Defending Teachers, Defending Education

Martin Powell-Davies

Defending Teachers, Defending Education

SOCIALIST PARTY member Martin Powell-Davies has now secured
enough nominations in the general secretary election of the National Union of
Teachers (NUT) to proceed to the next stage of the election.

Where Martin has been able to speak to local association
(branch) meetings of the NUT he has won enthusiastic support and now has enough
nominations to ensure a place in the ballot of members in June.

He recently attacked the latest attempt to introduce
performance-related pay (PRP) to all teachers. The School Teachers Pay Review
Body declared on 16 March:

"We feel that a rigorous performance management system,
robustly applied by school leaders, should be the hub of all progression.

"We therefore recommend that on the basis of a teacher’s
performance and professional development over the past year the headteacher
should decide whether or not he or she has achieved at least the standard
required to merit an increment on the main scale."

Martin was one of the main organisers of School Teachers
Opposed to Performance Pay (STOPP), which worked to build a serious opposition
to PRP. At Martin’s initiative, STOPP organised a lively demonstration through
London in 2000. If elected as general secretary, Martin would call for another
protest – but this time with the full backing of the NUT.

Such a mass demonstration would be the first step in
launching a campaign of national industrial action to oppose these attacks on
teachers’ pay. He would enact NUT conference policy to ballot for a boycott of
performance management, as well as strike action.

To find out more about Martin’s campaign see the website:
http://elect-martin.tripod.com

email:[email protected]

Tel: 07946 445488