Term 4 ACT Educator by Australian Education Union ACT

ACT ELECTION EDITION

ACT EDUCATOR TERM 4 | 2016

OUR PLEDGE Our six points will lay the foundations for our public education achievements over the next four years.

OUR STORIES Hear from ACT public educators about how our campaign will fundamentally impact our workplaces.

OUR CANDIDATES Meet the candidates who are committed to putting public education first.

2016 TERM 4 Upcoming Events RSVP at aeuact.org.au/events WEEK 1 RELIEF TEACHER NETWORK MEETING Thursday, 13th October 4.30pm - 5.30pm Tilleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cafe, Lyneham ACT ELECTION Saturday, 15th October 8.00am - 6.00pm VOTE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION!

WEEK 2 BRANCH EXECUTIVE Tuesday, 18th October 5.30pm - 8.30pm United Voice Boardroom, Barton SCHOOL ASSISTANTS CONFERENCE Friday, 21st October 9.00am - 4.00pm Dickson Tradies, 2 Badham St, Dickson TAFE COUNCIL Friday, 21st October 1.30pm - 4.00pm Rooms E12 A & B, CIT Reid Learning Centre

WEEK 3

WEEK 5 BRANCH EXECUTIVE Tuesday, 8th November 5.30pm - 8.30pm United Voice Boardroom, Barton

WEEK 6 AEU ACTIVIST MEETING & DRINKS Thursday, 17th November 3.30pm - 5.30pm Location TBC BRANCH COUNCIL Saturday, 19th November 9.00am - 12.00pm J Block Theatre, CIT Reid

WEEK 7 TAFE COUNCIL Friday, 25th November 1.30pm - 4.00pm Rooms E12 A & B, CIT Reid Learning Centre

WEEK 8 BRANCH EXECUTIVE Tuesday, 29th November 5.30pm - 8.30pm United Voice Boardroom, Barton ABORIGINAL & TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER NETWORK MEETING Thursday, 1st December 4.30pm - 5.30pm AEU Office, Barton

WEEK 9

RAINBOW NETWORK MEETING Tuesday, 25th October 4.30pm - 5.30pm AEU Office, Barton

NEW EDUCATORS NETWORK MEETING Thursday, 8th December 4.30pm - 5.30pm Location TBC

BRANCH COUNCIL Saturday, 29th October 9.00am - 12.00pm J Block Theatre, CIT Reid

AEU END OF YEAR CELEBRATION Friday, 9th December 4.30pm onwards Location TBC

WEEK 4 WOMENS NETWORK MEETING Thursday, 3rd November 4.30pm - 5.30pm AEU Office, Barton

WEEK 10 BRANCH EXECUTIVE Tuesday, 13th December 5.30pm - 8.30pm United Voice Boardroom, Barton

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ACT EDUCATOR MAGAZINE

ACT EDUCATOR MAGAZINE | TERM 4 | 2016

INSIDE ON THE COVER

We wish Tom Griffith, active AEU member and high school teacher, his daughter Lucy and the rest of his family good luck in their big adventure to Sri Lanka. You will be missed. On page 23, Tom talks about how, if we want a world class education system, we need to invest in our school infrastructure.

OUR STORIES ADDITIONAL PSYCHOLOGISTS 10 Eleanor Sautelle delves into why school psychologists are essential for the learning outcomes of students. GUARANTEE CIT FUNDING 14 CIT teacher, student and organiser, Gerard Dwyer, staunchly defends public funding for CIT. WORKLOAD & CLASS SIZES 18 Primary school principal Jason Borton is prioritising the health and wellbeing of his staff. SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE 22 High school teacher Tom Griffith talks about the struggles of temperature extremes in the classroom. ADVOCATE FOR GONSKI 26 Avid public education campaigner, Karl-Erik Paasonen, continues the fight for Gonski. PUT PUBLIC EDUCATION FIRST 28 Andrew Wright is proud to teach in a public school and takes aim at the ideological war against public education.

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THE REGULARS UPCOMING EVENTS 3 PRESIDENT’S REPORT 7 SECRETARY’S REPORT 8

THE PARTIES’ EDUCATION POLICIES THE GREENS 34 ACT LABOR 36 THE LIBERALS 38

MEET THE CANDIDATES YERRABI 42 GINNINDERRA 44 MURRUMBIDGEE 46 BRINDABELLA 48 KURRAJONG 50

OUR PLEDGE

OUR STORIES 10 - 30

THE PARTIES

33 - 39

THE CANDIDATES

41 - 51

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PRESIDENT’S REPORT

his ACT election, we are laying the foundations for what our public education achievements will be over the next four years.

In the here and now, with our workload constraints and our family responsibilities and focuses on the educational outcomes of dozens of students, it can be hard to think that far ahead. The constraints of our daily realities, however, demonstrate our union power. Through our small actions, with the knowledge that other educators are taking the same small actions, we can make huge gains for public education in the ACT. This election, we need you to take some small actions. Share AEU election posts on social media. Talk to your neighbour about how they should vote for public education. Join other educators at traffic junctions and literally raise the banner for public education. We have done it before. It was educators who created universal education. We have crafted it over time, chiselling off old ideas and soldering on new ways of educating. Our Gonski campaign has achieved more resources for the students across this nation who need them the most. Our new Teaching Agreement supports teachers performing their core roles. This year, we will deliver profound change to support educators to be safer in the workplace. We will keep crafting public education to make it even better. If everyone dedicates one hour to spreading our message before Election Day, on Saturday 15th October, we can elect a Government that is committed to improving public education. One hour – that’s it. Check our guide on the candidates who support public education and make sure you influence as many people in your life as possible to vote for public education. When we have such an important task ahead, it’s important that we all take these small actions if we are going to achieve positive outcomes for public education over the next four years.

Lana Read AEU ACT President

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SECRETARY’S REPORT

It is election time again and things are moving very quickly. The AEU is asking the three main parties and all candidates to sign our pledge which will, over the life of the assembly, deliver real outcomes for public education and the staff who work within it. We ask for additional psychologists for the public school system, a guarantee of 70% of government funding for CIT and a 30% cap on contestability, the continuation of our workload reduction resources coupled with real leadership to keep class sizes at reasonable levels, school infrastructure upgrades prioritising heating and cooling solutions, passionate advocacy for Gonski’s 5th and 6th years and, finally, the recognition that any government’s primary obligation is to public education. This is not everything we need in our workplaces, but Council and Executive have determined it is a collection of things well suited to the political sphere.

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The Greens have signed our pledge and ACT Labor is edging closer. We remain confident that all the parties will want to work with us on these initiatives. Stay tuned to our online communications as things shift between now and 15 October. All parties will need to resist opportunistic attempts by vested interests to reduce the slice of the pie that public schools receive, and thus reduce our capacity to deliver for our students. Some educators are tempted to see elections as peripheral to the work we do in our classrooms, or to be sceptical about the sincerity of politicians and cynical about the political process in general. But elections are a great time for us to come together, to stand up for what is right and fair, and to set the agenda for the next four years. Other groups will use this process to undermine our efforts, and we must stand tall collectively and see off the inevitable challenges. You’ve recently seen what we can achieve in the federal election, where we joined other unionists and progressive groups to remove the bellwether status from Eden-Monaro, unseat an anti-Gonski candidate and one of the architects of WorkChoices and seriously weaken Malcolm Turnbull’s ability to derail the Gonski reforms which we know are in the national interest. Make no mistake: election results matter to your daily work. I will be prominent in the media, but I need you to help us with on-theground campaigning. Please put your hand up to do something small or big for our union as the ACT Election approaches. We need to know we have done everything in our collective power to ensure the best outcomes for public education. We owe it to ourselves, our students and our communities.

Glenn Fowler AEU ACT Secretary

ACT EDUCATOR MAGAZINE

ADDITIONAL PSYCHOLOGISTS Work to ensure that over the life of the Assembly at least 15 new psychologists are delivered for the public school system, in addition to allied health professionals, in implementing the recommendations of the Schools For All report.

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How psychologists make our schools even better Eleanor Sautelle - School Psychologist

Imagine this: you’re a Year 5 Teacher (for some of you, this won’t take too much imagination). On most days, you have a class of 30. On some days, your class balloons to 45 when the school can’t find a relief teacher. In your regular class, every child has something on their mind. In the mornings, one girl is dropped off by a rolling cast of family members, some who don’t make a reappearance. Another is dropped off by her mum, who is always teary when she pulls up. In the classroom, two kids, who used to be best friends, now sit on opposite sides of the room. One boy needs to follow a certain pattern and order, and when it’s not strictly adhered to, he becomes uncooperative if not violent. Another boy doesn’t make it to class much at all and, when he does, he fumbles through

ideas and concepts that he missed lessons ago, and actually still has trouble with the basics of reading. You try to help him catch up while continuing to teach the 29 other students. You try to do everything but there’s only so much time. To compound it all, NAPLAN is in a month. You need to focus on the test.

I am also a gift – to educators who are trying to understand how the students in their class learn, to parents who feel unsupported and uncertain about what to do, and to students who are working through complex feelings and experiences that they have no reference point to deal with and sometimes no words to describe them.

I am not an optional add on. I am the vital link that makes it possible for children to step into the classroom ready to learn. Every day, we expect children to learn when they are going through the biggest challenges in their lives so far. That’s where I step in. As a school psychologist, I am not an optional add on. I am the vital link that makes it possible for children to step into the classroom ready to learn.

I work with children that are raised by their grandma, or cousin, or sibling, because that is the most stable person in the string of adults in their life. Other children are mediating between two fighting adults. They might become anxious or they need to learn to organise themselves because

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ACT EDUCATOR MAGAZINE

the adults don’t. A handful of children need to grow up very quickly when they take on caring roles for their siblings, and sometimes even their parents. These kids have to be grownups before they’ve entered primary school. All children are learning how to navigate friendships and relationships. There are children pretending to be fine when they are humiliated by their peers. There are children who are grappling with their gender identity or sexual orientation. Others need help to learn how to manage their emotions so they don’t explode and hurt others. I can help with all of that. Some children self-harm to manage their distress and they otherwise don’t know

how to cope. Often the parents of these children are worried and unsure how to help, and teachers are too because we have to keep them safe at school. Many children have difficulty with learning for lots of reasons – some because they have a diagnosable learning disorder, others because concentrating or holding things in their memory is really hard. Often this makes school a pretty stressful place – for everyone. Working with these young people to understand their challenges and build the skills to manage with difficult situations – that’s what being a psychologist is all about. I work with teachers too – debriefing after a particularly rough day,

helping them to know how to respond when things are going wrong or learning is just too hard, working together to keep our students safe. Many say they feel better just knowing that I am here. Yet, despite the years of training and the high-level qualifications to become a psychologist, when I’m stretched thin across thousands of students, I often wonder whether I am doing enough, and how I could do more. I’m lucky – I love working in schools. I make strong connections with the children and the families that support them. I understand who they are. I forge relationships over time that create high levels of trust. But the doubt is still there. Am I enough?

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ACT EDUCATOR MAGAZINE

GUARANTEE CIT FUNDING Push for a guarantee that at least 70% of public VET funding will go to CIT and therefore that contestability is capped at 30%.

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CIT: TOO GOOD TO LOSE Gerard Dwyer - CIT teacher, student & organiser

umbers matter. And for public VET funding, the number that

matters is 70. To be precise, we need guarantees from all political parties that 70% of government funding will go to TAFE and our local incarnation, CIT.

Sometimes politicians try to twist and turn numbers. They will say, “We’ve committed $2 billion to TAFE”. Or, even more damning, they avoid numbers altogether and say something like, “We will support TAFE to be competitive in the national market”. When these statements are missing that crucial number, 70%, they are meaningless promises. They are like the half-truth or outright lies that pepper some people’s resumes. Oh, you have taught across all education sectors? Well, I spoke at a seminar at CIT once, so I figured that was my tick for public education. No politician wants to be frank and honest. No politician will stand up and say, “We gutted TAFE by giving public money to private providers. Then we found out those private providers were rorting the system and taking billions of dollars of public money for student enrolments.” It’s hard enough to hear about the public money pouring

into the profit-margins of private businesses when we are resource scant at TAFE. If the politicians’ were truly honest, however, they would continue by saying, “A lot of these students didn’t graduate and, if they did, many were awarded sub-standard qualifications that we have now revoked. We’ve given Australia a generation of students who have been left behind, students who don’t have skills in a skills economy, because we failed them.” Luckily, in the ACT, we’ve been somewhat sheltered from the storm. At this stage, CIT still receives over 70% of ACT Government VET funding. This is in stark contrast to South Australia and Victoria, whose Conservative governments heartily embraced government funding for private providers. Our cousins in the south are now trying to reverse the trend (To give them credit, their politicians have given some small admissions of guilt in the process). Even with over 70% of the

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funding in the ACT, CIT is under budgetary pressures. When teachers are cut, they are not replaced. We teachers who stay are expected to pick up the slack, take on new roles that we haven’t done before and increase our workload.

addict who, when he thought he was on the edge of death, turned his life around. Now sober and clean, he is studying to be a drug and alcohol rehabilitation worker. CIT has saved his life.

flight mode, it’s hard to put the positive stories at the forefront of your mind. The threat overshadows why we do our jobs in the first place. But it’s the lives that are changed by CIT – it’s my life that has changed because of CIT – that

As much as it’s about the lives we hace changed, it’s also about the incomparably high quality education for vocational education and training. While some private providers are having their degrees revoked, students at CIT are getting jobs before they even finish their courses. In the area I work, in environmental science, students are regularly offered jobs before gaining their qualifications.

Now sober and clean, he is studying to be a drug and alcohol rehabilitation worker. CIT has saved his life. The pressure of CIT’s RTO re-registration is felt across the organisation. Once again, teachers are expected to pick up more work without more resources, and work like super-humans to complete it in our work hours. Instead, it inevitably leeches into our own personal time and private lives. When you’re in the headlights of a whole sector under attack, and you’re in fight or

makes the fight worth it. It’s the Indigenous student from central NSW who is the first Indigenous person to be educated in her area. CIT was her first opportunity for higher education and she chased it. She left her community in rural Australia and moved to Canberra because she saw how CIT would change her life.

Our message is loud and clear – politicians, don’t gamble with TAFE and CIT. The risks are too high and there isn’t a pay off. If you play politics with public CIT funding, you’re failing a generation.

It’s the alcoholic and drug

VET FEE-HELP & TAFE: THE FACTS Since 2012, VET FEE-HELP debt has grown exponentially - and topped $4 billion in 2015 alone.

More than 75% of VET FEE-HELP goes to the private for-profit VET sector, using it to fuel huge taxpayer funded profits. VET FEE HELP Loans by Sector

VET FEEHELP

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$600 Private Providers

$400 $200 $0

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

2015 Estimate

Millions

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Billions

TAFE

TAFE SHAPES FUTURES Join the campaign by registering your support at

www.stoptafecuts.com.au

Authorised by Pat Forward, Federal TAFE Secretary, Australian Education Union. 120 Clarendon St, Southbank. 3006

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ACT EDUCATOR MAGAZINE

REDUCE WORKLOAD & CAP CLASS SIZES Work to ensure sustainable teacher workloads and high quality learning environments through continuation of the funding provided in 2015 to support school teacher workload reduction and capping of public school class sizes at 22 for Preschool, 21 in Years K-3, 30 in Years 4-6, 32 in Years 7-9, 30 in Year 10, and 25 in Years 11-12, or equivalent.

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A SCHOOL LEADER’S GUIDE TO CREATING A HAPPIER & HEALTHIER WORKPLACE Jason Borton - Primary School Principal

ne of the most sig-

The increased stress and negative effect on wellbeing can be nificant barriers for detrimental to our professioneducators is the ever al effectiveness and therefore the learning outcomes for increasing workload and ex- students in our care.

pectations of implementing At Richardson Primary School new initiatives.

we made a collective decision to get serious about reducing our workload and enhancing our staff wellbeing. We have chosen to make a cultural shift in our school, but this is only possible when we have the necessary resources to make it happen. The additional resources that we won in last year’s Enterprise Agreement has framed this shift. It has taken the collective will in our school to make health and wellbeing a priority. Health and wellbeing is something which is too often neglected by educators amidst our desire and commitment

to do the best job we possibly can. I see too many colleagues burning themselves out with excessive work hours, unreasonable self-expectations, ridiculous external demands and a culture of just doing more and more without ever letting anything go. As a leader I think the wellbeing of the staff at our school is something which I need to support in a positive way. Some of the concepts which I think relate to this topic include: • Reducing workload is a main driver to support health and wellbeing and is everyone’s business in the workplace; • Health and wellbeing are critical issues for leader and staff performance; • Reducing workload in the workplace is often about tak-

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ing simple important actions; • The workplace is a key place for many people to gain help; • Health and wellbeing works well when it builds on the existing strengths of individuals and workplaces. We recently embarked on a mission to improve the health and wellbeing of every staff member in a number of ways. We became the first primary school in the ACT to sign up for the ‘Healthier Work Initiative’ which is a government program that works with both public and private sector employees on becoming more active in the area of health and wellbeing. A major part of the Healthier

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Work initiative involved developing and implementing a plan of action. The plan consisted of the following things for our school: • Family Friendly Week once a term with no after school meetings. Staff are encouraged to leave by 4pm each day this week; • Fruit supplied weekly by the school for the staffroom to provide a healthy snack option; • Foam rollers provided for staff to use for low-impact exercise; • Weekly after school fitness sessions provided by an external provider and funded as part of the school professional

learning budget; • A commitment by all staff to providing healthy options for all staff morning teas/lunches etc.; • Agreed work hours to avoid excessive workload; • Engage a massage therapist once per term to provide seated massage for all staff; • Purchase a smoothie machine for staff use; • Broker a deal with Active Leisure Centre gym for discounted staff memberships; • Subscribe to the Happy Schools weekly newsletter. These actions have contributed significantly to staff mo-

rale, positive mindsets about looking after ourselves and created a culture that promotes wellbeing as a significant part of our school community. In addition to this targeted project we have put together a workload committee which meets regularly to discuss issues of workload effecting staff. We then work together to address the issues on a case by case basis. We also engage in a once per term audit of operational activities, which involves looking at what we need to STOP, START and CONTINUE doing as a staff. We can’t continue to just add tasks to our daily workload, so if we’re going to take on something new then what are we going to stop doing to make room for it? Ongoing reflections have led us to decluttering our days and minimising disruptions to class teaching time. This in itself has helped lower teacher stress which can be heightened by not feeling they have enough time to achieve the things they want to with their class. We have reduced our student reports to a one-page snapshot of learning which has significantly impacted on teacher stress during ‘reporting season’. This was a terrific action which galvanised staff morale. I believe that working in schools is a rewarding job and being a Principal is an abso-

lute privilege. I think that all staff need to be at their best when the ‘game’ is on between 9-3 when the students are there. In order to achieve this goal we need to look after ourselves, manage workload, work smarter not harder and get decent rest when we are away from school. I encourage our staff to avoid coming into school during the holiday break. I ask them to consider using the time to recharge their batteries so that they

ly leave work at a reasonable hour and fit in a quick gym session on the way home. I limit my work week to an absolute maximum of 50 hours and regularly do significantly less than that. I want to promote wellbeing and workload reduction as a critical aspect of my role. I actually want staff to look at me and see a Principal who enjoys the job and doesn’t look worn out all the time. I want them to think that it

If we’re going to take on something new then what are we going to stop doing to make room for it? return to school energised, refreshed and well-rested. In saying all this, I need to say that I have been leading from the front when it comes to my own personal health and wellbeing. There’s no use me saying one thing and then being the first to school and the last to leave every day. I have two young children to consider and I don’t ever want to be good at my job at the expense of being a father. I’m not the one who spends excessive hours at school stressing over compliance or feeling like I’m always too busy to talk to people or listen to what they have to say. I drop my two kids at school once a week as a routine way to stay connected with them and their schooling. I regular-

would be a good job to have. I have another 20-25 years in this profession and I refuse to burn myself out in an attempt to perform a heroic number of hours. My productivity drastically reduces after about 5pm each day so I’d be wasting my time staying at work much past then in any case. My school is on the right track, but we’re not infallable. At the moment, we only have government guarantees for workload reduction resources until November next year. We need long term commitments for the continued funding of these resources. Educator wellbeing is important so let’s not brush it aside because we haven’t got time for it.

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INVEST IN SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE Ensure delivery of promised school infrastructure upgrades by the government with heating and cooling solutions as an urgent priority.

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OUR PATIENCE HAS REACHED BOILING POINT Tom Griffith - High School Teacher

When you’ve been teaching for a while, you get used to your working environment being a bit shabby, uncared for, uncomfortable and possibly even unsafe. It may be a broken latch on the classroom window, a door which doesn’t quite open without a hearty kick or a mass of power cords leading into an overloaded electricity outlet. I’m sure we can all conjure up an image of the dodgy work space or classroom we, and our students, have had to endure. Schools often do their best with their limited budgets. They employ cleaners and janitors to maintain the scant resources they do have, and every now and again, a classroom gets a new carpet, or some new chairs are delivered to a faculty, or the 1980s arts desks are replaced with some-

thing a bit more 21st century. One environmental problem which bedevils our classrooms, and requires more

tivity and can veer from frostily cold to energy-sapping hot. On very hot days in Canberra, it is normal for classrooms to

It is a sad fact that some of the people writing memos about how to care for heatstressed students are doing so from airconditioned offices where overcrowding is not an issue. than a bit of spit and polish for improvement, is the heating, or cooling, or more often, the lack of either. And, more so than a threadbare carpet, the climate of your room directly impacts the quality of teaching and learning that occurs there. We live in a part of Australia where the climate dictates ac-

be so hot that students and teachers are unable to concentrate. On my first day of permanent teaching in the ACT, I was so alarmed by the heat levels in my classroom that I promptly went to Target and bought two pedestal fans, with my own money. Just so that my kids could learn on their first day of school.

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It’s not just extreme heat. I have taught in a classroom where the heaters didn’t function, and the temperature dropped below 10 degrees. Shivering students don’t learn very well, so we had to move to a teaching space reserved for special needs students, as no other classrooms were available.

not adequately climate controlled.

Solutions from the Directorate and from the ACT Government in general have fallen somewhere between the completely obvious to the faintly ridiculous. Sensible suggestions include reminding kids to fill up their drink bottles and not running classes in direct sunlight.

It is a sad fact that some of the people writing memos about how to care for heat-stressed students are doing so from air-conditioned offices where overcrowding is not an issue.

Less helpful ideas include: rotating classes through cooler areas of the school (if it’s that hot, why should any class not be in a cooler part of the school? And does this mean running multiple classes in a gym or hall, or even in corridors, as one primary school did last year?); installing ceiling fans in classrooms, or awnings over external windows (very useful advice when delivered on the extremely hot day itself); monitoring children for signs of heat-related stress (suggesting that we teachers are also experts on what such signs may be); advising parents to give their kids more fresh fruit and veggies; and avoiding student crowding in schools on hot days (while at the same time rescheduling

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Our union has made the eminently reasonable request for teaching spaces to sit between 17 and 30 degrees, temperature limits that I’m sure few non-school based public servants would be happy to endure. all outdoor classes indoors). Whatever advice is offered, the ED and the ACT Government undercut their own suggestions with statements such as this: “Physiological differences in children compared to adults puts children at a greater risk of suffering from heat-related illness. Children have immature sweating mechanisms, fewer and smaller sweat glands, and a greater surface area-to volume ratio that results in greater heat gain on a hot day.” By stressing that our students are more prone to being adversely affected by the heat, our employer’s own Chief Health Officer makes an important point: our classrooms need to be refuges from extreme heat and cold, for the wellbeing of our students. If we are having to shuffle classes around the school, or put pedestal fans into rooms, or encourage students to eat more fruit and veg, then our education system is using a band-aid solution to fix the fact that our classes are

In a city and country where temperatures are on the rise, overheated classrooms are only going to become more of a problem. It is essential that our employer meets their obligation to ensure our teaching spaces are thermally comfortable. Putting the burden back onto teachers and resource-scarce schools is neither realistic nor helpful. Politicians also play a role. Governments keep reminding public educators that we’re competing for enrolments with private schools. At the same time, some private schools with closely clipped lawns are demanding government money above the Gonski allocation. All while our kids are sweating and freezing. We need all of the parties to commit to delivering a school infrastructure funding boost of at least $10 million per year.

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ACT EDUCATOR MAGAZINE

ADVOCATE FOR THE FULL GONSKI

Advocate actively for full federal funding under the National Education Reform (Gonski) Agreement.

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GONSKI - IT’S DEEPLY PERSONAL Karl-Erik Paasonen - EAL/D Teacher What, ultimately, does Gonski funding mean to me, and why do I think we have to keep fighting for it? It’s visceral. It comes from deep in my guts. A little over half a century ago, I came out squealing and mewling from my mother’s womb. I was naked. At times not so distant from that, people like Malcolm Turnbull, Simon Birmingham and Cory Bernardi emerged out of theirs too. Naked. No difference. Virtually identical brains and bodies, inheritances of the same long evolutionary process. Yet now, I am being told that the flicker-of-an-eyelid differences of culture and wealth mean that if I were a child today (I have an 11 year old, at a local public school), then those flicker-of-an-eyelid differences are more important than all that evolutionary inheritance that we have in common. I’m being told that my child, and my neighbour’s children – in fact the children of almost

everyone I know, have ever known, and am ever likely to know – are inherently less worthy, less deserving of the care a society can give, than their children. Gonski isn’t abstract – it’s personal. Deeply personal. It sickens me, that these people have the gall to pretend that they are part of a society, a democracy, but can then decide that vast numbers of children are not as worthy as theirs. That they say exactly the same thing, but to a greater degree, about Aboriginal children, and the children of people whose countries their bombs have helped turn into bloodbaths just compounds it for me. In the recent federal election, I walked the streets of Eden-Monaro with NSW Teachers Federation teachers and our own AEU colleagues. I heard, both from NSW teachers and from parents, how the Gonski money was making a real difference to their schools and to their children.

Programs had been set up to redress the effects of this flicker-of-an-eyelid difference in our culture’s distribution of wealth and life-chances. Are these programs now to be closed, while the wealth continues to flow to the schools of the rich? These people who want to gut Gonski worship something called ‘the hidden hand’ of the free market. Well, to me, the hand is not all that hidden. It’s a naked fist. It’s a naked fist that destroys the hope of equality in our world and takes all the wealth for themselves. These are people for whom public schooling is the educational equivalent of the dole: something they don’t want to have to pay for, and will cut where they can. That’s why we have to keep fighting for Gonski. It’s a huge battle; but it’s a battle in a bigger war. That’s why I’ll be working with as many of you as possible in this ACT election campaign and afterwards, to take it to them. I’m sick of copping it.

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Protect CIT with 70/30

Fund more psychologists

Put public education first

Fight for Gonski

Fund new facilities

Ensure workload limits

Protect CIT with 70/30

Fund more psychologists

Put public education first

Fight for Gonski

Fund new facilities

Ensure workload limits

Protect CIT with 70/30

Fund more psychologists

Put public education first

Fight for Gonski

Fund new facilities

Ensure workload limits

Pull out and pin up in your school or campus

Our Education Scorecard is correct at time of printing. If there are any changes to the partiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; positions, we will let you know by our member email and on social media.

ACT

ACT EDUCATOR MAGAZINE

PUT PUBLIC EDUCATION FIRST

Recognise that when it comes to education at all levels, any governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s primary obligation must be to public education.

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PUBLIC EDUCATION IS NOT A CHOICE. IT’S A NECESSITY. Andrew Wright - High School Teacher

ike many others, I have It was a natural step for me to come to teaching late. It is a way of feeding

my family, and the social

look at teaching as an option. As a man with an interest in wellbeing and education, teaching was a no-brainer.

The choice to apply to work in justice bent of teaching also public versus private education is an important one. For has an appeal. It is a high many, choosing to send their children to a public school ideal to seek out a position is not a choice they have to where the potential for pos- make; private schools are closed to them either because itive impact on a large scale of wealth, religion, or status, so ‘going public’ is their only opis built in. tion. For governments though, there is a choice, and that is how to assign the available money pool. Make no mistake; there is a deep ideology about how the current Federal Conservative Government is dishing out education funding. That ideology is stifling enormous efforts by teachers in public schools to do their jobs. Our Federal Government, the one we voted back into power this year, has an agenda that includes the privatisation of everything, including education. This is their way. They

lower deficits, not by lowering their own spending, but by selling off anything that is not nailed down, and some things that are. I have no doubt that, given the chance, a conservative government would sell off our schools and make the Education Directorate lease them back. Thankfully, we now have an Education Minister in the ACT who has faith in the public system. But we are headed for an election, and once again it will be imperative that we have the best people representing us. As education staff, as parents, and as members of this Canberra community, we need to make sure that the interests of the public system are upheld, and that those in power understand our struggles. It is vital that they know we are against the federal push for more standardised testing; that we are against the federal push for performance-based pay; that we are against the idiotic idea that you can run an education system on a

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business model that says you need to put that system through a Productivity Commission to work out how to get more bang for your buck — I’m looking at you, Mr Morrison!

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ter and hot boxes in summer; they arrive to schools that are in desperate need of work, knowing that work is beyond the awesome BSO’s who share our frustrations, and we know that somewhere down the

Public money should support free education so that we have a well educated population, ready and able to become good citizens and, one day, maybe good politicians. Education is not about productivity as much as it is about people. And teachers understand that. You can’t ‘performance manage’ learning. Each day, public school teachers, who have spent their own money on resources, and have stolen their own stationery from home, arrive at school to classrooms that leak, that are ice boxes in win-

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road there is a private school that is planning a new swimming pool, or upgrading their turf cricket pitch. They may not be using public money to do that work, but it is public money being spent on necessities that allows the freedom to upgrade the luxuries. It shouldn’t be ‘us and them’ between public and private

schools, but people who choose to have their children educated in private schools should pay for that, not us. Public money should primarily support public schools. Public money should provide public infrastructure that meets the needs of a growing population. Public money should support free education so that we have a well educated population, ready and able to become good citizens and, one day, maybe good politicians. We are not a greedy lot, public educators. We don’t ask for much. But we do deserve to be listened to. We do deserve to be heard by those who represent us in government. We do need those holding the purse strings to open them a little wider, and to support us by supplying the funds we need to effectively do our jobs.

WHAT DO THE PARTIES STAND FOR?

eâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve given the parties a chance to outline their education policies, and then we weighed their commitments against our pledge.

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ACT EDUCATOR MAGAZINE

he ACT Greens believe We believe in a needs-based that a high-quality, free and equitable

education is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy and is fundamental to the ACT’s continued prosperity. We believe that everyone should have access to education that meets their needs and aspirations.

funding model for education for Canberra public schools. We committed to the Gonski funding model in our last Parliamentary Agreement with the ALP and we remain committed its implementation in the ACT to invest in schools where all our students can achieve their potential. The ACT Greens are committed to ensuring that Canberra’s public schools are able to meet the learning needs of all students in our classrooms. That is why we have committed to the full implementation of the Schools for All report, with an ongoing independent oversight for an additional 2 years, and to support ACT educators to be the best they can possibly be. We know that many of our students will struggle with some aspects of learning, and we know that each and every student has different needs in the classroom. Right now too many students are finding themselves having to get out of school tutoring to “catch up” or overcome their learning difficulties.

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ACT’s public school teachers and principals have been working in 2016 to implement the recently released Great Teaching By Design in their day to day practice, and face increasing pressure to develop individual responses for children in their classes. The ACT Greens have committed to funding four executive teachers with expertise in pedagogy, learning difficulties, and literacy and numeracy programming, who will support teachers in schools using a coaching and mentoring approach. The ACT Greens will also fund four additional psychologists in 2017 to build the capacity to undertake educational assessments for children with learning difficulties to take some of the load off school based psychologists, and ensure that families don’t need to spend thousands of dollars undertaking tests privately. In addition, we will facilitate additional support for new and existing teachers by ensuring that the skills and training that they need are supported by the Teacher Quality institute, in collaboration with

THE GREENS’ POSITION ON OUR PLEDGE Fund more psychologists

Fund new facilities

Protect CIT with 70/30

Fight for Gonski

Ensure workload limits

Put public education first

the ACT’s teacher education institutions. We know that student wellbeing is at the heart of ensuring our students achieve their goals. We believe that teachers and schools need somewhere they can reliably refer students and families for additional support, and get the assistance they need in a timely manner. That’s why the ACT Greens have committed to invest $4m over 4 years to fund counselling and mental health services in the community specifically for children and young people, so that every student, no matter which school they go to, can get the help they need. This will include the development of a common referral pathway for schools. The ACT Greens recognise that to get the best possible education our children need the best possible teachers and great leadership from our principals. However, modern schools are increasingly complex environments and teaching is a sophisticated profession with many new challenges and pressures. Teachers must be supported and professionally valued throughout their entire career, not just when they start out.

Principals face challenges both in regards to their own wellbeing, as well as the wellbeing of their staff and students. They also need support with the increased administrative tasks that come with their jobs. To provide better practical assistance to principals and to support teachers who have been in the profession for some time, the ACT Greens will fund the development of a practical professional mentoring strategy and financially support an ongoing peer network to support principals. We are committed to seeing the realisation of the 2015 Enterprise Agreements recognition of the need for real action on Principals Wellbeing; and will ensure that starting in 2018, at every 10 years of service, teachers can develop a Professional Learning Pathways Package, and are supported to access advanced skills professional development opportunities. Further, the ACT Greens believe that we must balance the ability of schools with the best practice and efficiency that a cohesive schools system can bring. That is why we will be reviewing school based decision making to en-

sure that it’s working for the whole community. Finally, ensuring that our school buildings and grounds are modern and comfortable is an important part of delivering a high quality education for our students. In Canberra’s public schools we are seeing the impacts of population growth and ageing schools buildings in some of Canberra’s older suburbs. Building new public schools and maintaining our old ones will require investment, which is why the ACT Greens will commit an additional $40 million over 4 years for capital upgrades to address our ageing schools and improve heating and cooling. We will also commit an additional $10 million to work collaboratively with school communities to manage urgent pressure on school capacity. The ACT Greens commit to working closely and cooperatively with schools to enhance the existing ‘School Modernisation Program’ to face the challenges of ageing infrastructure and population pressures. Shane Rattenbury Greens Leader & Minister for Education

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ACT Labor has always invested heavily in education, increasevery Canberran ing education funding every year we have been in governdeserves the best ment to a record $1.1 billion quality education to get the in 2015-16. The 2016 budget included funding to improve most out of life â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in their and renew school facilities across Canberra at Alfred job, their career and their Deakin High, Campbell High, community. Building better Dickson College, the Woden School, Stromlo High, Lake skills and training means Tuggeranong College, Wanniassa Hills Primary, Calwell building a better Canberra High, Maribyrnong Primary, Weetangera and Hawker and broadening the horipreschools, Amaroo School, zons of our people and our Harrison School, Neville Bonner Primary and Palmerston communities. Preschool.

CT Labor believes

If re-elected, Labor will deliver an $85 million program of public school upgrade and renewal. Older schools will be revitalised to provide the high quality learning environments our students and teachers deserve, particularly through improvements to heating, cooling and energy efficiency in school buildings. Should we succeed in getting the final two years of the Gonski agreement reinstated, a further $15 million will flow into this program. A re-elected Labor government will also use its educaAEU ACT BRANCH

tion platform to invest in the people who make our system the best in Australia and our schools great community hubs. Labor will provide funding for 66 school assistants in ACT public schools to ensure sustainable teacher workloads, more time for lesson planning and better time with students. Laborâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support to teachers will also extend to more mentoring support and a new examination of professional development and career pathways under a long term policy strategy for our school system. Labor will also build on the Schools For All program through 20 additional school psychologists, allied health workers and better pathways for students who might need support outside school. Mental health has emerged as one of the most pressing issues in our schools and Labor will offer the leadership needed to respond to this need for every student in every school. Further, Labor has already committed to fund the Safe Schools Coalition independent of the Commonwealth and free of the restrictions they would seek to impose. Students experiencing chal-

LABOR’S RESPONSES TO OUR PLEDGE

Fund more psychologists

Labor is committed to implementing all recommendations of the review into students with challenging behaviours and complex needs. We will build on the Schools For All program with 20 additional school psychologists and better pathways for students who might need support outside school.

Protect CIT with 70/30 Labor’s funding record for the Canberra Institute of Technology has seen it educate thousands of Canberrans and help them into great jobs and careers. Labor will continue to provide the vast majority of government VET funding to the Canberra Institute of Technology in order to guarantee its place as our premier VET provider into the future. AEU comment: We will continue to push for minimum 70% guarantee.

Ensure workload limits Labor will provide funding for 66 school assistants in ACT public schools to ensure sustainable teacher workloads, more time for lesson planning and better time with students. Across Canberra’s public schools, class sizes fall within the targets identified by the AEU and Labor commits to maintaining average class sizes that are manageable for teachers and conducive to learning. AEU comment: Maximum class sizes, not average, are the key.

lenges around sexuality and gender diversity deserve to learn in safe, supportive and understanding environments, and they deserve to know they have the support of their government. Labor believes in nurturing the entire school community. This means supporting parents, carers, community groups and individuals who can benefit from being involved with our schools – particularly those on lower incomes. Initiatives to support parents will help grow equity across our schools, while an expanding community access program will help more people access school facilities and more schools tap into the vast community resources which surround them. The deep commitment of

Fund new facilities If re-elected, Labor will deliver an $85 million program of public school upgrade and renewal. Both students and teachers will benefit from infrastructure upgrades which provide high quality learning environments in all our schools. Should we succeed in getting the final two years of the Gonski agreement reinstated, a further $15 million will flow into this program.

Fight for Gonski

As a leader in implementing the Gonski reforms, ACT Labor believes strongly in the need for the Commonwealth to honour the original six year national agreement and will actively advocate for its reinstatement.

Put public education first Labor believes in the ability of the ACT government to provide positive leadership and direction for all streams of the education system. As both funder and administrator of the public system, government’s first obligation is to resource and support its teachers, students, parents and carers to get the very best out of education in Canberra.

Labor to building on Canberra’s education system extends from early childhood through to university and VET institutions. Under a re-elected Labor government, new initiatives will help improve preschool services for busy parents, while support for Study Canberra will help our tertiary providers grow as national and international institutions. Labor will continue to provide the vast majority of government VET funding to the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) in order to guarantee its place as our premier VET provider into the future. Last but not least, a re-elected ACT Labor government will immediately continue the task of advocating that the Commonwealth government honour the original six year Gonski funding agreement.

Labor believes in equality of educational opportunity. No matter what background, postcode or learning ability, every child is of equal value and deserves access to a great education. Gonski offers the chance to take the politics out of school funding, to allocate resources based on need and to have the resources of our nation prioritised to the critical purpose of educating our children. ACT Labor is proud to have resourced Canberra’s public schools close to the Gonski resource standard, but the dishonoured national agreement is unfinished business and ACT Labor will be there to call on its reinstatement as a top priority. Yvette Berry ACT Labor Sitting Member & Education Spokesperson

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here is much to be proud of in the ACT education system.

We have first class schools, many with state of the art technology; we have dedi-

But it is also true to say we have overcrowded classrooms, schools with dangerous and ageing infrastructure, classrooms that are freezing in winter and unbearably hot in summer and unsafe playgrounds.

Over the past four years we have had fires in switchboards, asbestos scares in severs and we have students eral schools, gas leaks, leaking who are tracking well above roofs, mouldy classrooms and average in national testing. dirty and broken toilet blocks.

cated principals and teach-

Our teachers and our students win national awards for excellence.

During my time in the Assembly I have visited many schools and seen firsthand the great work that is being done. I have also heard and seen the broken promises about additional classrooms, fixed roofs, cooling system installations, as well as the long and drawn out wage negotiations for staff. I don’t think it is satisfactory for schools to have classes with over 35 students because there is nowhere else to house them; I don’t think it acceptable for music, language, science and craft rooms to be turned into home classrooms because that is the only space available and I don’t think it is fair for parents of preschool children to not know whether their child will have a place at their local school.

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For years we have seen a decline in maintenance of our schools, an increase in class sizes and poor planning for growth. We have also witnessed trauma for schools, teachers and parents in dealing with students with challenging needs and complex behaviours. In his report Schools for All, Professor Shaddock has outlined 50 recommendations to make our schools a safer, more inclusive place for everyone. Those recommendations must be delivered and in full. We will need to see what Labor’s 2016 budget commitment of $21m will deliver insofar as engaging professional staff and we will work with all stakeholders to ensure that the outcomes and standards sought by Professor Shaddock are met. The problems we have experienced in our public schools have come about in part because the Labor Government closed 23 schools with a promise that the savings would go to upgrading and growing other schools. Those upgrades and growth haven’t kept pace with growing student enrolments and ageing schools and neither has the funding. Repeated election promises to fix the problems have not been delivered.

THE LIBERALS’ POSITION ON OUR PLEDGE Fund more psychologists

Fund new facilities

Protect CIT with 70/30

Fight for Gonski

Ensure workload limits

Put public education first

In October Canberra families have a choice, a very clear choice. The Canberra Liberals want to invest in education, we want to ensure our schools are safe and pleasant places to be; that teachers feel appreciated, respected and supported to try new ways of teaching and striving for excellence. We want parents to feel they are an important link with and to their child’s schooling. And above all, we want to ensure that all schools in the ACT are for all students, able to offer an education that parents want for their children. A Canberra Liberals Government will work closely with principals, teachers, parent groups and unions to ensure we have the right mix of funding support, so that students are learning in the best environment and that teachers are supported to also be the best they can be in their chosen profession. School infrastructure and maintenance has needed more support for some time, and the Canberra Liberals will deliver that critical need for

the community. We will provide $60 million to give our public schools and classrooms the very best services and facilities. This is in addition to any announced expenditure already in the Budget. This can be used for new capital works and much needed maintenance and upgrades. Including heating and cooling, additional classrooms, repairs, equipment upgrades The four special schools in the ACT face on-going and very significant challenges. The Canberra Liberals will offer more support for our special schools through a $7.5 million funding injection. As part of this policy we will provide a $1 million grant for each of the four special schools to provide capital upgrades and equipment purchases. This can be used for specialised infrastructure based on the needs of the school and their students. In addition, an extra $1 million per year will be provided in recurrent expenditure to allow for such things as special programs to hire additional resources and run additional programs.

CIT is Canberra’s public provider of technical and further education delivering vocational education and training to the ACT and region. The Canberra Liberals will continue to support and encourage it to operate in a contestable and competitive market - locally, nationally and internationally. The Canberra Liberals understand that to deliver the best education for our children all aspects of the school environment need to be considered and that’s why we have also announced an $8 million program to install flashing lights at school crossings. This policy is about ensuring the safety of children from the moment they enter the school environment. The Canberra Liberals have a clear commitment to local education and I look forward to implementing these exciting new policies and working with the community to get the outcomes our children deserve. Steve Doszpot Liberal Sitting Member & Shadow Minister for Education

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VOTE TOGETHER.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead (1901-1978, American cultural anthropologist and speaker)

VOTE FOR EDUCATION.

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MEET THE CANDIDATES Invitations were extended to candidates from all major parties to appear in our Educator. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve assessed the candidates, and here are the ones who came out in support of public education. When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re deciding how to cast your vote, put #1 next to one of these candidates. If we vote together, we will achieve the best results for our workplaces and public education.

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ACT EDUCATOR MAGAZINE

YERRABI

VERONICA WENSING GREENS CANDIDATE

I SIGNED THE PLEDGE The ACT Greens believe in high quality education for every member of our community. I believe in a well-funded public, secular education system that meets the needs of the ACT’s students in all their diversity. I’m a mum, I’ve spent most of my career in the community sector working with women - and often their children - fleeing violence. That’s why I want to see Respectful Relationships programs embedded in schools, because harmful attitudes that denigrate women and girls are a causal factor of such violence. We need to help our kids develop respectAEU ACT BRANCH

ful attitudes to each other and to others. I understand that schools are not only a place of education and formal learning, they are places of great influence over the types of people and citizens that our young people will become. That is why I am so committed to investing in the long term ability for our schools, teachers and public schools to support young people as they grow up. Education is one of the greatest equalisers in our community. It is crucial to overcoming the inequality in our society and breaking down the barriers that many of our young people face. Schools

present us with an enormous opportunity to support and nurture young people to build the leaders of the future. That means fighting for programs like Safe Schools to promote inclusion and support young people grappling with issues of gender and sexuality. It means defending Gonski to make high quality education a reality for all young people – regardless of where they live, their family’s income or the school they attend. And it means investing in our teachers and principals to give the best possible support to our students.

SUZANNE ORR LABOR CANDIDATE I grew up in Giralang playing cricket with my neighbours in our cul-de-sac and going to Brownies at the local school hall. While I was growing up my family fostered over 200 children. It taught me early on that even though we can do our best to help each other, sometimes we need a bit more support. Luckily, my family had access to services that could help us support the children we were caring for. It also showed me what an import-

ant role governments have in helping out when we most need it. From pre-school to year 12 my brothers and I went to local public schools. Every year at the start of first term my dad would give us the same advice, “study hard so you have lots of opportunities in life”. When I was older I realised the reason my dad gave us this advice was because he never had the opportunity to finish year 12 and he wanted more for

his kids. I took his advice and finished year 12 as well as a Bachelor’s degree at ANU. Along with my brothers and cousins, I was part of the first generation in my dad’s family to go to university. I now work as an urban planner and recently bought my first home in Franklin. I am running for the Legislative Assembly because I want to keep working with people to make our community the best it can be with opportunity for everyone.

MICHAEL PETTERSSON LABOR CANDIDATE I’m Michael Pettersson, one of the Labor candidates for Yerrabi. I grew up in Canberra, and I now work as an advocate for the workplace rights of local construction workers. I want to keep Canberra on a path that balances growth, prosperity, and a fair go. A crucial part of this is investing in education, and it is only Labor Governments that really focus on investment

in education. I have been telling people in Yerrabi that making sure we have great schools in Canberra is one of my top priorities. This is because I have seen the value of a good education first hand. I went to school at Campbell High School and Dickson College. The education I received at those schools fostered my interest in improving our city and our coun-

try. A school can only ever be as good as its teachers, and I was fortunate enough to benefit from the work of some very dedicated educators. My mother Susan was a Workplace Health and Safety teacher at CIT. I know personally that teachers and the work they do is often undervalued, and I am determined to always listen to teachers and their expert knowledge of the education sector.

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GINNINDERRA

INDRA ESGUERRA GREENS CANDIDATE Public education is the foundation of any equitable society. As a mum with two boys in public schools, and having attended our fantastic ACT public education system myself, I know how important it is that we invest in public education. I understand how important good teachers are, and how hard teachers work, having watched my high school teacher mum regularly working late into the night. I believe excellent schooling fosters the

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development of smart, capable and resilient people who will contribute to our community into the future. As ACT Greens health spokesperson, I am also passionate about ensuring that young people are supported in our schools and beyond. With more awareness of mental health, particularly depression and anxiety, young people are seeking help and often finding that services are not available at the right place

I SIGNED THE PLEDGE or time. As part of our mental health package we will invest $4m over the next four years for counselling services in the community specifically for children and young people. We want every child to get the quality education they deserve. That means investing in our teachers and our principals; supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to excel; and investing in public schools.

YVETTE BERRY

LABOR SITTING MEMBER I’m a proud Labor member for Ginninderra and minister for portfolios spanning housing, community services and women through to sport and recreation. I’m also ACT Labor’s spokesperson for education in the 2016 election. I’ve lived in West Belconnen all my life and went to school at Holt Primary, Ginninderra High and Hawker College. I also learnt at the Canberra Institute of Technology. After working in hospitality for eight years I joined the team at United Voice and dedicated my

working life to improving wages and working conditions for some of our community’s most poorly paid and insecure workers – cleaners, retail workers, security guards and, importantly, early childhood educators. I spent a lot of time with these workers on the local Big Steps campaign and numerous other campaigns run by United Voice, often with the support of school and tertiary educators. In framing our 2016 election platform, Labor has consulted broadly, including with the AEU, to make sure our policies reflect the priorities of the people who

make our education system the best in Australia – its teachers. Given all the demands and expectations on our teachers today, it’s vital that the government is acknowledging and supporting the role they play for our young people. That’s why Labor is taking an education platform into the election which offers strong support for the ACT’s teachers with new funding for infrastructure and facilities, support for sustainable workloads, support for children with complex needs and new opportunities for professional development.

KIM FISCHER LABOR CANDIDATE As a 38-year-old married mother with three children, I believe in high quality public education and support the implementation of the Gonski Review of Funding for Schooling. I have been actively involved in my local public school for many years as both Vice-President of the school board and of my P&C committee. Recently I successfully lobbied for the construction of a new school crossing on Wirraway Crescent in Scullin to improve the safety of local schoolchildren.

I will continue to lobby for safe and easy options for parents to get their children to school across Belconnen. In recent times I have written on The RiotACT website about: • the role of high quality early childhood education in giving socially disadvantaged children the best opportunities in life, and • the need to effectively forecast school age populations across suburbs so that forward planning of infrastructure and resourcing

for public schools can be effectively carried out. I have been working hard for the Belconnen community since moving here 15 years ago. This year alone I have raised more than 300 local issues with the ACT government on behalf of residents. With many years serving as a senior portfolio adviser for the ACT Labor Government, I have the skills and experience to deliver a Better Belconnen.

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MURRUMBIDGEE

CHRIS STEEL LABOR CANDIDATE As a professional education advocate I value the role of our public school system in building our cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future prosperity. I am running for election to amplify my advocacy on education in the Assembly. I will fight for a needs based

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funding system, better infrastructure at our public schools and more support for teachers and children in the classroom, especially those with additional needs. I am the product of the pub-

lic school system on the Southside and a family of public school teachers that have been active in the AEU. I look forward to working with teachers to build an even better education system in the ACT.

CAROLINE LE COUTEUR GREENS CANDIDATE I’ve lived in Canberra for most of my life, including 20 years in Woden, where I now live. I’m a proud product of the ACT public school system. My daughter however had a tough time at school, and I am aware of the need in our schools to provide students with the learning and pastoral support that they need. The Greens are committed to a safe, student-centred, healthy

and high-quality school environment for all students, teachers and staff. We believe in an education system that supports excellence and equality. I’m particularly proud of our commitment to invest $4 million over the next four years to fund counselling services in the community specifically for children and young people and implement a streamlined referral process so that our young people

I SIGNED THE PLEDGE can the help they need. I am standing for the ACT Greens in Murrumbidgee because I am sick of the short-term thinking of the Liberal and Labor parties. I want to build a Canberra for the future. This means investing in teachers, principals and students. It also means investing in stoping global warming, clean energy and adapting to our changing climate.

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ACT EDUCATOR MAGAZINE

BRINDABELLA

MICHAEL MAZENGARB GREENS CANDIDATE

I SIGNED THE PLEDGE As the spokesperson for young people for the ACT Greens, investing in our schools, education and students is obviously very important to me. I was born and raised in Tuggeranong. I attended primary school in Kambah, high school in Wanniassa, studied at the Australian National University. Having been a student not too long ago, I also know just how important it is that young people are stimulated and supported when they are learning. Young people face a society that often fails to value their contributions, politicians who often

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prioritise short term electoral gain ahead of their long term future, a housing market in crisis and a lack of employment opportunities. The ACT Greens understand that schools, teachers and our public education system have enormous capacity to help change that for young people. Youth unemployment in the ACT is nearly three times the general unemployment rate, leaving young people struggling to find work, pay bills and set themselves up for the future. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why it is so important we invest in their education; from early

education, to primary school, right through to high school and beyond. I am really proud to be standing for the ACT Greens in Brindabella and fighting for high quality public education available for everyone. In signing the AEU pledge, the ACT greens have committed to maintaining majority government ownership of CIT, keeping the majority of VET funding going into quality public VET courses, investing in our public schools and always defending our commitment to Gonski.

ANGIE DRAKE LABOR CANDIDATE Tuggeranong has been my home for 30 years so even though I’m a new Labor Candidate running for a Brindabella seat, I’m certainly not new to the area. It’s where I’ve grown up myself, where I’ve raised and educated my children, and I’m surrounded by family and friends and beautiful surroundings. I’ve got no plans on leaving and in fact, I have a plan to make Tuggeranong the best it can be.

I wholeheartedly agree with the principles and aims of the AEU. I know how it feels to have children that struggle and need access to counselling and mental health services through their school system. When these services are not available, it places considerable stress on the child and on the family, and can have a lifelong impact. I’m a staunch supporter of #Gonski and I’ll always advocate for a full rollout of

funding going forward. A good, well-funded public education system is the great equaliser that we can deliver for Canberrans. If I’m elected in October, I give my personal pledge that I will always recognise that when it comes to the education of our children, our primary focus and responsibility must be public education so that every child can have the best opportunity in life.

ACT EDUCATOR MAGAZINE

KURRAJONG

SHANE RATTENBURY GREENS SITTING MEMBER

I SIGNED THE PLEDGE Being Minister for Education this year has given me a unique insight into the valuable and productive work that Canberraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public school students, school assistants, teachers and principals are doing every day. I have visited many schools since January and have seen first-hand the incredible commitment that teachers and other staff have to each and every student. However, this year has also opened my eyes to some of the challenges that we are facing in our public schools - including the

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challenges of ageing infrastructure and the impact of our growing population on some of our schools. We face the challenge of ensuring our schools are as inclusive as they are diverse, and that every student feels supported and able to participate and succeed at school and beyond. The ACT Greens are committed to ensuring that the needs of students are front and centre of our education system, and that teachers and principals are supported to deliver the best quality education and learning environ-

ment possible. The ACT Greens have put forward a comprehensive agenda for improving educational outcomes for Canberraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s students at this election including $50m additional funding for infrastructure, $4m for extra mental health support for students in the community sector, and $4.4m to fund extra support for teachers and students in the classroom, and improve our capacity to meet the needs of all of our students.

JOSH CERAMIDAS LABOR CANDIDATE Education truly is the great equaliser. It takes people from any background and circumstance and sets them on a path to a fulfilling life. This power to change lives means that we must not only respect the vital work of teachers, but we should hold them in the highest regard. My mum is a teacher. I grew up watching her spend countless hours of her time at home preparing – sometimes I’d help feed stacks of the sound cards she was making by hand through

a laminator. I’ve witnessed the same dedication from just about every teacher I’ve met, be they friends, house-mates or colleagues on the public school boards I’ve been a part of. So my commitment to you is this: I’ll work to ensure that you have secure jobs, fair pay and conditions, and the funding and resources that you need to help students reach their best. You need time to prepare and plan, continue your professional learning and focus on the thing

you do best – teaching. But I also know that supporting teachers goes beyond the classroom. You need the support of a team of other professionals, like psychologists and social workers, working in school communities. I will always put public education first, because providing education, both academic and vocational, should only ever be about imparting knowledge and enriching lives. It is a public good that should be publicly owned and publicly delivered.

LEAH DWYER LABOR CANDIDATE Thank you for the opportunity to introduce myself to members of the Australian Education Union. I am working hard in Kurrajong to ensure Canberra Labor is returned to Government in the ACT. Only Labor can deliver for our city and ensure that vital public services and institutions are thriving. I recently completed my Masters of International Relations at the ANU and I live in Hackett with my young daughter and our dog Lucy. I moved to Canberra in 2008

from Brisbane where I studied undergraduate degrees in biochemistry, languages and international politics. I am currently employed as a policy and research analyst at the Department of Employment and I have previously worked in the Canberra not-for-profit sector as well as in aged care and the labour movement. My background in science means I am passionate about a smarter Canberra and I am keen to see more opportunities for young Canberrans in STEM. That’s why I am excited by ACT Labor’s commitment to deliver-

ing STEM scholarships for ACT teachers and upgrading sciences and technology facilities in local public high schools and colleges. A well funded, inclusive and quality public education system is vital. It is critical to building the future of Canberra, and ensuring students are equipped for the labour market of the future. I am working hard in Kurrajong to ensure Canberra Labor is returned to Government in the ACT. Only Labor can deliver for our city and ensure that vital public services and institutions are thriving.

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ACT EDUCATOR MAGAZINE

KURRAJONG CONTINUED

RICHARD NIVEN LABOR CANDIDATE I am one of the Labor candidates for the seat of Kurrajong and have a strong commitment to high quality public education. I am married with three children and have a long association with the public school system. As well as going through the Victorian system myself, my parents and three siblings also attended public schools. Both my parents were teachers, so I have a strong

appreciation of all the work that is done outside contact hours. One of my three daughters has completed school while two are still on their way through. I was President of the Lyneham High School P&C for a couple of years and with two daughters still at the school, I try to get to meetings when I can. Until last year I had also spent 14 years helping

out at the Ainslie Fete. In my involvement with ACT schools over the last 15 years I have seen a significant improvement in infrastructure and organisation. I know that there is still much to do, but I firmly believe that ACT Labor is the best party for providing real support for Canberra’s public schools, and their students and teachers.

RACHEL STEPHEN-SMITH LABOR CANDIDATE I grew up in Canberra and went to great public schools in the inner north. I know how lucky I am to have been educated in Australia’s best school system, and I’ve always been a strong believer in public education. One of my first independent political acts as a high school student was to write to the Canberra Times about the importance of public schools. I can’t remember what the threat was, but I vividly recall my outrage at any attack on our public

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school system! Great public schools, vocational education and universities are critical to ensuring that everyone can have access to an excellent education, regardless of their background. But public schools, in particular, are more than that. Public schools are a force for good in the community. They bring people together and build tolerance and understanding, whether that’s in relation to

creating a strong multicultural society, fostering the inclusion of people with a disability, or simply ensuring children understand that people have different lives, experiences and perspectives. If I’m elected to the Assembly, I’ll always argue for well-funded schools and a strong vocational education system that meets the diverse needs of Canberra’s students – from children through to mature age learners.

EQUIPPING YOUNG PEOPLE TO MEET FINANCIAL CHALLENGES

SIC’s MoneySmart can help you assist students in meeting finan-

cial challenges with confidence.

The financial decisions young people are required to make are becoming increasingly complex. The money choices they make now can have an impact on their future wellbeing both in the short and long term.

to finding the right car.

In 2012, The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) spent 18 months researching and consulting with 18-25 year olds to better understand the challenges they face when it comes to managing money.

As an educator, you play a critical role in helping students understand these challenges, as well as supporting and guiding them to access trusted sources of information and enabling them to develop the knowledge and skills to make informed financial decisions. Teachers are an important source of information on financial matters together with online information, family and friends.

The results showed that three of the biggest financial challenges for young people were: • Credit and debt – understanding types of credit and their associated interest and fees, managing repayments and knowing where to go to get help with debt. • Buying a car – budgeting and knowing what you can afford, understanding the real costs of owning and running a car and understanding the best approach

• Moving out of home – dealing with the many costs associated with this transition, including rent, bond, food, utilities, insurance and transport.

ASIC’s MoneySmart has developed a number of educational resources, tools and calculators to assist in engaging with students in money matters. For more information, contact us at moneysmartteaching@asic. gov.au

MONEYSMART TOOLS & CALCULATORS Search for ‘MoneySmart’ and the names of any of these resources to find them online. Simple Money Manager: a quick and easy to use budgeting tool available in 8 languages (including English) with audio for students with lower literacy

ASIC’s Be MoneySmart: an online learning resource to help VET and secondary students completing a trade qualification build financial capability

MoneySmart Cars: a mobile app (iOS and Android) that helps students work out the real cost of buying and running a car

MoneySmart Rookie: ASIC’s MoneySmart Rookie suite of materials and resources are designed to help young people transition into adulthood and cover 6 topics including credit and debt, first car and moving out of home

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ACT EDUCATOR MAGAZINE

WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS! Congratulations to everyone who joined or re-joined during Term 3. By joining our union, you’re helping us all win better pay and conditions, as well as ensuring our students have the learning conditions they deserve. CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME TO THE AEU! Dana Packham, Rachel Tammaro, Naomi Brooks, Maria Waldron, Champa Kaluarachchi, Brandon Steele, Jane McInally, Matthew Herbert, Sarabjit Kuar, Alexander Henry, Brooke Walsh, Carolyn Crawford, Rolf Barfoed, Teresa Baxter, Brittany Rayner, Tiffany Roweth, Jessica Marchant, Jatinder Sarowa, Jane Dowling, Hannah Selmes, Alicia Brown, Patricia Vanegas, Rachel Bowman, Nathaniel Woods, Kim Middleton, Constance Chen, Yvette Tate, Amanda Pickering, Michael O’Sullivan, Col Dahlenburg, Ying Zhang, Freya Black, Alpha Cheng, Sally Smithwick, Todd Richardson, Ian Lanham, Andy Mison, Julie Dell, Hee-Kyoung Lee, Elinor Archer, Hardy Lohse, Emma Johnston, Mandy Nye, Rebecca Doldissen, Vik Fraser, Dhanashree Vedanti, Amy Wilson, Lauren Kelly, Rebecca Dick-Lenehan, Anne Johnson, Richard Lindsay, Lauren Seehars, Heather Saywell, Gai Masters, Naomi Nicholson, Kiley Lambert, Rita van Haren, Katrina Watson, Greg Dunnet, Jacinta Scott, Camille Landy

“Thank you!” “THANK YOU!” AEU ACT BRANCH

OUR AEU ACT OFFICE TEAM

GLENN FOWLER Branch Secretary

ANDY JENNINGS Lead Organiser

LAUREN MCKEE Business Manager

Glenn.Fowler@aeuact.org.au

Andy.Jennings@aeuact.org.au

Lauren.McKee@aeuact.org.au

PATRICK JUDGE Organiser

SUKI DORRAS-WALKER Organiser

THERESE TONNA Organiser

Patrick.Judge@aeuact.org.au

GERARD DWYER Organiser

Suki.Dorras-Walker@aeuact.org.au Therese.Tonna@aeuact.otg.au

NAOMI BROOKS Communications & Campaigns Officer

Jacqui.Aguis@aeuact.org.au

JASMINE SAWTELL Receptionist

MEAGAN NIHILL Membership Co-ordinator

SAM DELANEY Member Response Officer

aeuact@aeuact.org.au

Meagan.Nihill@aeuact.org.au

Sam.Delaney@aeuact.org.au

Gerard.Dwyer@aeuact.org.au

Naomi.Brooks@aeuact.org.au

JACQUI AGIUS Industrial Officer

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ACT EDUCATOR MAGAZINE

THIS ELECTION, VOTE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION.

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