AEU Journal Volume 46 - No. 5 | August 2014

Vol 46 I No.5

Official publication of the Australian Education Union (SA Branch)

August 2014

AEUJOURNAL SA Six years!

Members campaign for the full Gonski.

Inside: u Country

conditions: Why aren’t enough teachers staying?

u School

Autonomy: Why it won’t improve outcomes

Running Head

AEU LEAdErs’ ConfErEnCE 2014 Friday 31 October 9.00am – 3.30pm

SCHOOLS OPEN REHEARSALS Year 6-12 9.30am Pre-rehearsal talk/interview 10-11:30am Open Rehearsal

Dinner Guest Speaker: Jo Mason

Principals Institute Australia

FREE - bookings essential A wonderful opportunity for students to observe first-hand the artistic collaboration between world-class musicians and conductors.

Beethoven Festival

Keynote Speakers: Assoc. Prof. Philip riley Monash University

Professor drew dawson Appleton Institute

Garry Costello & david Tonkin

Fri 19 September Adelaide Town Hall

Gershwin

Fri 7 November Festival Theatre For more info check aso.com.au/learning

To book email ganne@aso.com.au or call 8233 6253

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Conference Dinner:

Thurs. 30 October 6.00pm

Australian Education Union | SA Branch To register go to: www.aeusa.asn.au>events & courses or for further information email Ken Drury: kdrury@aeusa.asn.au

or “just because you think you’re overworked, doesn’t mean you’re not”

Leaders’ Workloads...

Features President’s View

AEU Union Journal Training

Six years!

Members campaign for the full Gonski.

Country conditions page 14 Why aren’t enough teachers staying in country locations?

Australian Education Union | SA Branch 163 Greenhill Road, Parkside SA 5063 Telephone: 8272 1399 Facsimile: 8373 1254 Email: journal@aeusa.asn.au Editor: Craig Greer AEU Journal is published seven times annually by the South Australian Branch of the Australian Education Union.

Deadline Dates Publication Dates #6 August 29 September 17 #7 October 17 November 5 Subscriptions: Free for AEU members. Nonmembers may subscribe for $33 per year.

Print Post approved PP 531629/0025 ISSN 1440-2971 Cover: Craig Greer

Inside: u Country

conditions: Why aren’t teachers staying?

Printing: Lane Print

u School

Autonomy: Why it won’t improve outcomes

Illustration: Simon Kneebone

National Gonski Week

School Autonomy

pages 10 – 13 AEU members called on Hindmarsh MP Matt Williams to lobby for six years of Gonski funding

page 6 Why it won’t improve outcomes

TA FE Focus

AEU event highlights the importance of TAFE The Co-op Coffee Shop opposite Adelaide TAFE on Currie Street was the location for the AEU’s recent National TAFE Day event.

Advertise in the AEU Journal. Reach over 13,500 members across South Australia.

8272 1399 journal@aeusa.asn.au

A

s if things weren’t already bad enough, as part of a $145 million federal budget cut to South Australian Vocational Education and Training over four years, the closure of programs like Workplace English Language and Literacy (WELL) will have an immediate impact of TAFE SA’s funding base, removing approximately $37.5 million on top of the already significant funding cuts resulting from Skills for All. The ongoing cuts to TAFE funding has seen over 400 staff depart TAFE SA with separation packages in the 2013/14 financial year.

This was the backdrop to the AEU’s National TAFE Day event held at the CoOp Coffee Shop on Currie Street. AEU Branch Secretary Jack Major (pictured left) opened the event with an overview of the situation as it stands in South Australia. He told the crowd gathered that TAFE is an amazing organisation with a long-standing record of high student, continued over page 3 3

TAFE Enviroweek Focus continued

TAFE continued 3

Action

Anti-Poverty Week in 2014 Anti-Poverty Week in 2014 starts on Sunday 12 October and ends on Saturday 18 October. The UN’s International Anti-Poverty Day is Thursday 17 October.

The Week focuses on poverty around the world, especially in the poorest countries but also in wealthier countries such as Australia. Its main aims are to: • strengthen public understanding of the causes and consequences of poverty and hardship around the world and within Australia • encourage research, discussion and action to address these problems, including action by individuals, communities, organisations and governments.

Interest has been growing steadily in Australia in recent years and activities such as public lectures, workshops, conferences, debates, concerts, displays, sports days, media briefings and other events have been organised.

How can your school get involved?

Involving children and young people through school activities is an essential part of Anti-Poverty Week, and as many schools as possible are encouraged to do something, however small it may be.

For information, materials and resources on how your school can run and activity or integrate Anti-Poverty Week in the curriculum, go to the official website: www.antipovertyweek.

org.au/organise-an-activity/ how-schools-can-get-involved 4

employer and industry satisfaction.

“TAFE is a provider that is at the leading edge in multiple fields, from mining and engineering, through to the Arts. TAFE is the backbone of the apprenticeship and traineeship system and meets the community service obligations of government where private providers can’t make a buck or care to make a buck.”

Adelaide College of the Arts student Miriam Amery-Gale is one of those satisfied students receiving a leading edge vocational experience delivered by TAFE. She addressed the event.

“Arts has been one of the big losers when it comes to TAFE funding cuts.

Despite this I’ve received a fantastic education and incredible support from lecturers and staff during a period of illness, which enabled me to continue to study from home and maintain a sense of purpose,” she said.

“TAFE is incredibly important because it provides a vocational education with a practical focus while also giving a second chance at life for those who are marginalised in some way.

Students at TAFE include school leavers who have completed Year 12 as well as

1 From left: Miriam Amery-Gale, Greens MLC Tammy Franks, members at the event

mature age students and those who have left school early and wish to continue their education. It’s a crucial provider for those who don’t go on to university but want to study at a high level. The funding cuts to TAFE are a disgrace and need to be reversed,” said Miriam.

“Without AC Arts I don’t know where I’d be. TAFE has given me hope for the future and helped me appreciate the present,” said added.

National TAFE Day was also marked with a motion in State Parliament from Greens MLC Tammy Franks. In addressing the house Ms Franks said: “This motion is being moved by the Greens Members of Parliament across the States in solidarity with National TAFE Day, and to highlight the importance of a strong public TAFE sector.

We are also taking this opportunity to highlight the major issues facing TAFE SA. In particular, we want to highlight that since the passage of the TAFE Bills in 2012 we have seen a slow degradation of what used to be a robust and n publicly owned TAFE system.”

President’s View

When you know something’s not right...

AEU SA President David Smith writes. “...as a union we need to keep vigilant and active in pursuing what’s right, and finding allies where we can to ensure fair conditions for our members...”

Y

ou could be excused for believing that when you run a case all the way up to the High Court and get a decision in your favour, that would be that. We believed that, too. After a long time pursuing the case the AEU succeeded in 2012 in having a High Court ruling that temporary teachers, customarily referred to as contract teachers, were to be employed under the same section of the Education Act as permanent teachers, and therefore would have the same employment rights, including those to do with Long Service Leave: that is, having a break in service of up to two years, yet still retaining their LSL entitlements. We represented 991 of our members in that action and we believe that there would be others who would also get the benefits.

a few questions at the Treasurer on the topic, and having received pretty poor answers, declared that they would support the Government on this anyway!

Then came the bad news. The SA Government, as part of its Budget Measures Bill, introduced legislation in June this year to override that High Court decision by amending the Education Act. In early August it passed in the Lower House and then went to the Legislative Council where the Greens, with other cross-bench support, tried to have that section of the Bill removed. In the Assembly, as Hansard shows, the Opposition pinged

We were told in a number of meetings with Government departments that the potential liability for the State in allowing temporary teachers to get their LSL entitlements could be between $100 million and $200 million, and yet the total ex gratia payment was to be $15 million. Work that out. No-one in meetings we have had, nor in Parliament, has been able or willing to explain how that amount was determined, nor who would be

None of this action on the part of the Government is justified on any terms of fairness or decency. It’s downright sneaky to slip a change of this nature into a Budget Measures Bill. What’s more, the legislation is retrospective. Several sections of our membership will be adversely affected by the measure. Some will have been expecting news of the detail of their entitlements at any time soon, and others will already have seen their Long Service Leave days listed on their payslips, only to find in a few weeks that the leave has been reduced or perhaps extinguished altogether.

entitled to get the ex gratia payment, and how much each applicant may be entitled to.

It’s not right, it’s not just, and given the blatant dismissal of the High Court judgement, it seems a calculatedly arrogant manoeuvre.

It brings to mind other things which don’t seem right, but are more confined to our dealings with DECD. We are in the preliminary phase of the lead-up to the next Enterprise Bargaining period so it’s instructive to take a good look at the number of Clause 3.1 grievances we have had to lodge in the last couple of years, and the reasons for them. They range over many areas of our current Enterprise Agreement and their very existence indicates a variety of breaches of that Agreement.

Some are alleged breaches, some still in process and some proven. As a sample, they have touched on workload, classifications, Partnerships, class size, the allocation of the Gonski funds and NIT. And there are more.

That we have dealt with a large number of such grievances, raises justifiable concerns and suspicion that things are not working as they should.

The same applies to the LSL matter.

While we may wish things were otherwise, they are as they are, and as a union we need to keep vigilant and active in pursuing what’s right, and finding allies where we can to ensure fair conditions for our members and, ultimately the betterment of public education in this State.

If something is wrong, we should take all steps to make it right. That’s what unions do.

In solidarity, David Smith 5

Opinion

Independent Public Schools: Philosophical objections This is an extract from Professor Alan Reid’s contribution to a debate on Independent Public Schools at a symposium held in Canberra on August 1, 2014.

In my view, the idea of public schools being ‘independent’ is philosophically at odds with what lies at the core of public education.

For me, the key word in the concept of Independent Public Schools (IPS) is that of ‘public’. Public schools are the cornerstone of our education system. At their core is a unique set of characteristics, such as being available to all – they exist in every community in Australia and take all-comers. They are state-owned and funded from the taxes we pay, so they belong to all of us, helping to develop our young as individuals, community members, workers and citizens. Public schools are microcosms of the community at large, with students coming from a wide range of social and cultural backgrounds. In this melting pot students are able to learn from and with one another about diversity and difference, and learn tolerance and empathy. In short, public schools promote the common good. Not to recognise this dimension of public schools is to miss the essence of public education.

For federal Education Minister Pyne the key word in the concept of IPS is 6

“The philosophy of IPS is at odds with all the fundamental characteristics of public education as a public good.” ‘independent’. What is meant by this? It seems that the central attribute of independent schools is autonomy. From the case put by government advisors like Kevin Donnelly and from the literature on IPS, it is clear that autonomy can range from approaches which seek to fully privatise public schools, turning them into for-profit institutions run by companies, community bodies or individuals; to those which seek to maximise the ‘autonomy’ of the principal and the School Board to manage finances, allocate resources, appoint staff and maintain buildings and facilities, while remaining within a public system.

What is common to both versions are the values of choice and competition.

Parents and students are understood to be consumers making educational choices in a free-market. Principals and school boards are charged with the task of maintaining and increasing market share. It is claimed that this fosters

competition between schools as they vie for custom, so promoting educational quality. In my view, IPS is contrary to the common good philosophy, will cause real damage to our system of public education, and lower educational standards for the following reasons.

First, it establishes public schools as businesses. The purpose is to compete to advance the interests of the school regardless of the impact on other schools. The fact is that public schools are not businesses. They are community goods serving public purposes. When they operate as full or quasi-businesses, the most successful are rewarded, and the least successful – invariably those with the least cultural and financial resources – go to the wall. In this way, an IPS agenda confirms and exacerbates inequalities between schools.

In an open market, ‘disadvantaged’ school communities can’t raise as much money, or attract the same level of resources as more affluent schools.

Abandoning to the vagaries of the market the role systems can play in the fair allocation of resources can only entrench inequality, and therefore lower standards overall.

In addition, a lot of time and money continued over page 3

“It (IPS) also exponentially raises workload as things previously done centrally or by regions (especially HR) are done by principals and teachers.” is spent on publicity and marketing at the expense of educational outcomes.

This sets up principals as employers, marketers and business managers, rather than as educational leaders seeking to involve teachers and the wider school community in educational discussions. Inevitably, principals focus less on educational leadership activities as they become more entrepreunerial.

Third, it destroys the sense of local community engagement with each school. By this I mean more than the parent community, important as that engagement is. I also mean connection with the local community where the school uses the community as a learning resource, and the community uses the school for community activities.

When parents choose schools far away from the local community in which they reside, two things happen. It weakens the link between public schools and their local communities. And it encourages parents to simply leave a school when there are perceived issues, rather than stay, work through the issues, and help to build the school.

AEU Information Unit

Questions from the Workplace

Q A

Many teachers ask whether they can work at home during their NIT or FIR time.

Members who wish to work from home need to read DECD Working at Home Procedure HR03D which was developed to enhance Voluntary Flexible Working Arrangements and Work Life Balance (DECD policy HR03)* A Working at Home Agreement (ED020) must be developed for each employee who is approved to work at home which would need to include occupational health and safety conditions and requirements, including a home worksite inspection.

Eligible employees wishing to enter into a working at home arrangement must apply to their line manager. Applications will be considered on an individual basis. *In the document HR03D, please refer to clause 5.4.3 – this has all the information relevant to necessary con-

siderations when a request is made.

For example, have there been any cases where an employee has been injured whilst working at home and subsequently applied for workers compensation?

What are the possible complications if the site manager has allowed the employee to work at home without following the procedure?

And remember that even though you may be working at home, you are still on duty.

Q A

When do the new requirements for Teacher Registration renewal come into force?

The new requirements for renewal of (full) teacher registration will have to be completed within your term of registration (normally 3 years) as indicated in the table below.

Anne Walker, AEU Legal & Information Officer

Teacher Registration Renewal Your term of registration begins on:

Requirements must be completed by due date:

1 February 2013

31 December 2015

1 February 2014

31 December 2016

1 February 2015

31 December 2017

% 8272 1399

Finally, it promotes schools as standalone entities rather than as belonging to a system. True public schools aren’t independent, they are networked; and they cooperate to build a quality public system overall, not compete to create a system where there are shining beacons of success sitting alongside schools which are struggling or failing.

True public schools are fuelled by a sense of mutual obligation, not self-interest.

Rather than a cohesive public education system, autonomy as represented in the policy of IPS, creates a system of thousands of stand-alone and competing public schools. Individual self-interest reigns supreme. The term public is retained but its essence is destroyed. In this sense, the term ‘independent public school’ is an oxymoron.

I am not arguing for tight centralised control of public schools. Neoliberals don’t own the concept of ‘autonomy’. I would support autonomy where it means providing greater flexibility for schools (e.g. greater curriculum freedom), but within a set of values which are consistent with a public system which fosters the common good. Here, flexibility is used by each school to maximise educational quality in the school, but also to collaborate across schools to make better schools and a better system for all. This is not the fedn eral government’s version.

AEU Information Unit | Mon – Fri | 10:30am – 5pm |

Second, it allows governments to escape their responsibilities by placing greater burdens on schools, often reducing resources while setting performance targets, and then blaming schools if they are not achieved. It also exponentially raises workload as things previously done centrally or by regions (especially HR) are done by principals and teachers.

In summary the philosophy of IPS is at odds with all the fundamental characteristics of public education as a public good, and for me that can only lower educational standards.

For further info contact the Teacher Registration Board on:

8: professional.standards@trb.sa.edu.au website8: www.trb.sa.edu.au

email

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Leaders Focus

1 Panel at the 2013 AEU Leaders’ Conference “Always look on the Brighter Futures side of life”

BREAKING NEWS: AEU does nothing for leaders!

I’m not sure how many times a month I hear this contentious contention writes Leaders Focus Organiser Ken Drury.

The thing is, if it’s true, then what is taking up all of my week, and a great deal of my evenings and weekends?

So, let’s do a brief, and not exhaustive, inventory of the “nothing” the AEU has recently done for leaders in schools and preschools: • A pay rise of 3 x 3% from 1 October 2012: better than any other jurisdiction in Australia!

• Despite being claimed by another group, a new two band – Band A and B – structure for schools and preschools inclusive of an additional salary adjustment of between $1400 and $2400 from January 2013, which represented between 11.1% and 11.7% over 3 years compared to a general 9% for other education workers • The new structure provided schools with increased flexibility in designing leadership structures and setting classification levels 8

• Assured funding security under the SCFM through a revision and updating of the “Commitment” which covers things like indexation of the SCFM, ICT funding and FIR. This updating covers 15 points/areas in Attachment A of the EA 2012 • A clear no nonsense dispute resolution process at Clause 3.1 of the EA 2012 • Clear PAC processes and a new model for PAC training • Improved paid maternity leave arrangements, which is at industry bench-setting levels from June this year – 20 weeks • Clear and improved leader fallback provisions • Workload protection arrangements for leaders (but leaders must have the determination and conviction to action these!!)

• Improvements to Special Leave • Increases to country incentive payments • Member-member dispute settling

processes which minimise DECD complaints processes and Clause 3.1 disputes • The establishment of a Workload Monitoring Group (but you need to pull the trigger!!)

• The establishment of a joint AEU/ DECD committee to identify strategies to reduce and minimise violence and threats against leaders including through social media and online forums • Advocacy with DECD officers on behalf of leader members • Support for leaders removed from their positions without due process and procedural fairness • Access to legal assistance for both professional and personal reasons • Support for leaders in line management meetings • Application writing workshops for leaders and aspirant leaders over 2012-14 catering for over 300+ participants • An annual conference with the best of national and international presenters on relevant themes (this year “leaders workloads” – see Ad pg 2) • A Leaders Consultative Committee (LCC) of 13 members from all school types plus preschool which parti-

Vice President’s Report tions AEU Executive on a frequent basis • An AEU Executive endorsement of a leaders’ workload campaign to precede the EA 2015. Look out for news of this “Collective Voice” campaign on the AEU Leaders Chat Line and make sure you join in by adding your voice • The establishment of a Leaders EB Think Tank to advise the LCC and the AEU Executive about leaders needs towards the EA2015 • A seamless campaign, EA strategy and Annual Conference aligned to improvements in and control of leader workloads.

Reduction (just in case you haven’t noticed) of red tape: • Reduction in the number of DECD policies from 1600 to 1000.

• Improvements to VSP

AEU Vice President Jan Murphy discusses the next steps Congratulations and thanks to all AEU members who got involved in the actions around the DECD Integrated Services Model. All members in schools and preschools who rely on support services will benefit from the efforts of the active AEU members who attended special AEU meetings, sent feedback to the AEU and DECD and stood up to be counted at DECD events to bring about important changes to the original proposal. This group of active members includes those who work in support services and others in schools and preschools who value the vital services they provide.

“There will be plenty of opportunities for you to be engaged and get active as consultation around the trials and implementation of the model continues.”

After member consultation, negotiations with DECD and oversight by the Industrial Relations Commission, agreement was reached which enabled positions to be advertised in early August.

Importantly, changes have been made to the original proposal so that now:

The model will not be in place for the start of 2015 and extensive consultation will need to be undertaken prior to its implementation. Access to services will continue via current referral processes for 2014. The new model will be trialed throughout 2015 by those Partnerships who volunteer and DECD plans full implement in 2016. Any decision by a Partnership to opt into the trial must follow full consultation with all members via PACs in schools and staff teams in Preschools.

Leaders

• Improvements to Q Master

Integrated Support Services – significant changes achieved

• Improvements to payroll – but an ongoing challenge • One Plan – will be implemented • Email rationalisation

• Temporary Reductions in Time for more than 12 months.

• Greater flexibility with RAAP applications.

And don’t forget, the AEU is the only association formally registered under the Fair Work Act 1994 (SA) to represent Band A and Band B leaders, thus the only association that is a party to Enterprise Agreements and Awards concerning leaders.

• All 30 behaviour support positions will be filled by teachers

Well… my space and time is up. However… never let the facts get into the way of a “good story”.

• 5 additional Hearing Support positions will be offered in the metropolitan area

At this rate, I guess the AEU will continue to do “nothing for leaders”.

• Almost all tenures have been increased from 2 to 3 years

Sorry… the phone’s ringing again and I’ve got to run to a meeting about legal defence of a leader and then prepare for a meeting with a principal in need in the morning and then travel to a school tomorrow afternoon to support another principal.

• Special Educator positions (currently Disability Coordinators) have increased from 50 to 62

Me? Cynical? Not as cynical as those who say “the AEU does nothing for n leaders”.

For leaders’ advice, support or to join the AEU, contact Ken Drury on:

kdrury@aeusa.asn.au

• All Special Educators are to receive training in Autism.

While these improvements are great news, there remain areas of significant concern with the proposed model of service delivery, including: • The increase in workload we anticipate will arise from decreases in the number of some support service providers, and their location, particularly

in some country areas.

• The changes to work value and increases in workload for school and preschool leaders • The travel and funding arrangements for service providers • The funding and ‘service agreements’ arrangements with Partnerships.

The changes outlined above do not address all of the concerns raised by members and while outcomes of member action, consultation and negotiations to date are positive, this is not the end of the matter. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to be engaged and get active as consultation around the trials and implementation of the model continues.

For more information on the ISS, refer to AEU faxes sent to all sites on 16th May and 13th & 26th June and 5th August and the previous issue of the AEU Journal. n 9

Gonski: National Week of Action

1 Hema Bhatt, SSO at Fulham Gardens PS

1 Members from Errington Special School show their support six years of Gonski.

C’mon Mr Williams, time to talk to Tony on Gonski

From left: Jemima Raymond, Errington 3 Special School; Anna Pellew, Henley Beach PS; Deb Noble, Cowandilla PS; Suzy Field, Henley Beach PS; Cherie Earles, Henley HS

AEU members and supporters of public education at 27 worksites in the Hindmarsh electorate sent a clear message to Federal Member Matt Williams during the recent Gonski Week of Action.

5 Georgia & Sean from Errington Special School

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1 Staff at Black Forest PS calling for implementation of the full six years of Gonski.

5 Grange PS take action to save the $850,000 they stand to lose if the Coalition fail on Gonski.

1 Glenelg Primary School stands to lose $901,000 if the full six years aren’t implemented.

1 Sofia Andreucci and Belinda Haley, Lockleys North PS

1 Staff at the South Australian School for the Vision Impaired take action, some signing in braille!

1 Staff at Lockleys Nth Primary give a Gonski.

5 West Lakes Shore Primary School would lose $836,000 if years 5 and 6 aren’t rolled out.

5 AEU President David Smith with Susanna Makris

11

Running Cover story: HeadMembers campaign for the full gonski

We want six years!

AEU members took action on schools funding during National Gonski Week, July 28 – August 1

H

undreds of AEU members around the state, and particularly in the marginal Federal seat of Hindmarsh, took strong action during last month’s National Week of Action to encourage the Federal Coalition to fund the full six years of the Better Schools (Gonski) funding model.

The AEU visited 27 sites across the Hindmarsh electorate, which has been identified as a crucial marginal Coalition seat. The aim was to convince local Federal MP Matt Williams that his Party made the wrong decision on Gonski.

The AEU wants him to convey to Mr. Abbott and Mr. Pyne the serious concerns public school educators and local families have about the Coalition’s refusal to fund two-thirds of the Gonski agreement that was signed with the SA State Government in 2013.

The action in Hindmarsh was executed by a local activist network comprising members who work and live in the electorate. Visits to schools were highly successful with members and nonmembers in every site signing an individual petition outlining what their schools will lose if the full six years of Gonski isn’t rolled out.

At the end of the week the petitions were delivered to Hindmarsh MP Matt Williams’ electorate office by AEU members from local schools.

The good news on Gonski is the funding that has been allocated so far is starting to flow to local schools and already principals are reporting the difference the additional resources are making for students.

These vital funds will be used in ways that will assist students such as: • Reducing class sizes and employing more specialist teachers • Expanding literacy and numeracy programs • Increasing the individual attention

12

and support for students at risk • Providing greater assistance to students with disabilities or special needs.

The AEU Journal visited a number of schools during the Week of Action and spoke to members about why Gonski matters to them.

David Fairbrother Teacher, Errington Special School “There’s a quote that my boss uses that I’ve stolen which is ‘Our kids have the right to become not just to be.’

And I think that summarises what we are trying to do, because there are so many ways we could get them to go from just existing to actually having something so they’ve got control over their own destiny. Extra funding for programs and equipment will help us provide that for our students.”

Vlass Vlassopoulos

Anna Pellew Teacher, Henley Beach PS “Gonski is so important. If we cut money from education, that’s the future of our kids and and it’s simply not fair to deny them the opportunities they deserve. If funding isn’t adequate it takes away from students’ one to one time with the teacher, and there are more and more students with challenging needs. It’s not fair for those kids who need extra support.”

Boyd Groome Teacher, Errington Special School “Enrolments are increasing here all the time yet there are constant cuts in funding to public education. We need to be able to provide the right level of support and the opportunities that students with special needs require. It’s essential and we need the funding.”

Jane Good Teacher Librarian. Glenelg PS “I think everyone is always needing more professional development and the time to practice new skills, especially with the roll out of the new curriculum. Teachers need to feel supported and need time to work together. Extra funding will help make this possible.”

Teacher, West Lakes Shore PS

Julie Hayes

“The Gonski funding is extremely important.

The Abbott Government’s refusal to fund the full six years makes a mockery out of the Gonski report. If we’re not supporting all the recommendations in the report, we can not improve the learning outcomes of students. The entire recommendation has specific guidelines and if we’re not acknowledging them it ignores what the report was trying to achieve and it ignores the importance of where public education is going in the future. We need the full six years.”

Principal, Cowandilla PS “It goes back to who we are serving here as a community – we’ve got Aboriginal children and a large cohort from non-English speaking backgrounds, some of our children come from countries where they’ve not been to school, and we have children from low socioeconomic communities, and children with disabilities. Now those children need extra help; we know that your postcode can often determine your learning outcomes. If Gonski was fundcontinued over page 3

ed for the full six years I’d be able to implement literacy and other programs to give all those kids equal opportunities to succeed.”

Con Spyrou Coordinator, Seaton HS “We want to give all our students the opportunities they need. It doesn’t matter where they’re coming from, to assist them in reaching their full potential, we need full funding. We have kids from a variety of backgrounds – we’ve got migrants and Aboriginal students and students with special needs. If they had the support they need throughout their education, they would be doing a lot better. But the funding isn’t really there to give those students the extra support . We need the full six years of Gonski.”

Michelle Booth Teacher, Glenelg PS “I’ve always been disappointed that funding is not shared equitably between private and public schools across Australia. I think it’s really unfair and the elitism that exists in the federal schools funding model destroys equity. Gonski was our big chance to get some equality in the system so we have to fight for it. Education is a basic right of every human being. So for any government to say they only need to support some and not all children with respect to education is fundamentally wrong.”

Paula Wilson Teacher, Glenelg PS “We need extra funding for literacy development. For example, we use a system called MultiLit which picks up children who have missed out on phonics and don’t know how to put sounds together to make words. When students reach year 4/5 and are struggling with their reading they need extra one on one support. So funding to employ extra SSOs is crucial; it provides necessary extra help in the classroom.”

Simon Keller

Rae Taggart

Parent, Cowandilla PS

Principal, Glenelg PS

“I think dropping the fifth and sixth years of Gonski is a bad decision from the Coalition and I don’t see how they plan to finance our kids education. If we don’t educate the next generation properly we don’t have a future, that’s my concern. We can spend the money somewhere else, yes, but how far does it bring us? I’m from Switzerland and education is valued a lot more over there. It needs to be the same here – they need to honour the full six years of Gonski and implement everything that’s in the report.”

“I remember when we did the research before Gonski came in, we were getting something in the vicinity of $1500 – $2000 per child and a school like Immanuel was getting closer to $15,000 per child; the difference was enormous.

I think one of the big things is, if we’re really serious about helping every child with their learning, we need the staffing to be able to do it – we need extra teachers and extra SSOs. We also need to give support to kids who need extending – it needs to be about every child.”

Richard Abell

Libby Branford

Principal, Seaton HS

Teacher, Seaton HS

“As a public school we’re always looking for more resources. We make a lot of positive impact on students and get good results so I’m confident that any additional resources will allow us to achieve even more. We already fund literacy courses but we have to tweak our funding to be able to afford it. So, if we could do it as a matter of course, and not have to take money from elsewhere to fund it, we’d be able to do lots more.

The Gonski funding would make our job a lot easier.”

“Gonski’s vital to every young person in Australia. For them to get equal access to a high quality education we need the full six years of Gonski. If we don’t get six years and a permanent change to the funding model that recognises student need, we are going to pay for that through our taxes for years and years to come. People will be illiterate, people will be innumerate and it means that those people, sadly, aren’t going to be participants in our workforce. We need an educated, thriving community and that starts with proper funding. We need six years!”

Kathy Laube Parent, Cowandilla PS “We started a parent group about a year ago and we’ve been quite successful with a number of fundraising events. Julie, the Principal, brought the Gonski information to one of the meetings and as a result we got a petition going at the school and also around the community – we got good support from some local businesses too. The teachers here are wonderful but we have students from really diverse background sand it’s a lot for teachers to take on – they need extra support. If we lose funding because Gonski isn’t implemented it will mean less staff and less support for our kids.”

Jen Mathwin-Raymond Principal, Errington Special School “We’re faced with children with increasing complexities and today, for example, we had one autistic child that we had to work with for a long time to get to the bottom of what was concerning him. So any help in relation to extra staff and support we can get to assist us would be greatly welcomed. We’re lucky to have a new facility, which is great. There’s some great investment in new special schools and it’s great that the Department have co-located them on mainstream campuses; it creates continued over page 3 13

Cover story Continued

Country focus

great opportunities, on our children’s terms, to visit another school and for staff to network with our peers.”

Country teachers need more support

Georgia O’Neill SSO, Errington Special School “In special schools people are overworked; the stress levels are huge and we need extra staffing to be able to support each other. Six years of Gonski funding will go a long way to changing this and will enable us to work in an environment where it’s possible to give our students the best opportunity to meet their potential.”

Angela Heap Teacher, Seaton HS “Obviously smaller class sizes will be a big bonus if the Gonski funding is made available. We have a lot of students with special needs and learning difficulties so extra SSO support is needed, there’s just not enough funding across the system.” n

The AEU Journal recently visited the Iron Triangle towns of Port Augusta and Whyalla to find out why some teachers don’t stay.

Not considered remote enough to attract the highest country incentive payments, access to good quality government housing, professional development and a lack of TRTs to cover leave are among a number of barriers to keeping new educators in towns like Port Augusta and Whyalla.

While most teachers said there’s lots of reward in the country, they also revealed a number of issues that may contribute to low retention rates in more remote locations.

Heidi Andriske Teacher, Nicolson Avenue PS “Access to TRTs in Whyalla is a problem; you wear yourself out pretty easily when you can’t get replaced while sick. It’s easier just to come in when you’re sick because classes get split and when you come back the kids are unsettled, it makes it really hard. And there’s often not enough space in classrooms when classes are combined.”

Ella Mack Teacher, Long St Primary

Enviroweek 2014 From August 24 – 30 Australian students take up a fun, engaging challenge and see the impact simple lifestyle changes have on our environment.

Enviroweek is free, fun and connects young Australians, three – 18 years, to their positive impact.

Last year more than 162,000 young Australians took up 490,000 Enviroweek challenges for a sustainable future.

Taking part in Enviroweek is easy 1. Choose a challenge that suits your curriculum and sign up.

2. Showcase your action and be in it to win some great school prizes.

Go to: www.enviroweek.org for more information.

14

“I had some real issues with accessing housing when I first started. The house I was allocated was really small and because I’ve been living independently for six years I have all my own furniture and it didn’t fit. I wasn’t told how big it would be and although it was two bedrooms like my old unit, there wasn’t even room in the living area for a dining table and the kitchen was really, really old. I tried for three days to get in contact with the housing person in DECD and couldn’t get hold of anyone.

Then when I finally got hold of them I was told if I don’t want the house I’d have to arrange my own. So now I’m in private housing. It’s costing me $320 a week instead of the $160 I would have been paying for a government house. For them to expect someone moving away from their family to come out here and live in something like that is pretty rough. If I’d

taken that house I don’t know that I’d still be here.”

Lucy Clover Teacher, Nicolson Avenue PS “We really struggle for TRTs here. I’ve come in on days when I’ve been unwell because you feel really guilty – classes have to be split and your colleagues’ workload is substantially increased. I have a sinus infection today. We shouldn’t have to feel guilty when we’re sick. Across Whyalla today there are 16 teachers sick and only 4 TRTs available; it’s a serious issue.”

Trudie Zadow Teacher, Nicolson Avenue PS “We do quite a bit of professional development and the AEU amazes me at how professional they are; they will fly me in and out on the same day to attend a meeting, whereas I go to Department-run training and I have to drive all the way down and back and claim everything on tax. So, there’s a real lack of support. And there’s no consistency in letting teachers know what’s on, I don’t know of a newsletter that comes out from the government about training opportunities, yet the AEU is always communicating with us.”

Amy Campain Teacher, Port Augusta West PS “My contract last year ran until end of January yet I was moved out of my house by the Department on January 5. So I would have been homeless up here until I got my current contract. As a result I’m now in a private rental property. The idea of sleeping in the park with my dog and my furniture wasn’t appealing. It was very likely I would get another contract and I told DECD

continued over page 3

Vice President’s Report I was still in contract but they said it didn’t matter. It was going to cost me $800 to get a mover to shift me just across the highway so dad ended up hiring a van and we moved on a 43 degree day! Apart from that, it’s been really great up here.”

Country conditions high on the agenda

Alex Maloney

AEU Vice President Howard Spreadbury reports

Teacher, Port Augusta West PS “There’s not a lot of professional development up here so you have to travel to Adelaide and you’ve got the added cost of petrol and the extra time it takes to travel isn’t counted in your T&D hours. It’s really hard to get your out-of-hours T&D up. Most people don’t get TRT release so they don’t do training.”

Kathy Bornholme Principal, Port Augusta West PS “I’m quite concerned about the current restructure and how that will affect country schools like ours. We’ve got the most needy kids in the state and there needs to be extra support, not less. Are we going to be divided up across the state like the city without the travel factor taken into account? I’m really worried about the level of service we will get. Our Education Director has three areas to cover and there’s a lot of issues to deal with. I just don’t see him being able to physically cover all the sites. We’d love to see more of him but we’re realistic about the time he has. It’s the same with student support services – the person here knows the local context and knows the families. We shouldn’t be disadvantage because the government wants to cut budgets.”

Lauren Dutton Teacher, Port Augusta SS “I’m in teacher housing with another girl who’s a teacher and it’s okay.

They’ve just started doing a garden grant that they said they would do last year. We just had dirt before but now we have a shed and a pavement and a retaining wall. It’ll be good when it’s finished, it’s just taken a while. I think the country incentive payment only just covers your costs to get back to Adelaide a few times a term. It’s really not that much and housing seems to be quite expensive in Port Augusta compared to say the Riverland where I have friends; their rent is a lot cheaper than mine.” n

The AEU Country Conditions Committee is comprised of members who represent a range of regional and remote locations across South Australia. Together with AEU officers including both regional focus Organisers and an Industrial Officer, they develop action plans to support and enhance the working conditions of members in our country schools and preschools. Campaign plans are founded on current issues and potential solutions identified by members who have taken up the challenge of working in country and often remote locations.

This year that work takes on an additional focus as the AEU commences a process of consultation with members in preparation for the next round of enterprise bargaining, due to get under way early in 2015. This provides members with the opportunity to build upon gains in earlier negotiated agreements and engage in a campaign to raise awareness of particular country issues among the wider community and those who form government.

The greatest issue facing members as well as country communities is the attraction and retention of teachers to country and remote locations. This includes the filling of leadership positions in our schools and preschools and the specific needs of leaders taking up new appointments in some of our more isolated and challenging locations.

The current and previous enterprise agreements and arbitrated awards have provided particular conditions such as those specified in Schedule 2 – Country Incentives, including cash incentives based on country zones, and the number of years worked in those locations. These and other incentives such as those related to the ability to transfer to other country and metropolitan locations may be identified for further development in a subsequent agreement.

The area of incentives is just one element of conditions which will attract teachers to country locations and ensure that they remain for reasonable periods of time. Other factors identified by the committee include travel, availability of housing of an acceptable standard, access to permanency and specific issues related to small schools and preschools.

Systemic factors which must also be taken into consideration when developing a country-based campaign include recent DECD developments around the establishment of the Partnerships and the recently revised model of provision of Integrated Support Services to sites.

Both of these changes to departmental structure have particular impacts on country schools and preschools and the committee will be cognisant of these when consulting with the wider membership.

The Country Conditions Committee is in the process of developing a plan to engage members in a series of actions over the course of the period leading to enterprise bargaining. These will include the identification of issues around the availability of suitable housing in certain locations, the cost of living and the costs associated with travel to and from particular locations. Specifically, this term members will be asked to participate in a “basket of goods” survey and a locality allowance audit.

Information will soon be sent to country members as to how they can support these actions. Organisers are also engaging in a mapping of “years of service” exercise to ascertain patterns of staff turnover and the factors influencing staff movement in certain locations.

The Country Conditions Committee is determined to ensure that the needs of members who choose to work in a range of geographical locations are acknowledged by the employer and included in a new enterprise agreement. It is important that all members support the campaign for improved country conditions. n 15

Enterprise Bargaining 2015

EB 2015 Consultation starts now!

EB 2015 EB 2015 AEU Industrial Coordinator Leah York discusses the upcoming enterprise bargaining period.

Enterprise bargaining is a legislated process that occurs between unions and employers in order to make an Enterprise Agreement that operates to regulate salary levels and working conditions. Enterprise Agreements must be renegotiated every two to three years. As part of the process for a new Agreement in 2015, we are committed to extensively consulting with members throughout the process.

It is essential that we have a strong membership actively supporting the AEU’s collective enterprise bargaining claims to ensure success in achieving a good outcome.

The enterprise bargaining negotiation process is governed by provisions of the Fair Work Act 1994 (SA) which require the parties to use their best endeavours to resolve the issues in question. Best endeavours bargaining requires the parties to, amongst other things, act openly and honestly, disclose relevant and necessary information, and state and explain their position on issues in question. In the event that a party is not considered to be using their best endeavours, the Industrial Relations Commission of South Australia can assist the parties to attempt to come to a resolution.

Most importantly, the success of negotiations is dependent upon displays of collective strength and activism by members throughout the negotiating process.

16

“...the success of any negotiations is dependent upon displays of collective strength and activism by members throughout the negotiating process.”

In relation to Preschool Teacher (including Preschool Directors) and Teacher (including Band A and Band B classifications, Seconded Teachers, and TAFE SA Lecturers, Educational Managers and HPIs), the AEU is the only association formally registered under the Fair Work Act 1994 to represent members. Therefore, the AEU is a party to enterprise agreements approved by the

Industrial Relations Commission of South Australia.

Although the nominal expiry date of the current Enterprise Agreement is 30 June 2015 for schools and preschools and 31 January 2015 for TAFE SA, current entitlements remain in place until new enterprise agreements are approved by the Industrial Relations Commission of South Australia. This follows an extensive process of informing and explaining the terms of the proposed Enterprise Agreement, and a ballot of employees in which a majority must vote in favour.

Of course, the AEU’s final claims for a new Enterprise Agreement will seek to improve salary levels and working conditions and also include the preservation of existing entitlements and rights (e.g. regulation of workload, modes of employment) that are protected by the current South Australian School and Preschool Education Staff Enterprise Agreement 2012 and TAFE SA Educational Staff Enterprise Agreement 2012.

In relation to schools and preschools, area meetings and member meetings held in Terms 3 and 4 2014 will kick off the consultation process in order to develop a claim for enterprise bargaining. Branch Council, the AEU’s peak decision-making body, will endorse a formal claim following extensive member input. In relation to TAFE SA, consultation will primarily occur through AEU TAFE Divisional Council, with endorsement of Branch Council.

Further consultation, clarification of issues and refinement will occur throughout 2015 until the abovementioned ballot process is concluded. n

Tell us what you want from Enterprise Bargaining The AEU strongly encourages members to attend area and member meetings that arise during the development of the claim and through the course of negotiations in order to fully participate in consultation and feedback on the issues and processes of enterprise bargaining.

The AEU will provide regular updates throughout the process, so please make sure your email and mobile phone details are up to date.

You can advise the AEU of any changes to your contact details by emailing our membership department at: updates@aeusa.asn.au

PAC

What does the PAC Handbook say on “other duties”?

Members are telling the AEU that Non-instruction Time is being eaten up by “other duties” which haven’t been negotiated “The requirement to undertake other duties does not reduce a teacher’s entitlement to a minimum amount of NIT.” (PAC Handbook Page 21) The Enterprise Agreement clearly states that the purpose of NIT is to undertake preparation of lessons, assessment of student work, report writing and curriculum development.

If, other duties are required then the Principal, in partnership with the PAC, will negotiate with the teacher the duties to be undertaken and the time required to undertake the task.

Teachers are required to undertake many duties that are not part of faceto-face teaching or NIT.

If you are required to undertake other duties during the rostered NIT then you may be entitled to additional time.

For example, in one school where teachers are on the minimum amount of NIT allowable, they are required to spend considerable time during their NIT contacting parents about student absences. These members would have an argument for additional NIT to be provided so as to receive their entitlement to carry out their NIT tasks.

The role of the PAC as outlined in clause 3.5 of the Enterprise Agreement 2012 is to have regard to the relevant equal opportunity, occupational health and safety and welfare, work life balance, workload issues and the factors contained in clause 5.2.13 of the Enterprise Agreement 2012 (PAC Handbook page 25).

The Full Bench of the Industrial Relations Commission found teachers are working unreasonable and excessive hours. This was confirmed by the Teachers and Leaders Workload Review.

How many of these are negotiated with teachers and the time to undertake them determined? If this happened would teachers still be working unreasonable and excessive hours?

Does the time required to complete the jobs required in a school exceed the resourcing provided by DECD? If so how is DECD upholding the funding commitment?

In considering other duties, the Principal, in partnership with the PAC, will have regard to re-assigning, managing better or managing more efficiently those duties which add additional work to teachers.

Has this occurred in you school? If this was taking place in your school how many tasks would be returned to central office?

Under the so-called Brighter Futures or Partnerships model, the likelihood of more and more nonteaching tasks being offloaded onto both leaders and teachers is extremely high. A properly functioning PAC is the key to preventing this. For the benefit of your own health and safety, not to mention job satisfaction, AEU sub-branches and their members should be making sure the PAC is operating as it should. Don’t accept anything less. n

it’s

your

PAC

The evidence tells us that on average teachers are working 54 hours per week compared to the SA public sector standard of 37.5 hours.

If teachers are working 50 plus hours per week, what regard has been given to relevant equal opportunity, occupational health, safety and welfare, work/life balance, and workload issues?

17

Face-to-face Teaching

New Educators focus

Is it counted accurately?

Voice of a new teacher Brooke Goyne shares her thoughts on life as a new educator.

AEU members are reporting breaches of the Enterprise Agreement in some schools. Since the handing down of the 2010 Arbitrated Award, primary school teachers have counted the time they are required to be in class at the start of the school day as face-to-face teaching.

For example, if it is determined that teachers are required to be in class at 8:50am and that the classroom doors open at this time for students, this is when face-to-face teaching commences for the day.

and Preschool Education Staff Enterprise Agreement, Part 5, Page 1, Clause 5.2.2 D)

In the majority of primary schools this provision has been applied correctly and has worked well.

If this is not occurring in your school then under the provisions in the Enterprise Agreement, clause 5.2.15 Requirement to Work in Excess of Maximum Face-to-face Teaching Load you may be entitled to some compensation for the additional hours worked. This could be in the form of additional Non-Instruction Time or a monetary payment.

What to do if you this applies to you: 1. Don’t believe everything DECD tells you 2. Check out the information in the Enterprise Agreement 2012 and the Fact Sheets which can be found on the AEU website at www.aeusa.asn.au

>Issues>EB2012 3. Ring the AEU information unit on 8272 1399. They can correctly answer your questions and give you expert advice 4. Write to your PAC requesting that they correctly calculate your face-toface teaching load and if you have exceeded your maximum face-to-face teaching time lodge a claim using form VL915 n 18

A

s an early career teacher in my second year working at Murray Bridge High School, I currently teach Cultural Studies, Visual Arts and predominantly English as a Second Language or Dialect (EALD) to Aboriginal students. These students have moved to South Australia from the Northern Territory in order to access more consistent and supported education.

I find my work challenging and highly rewarding, as my teaching position is focused on the support and development of a specific class of students with high emotional and academic needs.

Beginning my teaching career at the age of 28 has allowed me to draw on past experiences to assist me in challenging situations and in communicating with students and parents.

I have found the transition from university to teaching life to be a real eyeopener, as many beginning teachers will agree. Every day is different, and I have found support and direction from often very unexpected people and places. The colleagues I have developed friendships with have been my go-to people when it comes to most matters of school life.

Most importantly they offer me emotional support, which helps me maintain an optimum level of wellbeing, resulting in higher level teaching practice.

I initially began my AEU membership

New Eds

Face-to-face teaching means among other things: “Pastoral care/home group activities involving student supervision, student counselling or consultation in which at least some of the activities are designed to enhance personal development.” (South Australian Schools

while studying at Flinders University, as I recognised the union as highly beneficial in regards to my future career and rights as an employee of DECD. Since beginning my teaching career, I have attended and participated in various AEU workshops and conferences. I believe that being an AEU member is crucial to developing a support network as a beginning teacher and can be a fantastic resource for increasing your teaching practice skills and methods. I am a member of the New Educators Network and am in my second year of representing teachers in the TRT and Contract Teachers Consultative Committee.

During our latest New Educators Network planning day, we discussed many issues facing early career teachers. We collated the results of the survey completed at the New Educators’ Conference in April and found the most common issues were finding a job and high workload.

We found the “hot topics” for new educators to be broad and varied – but when we were asked to prioritise, these issues were at the top of the list:

1. Workload. Specifically, time management. There is so much more admin than most new educators expected.

And the constant switching between subjects and year levels allows limited ability to build rhythm, resources and relationships.

2. Job stability. Of course we would all like to be permanent but we know that is not realistic. But we would also like to know about contracts in advance or when and where we may get just one TRT day!

3. Competition in schools. With workload pressure increasing on everyone, negative media, high levels of competition for the same positions and schools getting used to a ‘revolving door’ of teachers, it is far more competitive than we realised. n The AEU Journal like to hear from more new educators about their experiences since starting in the teaching profession.

If you’d like to join Brooke in sharing your reflections with AEU members, email us at journal@aeusa.asn.au

Comment

Royal Commission a political witch hunt AEU Research Officer Mike Williss writes

A

natole France wrote: “The law in its majestic impartiality, punishes alike the rich and the poor for stealing loaves of bread and sleeping under bridges.”

Not so with Abbott’s Royal Commission into unions.

Here we have no pretensions to regal dispassion and even-handedness.

Instead we have the one-sided pursuit of unions known for their militant advocacy of the rights of their members, and it’s taking place under the guise of alleged corruption.

Boards of directors may be legally bound to pursue the interests of shareholders; unions, however, face immense legal obstacles in the pursuit of the interests of their members.

The Royal Commission will not investigate employers whose demands to meet deadlines result in lines of dead, maimed and injured workers. But let a union dare to take unprotected industrial action to enforce basic safety standards and it will be the subject of investigation.

The Royal Commission will not investigate employers who routinely run their companies into bankruptcy to avoid paying the tens of thousands of dollars they owe to their employees, only to start up again doing exactly the same sort of work but under a new company name. These phoenix companies arise from the ashes of unpaid employee entitlements. It is a gross form of corrupt employer practice. But let a union dare to picket such an employer or take unprotected industrial action to pressure him for payments, and they will be investigated.

The Royal Commission will not investigate a site foreman or project officer who intimidates, coerces or harasses an employee. But let there be any sugges-

“The future of healthy trade union activity in this country lies in the defence of the rights of all unions.”

is being conducted by the Royal Commission, at the same time as the Federal Government attempts to reinstate coercive powers that strip workers of their basic rights.

Should any of this concern AEU members?

If for no other reason we should perhaps be concerned for the welfare and well-being of fellow employees and unionists.

tion of intimidation, coercion or harassment of a company official by a union organiser seeking to deal with such a situation and the organiser and the union will be investigated.

Slipping under the radar while the Royal Commission takes place is the potential re-emergence of the Howardera ABCC – the Australian Building and Construction Commission. The Coalition is trying to get the Senate to vote to reestablish the ABCC in the coming weeks.

Last time around the ABCC harassed and intimidated construction workers. It stripped away their right to silence – a right even murderers have – and allowed secret interrogations of workers. This one will do the same. There’s a certain irony when we see a witch hunt into the whole trade union movement, such as

But we are likewise bound by the narrow restrictions of “protected” industrial activity and, like our AEU colleagues interstate may well have to decide at some stage during a future enterprise bargaining round to defy Industrial Commission orders against industrial action.

And there are certain site leaders who seek to deny our organisers right of entry or to deny them reasonable access to facilities and meeting places for the purpose of meeting with and representing members.

The future of healthy trade union activity in this country lies in the defence of the rights of all unions.

CFMEU, here to stay! Trade unions defending their members’ rights, here to stay! n 19

Member Profile

SSO Focus

SSO conference highlights member empowerment

Journal: How long have you been teaching?

Sam: I’m in my third year of teaching and I really like it here. I get lots of support from everyone in the school and it’s a great community.

Another SSO conference has come and gone and again it was wonderful to see so many familiar faces and some new ones as well.

Journal: Why did you choose teaching as a profession?

Sam: I’ve always wanted to be a teacher actually. I had a really good teacher in Year 2 at Craigmore and she inspired me a lot. I teach PE, Science, PLP and Research Project, which I’ve just started.

Journal: Is it difficult living and working so far from home?

Sam: It can be, the remoteness is sometimes an issue. Every now and then I feel that I have to get back to the city for a while but other than that it’s really good.

Journal: What are your career plans, are you hoping to progress to a leadership position?

Sam: Yeah, I want to stay here for a while yet. This is only my third year so hopefully in the near future I might look at applying for a Coordinator or other leadership position and see what happens.

Journal: What inspired you to take on the role of Sub-branch Secretary?

Sam: Anne Clark who is now teaching back in Adelaide was the former Subbranch Secretary and I was the Women’s Contact Officer. Anne and I went to a lot of union training together as well as the National New Educators Conference, so I knew a fair bit about it and I had good contacts in the school. I’m hoping that I can be a support for members with any issues that come up. n Sam Kondraciuk is a teacher and Sub-branch Secretary at Port Augusta Secondary School

T

his year’s theme was “Stepping Up” and it looked at how SSOs can become more empowered and take a more active role in their school and also in their union.

The day started with a fun activity and then some of the members of the SSOCC ran a panel discussing how they “Stepped Up”.

Our experienced panel consisted of (pictured from left) Katrina Hanlin, Julie Masters, Matoula Potiris and Phil Datson.

They spoke about the roles they hold in their schools, like Sub-branch Secretary, SSO on PAC, being part of the leadership team and Work Health and Safety Officer. There were lots of questions and discussion around how other members could begin their first steps and having such great role models gave everyone an opportunity to see that they too could “step up” and get more active!

It was very inspiring to hear how these SSOs began their journey to “ Step Up” and what they are doing at their school to empower other SSOs. Great workshops were run after lunch to support our theme of “stepping up” and we ended the day with some boot scootin’ line dancing! Yeaha!

I would like to thank the amazing job the SSOCC did in planning the conference and taking such an active role in workshops and the discussion panel; everyone stepped up and created a wonderful day full of inspirational stories and a huge amount of information for SSOs

SSOs

Sam talks to the AEU Journal

to take back to their own school.

If you’re an SSO and have yet to attend our annual conference, we’d love to see you next year. The conference is always fund and provides a stack of practical information that can assist SSOs in developing both professionally and as active union members who can better support colleagues in protecting their industrial entitlements.

With National Support Staff Week taking place as this Journal goes to print, keep an eye out for a reports on member actions with lots of photos of SSOs and colleagues celebrating the crucial role SSOs perform in public education settings across our state. n

Please send in your photos and tell us how celebrated National Support Staff week so we can include your site in our next issue. Just email:

journal@aeusa.asn.au School Services Officers

Australian Union Australian Education Education Union SA SA Branch Branch

Early Childhood Workers

School Services School Officers Services Officers

Aboriginal Education Workers

Actions for sub-branch reps: r Display poster Actions for sub-branch reps:

20

r Approach Principal and Support Staff to arrange an activity

r Display poster

r Invite an AEU Organiser to visit your school, call 8272 1399

r Approach Principal and Support Staff to arrange an activity r Send photos and stories about your activities to the AEU for publication

r Invite anAEU AEUJournal: Organiser to visit your school, call 8272 1399 in the journal@aeusa.asn.au

r r Send stories about your activities to the AEU forget publication Talkphotos to yourand Support Staff today about joining the union - to the support need journal@aeusa.asn.au in the AEUthey Journal:

AEU Tr aining and Developm ent Program 2014

E v ents & C ourses 2 0 1 4 Terms 3 & 4 + Holidays 28 Aug, 12 Sep, 6 Nov

Tues 7 Oct

AEU/DECD Personnel Advisory Committee [PAC] Training

Overseas Trained Teachers’ Workshop

The AEU strongly recommends that all members of the PAC, including principals, AEU representatives, equal opportunity and non-teaching staff representatives who did not complete the update or full training in 2013, register for PAC training. In 2013 there were significant changes that will affect the PAC. Book Online: www.decd.sa.gov.au/hrstaff/

A workshop on the range of issues facing teachers who were trained overseas.

Fri 29 Aug

1:00pm – 3:00pm

SSO Application Writing Workshop [Port Augusta] A half day practical workshop to assist SSOs applying for DECD promotion positions.

Open to: Only financial AEU members in nonteaching positions.

Mon 29 Sep

9:30am – 3:00pm

SSO General Reclassification Workshop [Port Augusta] A one day practical workshop to assist SSOs in applying for reclassification.

Open to: Financial AEU members working as an SSO.

Mon 29 Sep

9:30am – 2:30pm

Safe Schools! Diversity and Gender Identities Workshop “The Rainbow Spectrum” [Murray Bridge] This is a practical workshop on creating schools as safe places supportive of sexual and gender diversity and free from homophobic bullying and harassment.

Open to: All AEU members.

Mon 29 Sep Mon 15 Dec

9:30am – 12:00pm 9:30am – 12:00pm

Curriculum Organiser Online (COO) Intro Workshops A short introduction to the AEU’s Curriculum Organiser Online and how it can help members’ teaching Foundation – Year 10, plan and program based on the Australian Curriculum.

Open to: Everyone interested in finding out how COO can help them in their Australian Curriculum preparation.

Fri 21 Nov

9:15am – 3:00pm

AEU Aboriginal Members’ Conference A one day conference for AEU SA Branch Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members on current educational issues of concern. There will be a conference dinner Thursday 20 November.

Open to: AEU SA Branch Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members.

Open to: All AEU members who were initially trained overseas.

Wed 8 Oct

9:15am – 3:30pm

10:00am – 3:00pm

AEU Food and Film Feast for Member Wellbeing

Sat 22 Nov

2:00am – 4:00pm

LGBTI Workshop: Education through Film

A holiday ‘drop in day’ featuring cultural cooking demonstrations and a selection of films relevant to education. The hugely popular “The Finland Phenomenon” will be shown. The day is designed to support members’ physical and intellectual wellbeing in an holistic way.

A workshop for educators on the use of film and visual texts to support awareness of LGBTI issues. This workshop will be held at the AEU during the FEAST Festival activities.

Members are welcome to bring a colleague.

‘14

Open to: All. Family members and friends are welcome. See Advertisement right 333

* Upcoming Ev ent

Fri 10 Oct

Wed. 8 October

9:15am – 3:30pm

Early Childhood Conference “Where the Wild Things Play”

A one day conference for early childhood educators. The conference dinner will be held the night before the conference.

AEU Food & Film Feast

Open to: AEU members working in early childhood settings. See Ad on Page 23

Fri 31 Oct

9:00am – 3:30pm

AEU Leaders’ Conference “Leaders Workloads... or just because you think you’re overworked doesn’t mean you’re not”

for Member Wellbeing

A full day conference for leaders. The Conference dinner will be held on Thursday 30 October. See Ad on Page 2 Open to: Educators in leadership positions, aspiring leaders in DECD schools and preschools and DECD corporate leaders.

Fri 7 Nov

10.00am – 3.00pm

A holiday ‘drop in day’ featuring ‘AEU Cooks’ – cultural cooking demonstrations and a selection of films relevant to global education issues.

Open to: All. Family members and friends are welcome.

9:15am – 3:30pm

Middle Schooling Conference A one day conference with a focus on Australian Curriculum for teachers working with students in years 5–10.

To register or for further info, follow the links below 5

Open to: All working with years 5 –10. AEU members no charge; Non-members $165.00.

8: training@aeusa.asn.au

For further info on any of the above events and courses, email Saniya Sidhwani on

8: www.aeusa.asn.au>events & courses

To register go to

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Council Dates for 2014

NOTICE BOARD

Branch Council Meetings

Seeking promotion?

Upcoming dates for 2014 are:

Saturday, August 23 Saturday, November 22

TAFE Divisional Council Meetings Upcoming dates for 2014 are:

Friday, November 14

UNION SUBS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE A tax statement confirming membership subscriptions received by the Union from 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014 will be forwarded to all members.

Members who have advised their email address will have the tax statement emailed to them.

The statement is a summary of subscriptions received by the Union for the financial year and is not a request for payment.

The statement includes your personal and employment details.

Please check your details and contact the AEU Membership section by email at: membership@aeusa.asn.au or phone: 8272 1399 to advise us of any changes or additional information.

Aspiring Principals, DPs, Senior Leaders, Coordinators

Announcing our new

$135

ONLINE PACKAGE

FOR APPLICATION WRITING AND INTERVIEW for all promotion positions in SA government schools Full school site licence $399 Tailored to DECD’s NEW MERIT SELECTION processes, this detailed 65 page booklet and PowerPoint shows you how to develop a dynamic résumé and cover letter, as well as many valuable ideas and hints to help you prepare for a powerful interview performance!

Available for immediate download at:

www.teachers–resumes.com.au WE ALSO PROVIDE INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE

Teachers’ Professional Résumés T: 0411 245 415 E: teachers-resumes@bigpond.com

AEU Journal is carbon neutral

journal@aeusa.asn.au Invitation to our Centenary Celebrations 1914 – 2014

Friday 31st October & Saturday 1st November 2014 Calling all old scholars, staff and families Contact Cathy Adams or Colleen Heaney: (08) 8584 7408 www.loxtonps.sa.edu.au Like us on Facebook

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Conference 1–3 October Crowne Plaza, Adelaide

The theme for this year’s Conference is:

Walking the tightrope – Getting the balance right: Issues and challenges in education law ANZELA is the Australia and New Zealand Law Association. Its aims are to promote the study discussion of law relating to education and to advance knowledge and research about the law in education at all levels.

The Conference provides the opportunity to learn more about the legal challenges facing schools, families, communities and government as well as recent developments in education law and policy across Australia and New Zealand.

If you’re interested in attending the

2014 ANZELA Conference, please email an expression of interest to AEU Legal Officer Anne Walker:

E:

Serving Australia’s teachers since 1990.

ABN: 40 833 718 673

If you currently receive a hard copy of the Journal and would prefer to read the Journal online, please let us know by emailing:

Loxton Primary School

ANZELA 2014

The AEU Journal is online at:

www.aeusa.asn.au/ journals.html

awalker@aeusa.asn.au

Loxton High School

(Class of 1980 – 1984) Did you or a member of your family start high school at Loxton in 1980?

A reunion is being organised for the 2014 October long weekend.

For further details please contact Susan Eagle (Gibbs) on: phone: 0427 554 926 email: sue_eagle@live.com.au

Are you up-to-date Online?

We need your preferred

email address

8: membership@aeusa.asn.au

Email to

or call Membership on: 8272

1399

NOTICE BOARD

Member’s Market In order to cater for extra editorial space, the AEU Members Market now has a reduced space allocation in the Journal.

Advertisements will be printed at the discretion of the Editor and will not run in more than three issues in succession.

Kensington Town House: Quiet, private, comfortable 2 BR with QB’s. 5-min stroll to historic Rising Sun, Robin Hood, short walk to Parade and great parks.

BBQ, fully equipped, all linen supplied. From $130/night.

T: 0407 744820 E: dover.farm@bigpond.com

SECOND VALLEY HOLIDAY HSE: 4 BR brand new 2-story house – sleeps 9 plus 2 fold out couches.

5-min. walk to the jetty. Relax for wkend or longer. T: 0407654464 E: arthur1966.dellas@gmail.com

GOOLWA HOLIDAY HOUSE 15-mins from beach, shops and river. Sleeps 9, in-ground pool, decking with BBQ, fully equipped, A/C, etc. $100 night.

T: 0403 841 031 E: leonday@adam.com.au

HOUSE FOR SALE:

3 BRs in Elliston, Eyre Peninsula.

Walking distance to shops, school and beach $220,000 o.n.o.

T: 8687 9178 or M: 0428 879178

STRESS, WEIGHT, HABITS?– RELAX! Hypnotherapy, Counsel-

ling, NLP, Relationships, Career, Smoking, Anxiety, Performance, etc. 15% Discount AEU Members.

Reg Chapman: T: 0419 829 378 E: nlpchanges.com.au for sale: House on Esplanade at Elliston - great town on west coast. T: 0435 489 429

STREAKY BAY HOLIDAY HSE:

5-min walk to beach, in town, close to shops. Sleeps 13. Fish & boat facilities. New bath & kit; BBQ entertaining area and private spa suite avail. Starting rate $140 p/ night. T: (08) 8626 1539 E: ascaines@hotmail.com

The Mobile Muso Mechanic

Kingston Near Robe:

The long break is looming, I’ll come to you – and setup/repair, restring your guitar/bass and even tackle simple amp maintenance.

This new service is also available for school music rooms.

Frank Lang: T: 8248 0824

OUTBACK TAGALONG TOURS

Victor Harbor Getaways: 2 fully self-contained homes.

Sleeps up to 8. One with private beach/lake! 10% discount to AEU members. T: 0419 868 143 E: foumakis@hotmail.com W: www.victorharborgetaways. com.au

Victor Harbor Holiday Hse: New, 4 BR, 2 bath, (2 x Qu, 2 x singles, 1 dble bunk), sleeps 8, 3 living areas, 2 balconies, views of hills & Granite Island, A/C, D/W, BBQ, C’pt, 2-storey, quiet location.

T: 0400 303 300 (Ian) E: ir211057@internode.on.net

2-story on 22 kms of stunning beach stretching down to wineries.

Sleeps 8, 2 bathrooms. Or Balcony Suite, 5 RMs. Special from $70/ double, mid-week, off peak, min.

4-nights. T: 0402 922 445 (Judy) Guided tours in your 4 wheel drive, with your gear loaded on the ‘Big Red Truck’. Hassle Free Outback Touring. Book now for our Spring Tour – Innaminka Races, Coward Springs, Warren Gorge.

T: David Connell – 02 8885 4620 or Lyn Rowe – 0403 594 406 W: www.brtoutback.com.au

Looking to buy: Plastic toy

soldiers made in England, Germany etc from 1940’s – 60’s. They are about 2.5” tall (1/32 scale).

T: 0407 773 554 (Debbie)

Children’s Book Sale Hundreds of novels to suit 6-16 non-fiction books, picture books, a complete Wildlife Fact File set & more. Most titles are advertised on Gumtree, or will be soon (located at Marino). For more info call Chris on T: 0408 689 235

Advertise in Members’ Market for FREE! Rent, sell, buy or offer goods and services. Send ads to:

journal@aeusa.asn.au

Expert advice and professional experience with: • Mortgages, • Private Contract Transfers, • Strata Plan and Plan of Division Lodgments, • Caveats, Discharges of Mortgages, • All facets of conveyancing work.

Contact us on:

Anne Walker

(: (08) 8410 6788

Simon Willcox

8410 6799 Email: anne@saitconveyancers.com.au SAIT Conveyancers

Fax: (08)

located at Credit Union SA

Level 3, 400 King William Street, Adelaide, SA 5000

THERE’S ONE IN ALL Of

º º

If you are buying or selling or are involved in any real estate matter, either through a land agent or privately, consult us.

º

Dinner: thurs. 9 Oct. @6.00pm

US

Free advice on real estate queries.

fri. 10 Oct. 2014 9.15am - 3.30pm

º

We offer AEU members:

º

SAIT Conveyancers AEU Early Childhood Conference

WHERE THE WILD THINGS PLAY

Australian Education Union | SA Branch To register go to: www.aeusa.asn.au>events & courses or for further information email: training@aeusa.asn.au

23

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