REINSTATE RICHARD JONES-NERZIC!!!

IST - COULD YOU PLEASE ANSWER?

2007-02-26T12:17:00.000-08:00

To not answer any questions and just delay all communication is a very old method when you want some crisis to calm down (or die out). It's unfortunately fairly efficient; the involved people - students, parents, friends and other supporters of Richard loose some of the early strength and engagement + a few might start to think that there is some serious hidden motives for the dismissal. Personally I have no reason to not trust Richard but I would like to hear the other side of the story. The problem is that I never get to because IST does not say anything. I have asked several times what it is that caused this dismissal. I don't get any answer. I have asked the colleagues of Richard at IST to find out by asking for an independent investigation where both sides of this conflict will be represented - no answer. All this makes me not only disappointed but it also makes me sad. I thought we all worked great together. I was impressed with IST and I thought Les Albiston was a good person both to talk with as well as work with. What then happened just struck me like a lightning out of a blue sky - I still don't understand how this could happen...
I'm naive enough to still wish for some positive reply from IST. If this is all based on rumors, loose speculations without substance, some ambitious person(s) going to far and other human errors which I still believe is the case (nobody has showed me any other evidence...) I think it would be good of the leadership of IST to say - "We made a mistake - we were misinformed and therefore we would like to try to heal the big wounds that this affair has caused..."
Reading about an eventual court case against members of the E-Help project makes this seem a bit farfetched but our hope is the last thing we do give up!
My biggest concern is Richard and his family. I can't imagine the pain and problems they have gone through in an affair that's based on a copied paper (once again - I have not seen any evidence that points in any other direction). Therefore it's so important to continue to support them in all the ways possible. Demand an investigation - parents, students, and most of all colleagues on IST. Several of you must have been close friends to Richard and appreciated him as a colleague - you are the ones that have the biggest opportunity to get an answer. Ask for an independent investigation now. Show that Richard and his family made a difference!

AN ANSWER(?) FROM IST...

2007-02-14T23:37:00.001-08:00

Two days ago one of the members of E-Help received a short email from IST. It was short and had no real answers except that the financial deals were taken care of. The more serious part was some hint on legal actions and a comment that the members of E-Help were not willing to continue with the project.
That is not the will of the members of E-Help. Ten members from nine (ten if IST continue) different institutions and four (five if IST continue) different countries want to continue and develop E-Help. This project has been the best project I ever participated in. From scratch it has developed a very well visited Forum, a website and most of all it has developed a big group of active associates all over Europe. The associates has not only presented some of their work but they have also actively participated in the further development of this project. I have never experienced anything like that and I have not heard about any projects that can show the same kind of response from leading experts within the field. I think it's unique!
The work that has been done within the member group has been based on an extreme form of cooperation. When we have had different opinions in important matters it has always been resolved in a constructive way and from there we have been able to continue the work. This is not only a positive work climate - it's also unique to see ten individuals with such different backgrounds cooperate so well. It has been a smooth lean working machine... That's why I found the comment in the letter from IST so disturbing.
Is this the collective punishment I mentioned before?
Is this IST's way of trying to deal with anybody that questioned the sacking of Richard Jones-Nerzic?
One of the basic rights in the Western World is the right to form an opinion, especially when we believe something is not right. I have used that right when I started this blog and since I have not received any answers or explanations I still believe that the board of IST has been mislead in the case of sacking Richard.
The letter that now mentions the possibility of legal actions and the wrong interpretation of the members willingness of continue with the project (would it not be easier to ask the members what they want to do?) is very serious. IST is the coordinating institution and therefore they need to explain their ideas about a continuation. Several of us members have asked IST what plans they have for the E-Help future but we have not received any straight answers yet (just this hint about us not want to continue with the project). Nine member institutions, many associate institutions and many more individuals are waiting to hear from IST. We need to continue our project as soon as possible. Meetings are scheduled and we are just now in the process of creating a course for interested teachers all over Europe... but we also need answers about the dismissal of Richard Jones-Nerzic. This affair has cost him and his family lots of pain. They deserve to be treated better!

COMMENT FROM MAX A.

2007-02-14T23:31:00.000-08:00

Evening.

One more opinion against the dismissal of Mr. Jones-Nerzic has arrived from Russia. Despite the fact that I don’t happen to know Mr. Jones personally, I’m familiar with his teaching strategies. In my humble opinion, we’re talking about an established, highly-experienced and inspiring history lecturer. As many of Mr.Jones’ colleagues have correctly pointed out, the role of such a teacher at IST was crucial when providing the students with skills and competences they need to understand history. He taught them how to learn, not only what to study, and that was one of the simple secrets of his success as a teacher. The reprehensible thing is that these are mostly the INTST advanced students who will suffer from this decision about Mr. Jones.

I genuinely hope that the IST board might as well find an opportunity to hire Mr. Jones back. From my profession I’ve learnt that it is never late to find a compromise, that is what we should expect from the IST Board.

Hope this ends well,Good luck to everyone,

Max A., student, research assistant.

Southern Federal University, Russian Federation.

SOMETHING IS TERRIBLY WRONG AT IST

2007-02-12T07:59:00.000-08:00

SILENCE… Not one word from the board of IST!
I have tried to seek some kind of communication with IST these past weeks. So far I have not succeeded. What started as a sacking of Richard Jones-Nerzic is now also affecting his colleagues and friends all over Europe. Why and how?
Richard was up to his unfortunate dismissal the coordinator of E-Help, a successful European Comenius project (under his very professional leadership). As the coordinating institution IST received the grant from Brussels and they should then have distributed the money to the different European institutions that participates in this project (9 institutions from Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and the Netherlands!). So far no member institution has received any money for the period October 2005 – September 2006 (it should have been paid before the end of 2006).
The members in E-Help has expressed their concern about Richards’s dismissal and asked for some kind of explanation. They have also asked for the future plans of E-Help and their shares of the grant. So far – no answer!
Is this a collective punishment due to the fact that we show concern about Richard and his family? I personally don’t understand how IST can afford to loose Richard on such poor grounds as one copied paper (since I still have not received any explanation this is the only formal accusation I heard about) but I understand even less about the way to treat our mutual project. 9 different institutions in Europe have invested money and time in this project. Many invited scholars and experts have participated in the different meetings and many of them are now working side by side as associates with the members of E-Help. This project involves hundreds of people. Should they also be punished?
The obvious support for Richard and all the witness of his ability not only as a teacher but also as a trustworthy individual, a project member and in our case a coordinator and friend shows that something is wrong – terribly wrong. The attitude towards the members and associates of E-Help confirms that picture. All of these people deserve an answer from IST. Richard and his family deserves much more!

COMMENT FROM JUAN CARLOS OCANA

2007-01-29T09:02:00.000-08:00

Whoever has visited IST and colaborated there with Richard Jones-Nerzic must be flabergasted by his sacking. He not only is a devoted and capable teacher but he is higly considered by his students. IST director is making a serious mistake. His schools' European reputation among History, Geography and Social Sciences teachers will be seriously damaged. Richard has been an excellent EHELP coordinator. EHELP gather together a group of expert History teachers who have been using ICT for a long time. Most of them participate in other projects and teachers' networks. If Richard is not reinstated, I doubt that any other European school will be willing of collaborating with IST in the future

TO BE QUIET OR NOT...

2007-01-28T02:26:00.000-08:00

One group that can really help Richard in this conflict are you colleagues at IST. If this conflict is based on one copied paper and "rumours" some hidden personal reason(s) must be involved. Since we bystanders don't get any answers from IST we can only speculate in what's going on and that's not a very creative way of approaching this conflict.

Therefore it's so important that you colleagues of Richard stand up and demand an open investigation about what is going on. My suggestion would be to involve parents, students, colleagues and people from the board in this investigation.

It's first of all important for Richard and his family! He and his family deserves a reaction from you colleagues!

It's important for your work climate. I'm convinced, being a teacher myself, that you want to work at a school that's open for discussion and criticism when it's necessary and with a board that treats you and your opinions with respect.
It's important for your students. You are their role models and your behaviour in this conflict will give them a valuable lesson about life. Your action/reaction will be evaluated by these students and you have the power to teach them about our fellow man responsibilities.

It's important for the parents of the students. They have given you the responsibility of teaching the most valuable asset they have - their own children. They trust you to give them guide lines for life as well as knowledge. As I understand they want to have answers to all the questions that's surrounding this conflict and you can help them getting these answers.

It's important for Richards friends and partners in different projects. I have as you understand very little information about what's going on at IST. My reaction in this conflict comes from the privilege of knowing Richard and get to work with him, first at Virtual School and now in the e-help project. I personally want to understand what's going on at IST - an institution we have worked so beautifully together with. I have several times asked Les Albiston and the board of IST to please give some clues to why they sacked Richard. I don't get any answers at all... That's why I and my colleagues rely on the people that are the closest to Richard in his everday life at work to react. You colleagues at IST have to ask for an open investigation!

So please IST colleagues don't be quiet. I'm not asking you to go around with posters, to form demonstrations, to strike... I'm just asking you to react. Ask for an independent investigation that involves people from "both camps" and do it now before it's to late!

WHY DOES NOT THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF TOULOUSE ANSWER?

2007-01-20T02:45:00.000-08:00

One part that is of concern in this conflict is a possibility to communicate. So far we have seen one version on what happened which make us all wonder - is there no real substance to the dismissal of Richard Jones-Nerzic?
Several individuals as well as groups have asked the board on IST to give any statement, proof, evidence,... to why they thought that the only possible way of dealing with Richard was to dismiss him. The accusations of copying a paper seems to us like a very poor excuse. Wouldn't it be a good idea IST to try to find some kind of dialogue with all these people? So why don't you answer our questions, emails, open letters, etc...?

Most of us has been very supportive of IST before this conflict. I personally was very impressed with the school and the ideas behind the teaching there. I also thought that our group in E-Help had a very good cooperation with the school and their representatives; Les Albiston and Richard Jones-Nerzic. Then this conflict struck us "out of the blue" and I think that we as well as parents, students, and other previous supporters of IST deserve an answer to why the school board has gone this far. Our long cooperation with Richard makes us believe that this is a mistake. We feel that maybe the board has been mislead and/or maybe somebody has some personal problems with Richard and/or...? So board of the IST - could you please give us some answers?

COMMENT FROM "NIEMÖLLER"

2007-01-15T05:08:00.000-08:00

When I first met Richard in the International School of Toulouse in 2002 I was impressed with the building and the concept of the laptop-classroom. But it is not the building nor the concept that have been important since: it is what you can do with them. Richard vividly showed various way in teaching history using his learning environment, and with the results with his pupils I was impressed. The dismissal of Richard Jones should be overturned, not only for him and his family, but for the whole of IST and the projects Richard was participating in.

COMMENT FROM DAN LYNDON

2007-01-14T07:03:00.000-08:00

I have been working with Richard for the last three years as a member of the EHelp team. I think that it is outrageous that he has been unfairly dismissed from the International School of Toulouse. Richard is one of the most incredible teachers that I have ever worked with. His inspirational qualities have helped improve my own teaching and he is widely recognized as one of the leading exponents of digital video in the classroom. His skill as an administrator for the Ehelp project is unmatched and the success of Ehelp to date is a testament to his work. It would be a traversty if the IST did not reinstate him.

COMMENT FROM JOHN SIMKIN

2007-01-13T04:16:00.000-08:00

I first met Richard Jones-Nerzic in 2001 when I was invited to run an in-service session with the staff of IST. While I was in the school I had the opportunity to observe Richard teaching. I can honestly say that Richard is the best history teacher I have ever seen. I was so impressed that I arranged for him to become a member of the European Virtual School, an initiative of the Swedish Department of Education.In 2003 I joined with a group of European educationalists in developing a Comenius Project entitled the “European History E-Learning Project (E-HELP)”. It was decided that Richard was the best person to lead the project. As Comenius Project contracts are given to institutions rather than individuals, this meant that the International School of Toulouse, would have to be the lead organization. This was met with approval by Les Albiston and in 2004 Comenius approved our application.Established in October, 2004, the overall aim of E-HELP is to encourage and improve the use of ICT and the Internet in history classrooms in Europe. Richard has done an excellent job as coordinator and the European authorities approved our first two years work. Les Albiston was fully aware of the success of the project as he attended most of our meetings held in France, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands. We are currently working on the final task of organizing the E-HELP conference to be held next year.

I was deeply shocked when I heard from Richard that he was facing a disciplinary hearing at the IST. I phoned Les Albiston and tried to discuss this issue with him. However, it seemed that despite the evidence that had emerged since these false charges were made, he was determined to sack Richard. The news on 23rd December only confirmed my fears that Les was determined to carry out his plan of removing Richard from the staff of IST.

I am aware that heads of institutions often use their power to remove members of staff who ask awkward questions. They usually employ methods that are fairly subtle and little fuss is made about these decisions. That option was available to Les Albiston. However, he decided to create as much stress as possible to Richard by sacking him just a few days before Christmas. Richard’s only crime was to question the dictatorial methods being employed by a head teacher who thinks he is running a school in Toulouse during the Vichy regime. This is not only an issue of Richard’s job. A fine school is being ruined by the actions of one man. It is no coincidence that Richard has been treated in this way. It is all part of his strategy to bully his staff into submission. Richard’s case is a warning to other staff members who might be tempted to resist his dictatorial rule. It seems to be working.

I suggest that parents, students and staff should pay a visit to the Toulouse Museum of Resistance to see what happens when the oppressed do not join forces in order to resist tyranny. I am reminded of a poem written by Martin Niemöller. He was a German pastor who originally supported the Nazi government. He turned a blind-eye to how the Nazis treated those who resisted their rule. Then, in a sermon in his church on Sunday 27th June 1937, he complained about the way the “secret police penetrated the closed church of Friedrich Werder and arrested at the altar eight members of the Council of Brethren." As a result of this sermon he was arrested and imprisoned. He was sent to Dachau but because he was not a political opponent of Hitler and was not a member of those who were considered by the Nazis as sub-human, he was not put to death.

In 1946 he wrote this poem that says so much about the need to resist tyranny at the time it happens, not when it is political acceptable to do so.

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a communist;

Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a socialist;

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist;

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew;

Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak out for me.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/LesAlbiston.htm

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/IST.htm

http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=9029

PERSONAL COMMENT

2007-01-12T10:08:00.000-08:00

I met Richard in 2001 when I was invited to Virtual School. At the time I knew very little about ICT and had no experience of webwork (I had not been invited as an "ICT expert" but as a history teacher who wanted to use ICT...). Not to long after this we held a great meeting at IST in Toulouse and Richard started to teach me the very basics of ICT. With other words - he became my teacher! He very patiently took this slow Swede through the first obstacles of making your own homepage and explained how to continue...

It's always been great working with Richard. He is a fantastic pedagog, an extremely devoted teacher, hard working and very skilled. Everybody talks about his cutting edge skills in ICT. To that I would also like to add his willingness of sharing this knowledge. As the coordinator of our group in E-Help he has showed that he also has great leading abilities. Our group has done very well under his lead so my chock was huge when I found out about the sacking. It does not make any sense...

Richard is a trustworthy person - fair, open and very easy to communicate with so my understanding of what happened is non-existent. It must be some kind of misunderstanding and I hope that IST will reinstate Richard as soon as possible. He is vital in our project and he is as important as a teacher at IST.

OPEN LETTER TO IST

2007-01-10T05:52:00.000-08:00

An open letter to Mr Les Albiston (Principal of the International School of Toulouse) and Simon Benney (President of the Board of Directors), Robert McCartney, Jesus Morales, Kiran Rao and Juan Martinez (members of the Board of Directors, International School of Toulouse)

We are writing as members of the Comenius 2.1 E-Help Project which is made up of the following institutions:
• Centro de Apoyo al Profesorado - Alcorcón (Madrid) SPAIN

• IES Parque de Lisboa - Alcorcón (Madrid) SPAIN

• The International School of Toulouse - Colomiers FRANCE

• Historical Association - London UNITED KINGDOM

• Spartacus Educational - Worthing UNITED KINGDOM

• Dartford Technology College - Dartford UNITED KINGDOM

• University of East Anglia - Norwich, UNITED KINGDOM

• Fredrika Bremergymnasiet - Haninge SWEDEN

• Hvitfeldtska Gymnasiet - Göteborg SWEDEN

• Sintermeertencollege - Heerlen, THE NETHERLANDS

For the past 3 years, these institutions have been involved in a joint project working with the IST, working in particular with Mr Jones-Nerzic and Mr Albiston, and we have spent several working visits at the IST. The aim of the project (European History E-learning Project) is to train teachers and teacher-trainers in teaching History in a multilingual European context using cutting-edge ICT in the classroom (http://www.e-help.eu/).
We learned recently that Mr Jones-Nerzic has been summarily dismissedfrom his post at the International School of Toulouse on the instruction of the Principal, Mr. Albiston.
There is no doubt that the dismissal of Mr Jones-Nerzic is a severely damaging setback to the E-Help project, and the circumstances surrounding his dismissal add to our concern that all is not well at IST. We understand that this concern is shared by many of the parents and pupils at IST.
Mr Jones-Nerzic has been the coordinator of the E-Help project and has had our complete confidence in terms of his efficiency, ability and integrity. It is not possible to spend so much time working with Mr Jones-Nerzic, and visiting the IST, without coming to the view that he is an outstanding teacher who is very highly respected by parents, colleagues and students alike. He is an international leader in the field of history teaching and ICT and there has not been the slightest indication that he sets anything other than the highest possible standards in terms of his teaching, his examination results, his ability to work with and be supportive of others, and in terms of his overall professionalism.
We were thus surprised and dismayed to hear of his dismissal. Attempts to elicit the reasons for his dismissal from Mr Albiston have proved unsuccessful. Such information as we do have creates at the very least a concern or suspicion that the dismissal may stem from a clash of personalities or a desire to ‘settle scores’ for past actions, rather than from actions of gross professional negligence which would normally be necessary to occasion the summary dismissal of an experienced and successful teacher.Of course, part of our concern is for the well-being of our project, in which we have invested a great deal of time and energy. We had hopes that the project would prove to be outstandingly successful. As you will be aware, the International School of Toulouse has been chosen to become the centre for the E-Help teacher-training course from the summer of 2008. It was hoped that hundreds of teachers would come to Toulouse from all over Europe. It was reasonable to expect that the course would bring significant prestige and publicity to the IST. We believe that the summary dismissal of the lead member of the project and the circumstances surrounding this action puts the enterprise in jeopardy. Our concern however, is not limited to the E-Help project itself; it embraces a concern for the colleague who we have worked with over the past 3 years, and for whom we have the highest regard, and a concern for the state of affairs at IST.
It is essential that we have an open and honest relationship with the IST personnel connected with the project if the E-Help project is to continue.
We urge you very strongly to consider the details of the circumstances surrounding the action taken against Mr Jones-Nerzic in a fair, open-minded and sympathetic way. Unless there are clear, compelling and irrefutable reasons which make any action other than dismissal unthinkable, we hope that some constructive way round the present situation may be found. At the very least, if the decision to dismiss Mr Jones-Nerzic is deemed by the Board to be final and irrevocable, we feel that a full and satisfactory explanation of the circumstances surrounding the dismissal needs to be provided if there is to be any hope of the project continuing

REINSTATE RICHARD JONES-NERZIC!

2007-01-10T05:42:00.000-08:00

I started this blog to support the reinstatement of Richard Jones-Nerzic at IST in Toulouse. Here is some background:

Richard Jones-Nerzic was sacked from his position at the Airbus funded International School of Toulouse on the 23rd December 2006. The justification given was that he photocopied the dismissal letter of a colleague (Tanya Carlile), therefore allowing other members of staff to know the reasons for her dismissal. This was despite the fact that an internal investigation revealed that Tanya Carlile had given express permission for staff to know the content of her letter. The Board of Directors at the school (appointed by Airbus) made their decision to dismiss Richard Jones-Nerzic based on a presentation by the Principal, Mr Les Albiston. At no point has Richard Jones-Nerzic been allowed to defend himself to the Board. In addition, he was expressly denied the right to external union representation at his disciplinary hearing.

On the 22nd of December Richard Jones-Nerzic also received a court summons from the school challenging his union’s (SUNDEP) right to representation in the school and his right personally to be the representative of that union in the school. There is a long history behind this. In 2001 and despite much management opposition, staff with the support of SUNDEP, succeeded in setting up a legally recognised system of representation. In the elections of 2001, 2003 and 2005, six SUNDEP members were successfully elected to represent staff. With the dismissal of Richard Jones-Nerzic only one SUNDEP member remains as a staff representative. The other four, some members of this forum, were all previously dismissed: Pascal Barbeau, Juliette Taylor-Lallau, David Ardley and Sylvie Dukes. The grounds for these previous dismissals were generally ‘economic’ and it is understood that all four signed confidentiality clauses preventing them from talking about the reasons for their dismissal.