ACTS Newsletter February 2012 Welcome ACTS has had another successful and very busy year, encompassing our engagement with two major reports on teacher professionalism and the development of our Teachers as Researchers programme. Under the inspiring direction of ACTS Chair David Noble, the energy of the committee has been phenomenal. We have been staunchly supported in our activities by our membership, by prominent academics, the GTCS and by teacher unions.
Evidence of the impact of chartered teachers in their schools has mounted weekly, as the growing number of articles published on the website shows. Policy makers would be foolish and short-sighted in the extreme to risk losing the huge benefit chartered teachers bring to the young people in our schools, and to the integrity and reputation of Scotland’s education system.
In this conference edition of the newsletter, you will find summaries of two articles written recently for ACTS. There are details of important changes to our constitution as well as information about the National Partnership Group and GTCS professional update.
Chartered Teachers Matter: Envisioning their Future as Leaders of Learning Brian Hudson ACTS commissioned Professor Brian Hudson to produce a paper on the future of Chartered Teacher. The extract below is the summary from the paper. This report traces the development of the Chartered Teacher Scheme (CTS) using an approach based on documentary analysis of reports published during the last 10 years. It places this significant and far-sighted st policy initiative, which was an important pillar in A Teaching Profession for the 21 Century (2001), within a wider international context in which the “Scottish approach” has been recognised as being at the forefront of quality improvement in schools. Central to this has been the combination of internal and external evaluation based on the use of quality indicators to identify strengths and areas for improvement. It is argued that the section devoted to the Chartered Teacher in the recent Report of the Review of Teacher Employment in Scotland (McCormac, 2011) represents a sharp departure from this approach and is short-sighted in its conclusion. It does not present a full consideration of all the available evidence or a balanced evaluation involving a full analysis of both sides of the debate. Further, in presenting what is described as a “widely held view”, it is quite misleading in terms of what is presented as evidence. As such, Recommendation 19 to discontinue the CTS should be treated with great caution as a basis for sound policy making. The documentary analysis involved in producing this report highlights a complex and long running debate about the CTS around grade, rewards, duties and role and identifies an associated need to develop a more widely shared understanding about the meaning of leadership in particular. In looking to the future, it argued that existing agreements do provide the necessary basis for clarifying the role of the Chartered Teacher with all stakeholders and that a positive future can be envisioned by focussing discussion and debate on the meaning of the Chartered Teacher as a “Leader of Learning”.
Brian Hudson is Professor of Education and Associate Dean for Research at the University of Dundee.
Chartered Teachers and Professional Leadership in Education – Gordon Kirk Gordon Kirk suggested that leadership in education was dispersed across many different areas. He identified the chartered teacher programme as a means of bringing together these diverse strands and chartered teachers as “pioneers in professional practice”. He recommended that chartered teachers should be used to develop leadership in schools, to promote much more curriculum development and research in schools and to promote partnerships between schools and universities. He further recommended that universities and the GTCS should be prepared to recognise higher achievements in study of education. Gordon Kirk is Emeritus Professor of Education at The University of Edinburgh and Academic Secretary to the Universities Council for the Education of Teachers
Fine- tuning ACTS Constitution ACTS constitution was initially formed from a template suggested by the Office of the Scottish Charities Regulator (OSCR). As we have grown and developed we have needed to adapt this to our own particular needs. This year further changes are proposed and these are explained by our Treasurer Christine MacGregor below. The committee have recently reviewed the ACTS constitution and are proposing a number of amendments at the AGM. Our original constitution was based on a simple model for voluntary organisations and, while this worked initially, some changes have already proved necessary. At the 2010 AGM the membership year was aligned with the calendar year to make membership records more manageable. Membership renewal was clarified, so if members did not renew within 3 months they were considered to have lapsed. The Office of the Scottish Charities Register (OSCR) also required us to state more clearly the association’s aims. In 2011 a minor change was made to allow the treasurer to remain in post for 3 years, as no new nominations were forthcoming for this role. rd
As we now approach our 3 AGM, a trigger for a further look at the constitution is the membership and operation of the ACTS committee. We want the committee to function efficiently, with full powers to handle casual vacancies on the committee and in office bearer positions without having to call a general meeting. In the process of digging through the constitution a few other anomalies have also become apparent. 1. We should not specify the annual membership fee in the constitution; otherwise we need a general meeting to change the amount. Most organisations simply agree the amount at their AGM. 2. We are proposing to reduce the period of grace for membership renewal to 2 months. 3. Supporter membership was introduced for teachers GTCS registered, but not in employment. The new version of the constitution clarifies the position and rights of supporter members within ACTS. The remaining changes will tidy up when and how the committee is elected. Nominations are welcome before the AGM, but the actual decision does not take place till the AGM, and last-minute volunteers from the floor are also welcome. If there are more than 15 volunteers, an election will take place at the AGM. Immediately following the AGM, the committee members will meet and choose the office-bearers. We are also proposing that the time limit for serving on the committee is removed, but with the proviso that if there are more than 15 volunteers, those who have already served four years or more should step down to make way for fresh blood. While it is good to have a turnover of office bearers, we do not feel it is sensible to be forced to “evict” someone from post because the constitution dictates a maximum term of office. Last year we altered the rule for treasurer, but this change gives more flexibility for all office bearer positions, should the need arise. We suggest allowing a longer period in post, in the absence of new volunteers. However, in the event of any competition, there will be an election among the committee. It is only with time that the committee has become aware of the need for these changes. The aim is to provide ACTS with a constitution which is both sensible and flexible. If the proposed changes are agreed at the AGM, they will then be sent to OSCR for approval. They will only be implemented if approved by both the AGM and OSCR. Many thanks to Juliette Daly and Christine MacGregor for their hard work on this important document.
2 ACTS is a Registered Scottish Charity - Number SCO41390
ACTS Summit The CT Futures campaign, instigated by ACTS, is working with Scottish educationists to envision a sustainable future for Chartered Teacher. At our recent summit, delegates agreed that: Chartered Teachers’ primary focus should be to lead learning. This may include taking a wider role in Scottish education, perhaps through secondments or development work designed to widen the application of their accomplished teaching and enhanced professionalism. Roles should not include managerial functions. Potential Chartered Teacher candidates should show clearly their commitment to professional development, with the GTCS continuing to lead development of the scheme and Standard. New fair, objective and consistent PRPD (professional review and personal development) processes should be used to form criteria to identify potential Chartered Teacher candidates. As Chartered Teachers negotiate responsibilities with school management, effective and well-planned PRPD processes are essential to ensure high-level professional dialogue and trust. Forums should be developed where Chartered Teachers can communicate their effective work across schools and authorities. Chartered Teachers should be involved in teacher networks and research partnerships with universities.
National Partnership Group Graham Donaldson was asked by Scottish Ministers to review the full continuum of teacher education in Scotland including selection, initial and early career education, continuing professional development and leadership. He produced a report, “Teaching Scotland's Future”, containing 50 recommendations. The national partnership group for teacher education in Scotland will bring together representatives of universities, local authorities, schools, individual professionals and national organisations to discuss how the recommendations in Teaching Scotland's Future can be implemented. Two members of ACTS committee have been invited to be part of the sub-group looking at Career-long Professional Learning. The group’s remit is to: 1. Develop proposals for how the balance of professional learning can continue to shift to more collaborative, sustained approaches, centred on self-evaluation and outcomes for children (recommendation 33). 2. Develop guidance on how teachers and schools can more clearly identify the intended outcomes of CPD in relation to children’s learning and how this can be evaluated more directly, including through professional review and development processes (recommendations 34 and 35). 3. Develop proposals for models that will ensure that online CPD becomes part of the blended, tailored approach to CPD for all teachers, including ensuring that CPD Find continues to develop as a ‘one stop shop’ for access to CPD opportunities (recommendations 40 and 41). 4. Develop proposals for how priority areas can be systematically identified and promoted within systems for professional learning at national, local authority, school and individual levels. Priority areas are those where enhanced focus is needed in order to prioritise and address areas where evidence shows there is a particular need to improve learning, teaching and attainment. This will include consideration of how highquality continuing professional learning for subject and specialist responsibilities can be further developed (recommendations 42 and 43). 5. Develop proposals for building greater accreditation and Masters-level credit into continuing professional development (recommendation 44). 6. Develop proposals for gaining improved clarity in relation to, and impact from, mentoring across the teacher education system (recommendations 27 and 28).
3 ACTS is a Registered Scottish Charity - Number SCO41390
GTCS revision of Standards David Noble has been asked to join a working group at the GTCS aiming to rewrite the Standard for Chartered teacher. He and Rosa Murray, Professional Officer at the GTCS will run a workshop at the conference, gathering the views of chartered teachers about this.
Professional Update The GTCS is required by the Scottish government to design a system of re-accreditation for teachers. Following extensive discussion with members of the educational community, proposals for a system of Professional Update have been developed and the GTCS now seeks the views of practising teachers. From the GTCS website: Principles The GTC Scotland acknowledges that Scotland's teachers are already committed to maintaining high standards (as expressed in the Standard for Full Registration) throughout their career. We know that teachers will wish to take advantage of opportunities to develop their skills, and that they are committed to ensuring that the quality of teaching and learning and the standing of the teaching profession are maintained and improved. The key purposes of a system of Professional Update for teachers can therefore be defined as follows: 
to maintain and improve the quality of our teachers and to enhance the impact that they have on pupils' learning

to support, maintain and enhance teachers' continued professionalism and the reputation of the teaching profession
GTC Scotland also recognises the need to ensure that proposals are practicable; supportive of teachers and not constrained by bureaucracy; and that they allow individual teachers the opportunity to identify and meet their future needs. Consultation This consultation provides an opportunity for the education community to respond to the position we have adopted in our proposals for a scheme of Professional Update. We have already held seven public meetings across Scotland to gather views and we have regularly updated our thinking on our website. We are now seeking more detailed responses to our proposals on what a scheme of Professional Update will look like. Next steps Following receipt of consultation responses, and once we have gathered information from the pilot schemes we are running this year, we will engage further in consultation with stakeholders before publishing the details of how Professional Update will operate. This consultation is open from 1 February to 7 March 2012. The deadline for receipt of responses is midnight on 7 March 2012. http://www.gtcs.org.uk/independence/consultation-scheme-professional-update.aspx
Join ACTS Join by completing a membership form and returning it to: ACTS, 6 Monar Court, Dalgety Bay, DUNFERMLINE, KY11 9XJ, AND either: Making a BACS payment to Association of Chartered Teachers Scotland, Sort Code 80-06-55. Account Number 06033226 Or: Sending a cheque to the address above
View the ACTS website at http://acts.edublogs.org/tact
ACTS at
Contact ACTS actscotland@yahoo.com
4 ACTS is a Registered Scottish Charity - Number SCO41390