing one grade up or otherwise, if your SLs are biased to begin with, you won’t go far. If they love you and have lunches, dinners, shopping trips with you on a personal basis, you will become a HOD after 5 years in service from a GEO3. With the majority of the SMC members being their reportees, it is not difficult to get support for poor grades to be dished to those who left.

It is too late for me but let my path be a warning to those who are thinking. Don’t! In my class of 30 cross level deployed trainees, less than 5 are still in the cross level deployed schools in 3 years. It will come with a high personal cost.

You went from JC to Sec or Sec to Pri?

Nothing yet too.

Also intend to leave the system soon. Have been in the system for around 12 years.

Just feel that it’s really out dated for us to keep doing the same thing for our whole career. Humans are naturally resistant to change but as a non KP, it’s likely that we will be stagnant after the initial few years.

Guess those who can sense the end game earlier will cut losses and exit the education sector. I know many who have commitments won’t. Wonder how this can be good for our education system when we are only left with those who concluded they cannot so well outside, stay.

Oh dear. This sounds terrible.

Have you been in school all 12 years? Have you explored other roles in HQ and secondment to external organisations?

Personally, I think that no one should be a one-school teacher, and everyone should explore other roles available in the wider MOE system. Otherwise, it's very easy to become jaded doing the same things. Some of the open posting openings look quite interesting. Can try applying for policy roles or corporate roles, or secondment to organisations like special ed sch, polytechnics and ITE or even to other ministries.

But I do agree with your observation that a lot of teachers, especially those who are in service over 10 years, have a fear of the outside. Many seem to have the self-limiting belief that they cannot do anything else other than teaching, and their post-service career options are limited to tuition, FAJT, or becoming insurance/property agents. Quite ironic given how they always tell their students that students can become anything they want to be during ECG, yet don't believe in it themselves.

Sec to Pri.

Sec and pri are 2 completely different systems with different sets of norms. Those who come from the secondary side will never understand why at Primary 6, the students cannot go up to class on their own but in less than a month’s time when they enter sec 1, suddenly they can. If your students don’t file their work or do corrections deemed acceptable by the department, the teacher is at fault. You can be a Maths teacher but the HOD of EL can come in to “advice” you that it perhaps you can try to write bigger as she walked past and due to the angle, she could not really make up what I was writing. When you think it is developmental, your RO will come in hard and inform you “a teacher whom I cannot name has indicated that the person is upset with your teaching and has reported you to the VP that you there are gross oversight in pedagogy.” These manufactured “evidence” are happening on a daily basis and I am only listing just one of the common ones. I was an award winning teacher in my time as a secondary teacher and seriously, I can’t be described as that bad - “worse than NIE trainee and requires constant monitoring” as they have pointed out.

So enough is enough. I am not going to be a victim of gaslighting at work. The experience left a deep scar and affected my mental well-being.

Ya many things are just the way it happens on Primary school. There are good reasons but I guess we are just pampering our kids way too much these days.

Do leave the education sector while many others have yet to realize this

Is there any difference between being a “form teacher” and a “co form” teacher on paper? Is the form teacher considered to be of a higher “rank” than the co form? Both are the same grade

Toxic environment it seems. Not your fault.

Some one must tank the poor PB grade.

Who better than the new staff that joins the school usually?

It might be the school itself that is toxic and nothing to do with cross level deployment. Usually it’s because the existing staff feels threatened by your presence. Anw, if you are consistently a B or C+ teacher in secondary sch, it’s very difficult for the pri sch to give you C- or D. Of course for every incident, you must fight for yourself and use black and white (email) to keep a record. This is very impt in govt service. Tell supt if your SLs don’t intervene those toxic behaviours.

If you are really keen in cross level deployment, try another sch. There are many good pri schools with good environment. U are just unlucky to be in a toxic sch.

Which is why the appraisal system is rotten to the core.

Its subjectiveness makes it a practice in horsetrading, where people are given a grade that doesn't really reflect their performance nor contribution. The loudest and most powerful voice wins.

The structure is not fair to begin with. If your P, for some reason does not like you and it has nothing to do with professionalism, her job holders who are also in the ranking panel effectively becomes her supporters. Screwed up system

Hi, saw many posts regarding whether open postings can be denied or not. i believe colleagues here are stating “facts” based on their personal experience and what they saw in their schools.

would like to share mine. up till last year june(13 yrs in service), i also thought releasing schools can only delay the posting of a teacher if he/she accepts an offer from another school. however, one of my colleagues had her posting cancelled after HR stepped in due to manpower allocation policy thus changing my understanding of how the system works. My P as the releasing school, did not make any request to HR to deny the posting, so i guess HR have some guidelines to adhere to. not many cases, but it exists.

Been reading and just want to comment. Both are true. It is indeed the case that the releasing school can delay but cannot effectively stop but subjected to approval from HR. In this case, HR stepped in as there is “school needs.” Hence, remember colleagues, nothing is confirmed until HR hands you the posting order.

Isn’t this making a mockery of the efforts from all parties involved?

Is it true that for promotion to next substantive grade, 2 consecutive Bs will be enough? Heard that this is now the norm... Applies to SEOs too?

Not true lah. Depends on CEP too

It’s not just the specific grades, it’s also your potential / CEP

No. Also dependent on CEP.

That's why need to take on tasks that are 2 paygrades above your current one, to demonstrate that you have the capability to take on greater responsibilities.

No more cep, now its called lp. We are still stamped like cattles, pigs or tuna in the market.

What does LP mean?

Usually P will go around congratulating promotees in Week1. If ur p didn’t approach u, then…

Many people have said it here but I'll say it again: performance grades alone don't determine promotion.

CEP determines how often you could get promoted, but whether the promotion actually occurs at that particular interval depends on your performance. If the intervals are wide due to low CEP, you can get all the Bs that the ranking panel can throw at you but you won't be identified for promotion very much sooner.

Gone case liao 🫠

Curious, is it possible to find out or predict CEP? Which are the better ways to do so?

I notice P has been walking around but never stop at my place, so sad. I'm a 4th year GEO3 that has been covering the LH since term 3 last year. A thankless job, work like a dog and tired like ****!

Ya lol how does one know if he/she has high CEP and is being groomed by the school, or if one has been condemned with a low CEP and should thus pursue open posting?

Hi colleagues, let me be upfront. If you know your CEP and it is not as high as you think, for example, you are at ST level. It means you will be an ST after about 28 to 30 years in service. Will you work like a dog for the school in the starting few years at least? Giving up family time, boyfriend time, neglect your child etc.

Usually, people realize that as they become stagnant despite putting in effort. Hence you see people who worry about promotion are usually the younger ones. The older ones know the game - you can work like a dog for the next few years, get Bs for PB, you will be limited by your CEP. Your GEO3 will come in at about 3 years into service, GEO4 in about 12 years, GEO5 in 20 years and finally SEO1 in 28 years. Seems like a good spread?

I agree with this. At least this is where the system can milk newer teachers for a few years with the promise of promotions and positions. If you look at the hours spent after you get a position, you might just as well go McDonald’s and shake fries. It might be therapeutic and you can’t bring your work home. Surprise, surprise, the returns per hour might just be about the same

Dun think it's out yet, why bother making yourself paranoid, when the time comes, it comes naturally.

In geo3 for 4th year is still early for a farmer.

Just so you know, GEO4 cannot be put up for position eh. Even if you are promoted this year, you will still not be able to go for interview this year.

You mean GEO3?

Have a (informal) talk with your RO or P.

They might not outright tell you the CEP.
But they can give you hints.

Need to know how to ask the questions ;)

But sometimes really need to be in right place, right time, meet right person.

Got farmer ex-colleague who took 7-8 years to go from geo3 to geo4, and 2 years under different boss in new school to go to geo5 because boss is supportive, got opening available. But he worked really hard for his promotion.

Networking and people skills are really important.