AEU Journal Vol 43 No.5 by Australian Education Union (SA Branch)

Vol 43 | No. 5

August 2011

AEUJOURNAL SA

Inside:

the power (2) of

u Eco

facility opens at Cambrai AS

u New

York bonus scheme fails

Junior Primary + Primary: The benefits of co-location

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Features President’s View

AEU Union Journal Training Australian Education Union SA Branch 163 Greenhill Road, Parkside SA 5063 Telephone: 8272 1399

Inside:

the power (2) of

u Eco

facility opens at Cambrai AS

u New

York bonus scheme fails

Meldanda – a natural place to learn page 6 Cambrai Area School opens its environmental education facility

pages 12 – 13 Junior Primary + Primary: co-located sites give our kids the best of both worlds.

page 16 Following New York – a good idea, for once.

Dear Mr Weatherill, In the light of recent critical media coverage of school chaplaincy in state schools, I wish to draw your attention to an advertisement that appeared in our local paper recently. I am greatly concerned that the religious (predominantly Christian) influence is eroding the very much needed and understaffed school counsellor positions in state schools. Responses by organisations providing chaplains to schools are adamant that there is no religious content in the role of school chaplains and yet here we have a state school publicly and specifically advertising for one. The federal ombudsman has also publicly expressed his concern about this insidious and growing trend.

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 September 2

September 21

#7 October 21

November 9

Subscriptions: Free for AEU members. Nonmembers may subscribe for $33 per year.

Printing: Finsbury Green Printing

Teacher Bonuses

Open Letter to the Minister

journal@aeusa.asn.au

ISSN 1440-2971

The power of (2)

*Winner of top letter!

8373 1254

Email:

Print Post approved PP 531629/0025

Junior Primary + Primary: The benefits of co-location

Letters to the Editor

Facsimile:

I therefore urge you to look into this whole area of chaplaincy in schools which I believe is antithetical to the secular basis on which state schooling was founded in our state and Australia wide. A review of the school counsellor needs in schools would be useful too as I believe school chaplaincy has seriousBLACK ly undermined and diluted this essential program and support for state schools Australia wide. I look forward to your early response. n Yours Sincerely

Judy Gillett–Ferguson Retired State School Principal

Dear Editor, As a parent with two children who have recently been through a junior primary school with fantastic, child-centered programs, I am both angry and saddened that it has been targeted by the State Government for amalgamation. My children have benefitted greatly from the special focus they received at our school. There is no doubt in my mind that being part of a junior primary school community has given them a fantastic sense of confidence and provided the

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8272 1399 journal@aeusa.asn.au

building blocks to go on and succeed in their primary and secondary years. It is deplorable that this government, led by a man who once referred to himself as the “Education Premier” places so little importance on the education of children in these very important and impressionable years. I implore Mr Weatherill to stand up and be counted, to show he has the courage and the credentials to be a real “Education Premier” by keeping our junior primary schools open – it’s in the interests of our children and therefore, the future of South Australia. n

Meredith Farmer Parent, Stradbroke Schools

Best letter in each AEU Journal will receive two tickets to an Adelaide Symphony Orchestra concert. Three contributors will receive a double movie pass courtesy of Palace Nova Cinemas. Email to:

journal@aeusa.asn.au

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WorkCover

President’s View

We will keep public education at the forefront carried by members in all sectors. This change must be about supporting public education with the resources that are needed to deliver a quality education. If there is any hint that the restructure brings additional pressures for members, please bring this to our attention as soon as possible.

ongratulations to the many fabulous people and schools who have been recognised in the recently announced 2011 SA Public Teaching Awards. The AEU works hard to raise the profile of Public Education and for our members in preschools and schools this public recognition is long overdue. With the awards announced by the Minister for Education, Jay Weatherill, the AEU is wondering what is happening with respect to TAFE staff? Why hasn’t Treasurer Snelling and Minister Tom Kenyon announced a similar set of awards for the TAFE sector? Our TAFE members work hard to deliver excellent programs for their students in an increasingly competitive environment and the AEU believes they deserve the same recognition as their teaching colleagues! To all of our members who work so hard for their students and yet did not win an award (this time), the AEU congratulates you for your dedication and commitment to public education in South Australia.

DECS restructure

We are a strong, passionate advocate for public education and members’ rights and we will ensure that we hold the government, DECS and DFEEST to account when necessary. While the changes to DECS executive structure are welcome, it is disappointing that the DECS “glass ceiling” is still firmly in place. Out of the ten senior positions in the restructure only three are held by women and yet 70% of the workforce is female. Clearly DECS needs to look at implementing strategies that promote, engage and mentor women in leadership positions. Perhaps they could take a leaf out of the AEU’s book with the Women In Leadership Development program that is being facilitated by Virginia Gill.

ALP leadership change And finally, a comment on the recent political events in SA. It has been announced that Premier Rann will be handing over the ALP leadership to Minister Weatherill in October. AEU members will remember that Mr. Rann once remarked that he wanted to be remembered as the “Education Premier”. I think that after the lengthy enterprise bargaining dispute and arbitration process, it is unlikely that AEU members will remember Mr. Rann’s time as Premier in this way.

The creation of a new DECS executive structure, contains a strong message from new Chief Executive Keith Bartley about the importance of a “hands on” approach to improve working relationships and understanding of the issues facing our schools and students.

It is too early to make an educated guess about who will replace Jay Weatherill as Minister for Education but you can rest assured that the AEU will be keeping a close eye on events as they unfold to ensure that public education maintains a high profile in the government. n

The AEU will be watching this restructure closely; we are acutely aware of the increased workload being

In solidarity, Correna Haythorpe AEU President

Court victory for injured workers On June 27 this year the Full Court of the Supreme Court delivered a major blow to the Rann Government’s changes to South Australia’s workers compensation laws in 2008, ruling that the Workers Compensation Tribunal are not a “body or person” that must accept the opinions of a Medical Panel as “final and conclusive” and that “[i]t remains for the Tribunal to determine what weight shall be given to an opinion.” Medical Panels, since their introduction, have been criticised as unfair, unjust, secretive, intimidating and expensive. As previously reported in the AEU Journal, DECS has referred more of its injured employees to Medical Panels than any other department. DFEEST and DECS must now focus on injury prevention, effective rehabilitation and return to work strategies. Commenting on the Supreme Court victory, SA Unions Secretary Janet Giles said she is happy this campaign has been won. “We never believed this stacked up legally – and we were right,” she stated. n

Training

Merit Selection and Leadership Development training for Aboriginal Educators As part of the AEU’s commitment to promoting career pathways for Aboriginal educators, the AEU has liaised with DECS Aboriginal Education and the Ethical Standards to provide Merit Selection training specifically for Aboriginal employees. The second component to this training session will focus on developing Aboriginal leaders in preschools and schools.

Who can attend: All Aboriginal educators are encouraged to attend, especially if you are considering applying for promotion positions or undertaking leadership programs. For more info or to register:

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

Public Environmental Education Education Week

Update: Enterprise Bargaining 2008

Heading-2

Meldanda: a natural place to learn After eight years of hard work Cambrai Area School proudly opened their beautiful environmental education property this year

eldanda is a 40 hectare property situated along the River Marne just outside of Cambrai. The late Mr Les Weiss bequeathed the land to the Cambrai Area School for use as an educational facility to benefit the young people of the district. As the current custodians of Meldanda, the school is committed to developing the site not only for the benefit of the local community, but for students across the Barossa school district and potentially across the state. The school supports only projects that are environmentally friendly, ecologically viable, sympathetic to the indigenous past of the land and educationally proactive. Meldanda will provide open classroom opportunities in the areas of: Environmental Education,

Agricultural Education, Outdoor Education and Aboriginal Education.

Student Learning: Activities undertaken by the school include a frog and water watch program. A bird hide has been established at Mermaid Lake and a recent Enviro Grant has meant that the first bat monitoring program in an Australian school has been established. It also includes a weather station, allowing students to gather bat behaviour/ climate information. Revegetation is ongoing at the site, including the Photo Point monitoring of new growth. A large area of brush has been planted and maintained for projects associated with indigenous shelters, as have native bush tucker species which will enable students to experience native food gathering and preparation. Students have recently planted species

to specifically attract butterflies.

Eco Campsite: Through an Investing in Schools Grant of $150,000.00, a selfsufficient campsite for up to 30 visiting students and their teachers is currently being developed. Facilities include a recreation hut, four showers and four toilets. All power is self-generated, using a combination of solar and wind power. Drinking water is provided through rainwater collection and water to showers and toilets is sourced via a bore, raised by solar pump and piped down to the campsite. Hikes and walking trails will be mapped from (and within) the Meldanda campsite along with orienteering courses. Official Opening: Earlier this year the school held an official opening of the Meldanda site. The day kicked off with a guided tour of Meldanda property

Youth Campaign 7 Cambrai AS Science teacher Matt Rotolo (second from left) with guests at Meldanda.

Respect Every Body Schools have a big part to play

and a number of presenters gave an insight into the development and future prospects of the property. They included: • • • • • • •

Bush Gardens Butterfly Garden Bat Island Campsite/Buildings Frog and Turtle pond Mermaid Lake Bush tucker garden

The official party, which included representatives from the school’s Governing Council and SRC, the AEU, DECS, the Mid Murray Council, and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, joined the entire Cambrai AS community at the opening. Clearly impressed with what she saw, Senator Hanson-Young stated: “I’m so excited and can’t wait to come back out to Meldanda and pitch tents with my colleagues. The hard work that the community has put in has really paid off. This is an amazing project. I wish we had something like this when I went to school.” Also very excited about the development, Cambrai Area School teacher Matt Rotolo (pictured) says the site offers fantastic opportunities for teaching and learning. “As a science teacher at Cambrai Area School I can’t begin to explain how excited I am to have a resource like Meldanda readily available. The students have had a lot of involvement here over the last few years so they have developed strong place-based connections and ownership. The sky is the limit for what can be done and how Meldanda can be utilised in the science curriculum, and other learning areas for that matter.” The development of the Meldanda site for the use of young people throughout the state began in 2003 and is currently in the eighth year of a ten-year plan, with the campsite being made available as an outdoor classroom for all schools in 2013. n Teachers interested in visiting the property with their students should contact Barb at Cambrai Area School on: 8564 5028

he ALP launched one of its better education initiatives on July 22nd this year. It’s called Respect Every Body, an education program “to promote positive body image and to build young people’s resilience to negative body image pressures.” The campaign aims to create “body image friendly schools” and through a website provides a great range of resources to support school leaders, teachers, student counsellors and parents in reaching that goal. As most educators would be aware, body image refers to a person’s perception of how their body looks and how attractive they are to others. Experts say that a person’s body image is influenced by their personality, personal experiences and socio-cultural ideals and expectations. Females are more likely to experience doubts about their body than males, however, males are also susceptible to psychological issues relating to body image. In a world where disproportionate value is placed on one’s appearance and physical attractiveness, it’s more important than ever that the selfesteem of young people is nurtured and protected, particularly in schools where pressure to conform is at its peak. School communities have a significant role to play in creating an environment that promotes positive body image and the resources provided by the Respect Every Body program should help education staff in achieving this goal.

AEU support Speaking to The Australian newspaper, AEU Federal President Angelo Gavrielatos has publicly welcomed the Federal Government initiative to tackle body image issues. “This is an area that is very important … many children and students are

Start downloading @

Create a body image friendly school Reflect. Discuss. Act. For school Conversation Starters, go to: www.youth.gov.au/bodyimage

“This is an area that is very important … many children and students are struggling with body image and any additional resourcing is clearly welcomed.” struggling with body image and any additional resourcing is clearly welcomed.”

For more information on the campaign and to access a wide range of materials including posters, fact sheets, conversation starters and more, go to the link below and start downloading!

8: youth.gov.au/bodyimage 7

Profile know when you’re serious and it’s time to get on with things.

The AEU Journal speaks with new educator Nick Loose from Carlton School in Port Augusta

Gabby Cooper Photography

Journal: How long have you been

teaching? Nick: I’ve been teaching for just over

three years after originally obtaining a degree in Conservation and Park Management. Work in that field wasn’t easy to come by so I did a post-graduate teaching degree and here I am, teaching in Port Augusta. Journal: You’re originally from Adelaide, how do you like working in the country? Nick: My wife’s family is from Port

New Eds

Active in the union Augusta so I feel really comfortable up here. I really like the country vibe. People are really easy going and I get a lot guidance and support from my colleagues. Journal: What subjects do you teach? Nick: With my background in conserva-

tion and parks management I have a real passion for Science and SOCE. I also enjoy teaching Maths. Journal: What do you find challenging about your job? Nick: There are so many challenges.

Finding work is just the beginning. I think most teachers would say that behaviour management is the hardest thing. Having worked in an Aboriginal community I learned that you really have to build your relationships first. Once you know the kids and you get on with them it helps you communicate your expectations; you have a bit of fun but they

Journal: Do you use the AEU Curriculum Organiser Online?

Nick: Absolutely. It’s a real time saver.

It’s great to be able to draw from the materials that other teachers have created and adapt them for your own needs. Everything you need is there to plan units and lessons, including materials for the new Australian Curriculum.

I think it’s a must-have resource for beginning teachers. And the more teachers that are using it the bigger the database of lessons will get. Journal: Tell us about your involvement in the AEU?

Nick: I’m the Sub-branch Secretary for my school and also a Branch Council delegate. The AEU is a great organisation to be part of. It runs some fabulous professional development. For example, I think everyone should have to come to a conference like the AEU beginning teachers’ conference; it really opens your eyes up to many of the issues and is a great way to meet others who have the same or similar experiences as you. n

Wellbeing Day Thursday 13 October 2011 10.00am – 2.30pm Free healthy food and cooking demos Free massages Free health advice Free relaxation sessions Free wellbeing information sessions Displays, music, prizes and giveaways

@ the AEU: 163 Greenhill Road, Parkside, SA 5063 info: E:

training@aeusa.asn.au W: www.aeusa.asn.au

Drop-in day for all! 8

TAFE

Are schools trying to do too much in VET? Mount Barker TAFE Lecturer Tony Sutherland says higher-level VET competency assessment must be accompanied by appropriate workplace experiences. schools and the SACE accreditation system continue to push the boundaries to include higher and higher levels of competencies in their offerings.

ocational Education and Training (VET) has become an increasingly common learning pathway for senior secondary students with approximately 90% of South Australian public secondary schools offering a VET course.

To successfully complete SACE using the recognised arrangements for VET in SACE, students must receive a “competency achieved” for those units and competencies they undertake. The VET competencies used in SACE are derived from industry training packages, which are developed around the competencies required within the workplace environment. Many deliverers within the VET system find it difficult to accept that delivery of competencies within the school environment with limited opportunity of work placement is a substitute for developing the skills and attitude to work in a real workplace environment. These concerns are highlighted as

VET deliverers raise a number of concerns. It takes about 12 months of fulltime work to properly achieve a Certificate II Traineeship, and a Certificate III can take up to 30 months. Trainees need that period of time to be able to experience a range of conditions and variations within that competency, before they become truly competent. In VET placements, students are required to meet all aspects of the job, including working different shifts and being able to perform at a productive level whilst maintaining reasonable standards, similar to those expected from an employee in that job. This is not the norm for school-based placements where students are required to do little more than experience the workplace environment and to assist with the work being done. Demonstrating a level of responsibility in the way in which one works is an expectation at higher levels. Competencies performed at Level 2 need to be done with minimal level of supervision, whereas at Level 3 it is often without supervision. In the secondary school environment it is virtually impossible to meet this requirement. Additionally VET deliverers are required to maintain ongoing currency with industry to ensure that their knowledge and skills are up-to-

date. For teachers in the school environment it is difficult to see how this can be achieved. Finally, there is a concern that with the push for higher-level competencies, students who are already struggling academically with other subjects will also struggle with higher level VET certificates. Increasingly, it appears that the less academic students in schools are being counselled in to taking VET subjects they may struggle with, whereas the more academic students who would probably succeed in higher level VET courses are not being pointed in that direction.

TAFE

The opportunity for students to choose a VET course as part of their SACE is a good thing; it recognises the importance of transitioning students beyond school and preparing them for entry into the work environment. Commencing a VET qualification at school establishes a pathway which can lead to completion of that qualification through further education and post-school training.

It is clearly stated in the VET in Schools statement in several of the Industry Training Packages that VET arrangements should be Level 1 with some Level 2 competencies and should not push the boundaries to deliver at Level 3 and above.

“Trying to achieve competency at the higher levels without a real opportunity to engage in the workplace full-time is unrealistic”

TAFE teachers are increasingly reporting that students who enrol in TAFE having completed a Certificate 1 or 2 as part of their SACE, frequently do not have an adequate grounding and the TAFE teacher has to reteach components of the course before moving on to the higher levels. Because of the way TAFE is funded, any reteaching is unfunded and simply adds to a lecturer’s workload.

There is an important place for VET in Schools. It enables students to sample a range of employment alternatives that may lead to a future career. However, the system must also accept that trying to achieve competency at the higher levels without a real opportunity to engage in the workplace full-time is unrealistic and may well be giving students false expectations. n

International

Country Issues

Increases to Locality Allowances Country Teachers living in locations that are prescribed under the Award are eligible to be paid locality allowances for:

• Compensation for Adverse Environment • Vacation Periods Allowance for Cost of Commuting from Distant Schools • Motor Vehicle Allowance in respect of Abnormal Depreciation • Allowance by way of Compensation for Increased Cost of Living Arising from Country Service and some Aspects of Isolation. The Motor Vehicle Allowance in respect of Abnormal Depreciation and the Allowance by way of Compensation for Increased Cost of Living arising from Country Service and some Aspects of Isolation are increased by the CPI. The AEU has successfully applied to have these allowances increased by 4.9% back dated until 1 July 2010. The per km rate on which the allowance for cost of commuting from distance schools is calculated has also been increased to 22 cents from 1 October 2010. In recent inspections of pay records the AEU identified that a number of country teachers eligible for these allowances were not receiving them. For example, very few eligible teachers in schools of 320 km or more from Adelaide were being paid the allowance for vacation periods. We encourage you to check your pay slip and the Teachers (DECS) Award to ensure that you are being paid correctly.

For further information go to:

8: www.aeusa.asn.au >Interest Groups> Country

Bourne to a teacher Actor Matt Damon defends public school teachers, who are under increasing attack from pro–private forces in the United States

he star of the Oscar-winning film Good Will Hunting and the Jason Bourne series recently addressed a teachers rally in Washington DC as public education fights for its life. “I was raised by a teacher. My mum was a professor of early childhood education, and from the time I was in kindergarten, and all the way through to my high school graduation I attended public schools. And I would not trade that education or that experience for anything. I had incredible teachers. And as I look at my life today, the things that I value the most about myself are my imagination, my love of acting, my passion for writing, my love of learning and my curiosity. All of these things came from the way I was parented and taught. And none of these qualities I have mentioned, none of these qualities that I prize so deeply, none of these qualities that have brought me so much joy, that

“They were empowered to unlock our potential and unlock our worth. They were allowed to be teachers.”

have made me successful professionally, none of these qualities that make me who I am, can be tested. I said before that I had incredible teachers, and that is true, but it’s more than that; my teachers were empowered to teach me. Their time was not taken up with a bunch of silly test prep, a bunch of drill-and-kill nonsense that any serious person knows doesn’t promote real learning. No, my teachers were free to approach me and every other kid in that classroom like an individual puzzle. They took so much care

Vice President’s Report in figuring out who we were, and how to best make the lessons resonate with each of us. They were empowered to unlock our potential and unlock our worth. They were allowed to be teachers.

Amalgamation review process underway

Now don’t get me wrong, I did have a brush with standardised tests. I remember because my mum went to the Principal’s office and said, “My kid ain’t taking that.” I have it in quotes, she said. “It’s stupid, it won’t tell you anything, it will just make me nervous”. I guess it was the late seventies!

AEU Vice President Anne Crawford writes

I struggle to think that these tests are being used today to control our funding though. I don’t know where I would be today if my teacher’s job security was based on how I performed on some standardised test. If their very survival as teachers was based not on actually whether I fell in love with the process of learning, but rather if I could fill in the right bubble on a test, if they had to spend most of their time desperately drilling us and less time encouraging creativity and original ideas, less time knowing who we were, seeing our strengths and helping us realise our talents, I honestly don’t know where I would be today if that was the type of education I had. I sure as hell wouldn’t be here, I do know that. This has been a horrible decade for teachers, and I can’t imagine how demoralised you guys must feel, but I came here today to deliver an important message to you and I really hope you can hear it. As I get older, I appreciate more and more the teachers that I had growing up. And I’m not alone, there are millions of people just like me. So, the next time you are feeling down, or exhausted, or unappreciated, or at the end of your rope; the next time you turn on your TV and see that you’re being overpaid, the next time you encounter some simple-minded punitive policy that’s been driven into your life by some corporate reformer who has literally never taught anyone anything, please, please, please know that there are millions of us behind you. You have an army of regular people standing right behind you and our appreciation for what you do is so deeply felt. We love you, we thank you, and we will always have your back.” n

There was a strong sense of déjà vu when the Labor Government announced its intention to amalgamate 68 co-located schools as part of the 2010-2011 Budget cuts, with projected savings of $8.2 million over two years from 2013. A year before, in April 2009, Jane Lomax-Smith, the former Minister for Education, had claimed that more than 150 schools and preschools were “voluntarily investigating options to restructure”. “Restructure” was, of course, a euphemism for closure or amalgamation under the auspices of Education Works Stage 2. Lomax-Smith’s mantra was that this was a “locally driven initiative”. She repeatedly stated in media appearances that parents chose to close schools, not Labor Governments. Many of the communities targetted as part of Lomax-Smith’s initiative waged brilliantly successful campaigns to keep their schools and preschools open. Community opposition was particularly strong and united in the Spencer Gulf Region, where the Government planned to replace more than 40 schools and kindergartens with nine huge super schools across Port Pirie, Port Augusta and Whyalla. Many parents were outraged by the consultation process, which was rushed, coercive and blatantly biased. All over the State, communities and educators banded together and campaigned successfully, in most instances, to keep their schools and preschools open. Lomax-Smith’s failure to impose her “big is beautiful” model for education delivery was followed by a 15 per cent swing against her in the 2010 State Election and the loss of a relatively safe Labor seat. The Co-Location Initiative, launched just a few months after Labor scraped back into power, is, to some extent, a rebadged version of Education Works Stage 2. The two schemes are similar in

“Many schools and preschools targetted for closure in the recent past remain open and are thriving, thanks to the vision and united efforts of those who dared to say no.” many respects. They are motivated by cost cutting, they remove much needed resources from public education and they deliver no educational or social benefits to students. Above all, they claim to be consultative, but are in reality thinly veiled top-down programs that take little account of what parents really want for their children. Earlier this year, parents at Modbury High and Bordertown took the Government by surprise with their feisty and vibrant campaigns that captured significant media attention and won huge support from the broader community. As a result, the current Minister announced that primary and secondary schools would not be forced to amalgamate, and the number of targetted schools was reduced to the remaining 21 junior primary and primary sites. Under Section 14 of the Education Act, if parents do not vote in favour of school closures or amalgamations, a formal review process can be instituted. Not one community has voted for closure or amalgamation. The Government has therefore established 21 review committees to conduct reviews of the targetted schools. These committees comprise four Ministerial representatives, the principals of both schools, a representative of Local Government, a nominee of the Chief Executive, an AEU representative and a nominee of the Governing Council of each school involved. The AEU fought strongly to ensure two parents were appointed to each committee when the continued over page 3 11

Vice President’s Report

Cover Story: School Amalgamations

continued... 3 Government attempted to limit their representation to only one. The AEU is currently working closely with members, parents and the broader community to ensure that the reviews are conducted in a manner that is open, accountable and provides all stakeholders with accurate information regarding cuts to resourcing prior to recommendations being made. We know that every amalgamation of a junior primary and primary school will result in an annual loss in funding of at least $250,000. In most instances, this loss will be well in excess of $300,000 each year, which equates to very considerable cuts to leadership levels, SSO support and special programs that are of great educational value to students. Once this resourcing is lost, it will be impossible to retrieve. A training session was conducted at the AEU for about 50 sub-branch secretaries, principals and review committee nominees on 29 July. This will be followed by further opportunities for members to meet and exchange information. Organisers and other AEU officers will provide ongoing support to members and parents throughout the review period. The AEU is also encouraging subbranches, individual members, parents and the general community to forward submissions to the relevant review committees for their consideration. Submissions can be lodged in any format, including a brief letter. It is vital that educators and communities exercise their right to genuine input over the next few months before the reviews conclude. The success of the campaigns waged in 2009 and earlier this year demonstrate that, even under great pressure and in very difficult circumstances, amazing victories can be won when communities and educators work together to retain precious resources that underpin the quality of education for our children and students. It is by no means inevitable that the 42 schools currently under review will close or amalgamate. Many schools and preschools targetted for closure in the recent past remain open and are thriving, thanks to the vision and united efforts of those who dared to say no. We can add to that number if we continue to work together in the best interests of students and communities. We have every intention of doing so. n 12

Junior Primary + Primary: Students stand to lose if school amalgamations go ahead

obyn Waller is Principal at Braeview Junior Primary School at Happy Valley, one of 42 schools the State Government has targetted for amalgamation as part of the 2010 State Budget cuts. She recently told the AEU Journal that amalgamations are not in the interests of school communities. “The impact is likely to be the complete wiping out of junior primary leadership in public education. Ask any junior primary teacher who has worked in a school with dedicated early childhood leadership and they will tell you that the support, resources and programs that are provided in those settings are superior to schools that don’t offer such a structure.” Robyn says that students between the age of five and eight have specific needs

and the removal of early childhood leadership will most likely spell the end of programs that benefit students at this crucial stage of development. “School communities that value early childhood expertise may find a way to build that in but there is no guarantee and no safeguard for this. It is a real concern. On top of this, between the two sites we are likely to lose around $400,000 in funds. There aren’t too many schools that could absorb such a funding cut and maintain their current programs,” she says. Robyn’s colleague Angela Puhle is Principal of the primary school at Braeview and says having two separate but connected schools provides the best of both worlds for students. “We have a great community spirit across the school. In the primary school

Cover Story: Sc hool Amalgam ations

Ilinceri bunulvidem lin deestra dela veri tus, none fors poenatusa 1 Not so happy in the valley: Principals Robyn Waller and Angela Puhle flanked by staff and parents at Braeview School – they want to keep their junior primary school open.

the benefits of co-location we are able give specific attention to middle school philosophies of teaching adolescents while the junior primary kids benefit from the time and leadership that goes into promoting playbased learning and so on. We have a large number of programs that support this type of learning environment and I can see a lot of this being discontinued,” she said.

Parents speak out Braeview School parent Naomi Paull has a child in each of the two schools and says her experience of the school has been fantastic. “I really like the smaller class sizes in the junior primary school and am a fan of the special options that the school runs – this has been great for my kids; it’s helped them understand the needs of students with disabilities and I’d hate to see that go because of cuts to funding,” she said. “I know of families that come from Port Noarlunga because of the programs

that are run here at Braeview,” she added. Another parent, Erica James, believes the focus on the development of the child in the junior primary school has had great positive effects on her children. “Both my kids love it here. In some larger schools, particularly those without the smaller junior primary community, kids just don’t get the same opportunities to develop in the early years,” she said. Braeview Junior Primary is just one of 42 schools who have much to lose from the amalgamations proposed by the State Government. The AEU is working with all these sites to ensure their voice is heard when the upcoming reviews get underway.

Para Hills Schools start petition to stop amalgamation Opposition to the amalgamation proposed at Para Hills Schools has led to the creation of a petition that already contains nearly 1000 signatures. School

“The impact is likely to be the complete wiping out of junior primary leadership in public education.”

Governing Council Vice Chairperson Kerry Faggotter told the AEU Journal that parents have serious concerns. “Our school is likely to lose in the vicinity of $450,000 in funding and two leadership positions. We also have a child parent centre and there’s no mention about how or if that is likely to be maintained,” she said. “Our classes in the junior primary school are a good size – perfect for early childhood where kids are at one of the most important stages of their development. We want to maintain this and will not be happy to see it change.” she added. n 13

SSO WEEK 2011

A strategy for system reform

A great time to celebrate!

Powerful Learning: A strategy for system reform delivers an evidencebased, resultsdriven approach to large-scale educational reform in schools. Pre-eminent educationalists David Hopkins, Wayne Craig and John Munro, together with a team of highly credentialed contributors, explicate a grand theory of system change that leads to measurable outcomes in enhanced student learning and accelerated achievement over time. The book is premised upon a research initiative conducted in the Northern Metropolitan Region (NMR) in Melbourne – an area characterised by relative social and economic disadvantage, where radical reform has seen outstanding results. An in-depth case-study approach and bolstered by reference to the broader international experience, Powerful Learning describes in detail the inside out perspective on school improvement, beginning with the central tenet that every student will reach their potential. Standards of literacy and numeracy are recognised as essential but equally so is the instilling in students of a desire to learn. Powerful Learning helps identify and, importantly, adapt appropriate teaching strategies, organisational structures and policy options to support improvement plans in any given school. Ultimately, school principals, administrators, policy makers and teachers themselves will see a discernible reduction in the variance of student performance, an overall rise in school standards and the narn rowing of the educational divide. David Hopkins, John Munro and Wayne Craig Publisher: ACER Press 2011 RRP $29.95 14

SSO Week

Book Review

This year SSO Week will be held in Week 5, Monday 22 – Friday 26 August with the theme: “Working together to Win”

either join the AEU or engaged a member to be active – there’s a delicious prize for the best three entries! Thanks to some very successful member campaigns and ongoing negotiations with government, almost 1500 SSOs have been converted to permanency since 2009. This came about through the determination and unity of AEU members across the State. In the last two years the number of SSOs who have joined the AEU has grown significantly. Make no mistake, high levels of membership and collective action are the keys to improved wages and conditions.

We encourage all sites to celebrate SSO Week and to send us in some photos showing how you celebrated. We would love to publish them in the AEU Journal. Send all entries to:

*: journal@aeusa.asn.au Remember all items sent to the AEU for publication in the AEU Journal or on our website will go into the running for one of three fantastic prizes from Next Byte, including the new Mac Mini and iPad. (See Ad on page 20).

Have a wonderful SSO Week – you deserve it!

During SSO Week we are encouraging all sites to ensure they have an SSO Contact Officer who works with the Subbranch Secretary to encourage the participation of SSOs in sub-branch activity. If your site doesn’t already have one, ensure a sub-branch meeting is called as soon as possible so an SSO Contact Officer can be elected.

Lisa Sigalla AEU Organiser SSO Focus

In the lead up to SSO Week we’d like you to tell us how you have encouraged other members to get involved in the AEU. In 100 words or less, tell us how you have supported another SSO to

Certificate of A

SSO WEEK 201 1 Some IdeaS

22–26 August

to celebr

ate SSo wee site write their k: Put this poste names on this r up at your site poster in the together for all to see space below write a colum have all SSO hold a morning n in your News members at your tea letter recognise SSOs take some photo photos and storie at assembly s to show how s for publishing take a break you celebrated in the AEU Journ SSO Week at al (journal@aeus your site a.asn.au). We Email us your would love to All SSO memb hear from you. ers: write your names in

the space below

w w

ppreciation

Some ideas to celebrate SSO Week: wput this poster up at your site for all to see whave all SSO members at your site write their names on this poster in the space provided

whold a morning tea wrecognise SSOs at assembly wtake a break together wwrite a column in your newsletter

We wish to cong ratulate all SSO members and app your hard work reci and ongoing sup port for public educ ate ation Authorised by Jack Major,

australian ed

163 Greenhill

AEU Organiser

AEU Branch Secretar

y, Australian

ucation Union

Road, Parksid

Education Union

| SA Branch,

| SA Branch

163 Greenhill

Road, Parkside

8: www.aeusa.asn.au

SSO focus, lisa

): 8272 1399 Sigalla *: lsigalla@aeu sa.asn.au

w wemail us your photos and stories

take some photos to show how you celebrated SSO Week at your site for publishing in the AEU Journal

*: journal@aeusa.asn.au We would love to hear from you!

Working together to Win!

Teaching Resources

Workload

Your rights at work for students

Review of Teachers and Leaders Work forges ahead

Bullying doesn’t just stop at the school gate. Students who are preparing for their first job, or already working part-time are at a vulnerable time in their working life.

Jan Murphy from the workload review team reports

Being able to identify bullying, knowing who to turn to and what can be done to fix it is vital to making the first steps into working life positive and productive.

paperwork, data collection, overcrowding of the curriculum, IT and chasing up student non-attendance.

Help your students get the bully off their back at work, with ACTU Worksite’s Buck the Bully campaign.

For school leaders three of the main areas of workload pressure are: • Admin

The ACTU is experimenting with new ways of interacting with students – from surveys to smartphones. And they want feedback!

• HR

Students can:

Follow-up discussions with the sites will revolve around information collected and include the identifying of tasks teachers & leaders undertake, whether these tasks should or should not fall within their roles and responsibilities and how they may be managed differently.

Data collection, student behaviour management, OHSW, email overload, IT and teaching loads were the other major workload issues reported by those in leadership positions.

• Change without sufficient support (New SACE, National Curriculum) • Catering for students with disabilities • Student Behaviour Management Not surprisingly, the data also reveals that members are concerned about the ever-increasing workload related to class size, meetings, assessment & reporting policies & processes,

The survey for those who work in schools has now closed but a new survey open to all preschool workers is now accessible through the AEU website at:

8: www.aeusa.asn.au

Thanks to all who have taken the opportunity to participate in the review process. The final report and recommendations to the Industrial Relations Commission would not be possible without your input. n

• Use the fact sheets, classroom activities and resources available at:

8: worksite.actu.org.au

• Share their ideas on how to deal with bullies at work in a survey • Get critical on the free iPhone app To be notified of the results of the Buck the Bully survey, or to give us your feedback email us @:

*: worksite@actu.org.au

Action

• Make a submission to the Review of Teachers and Leaders Work. Submission guidelines have been published on the AEU website. Go to: www.aeusa.asn.au>

Issues>Review of Teachers and Leaders Work for details.

8: www.worksite.actu.org.au

During the first stage of the review we received information about workload from over 1400 DECS employees through the online survey. Thanks to all those who participated, your information and ideas are invaluable and suggestions for solutions were often creative – although I can’t repeat some of the best of them here! There are no surprises in the collated data, with the three main workload issues for teachers being:

• Facilities management

ACTU Worksite for Schools website

The Review of Teachers and Leaders Work is about to enter its next stage – workload audits in sites. A range of sites have been identified and/or volunteered and staff will complete a diary over the course of a week during this term.

Editorial

For once, a good reason to follow New York Research revealing the failure of New York’s controversial bonus scheme should prompt PM Gillard to abandon it in Australia.

he New York Times reported recently that a study conducted by public policy research institution the RAND Corporation revealed that “the teacher bonus program had no effect on students’ test scores, on grades on the city’s controversial A to F school report cards, or on the way teachers did their jobs.” The New York bonus scheme is part of a push by authorities throughout the US to tie teacher pay to “performance”. There has been massive opposition to this regressive policy shift from teacher unions and academics who have been critical of such schemes from the outset. Not surprisingly, teachers interviewed during the study said improving as teachers and seeing their students learn were bigger motivators than a bonus. Dr Julie Marsh, the study’s lead researcher told the New York Times that “a lot of the principals and teachers saw the bonuses as a recognition and reward, as icing on

the cake. But it’s not necessarily something that motivated them to change.” New York teachers have been subjected to a raft of ill-advised education policies in recent years and there’s no sign that won’t continue with Education Department spokeswoman Barbara Morgan telling the New York Times that the results of the study “provides us with important information as we continue to think about compensation models that differentiate among the perfor-

mance of our teachers.” According to the New York Daily News, the Education Department says the program failed because bonuses were given to schools as a whole rather than individuals. Such statements should ring alarm bells for unions who will no doubt be campaigning against Teacher Bonus Scheme Mark II when that is inevitably rolled out in the near future. However, it seems public opinion is on the side of teacher unions with 80

Should teachers get bonuses for raising student test scores? Yes, effective teachers should be rewarded.

19%

No, teachers can’t raise test scores without willing 50% students. Money can’t buy love... of 31% learning

Vice President’s Report

“As in the United States, there is little support from teachers for a bonus scheme in Australia.”

That lingering 2010 budget

percent of respondents to a Daily News online poll rejecting the notion that more money can buy better learning outcomes (see graph below – page 16). Since Julia Gillard’s election there has been an almost fanatical duplication of failed US education policy by the ALP. The recent introduction of a New York-style teacher bonus scheme is yet another example of the Prime Minister’s eagerness to take advice from the likes of the now Murdoch-employed Joel Klein and others with spurious education credentials while ignoring the warnings of home-grown experts.

What a State Budget it was in 2010. It was hardhitting and in many ways cruel. As a State we are still dealing with the cuts it brought. As an education system, we are definitely still struggling through the mess it left.

Julia Gillard’s proposed bonus scheme announced in May has been heavily criticised by academics and unions alike. AEU Federal President Angelo Gavrielatos has labeled the scheme “misguided”. “Paying a small number of teachers one-off bonuses is counterproductive and divisive. It is not a long term solution to the problems we have,” he said. “There are clearly some within the Government’s ranks who share a fascination with a corporate approach to education that has been experimented in the United States.” According to Gavrielatos, what’s needed is a comprehensive approach to attracting and retaining teachers – one of the Gillard government’s stated aims of implementing such a scheme. “We should further recognise and reward our experienced teachers who demonstrate high quality teaching knowledge, skills and practice. Our biggest problem is that teachers currently reach the top of the pay scale within nine to ten years and then have to leave the classroom if they want to earn a higher salary,” he added. As in the United States, there is little support from teachers for a bonus scheme in Australia. The questions is, will Julia Gillard do what she seems to do best and follow the US in ditching her teacher bonus scheme? Only time will tell. n Craig Greer | Editor

AEU Vice President David Smith discusses the worst State Budget in years

That Budget, the first after Labor’s narrow 2010 State election win, brought pain and anger. Thousands of us in the public sector unions rallied and marched against the public service cuts. Rann and Foley were the targets of much of the anger and many of the chants ringing out in the streets of Adelaide and the media. They’ve all but gone but the pain remains. Then came the 2011 Budget. We don’t remember much about that one. It made fewer deep cuts in expenditure but, tellingly, it did not redress many of the bad decisions of its predecessor. For one, the reduction of the 15 days per annum accrual of Long Service Leave remained, despite the massive street protests of 2010 and continued public sector union pressure to have it reinstated. In education the cuts came especially slowly and painfully. In some cases they haven’t yet been precisely determined. It’s as if someone made the fiscal decisions, took the sword to the DECS budget, but didn’t have much idea about how they would slice and dice thereafter. Think of just a few. The New Arrivals Program, the removal of teacher housing rental subsidies, the adult re-entry colleges, the amalgamations of co-located schools… just as a start. It’s fair to say that none of those have been satisfactorily resolved, and let us not forget that they were measures announced in last year’s budget. DECS has had over a year to decide on the details of the cuts but have not managed to complete the job. Granted, some of the DECS officers have been doing their best to mitigate the worst impacts of the budget decisions, but they are constrained by the dire bottom line. They have to cut

“Aiming at that softest of targets is a cruel act, and suggests a very hardnosed attitude among decision makers.” the same number of dollars, whatever the configuration or means. The trouble with the lengthy delays is that the uncertainty hangs on and on. That has a dreadful impact on the morale of teachers and communities in areas where the cuts are to be most felt. In the Adult Re-entry colleges, the initial decision was to prohibit any student over 21 years of age from enrolling. That has been watered down, but there are now many hundreds of former and would-be adult students who are studying nothing and nowhere. The social cost of that decision is great and will get greater. The teacher housing subsidies was a matter too difficult to determine in detail, so DECS has had to outsource that one. At the time of writing there has been no sight of the report from the outsourcing firm. The amalgamation of colocated schools, following outrage in some communities, was altered to exclude the compulsory amalgamation of high schools with primary schools. The junior primary/primary amalgamations, with some procedural blips, are following the stated path of review committees, but there are some strong areas of opposition to those amalgamations. Cuts to the transport for children in the New Arrivals Program is in may ways the most callous of them all, hitting as it does some of the most disadvantaged children and families in the nation. Aiming at that softest of targets is a cruel act, and suggests a very hard-nosed attitude among decision makers. Thank goodness the hearts, minds and energies of the AEU membership won’t let these unfair and unwise decisions go unchallenged. More power to n you all. 17

Gender

Guess Who? Not the women, that’s for sure I sat down to play a few friendly games with my boys on the weekend. It was a lovely afternoon as we progressed our way through Snakes and Ladders, Brain Drain, Operation and Connect Four. A good time was being had by all until Guess Who? came out. It is a long time since I had played this game and I had forgotten about the extremely poor gender balance in the faces on the board. Can you believe that there are 19 men and 5 women on the game boards? Sounds a little like one of the DECS meetings Correna Haythorpe has to attend!! For those who do not know how to play this game I will explain the reason for my frustration. Each player has a board with 24 faces sitting up on individual frames. Each player takes a face from the box which the other player cannot see. There is then a series of questions each player can ask to eliminate faces. As you get the answer to your question it helps you to decide which faces to flip down and eliminate. For instance: Has your person got glasses? Has your person got a hat? Has your person got red hair? These questions are asked alternately until one player is able to guess who the other player is. Imagine my frustration when I continually pulled out a woman. The first question is always: Are you a man or a woman? If you are a woman, your opponent instantly puts down the 19 men and has just 5 faces to choose from. Not hard. My son always pulled out a man which is obviously harder and slower to work out. I lost every single game and was left wondering who in their right mind would have developed a game that is so unbalanced. The global gender ratio is about 101 men to 100 women so the board should in fact have approximately 11.5 women and 12.5 men. My solution: the question of gender is not allowed to be asked. And peace was n restored to our home!

Women’s Focus

Know your family leave and entitlement rights

Need to go part time? Need to stay at home with your sick child? About to become a parent? Need to attend a funeral? Need to care for your parents or partner? 1 Enterprise Bargaining 2005 AEU Campaign for family friendly entitlement rights

Family Friendly?

AEU Women’s Officer Tish Champion writes The AEU believes that family friendly entitlements and conditions includes the ability to have paid and unpaid leave, flexible work arrangements, and the ability to temporarily or permanently change workload fractions to support your life responsibilities without difficulty or repercussions. The notion of ‘family’ has been expanded considerably over recent years to include not just immediate family but to take into account the various ways that society now defines ‘family’. It is within this broader sense of ‘family’ that the AEU has negotiated and improved on the family friendly initiatives, policies, rights and entitlements that our members now enjoy. Quite simply, conditions and entitlements which are family friendly allow you to have a better work/life balance. “Once Australia led the world in advocating shorter hours, with Melbourne stonemasons the first to gain an eighthour day in 1856. That culture has been tipped on its head, as OECD figures show Australians work the longest week of any developed country - an average 44 hours.” (Excerpt from: All work and no extra pay by Kirsty Needham, November 18, 2009)

Contact Tish Champion on

Work/life balance is about effectively juggling paid work and other activities and responsibilities in your life. It is about making sure that paid work does not dominate your life to the point that you are unable to do other things which are important to you, such as spending time with family, participating in community activities, volunteering, personal development or leisure and recreational activities. Employers should recognise that people who have work/life balance are more effective employees. There is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to work/life balance because the right balance is a personal thing which will change at different times in your life. While the world of work is not perfect, many employers are beginning to be seen as employers of choice in terms of the conditions and rights they provide their employees. The Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency even has an “Employer of Choice for Women” register. Non-government companies and organisations that are women-friendly and provide rights and conditions that directly benefit the work/life balance of women can apply for an EOWA Employer of Choice for Women citation which lasts for 12 months. Quite clearly, with our fast-paced and ever-growing responsibilities (both per-

8: tchampion@aeusa.asn.au

AEU Elections 2011

“OECD figures show Australians work the longest week of any developed country – an average 44 hours.” sonal and work related) employees are becoming more particular about who they want to work for. DECS is not immune to the growing desire to work for an employer who not only values its employees but caters for employee life styles and commitments with “family-friendly” conditions. Unfortunately, like all employers, DECS does/will not just wake up one morning and decide to increase annual leave, maternity leave, special leave, part time opportunities or salaries because they value their employees. All “family friendly” and “work/life balance” initiatives provided by DECS have been won by the AEU. Recent gains have included the right to part-time on returning to work following maternity leave and increased non-contact time. The AEU can really only achieve so much through bargaining. AEU members also have to make efforts within work sites to increase and maintain work/life balance.

What can you do to achieve a family-friendly workplace? • Talk about it to others in your site • Put family friendly matters on the staff meeting agenda • Ensure family friendly matters are considered as part of decision making processes • Conduct a work-life balance audit. • Find out what your rights and entitlements are and access them • Encourage all staff to join the union and get involved in future bargaining. Issues regarding family friendly workplaces and work/life balance are everyn one’s responsibility.

Branch Executive Candidates Statements

Candidates in the 2011 Branch Executive elections are entitled to a quarter page advertisement free of charge in the next edition of the AEU Journal to be published prior to elections. Statements of not more than 175 words must be lodged with the Editor by 5.00pm on Friday 2 September 2011. Candidates should provide good quality photo. Submit either a photoor a jpeg picture file (size: 1Mb+). Email: journal@aeusa.asn.au

Australian Education Union,

South Australian Branch

ELECTION NOTICE Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 Nominations are called for:

Branch President Branch Female Vice-President Branch Male Vice-President Ordinary Branch Executive Officers [12]

In accordance with Branch Rule 7(5) “the 12 Branch Executive Officers shall include at least 6 women”. Further, Branch Rule 54(2)(b) states, “if the number of women candidates is less than the number of women to be elected, the remaining position or positions in question will be filled by a male candidate or candidates”.

In accordance with Branch Rule 48(14)(b), “in respect of the voting papers for the 12 Branch Executive Officers positions, candidates may request to have their names grouped and ordered within a group on the voting paper”. Each of the candidates must notify me not later than the close of nominations that they wish to have their name included in a group. Forms for this purpose are available from me.

Ordinary Branch Executive OfficeR (School Services Officers Member) Ordinary Branch Executive Officer (CHildren’S Services Member) Ordinary Branch Executive OfficeR (TAFE Member)

Ordinary Branch Executive OfficeR (ABORIGINAL OR TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER Member)

Federal Conference Delegates representing the General Division [6]

In accordance with Federal Rule 24(3A), these 6 positions shall include at least 3 women. Further, Branch Rule 54(2)(b) states, “if the number of women candidates is less than the number of women to be elected, the remaining position or positions in question will be filled by a male candidate or candidates”.

Federal Conference Delegate representing the TAFE Division Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Federal Conference Delegate National TAFE Council Executive Member National TAFE Council Delegates [2]

In accordance with Federal Rule 47(3), these 2 positions shall include at least 1 woman. Further, Branch Rule 54(2)(b) states, “if the number of women candidates is less than the number of women to be elected, the remaining position or positions in question will be filled by a male candidate or candidates”.

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Committee (General Division) Member National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Committee (TAFE Division) Member

National Principals’ Committee (General Division) Member National Early Childhood Committee (General Division) Member

Written Nominations, which comply with the Rules of the Union, may be made at any time from Wednesday, 17 August 2011 and must reach me not later than 12.00 noon on Friday, 2 September 2011. Nominations cannot be withdrawn after this time. Nomination Forms are available on request. How to Lodge Nominations

By Post: PO Box 344, Adelaide, SA 5001 By Fax: (08) 8237 6584

By Hand: Australian Electoral Commission, 9th Floor, Origin Energy House, 1 King William Street, Adelaide, SA 5001.

The ballot, if required, will open on Monday, 10 October 2011 and close at 9.00am on Monday, 31 October 2011. Changed Address? Advise the Union now.

Note: A copy of the AEC’s election report can be obtained from the organisation or from me after the completion of the election. John Nemcic Tel: (08) 8237 6551 Returning Officer August 2011 19

º ECW WeeK

Running NOTICE BOARD Head

22–26 August 2011

Time to celebrate! The AEU traditionally celebrates ECW Week in Term 3, at the same time that SSO Week is held in schools. AEU officers will be visiting a number of preschools in Week 5 to acknowledge the invaluable contribution of ECWs to the education and development of children across the State.

Since the campaigns in 2009 and following the Arbitrated Award in 2010, many ECWs have been converted to permanency. The AEU is continuing to work with DECS to secure more permanent positions for ECWs, as well as teachers and leaders working in preschools.

We encourage all preschool staff to join the AEU and work together for a brighter future

Next Byte Official Sponsor of AEU Media Competition 1st Prize Mac mini

2nd Prize iPad 2*

The new, faster, MacBook Air

3rd Prize iPod Shuffle

The ultimate everyday notebook. For more information phone 1300 769 480

Go to www.aeusa.asn.au for competition details.

*iPad 2 colour dependant on availability.

Everything Apple and More. Adelaide • Sydney • Melbourne • Brisbane • Gold Coast • Townsville • Perth • Hobart

www.nextbyte.com.au 1300 769 480

AEU 2011 Training and Development Program

Council Dates for 2011

2011 Union Member Development Program

Curriculum Organiser Online PD

New Branch Council Meetings

Tues 30 & Wed 31 Aug

An Introduction

Campaigning Skills for Delegates

9:00-17:00

A 2-day course to support members’ involvement in local campaigns. The ACTU Organising Centre runs this course to provide union representatives and activists with the skills, knowledge and confidence to campaign effectively in their workplaces and industries. Who can attend: AEU members keen to be directly involved in AEU campaigns.

Fri 18 November

Monday 10 October Monday 19 December

9:30am–12:30pm 9:30am–12:30pm

Programming and Planning Monday 10 October

1:30pm–4:30pm

Friday 18 November Monday 19 December

is celebrating 100 years! 1911 – 2011

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

Please advise AEU Membership staff of any change to your classification, fraction of time, workplace or home address by: email: membership@aeusa.asn.au or telephone: 8272 1399

Centenary Celebrations will be held on:

Mid-North Teachers Golf Day

Friday 28 October & Saturday 29 October

Kapunda Golf Club Friday 14 October 2011

www.tailembdps.sa.edu.au

4 Person Ambrose team event Cost: $30.00 per player (incl. green

fees, lunch and excellent range of prizes)

Teams assemble: 9:30am Tee-off: 10:00am Bookings: Brett Cummins, Kapunda PS Email: brett.cummins@kapundaps.sa.edu.au

Curriculum Organiser Online launches new search engine Curriculum Organiser Online now makes it even easier to plan and program your lessons by introducing a new search engine to search all the documents in the directory. It is fast and easy to use. Just enter key words and the relevant plans will be displayed in seconds. You then have three choices: • Preview – look at the sample plan • Download – convert to word edit and save

Ads

Tailem Bend Primary School

1-day course introducing members to AEU decision making processes. Who can attend: AEU members.

Subscription rates will rise for members classified as permanent or on a contract of over 12 months.

Friday November 11

4:00pm–5:30pm 1:30pm–4:30pm

9:15-15:30

The next pay increase for AEU members employed under the South Australian Education Staff (Government Preschools & Schools) Arbitrated Enterprise Bargaining Award 2010 and TAFESA Education Staff Arbitrated Enterprise Bargaining Award 2010 will commence the first pay period on or after the 1 October 2011.

TAFE Divisional Council Meetings

Creating units of work using the Australian Curriculum

Potential Delegates Course

SALARY INCREASE & SUBSCRIPTION ADJUSTMENT

Saturday November 19

• Copy – copy and paste Sample materials based on the new Australian Curriculum have been loaded to help minimise workload and to support members to look at the differences between the new and the old. Have a look, a play with some new ideas, adapt plans to suit your students and school. Go to Events & Courses on the AEU website for details on the next Curriculum Organiser Online training. If you would like a presentation about

Visit our website: for updates and for past student and staff profiles. To register your interest or for any queries, email to:

info@tailembdps.sa.edu.au

Curriculum Organiser Online at your school, please contact Lynn Hall on:

*: lhall@aeusa.asn.au

%: 8272 1399

Not taking advantage of the Curriculum Organiser Online yet? To subscribe to this fantastic databank of teacher produced lesson plans and resources, go to the AEU website at:

: www.aeusa.asn.au 8 and click on the button on our

homepage.

NOTICE BOARD

Member’s Market VICTOR HARBOR Holiday House & Studio Apartments:

suites frm $70. Whole house (offpeak) $190 (half price in winter). Southern Escape 3BR fully s/cont. sms or T: 0402 922 445 a/h or family friendly hse. Walk to beach, T: (08) 8338 2316 a/h parks, shops, restaurants and Hol. Rental: Yorke Peninsula: town centre. Lge enclosed yard, New up-market esplanade beach BBQ. Rates from $150/n. hse ‘Manyana’ at Wool Bay (near Studio Apts: s/cont, open plan Edithburgh). Spa, plasma TV, DVD, w. kitchenette, bath, living area. stereo, dishw. Tastefully ff, 3BR, Sleep 2 upstairs with sea views sleeps 7. Panoramic views, walks, OR sleeps 3 ground level. Rates fishing. T: (08) 8832 2623 $135/night. T: 0413 920 554 www.countrygetaways.info E: crupi@chariot.net.au

Holiday House, ‘North Bay’, Victor Harbor: Carrickalinga: Arch. designed All Seasons Lakefront Getaway:

new 2 storey beach hse. 4BR, 3 bath, 2 living areas, European kitchen, decking & views. Suits 2 families. Sleeps 10. Play equip. for kids. T: 0403 015 964 www.stayz.com.au>North Bay, Carrickalinga

CARRICKALINGA COVE HOL. UNIT RENTAL Sleeps 6, dishw,

a/c, heating, shared use of pool, spa and half court tennis, BBQ area, close to beach, quiet location. Rates $100/night. T: 0409 424 946

Absolute Seafront House Kingston: Stunning beach, wine-

dolphins - seafood. Heated balcony

Stunning s/cont. lux. colonial hme. Priv. secl. beach & lake! 4BRs, 2 living areas, 2 bath, 3 toilets & laundry, lge backyd. Sleeps 8. Lakeside Getaway: Encounter Lakes Villa, 100m to beach & reserve. 5-min. to Esplanade, walk/ bike trail, cafes, restaurants, store. 3BRs. Sleeps 6. Spacious living/fam/dine, 2-way bath, sep. toilet, laundry. M: 0419 868 143 E: foumakis@hotmail.com www.victorharborgetaways.com.au

Kangaroo Island Getaway KI RURAL RETREAT: Attractive s/cont. lge country hme, gdn, native bush, 260 acres. 2 bath, 2

qn beds, 2 living areas, laundry, patio. Sleeps 12. Frm $120/night. T: 0407 790 754 a/h E: kiruralretreat@bigpond.com.au

own carport & entrance w. galley kitchen, TV, DVD etc. 5 min walk to Stirling restaurants, cafes. 15 min drive to wineries, Hahndorf and Hills towns. From $90-$120/ night. T: 0431991431 E: windswept@pacific.net.au www.windsweptcottage.webs.com

KI Holiday Cottage: Vivonne Bay, close to beach & Harriet River, wildlife, exc. location for KI attractions. 2BR. s/cont, air, BBQ. Sleep 4, $95. T: (08) 8341 9185 HOLIDAY RENTAL WALLAROO: E: enquiries@ravencottage.com.au Arch. designed new 2-storey beach www.ravencottage.com.au hse, bay views. 3BR, 3 bath, open plan living, modern kitchen, sleeps KI holiday hse, Kangastay 7. DVD, CD, dishw. Safe beach for Harriet River, Vivonne Bay, 3BR fully equipped. Close to Seal Bay, kids, great walks, fishing. www.stayz.com.au>Bayview, Remarkables, Admiral Arch and North Beach more) relax, swim, fish. Linen prov. winter discounts, sleeps 6. HOL. RENTAL NORMANVILLE: Frm $100/night. T: 0407 215 345 South Shores Holiday Villa #25. kangastay@gmail.com 3BR (sleeps 8). Secure behind dunes at Normanville. Golf, horse KI Queenscliffe Cottage Kingscote, recently restored 2BR, riding, pools, beach, lawns, cafes. period decor, gdn. Walk to beach, T: 0413 155 460 www.stayz.com.au/23983 cafes, jetty, pubs. Sleeps 6. Exc. location to explore island. PORT ELLIOT HOLIDAY ESCAPE T: 08 8553 9007 Stunning new, a/c, 4BR, s/cont. www.kangarooislandholiday Close to Main St. cafes, shops, accomodation.com.au/property. restaurants, galleries. Horseshoe php?p_id=232 Bay, swim, surf and fish. Walk/ bike trails, markets, wineries, ‘WINDSWEPT COTTAGE’ Steam Ranger Cockle train. SpeOvernight & short-stay accom. in Adel. Hills (Stirling). Suit couples cial rates. E: jack.k@live.com.au (no children due to steep stairs to www.allseasonsescape.spaces. mezz. BR). Quiet, botanic setting, live.com

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NOTICE BOARD SEAFRONT HOLIDAY HOUSE: Yorke Peninsula “Oceanfront Escape” 2-storey hse w. pergola to beach & farmland views, secl, 4 BRs, full kitchen, BBQ, DVD/ VCR/ TV, billiards, fishing. Peaceful & relaxing, great for kids. Contact Brenton: T: 0409 864 682 E: bjejstevens@bigpond.com

Oystalavista, Stansbury: 2 new luxury houses, cliff top location, 4BRs, 2 bath. Each sleeps 10-12. Balcony views, BBQ, air, spa, plasma TV, dishw. Winter specials. T: 0418 849 101 (Alan) E: oystalavista@bigpond.com www.oystalavista.com

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GLENELG NTH/TOWNHOUSE RETREAT: Rent for short/long/ hols. Good, quiet, peaceful location, mins frm Jetty Rd, close to tram/bus stops. Secl. T-Hse feat. 3 BRM, new kitchen, 2 toilets, ldry, bath, sep. dining, lounge, a/c, gas heating, patio area, carport, garden. T: 0437 847 034 E: wendyvoight@bigpond.com

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Moonta bay holiday rental: BEACH HouSE SWAP for ‘IT’ Tuition:

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but haven’t been in the water for a while?! Get $50 off a PADI TuneUp program to refresh your skills. T: (Steve) 0413 134 827 E: info@elitediveacademy.com.au Aldinga Beach House www.elitediveacademy.com.au From: $680 Week For Rent: ff private apartment 5 minute walk from beach, opp. in Glenelg for hols. or wkds. Spa, National Park, sleeps 8, ff, TV, heated pool, steam-rm, sauna, gym DVD, Microwave, Air Con. etc. Plasma TV, 100m to beach. T: 0418 843 711 T: 0403 606 052 E: acaciahouse@optusnet.com.au

CEDUNA BEACH HOUSE: S/cont, France – South: beachfront, BBQ/DVD/ LCD/ TV, r/c air. Sleeps 6. Corp. rates AEU members. Main st and jetty 5 min walk. T: (08) 8625 3343

Sleeps 8. Self contained. Peaceful and very relaxing. From $700/wk. T: 0410 054 059 E: khatchley82@bigpond.com

New Book: “WHEN GRANDPA SANG”

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Kangaroo Island, PENNESHAW Large elevated block in a secluded cull de sac with panoramic views across the village of Penneshaw and Backstairs Passage to the cliffs of Deep Creek and west across the bay to American River. A 5-min walk across the golf course to the pub. $145,000. T: 0429 969 161 E: dpeter@picknowl.com.au

Written by Adelaide teacher Margaret Just. Read the story online and also discover many activities for Book Week and a competition for students to enter. www.whengrandpasang.com or E: whengrandpasang@gmail.com

Cape Tribulation Far North Queensland Gorgeous hilltop B&B surr. by rainforest, 5mins to beach. Ensuite double & fam rms from $80/dble (with AEU member discount). T: (07) 4098 9039 E: www.rainforestbb.com

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Credit Union SA Ltd • ABN 36 087 651 232 • AFSL/ACL 241066 • ph 8202 7777