Flip The System UK: A Teachers' Manifesto: A Teachers' Manifesto

How did we let teacher burn-out happen, and what can we do about it – before it's too late?

This brave and disruptive book accurately defines the problems of low teacher morale and offers systemic, future-proof and realistic solutions to bringing hope, energy and joy back to the profession. The simple answer is staring us in the face: increase teacher agency. Our rallying cry: our profession needs a return to values of humanity, pride, and professionalism.

From research literacy to a collective voice, better CPD to smarter accountability, contributors to this book demonstrate the huge scope for increased teacher influence at every level of the education sector. Education voices including Sam Twiselton, Alison Peacock, David Weston and Andy Hargreaves, supported by a broad range of academics and policy makers, vouch for increased teacher agency and stronger, more powerful networks as a means of improving practice, combatting teacher disillusionment, and radically improving UK education. This text offers an exciting and hopeful perspective on education; urging teachers to work together to ‘flip the system’ and challenging policy makers to help… or get out of the way.

Chapters have been contributed by Tom Bennett, Peter Ford, Jonathan Firth, David Weston, David Williams, Zeba Clarke, Julie Smith, Dr Robert Loe, Jeremy Pattle, Debra Kidd, Steven Watson, Ross Morrison McGill, George Gilchrist, Howard Stevenson, Professor Dame Alison Peacock, d’Reen Struthers, Phil Wood, Rae Snape, Simon Gibbs, Ross Hall, Jackie Ward, Simon Knight, David Frost, Sheila Ball, Sarah Lightfoot, Andy Hargreaves, Darren Macey, Gary Farrell, Julian Critchley, Tony Gallagher, Gareth Alcott, Sam Twiselton, Jelmer Evers, Alma Harris, Michelle Jones, Natalie Scott, Deborah M. Netolicky, Jon Andrews, Cameron Paterson, Per Kornhall, Joe Hallgarten, Tom Beresford and Sara Hjelm.

Lucy Rycroft-Smith is a maths teacher now working as a writer and researcher, who makes regular contributions to The Guardian and TES.

JL Dutaut is a teacher of citizenship, media, and government and politics.