As soon as I learnt about Mr Jones' dismissal I was shocked beyond belief, and my first reaction was it didn't make sense. The information available to me is limited, but in my personal opinion, the reasons stated by the school are inadequate, especially when they fired one of their most influential and important assets. The following is what I wrote weeks ago concerning the situation....
To Whom It May Concern:
My time at the International School of Toulouse spanned a total of five years, covering both the IGCSE and IB examinations. During this time, Mr Jones proved himself to me as one of the biggest assets the school had to offer. The success of his students past and present is a clear indicator of his worth as a teacher, and I myself achieved the top grades in both the 2003 IGCSE and 2005 IB history exams. He brought a number of other teachers and scholars from around the world to speak to us as students, and involved us in a wide range of Internet based learning programs. He used a variety of teaching techniques, including presentations, group learning, and school trips, which is not something a lot of my other teachers could claim. His lessons and advice on how to write essays have proven invaluable to myself as I further my education at the University of Sheffield in the UK. No other teacher, in my experience at IST, offered the same level of advice, teaching and approachability as Mr Jones. The International School of Toulouse, to my knowledge, has benefited greatly from Mr Jones' humanities website and involvement in international web-based programs, receiving funding and other resources. All in all, to me Mr Jones represents not only one of the school's most competent teachers, but also a pioneer in the use of information technology and international involvement in the classroom, something the school has continuously advertised as one of it's most important characteristics.
Sincerely,
Robin Webb
As a side note, what I find even more interesting is that Mr Jones was not their first teacher involved with the unions to be removed from the school. It really makes you think.
I have posted my support on the Student Education Forum and am in the process of writing letters to the board of administrators. I feel sorry for the current students at the IST as they have (temporarily) lost an incredibly influential teacher. I feel sorry for the future students too as they may never experience what I, and so many others, took for granted. But then I also feel sorry for Mr Jones, who I personally feel could go the distance with his teaching and projects, but is now held back unjustly by the school and by court cases, but mainly by one man. Without Mr Jones I would never have achieved the grades I did, and would never have been inspired to study History at university.
The amount of support Mr Jones is receiving doesn't suprise me, and the only way I can see this getting resolved is by spreading the word, and pubicising the case.
All I can say is good luck and I'll be doing what I can to make sure this issue gets resolved.