Volume 47 - No. 7 by Australian Education Union (SA Branch)

Vol 47 I No.7

Official publication of the Australian Education Union (SA Branch)

November 2015

AEUJOURNAL SA

Rally!

Members call on the Department to start listening.

INSIDE:

u School

Autonomy: itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the same as teacher autonomy

u Gonski

Week: communities take action

One STAFF, One UNION!

ci a l n a n i F 5 1 0 W e ll b e i n g 2 EB 2015 EB 5 1 0 2 EB Are you a member of the union that fights for your wages, conditions and a strong public education?

JOIN THE AEU AND HAVE A SAY IN THE FUTURE OF YOUR PROFESSION!

Call our membership section on 8272 1399 or join online: : www.aeusa.asn.au/join.html

Su pe r SA & AEU

DAY December 15thth 10a m–3pm

When: Tuesday 15 December 2015 | 10 am – 3 pm Where: AEU, 163 Greenhill Road, Parkside Who: DECD Employees

Visit www.supersa.sa.gov.au to book your spot! Speak to representatives from: > > > >

Super SA Australian Education Union (AEU) Industry Fund Services Public Trustee

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Centrelink Maxxia Teacher’s Health Fund ME Bank

FEATURES PRESIDENT’S VIEW

AEU UNION JOURNAL TRAINING

Australian Education Union | SA Branch 163 Greenhill Road, Parkside SA 5063 Telephone: 8272 1399

School Autonomy pages 8 – 9 Trevor Cobbold explains that school autonomy and teacher autonomy are not the same thing.

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. Subscriptions: Free for AEU members. Nonmembers may subscribe for $33 per year. Print Post approved PP 531629/0025 ISSN 1440-2971

Rally!

Cover: Craig Greer Illustration: Simon Kneebone

Members call on the Department to start listening.

INSIDE:

u School

Autonomy: it’s not the same as teacher autonomy.

Printing: Lane Print

u Gonski

Week: communities take action

Rally: EB 2015

Gonski Week

pages 12 – 15 AEU members took strong action at the office of DECD to protest out-of-control workloads on October 23.

pages 18 – 19 Communities take action.

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

8272 1399 journal@aeusa.asn.au

LE TT E RS TO TH E E DITO R

Dear Editor, I wish to express my deep concern about and opposition to defence programmes in schools. I am a retired teacher and a full-time carer for three of my grandchildren. In May this year I returned from attending as an NGO delegate to an International Peace and Disarmament Conference held at the International Peace Palace in Den Haag. Over a 10-day period we met with women from the wartorn countries of Africa, the Middle East and other countries of the world experiencing horrendous human rights abuses. Women from Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Palestine, and Congo, in particular, were living through unbelievable misery and destruction and to a lesser extent, in African countries which were trying to recover from decades of warfare. Two days after I returned, at The Heights school Governing Council meeting, I learnt about the implications of this school being the first defence school in SA. The programme for years 8 – 12

would follow a defence pathway with what the Principal has described as three waves of students being involved at different levels. The first wave would be the Ignite students who would specialise in weapons research and design while the second wave could follow programmes leading to military careers. The third wave would be exempt – these are students with special needs. Overseeing this is a defence programme co-ordinator, and defence industries ‘partnerships’ would provide “mentors” to the STEM students with a special SISTA programme to encourage more girls into defence industries. This type of recruiting in schools of vulnerable young people should be condemned. It provides a very narrow education focus, which leaves students with limited options. It ignores other students’ talents as well as restricting career opportunities for students not interested in Defence. Like Aberfoyle Park HS, where arms manufacturer Raytheon was involved in their Ignite program for three years,

parents of students at The Heights have not been involved or informed. Why has there been such secrecy in what is involved and the implications of these agreements? If parents and teachers heard the stories of the women at Den Haag, absolutely distraught at seeing their children and families blown up or tortured in front of them, I have little doubt they would be calling for the cessation of this program, which essentially means the school is a partner organisation to the military waging war and destruction. I think they would be encouraging peace studies and conflict resolution. Education should provide opportunities for students to gain a broader understanding of a range of topics, and skills that lead to real choices and a variety of career paths. We need to have more education in sustainable development and environmental sciences if our children and grandchildren are going to have a future.

Yours sincerely, Dr Beverley Hall 3

THE VOICE OF THE PROFESSION!

???????? CONT.

PRESIDENT’S VIEW

Rally round the flag AEU President David Smith writes What an honest display of our members’ resolve and frustration we saw at the AEU rally outside the DECD building on Friday afternoon, 23rd October. The theme was obvious. The Departmental negotiators are not heeding the repeated calls of the membership about their excessive, unsustainable and unreasonable workload, and the undeniable impact that has on the education of the children of this State. The intensity among the several hundred there was palpable and the noise was enough to be heard high up in the big building. The three members who addressed the rally, Trish Gilbert, Anne Willis and Stephen Measday, were wonderful in articulating the impact of the workload in their various workplaces and roles. Have we been heard? That remains to be seen, but we can hope that the message is sinking in. What we do know is that the power of persuasion rests with the willing and the active, and there is something very persuasive in a large group of like-minded people coming together in a unifying cause. That was what we demonstrated that Friday afternoon, and the negotiators are well aware of the feeling of the membership on the central issues of this school and preschool Enterprise Agreement. They must now show that they are indeed listening. And what if they’re not? Those at the rally roundly endorsed the resolutions put to them, and were especially enthusiastic about the one giving notice that we are prepared to take further action if necessary. We are a proud and responsible workforce. Over the years we have taken relatively little industrial action which disrupts the work in schools and preschools. However, when we have felt that the issue is valid and important enough, that’s what we have done. Among all the important elements of the AEU’s position in this round of EB

“... the power of persuasion rests with the willing and the active.”

negotiations, there is one which has not gained much attention, but it should. That is the issue of redundancies. It hasn’t cropped up in the past because the State Government had a policy of No Forced Redundancies in the public service. The Government has now withdrawn that policy. Our current Enterprise Agreement provides protection from forced redundancies, but the DECD negotiators have signalled that such protection will not be part of the forthcoming agreement. We oppose that. It is unacceptable that the Department will be able to sack teachers, principals, leaders, SSOs, ECWs and AEWs. In our negotiations we are demanding protection of job security in a number of ways, very important among which is an increase in the level of permanent employment. That has been the AEU position for many years and will remain so.

This is my last Journal column as your President. After a long time in schools and a few years in AEU Principal Officer positions, I am retiring. My active membership began in 1965 as an office holder in the Adelaide Teachers College section of SAIT known as the Trainee Teachers’ Association. That was followed by work in the Port Augusta– Quorn Teachers’ Association and on through various sub-branches and Area Councils to membership of the AEU Executive from the 1990s until now. It has been immensely rewarding and at times both frustrating and exciting, and I have met many wonderful students, supportive community members and committed educators and activists on the way. My belief in a fair and just public education system remains wholly intact as does my deep commitment to this Union and its purposes.

Also, let us not overlook the fact that there is another Enterprise Agreement currently being negotiated by the AEU, and that is for our members in TAFE. What acute stress that institution has been under these past few years! In the new Agreement we will continue to strive for the continued life and success of that great public provider of further education. For the sake of a future skilled workforce and a robust State economy, we must do so.

I am convinced that Howard Spreadbury, Jan Murphy, Dash Taylor Johnson and Jack Major are made of the right stuff to continue ensuring the progress of a vital public education system through the strength of this union. I know they will continue to be supported by the AEU staff and the broader membership. My very best wishes to all. n In solidarity, David Smith 5

SCHOOL CHOICE

Charter schools would make our system worse Honorary Senior Fellow, Melbourne Graduate School of Education at University of Melbourne, Dean Ashenden writes … 7 The US School Choice lobby is highly

organised but they’re on the wrong bus.

report released on August 31 by the Centre for Independent Studies says Australia should establish charter schools. Charter schools are publicly funded but privately operated schools that operate within the terms of a contract or “charter” which reduces what is seen as stifling public sector regulation. In fact, the report goes one step further in proposing Australia adopt for-profit charter schools.

Does Australia need charter schools? The first charters appeared in the US in the early 1990s. They have since spread to England, Sweden, Chile and, most recently, New Zealand. So why not here? The Centre for Independent Studies’ answer to the question is well researched, comprehensive and seriously misdirected. The report starts with the widely recognised fact that both international and local standardised testing shows Australian schools making little or no headway on improving performance or reducing inequality. It argues that char6

“…feeding yet more choice and competition into a system that has such distorted forms of both can only compound our problems.” ters might help, in two ways. First, charters might take over failing schools in which disadvantaged students are concentrated, and succeed where other approaches have not. And perhaps they would. A closer look at these socalled “conversion” charters is needed. Second, the report also wants “start-up” charters: schools established from scratch to compete with existing schools. These new entrants, the report argues, might not only boost performance but bring choice to parents who can’t afford fees or who do not want religion-based schooling for their children. Freed from the usual curriculum and staffing requirements, they would also encourage innovation.

Even in the US, where charters first appeared and have grown to around 6% of enrolments, gains have been limited, as the report is careful to acknowledge. In the crucially different Australian setting, it is likely that any improvement that might flow from “conversion” charters would be more than offset by the effects of start-ups. Most US studies suggest that many charters there are no better than the schools they compete with or replace, some are worse and some “outperform”. Their record in innovation is similarly mixed. Some do use their freedom from the usual rules and regulations to innovate, but most pitch to parents in the same way as Australia’s independent schools. They sell on “traditional” values, curriculum, teaching methods and discipline. As the report candidly concedes, there is little evidence to suggest that for-profit charters do better than the not-for-profits.

Australia is a different ball game These very equivocal findings provide a less-than-robust platform from which to launch a new kind of school into a system that already has many, but that is not the only problem. The big difficulty is that Australia in 2015 is crucially different from the US in the early 1990s. Schools in Australia in 2015 are very different to ones in the US in the 1990s. The US charters brought choice and competition to a system that had neither. They were an anti-public-schoolmonopoly measure. The new US charters were not permitted to charge fees, or to discriminate on academic, racial, family income or any other grounds. Unlike the US, Australia already has continued over page 3

VICE PRESIDENTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S REPORT a range of ways of organising, funding and running schools. It also has extensive experience of choice and competition, which, in our unique scheme of things, has been a disaster. The fundamental structural problem is inadvertently uncovered by the report in the course of making out its case that Australian charter schools should be funded to the same level as mainstream public schools, and should be obliged to take all comers. The obvious question arising: if a level playing field is a good thing within the public sector, why not in the system as a whole? Around one third of Australian schools are not only permitted to charge fees, but fees up to double the amount spent on the average public school student. They are able to select on academic grounds as well as according to capacity to pay. This is not just a problem of nongovernment schools, as is so often supposed. Government systems have joined in via academically selective schools and programs that are in practice socially and ethnically selective as well. These unique arrangements have set in motion a vicious circle, in which the advantaged choose to go where the advantaged go, leaving behind schools in which the disadvantaged increasingly cluster with the disadvantaged. As Gonski pointed out, the substrate of educational inequality in Australia is high and rising social segregation in schooling, and his funding recommendations tackled this structural problem at one of its sources. There is a case for what might be called deregulation of Australian schools, particularly to permit better ways of staffing and organising educational work, as the charter idea suggests. But feeding yet more choice and competition into a system that has such distorted forms of both can only compound our problems. It is a shame that the report did not choose to examine the case for competitive neutrality, for a genuinely level funding and regulatory playing field, as the basis of a more equal and productive Australian school system rather than propose what amounts to the further Balkanisation of an already dysfunctional system. n Originally published at The Conversation, 31 August 2015

To be a highly accomplished or lead teacher AEU Vice President Howard Spreadbury reports

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers have established the benchmark for teachers who demonstrate that their professional practice is of a high standard or are able to lead colleagues in enhancing curriculum implementation whilst maintaining their position as a classroom practitioner. The four career stages as outlined in the standards are Graduate, Proficient, Highly Accomplished and Lead. Across Australia, branches of the AEU have been exploring the capacity to create new classifications which relate to the upper levels of the standards at the positions of Highly Accomplished Teacher and Lead Teacher with appropriate remuneration as recognition of the expertise of outstanding classroom teachers. In the South Australian Enterprise Agreement of 2012, provision was made for the establishment of a trial involving a limited number of teachers over a two-year period. As part of the trial, teachers would undertake an assessment process against seven standards to achieve certification at the level of Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher. Approximately sixty teachers were selected to participate in the trial early in 2014, forty at Highly Accomplished and twenty at Lead Teacher levels. Participants were identified from a range of primary and secondary schools, as well as Aboriginal schools and preschools, through a selection process conducted by panels representative of DECD and the AEU. Involvement in the trial provided opportunities for teachers to engage in an ongoing program of professional learning which facilitated much discussion of site-based experiences.

Back at the school or preschool, teachers embarked upon a range of professional engagement activities with colleagues which would also assist in the preparation of portfolios as the basis for assessment during the second year of the trial. Many participants have already achieved certification against the professional standards with the cost of that process being met by DECD as part of the trial. At the commencement of the trial, agreement was reached between DECD and the AEU that despite the two-year period extending into early 2016, this would not preclude negotiation of potential classifications at Highly Accomplished Teacher and Lead Teacher in the enterprise bargaining negotiations of 2015 for inclusion in a new Enterprise Agreement. Negotiation on these positions has been slow and at the time of this AEU Journal going to print, agreement on the detail and salary levels for such classifications is yet to be reached. Members who have participated in the trial will attest to the value of the process for them personally and professionally, despite the heavy commitment of time and energy in working towards the process of achieving certification. Site leaders also speak highly of the professional support these teachers have provided to their colleagues and welcome the potential to have highly skilled classroom practitioners recognised in the longer term. In addition to the AST 2 process which continues to provide a pathway for classroom teachers, the AEU is hopeful that agreement will be reached with the employer on the creation of new classifications of Highly Accomplished Teacher and Lead Teacher, which will open the way for others to achieve recognition and appropriate remuneration for excellent classroom practice and collegial engagement in schools and preschools. n 7

COMMENT

School autonomy is not the same as teacher autonomy Save Our Schools Convenor Trevor Cobbold clears up a creeping misconception

n the debate over school autonomy, what frequently gets lost is that school autonomy is different from teacher autonomy and that it is teacher autonomy that is the more important factor for classroom learning. Teacher autonomy means collective professional autonomy. The distinction between school autonomy and teacher autonomy was recently emphasised by Pasi Sahlberg, visiting fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, who was previously Director-General of Finland’s Ministry of Education. In a recent article in the US edition of The Conversation he compares the experience of Finland and US teachers. Sahlberg says that US teachers are much more restricted in what they can do compared to Finnish teachers. For example, they face very different working conditions. “First, teachers in the US work longer hours (45 hours/week) than their peers in Finland (32 hours/week). They also

“School autonomy is about the freedom of the school management to operate without due regard for the community or for local democratic control.” teach more weekly, 27 hours compared to 21 hours in Finland. This means that American teachers, on average, have much less time to do anything beyond their teaching duties (whether alone or with colleagues) than teachers in most other OECD countries. Second, over half of American middle school teachers report that they never teach jointly with other teachers in the same classroom, compared to about one-third of teachers in Finland. And 42% of US teachers report never engaging in joint projects across classes or

age groups. In Finland, 23% of teachers lack that experience.” Sahlberg says that having freedom to teach alone by being the only teacher in the classroom doesn’t provide teachers with professional autonomy. He says that teachers in Finland see themselves as professionals akin to doctors, architects, etc and this means that they use their professional judgment, creativity and autonomy individually and together with other teachers to find the best ways to help their students to learn. In Finland, teachers design their own school curricula guided by a flexible national framework. Finnish teachers can teach and assess their students in schools as they think is most appropriate. They are not restricted by the need to succeed on high-stakes standardised tests as in the US. “In the US, I have seen teachers drilling students for standardised tests to make the mark. Teachers tell me that continued over page 3

AEU INFORMATION UNIT they have no choice but to do that because the test results are part of their performance evaluations.” Sahlberg says that visitors to classrooms in Finland are struck by the degree of professional autonomy: “A common takeaway was that Finnish teachers seem to have much more professional autonomy than teachers in the United States to help students to learn and feel well.” He says that the keyword between teachers and authorities in Finland is trust: “Indeed, professional autonomy requires trust, and trust makes teacher autonomy come alive.”

Sahlberg cites the warning by wellknown teacher educator, Professor Andy Hargreaves, about unintended consequences of greater school autonomy. School autonomy is about the freedom of the school management to operate without due regard for the community or for local democratic control. It is not necessarily about teacher autonomy. Indeed, he says, school autonomy often leads to lessening of teacher professionalism and autonomy. Sahlberg concludes: “I don’t think that the primary problem in American education is the lack of teacher quality, or that part of the solution would be to find the best and the brightest to become teachers. The quality of an education system can exceed the quality of its teachers if teaching is seen as a team sport, not as an individual race.

It is a lesson that Australia could learn as well.

“I’ve been directed away from the workplace.” “I’ve received a letter from the Incident Management Division advising me that I am under investigation.” “I’ve received a notice that I am to be suspended from duty.” Many calls come in to the AEU relating to the above scenarios. Members are distressed, anxious and sometimes bewildered as to what it is they have done wrong. Often they are not going to know until they are interviewed by a DECD Investigations Officer. Any investigation into a member’s behaviour will take a lengthy amount of time and can have a devastating effect on their wellbeing, their relationships and their career. Sometimes a person will be allowed to stay at their school, but more often people are suspended until the investigation has concluded and a determination made by the Chief Executive as to whether a disciplinary sanction (under section 26 of the Education Act, 1972) will be imposed.

I know I have said this before but I will say it again … Times have changed, and certainly since the findings of the Debelle Royal Commission. More alleged breaches of the Code of Ethics and/or the Protective Practices for staff in their interactions with children and young people are being investigated by the Department’s Incident Management Division. The Chief Executive has often said that one of his main roles is to restore public confidence in the public education system. Members need to read the Code of Ethics and the Protective Practices documents, not just be aware that they exist as any breach of these documents could give rise to disciplinary action under section 26 of the Education Act, 1972. Members need to be mindful of what can constitute a breach of the Code of Ethics, For example:

• Engaging in employment outside of DECD, even if you are a parttime teacher, without prior consent of the Chief Executive • Accessing information without proper authorisation as well as disclosing information without proper authorisation • Engaging in unauthorised ‘public comment’. This has now been expanded to specifically cover comments critical of the employer on social media. Members will need to be vigilant that they not engage in social media comment (even in offduty activities) which could be regarded as making comment which could be regarded as “bringing the Department into disrepute” thereby being a breach of the Code of Ethics. • Not having students or immediate former students as friends on facebook. The same can be said of the Protective Practices. Members need to be conscious of what could be regarded as examples of ‘professional boundary violations’ in their dealings with young people both on and off duty. Pages 8 and 9 of this document are extremely useful to read. For example under ‘Role’ on page 9, not even this writer knew that it was a boundary violation to photograph students using personal rather than school equipment for approved activities, unless authorised by the site leader to do so. As I have often said since the Debelle Royal Commission, we are living in an environment where the Department is extra vigilant in investigating breaches of these two documents and where DECD officers involved in the investigations are former Police officers with particular skills in investigation techniques. n For further information on these issues please contact the AEU Information Unit – see details right 3 9

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And this is perhaps the most powerful lesson the US can learn from betterperforming education systems: teachers need greater collective professional autonomy and more support to work with one another. In other words, more freedom from bureaucracy, but less from one another.

AEU Legal & Information Officer Anne Walker explains some members’ issues

AEU Information Unit | Weekdays | 10:30am – 5pm |

Sahlberg says that teacher autonomy should not be confused with school autonomy. He observes that there is little evidence that school autonomy increases student results. In contrast, he notes, the OECD has concluded that greater autonomy in decisions related to curriculum and assessment – in other words, teacher professional autonomy – tends to be associated with better student performance.

Questions from the Workplace

COMMENT spokesperson the Director for Improvement in High Stakes Testing told the AEU Journal that the knock-on effects have been remarkable. “There have been some amazing efficiencies achieved now that we don’t need to hire teachers, or any human labour in fact, to assess how kids are going in school. The consistently perfect circles are easily read by our expensive computer scanners,” said the Director. The new policy requires teachers to place limits on what they can do outside of school.

Department says higher workloads are helping kids improve New AEU Journal columnist Professor Nigel Noplan writes …

spokesperson for the Department of Education and Child Development and Families and Distant Relatives has told the media that teachers working harder and longer hours has improved learning outcomes in schools. “Our kids are doing so much better now that teachers are falling asleep in class,” said the newly appointed Director of Improvement in High Stakes Testing and Conformity. “Previously we’ve seen kids constantly interrupted by teachers who insist on things like open-ended questions, inquiry learning and other new age, lefty teaching techniques,” she said. “We’ve been doing our best to encourage teachers away from engaging 10

“There have been some amazing efficiencies achieved now that we don’t need to hire teachers, or any human labour in fact, to assess how kids are going …” with kids at the expense of time preparing for various tests, which require weeks of practice. The students say they really appreciate the time they now get to focus on the often difficult task of drawing circles without touching the letters inside.” In the absence of a data collection

“For example, it’s our view that teacher and leader performance improves when they have less time for things like eating out, reading to their kids and spending time in unnecessary conversation with their partners. The results so far clearly show that staff who are worn out the next day from hours of preparation the night before are interrupting kids less during the school day. It’s a win/win,” she said. One teacher we accidentally woke during midday siesta said she doesn’t seem to think her Principal has been properly informed of the new strategy. “She’s always coming into the class to see how the students are going,” she said. “It causes quite a commotion and unsettles the kids. Not to mention the effect it has on my sleep.” “And to make matters worse, the canteen orders always seem to arrive just as I’ve nodded off. How can I mark work, prepare lessons and concentrate on blocking out annoying family members at night when I’m short on sleep?” she asked. When asked if she thought parents were happy with the results schools were achieving since staff workloads increased, the Director was circumspect. “We haven’t surveyed parents yet so it’s hard to be sure,” she said. “But we have been making sure teachers are always available to discuss child progress with parents; we can’t afford to return to a time when it was a parent teacher interview a few times a year and a term by term report. Parents now have teachers’ email addresses and mobile phone numbers to ensure they have constant access. The workload increase is good for everyone,” she n concluded.

TAFE EB RALLY FOCUS

Regional TAFE struggling under reform pressure People in disadvantaged regional areas are being let down by TAFE while educators are set up to compete with each other for jobs.

“TAFE is no longer seen as a positive place in regional areas because it is not fulfilling community needs.” seems to be that lecturers are being squeezed more and more to churn out “profitable” students, whereas courses that may actually cost TAFE money aren’t valued. This view was backed up by another member working in a regional setting who said: “TAFE is no longer seen as a positive place in regional areas because it is not fulfilling community needs. It’s always about counting the hours and the courses that are valued seem to be up to the Program Director’s discretion,” he said. “Productivity just seems to be equated with time spent teaching versus income and that’s it – there’s little consideration of what is good for an individual or a community in the long term,” he added. The funding cuts in TAFE are no secret, they have been consistent for a number of years, resulting in course and campus

closures, along with staff redundancies. The AEU said from the outset that Skills for All and TAFE’s entry into the so-called “competitive funding market” would be disastrous. While the State Government have finally recognised this, much to the chagrin of for-profit private providers who are the real beneficiaries of VET reform, the new Work Ready regime isn’t going to bring back those lost jobs and courses, or for that matter, public confidence in TAFE. Country regions in particular rely on a strong and effective public VET provider but staff working at the coal face say it’s a dog eat dog situation out there – people are having to compete with their own colleagues for funding.

TAFE

hat’s the view of a number of AEU members living and working in regional TAFE campuses, none of whom wanted to be identified for fear of recriminations. Such is the fear TAFE staff carry with them on a daily basis. According to one member, “speaking out doesn’t help pay the bills.” Such concerns seem warranted given TAFE’s slash and burn approach to reform, with hundreds of staff being axed across the system in recent times. One member told the AEU Journal that despite running a successful program which produced good outcomes for disadvantaged members of the community over a number of years, government cuts and poor management decisions had led to its demise. Again, the member asked for the details to be kept anonymous but the AEU Journal can confirm the course in question has been discontinued while other courses with larger enrolments continue because there is a perception they are more “productive”, where productivity equals hours of lecturer teaching time versus generated income for TAFE. It’s an equation that seems to be prioritised over community need, according to one AEU member. “It seems to be all about direct vocational outcomes and other important programs are canned if we can’t get a certain number of students, even if there is an urgent need in the community.” “Foundation Skills, for example, are part of what is needed to be work ready. But these programs are under funding scrutiny. These courses give students a place to belong where they can feel confident. Many see institutions as something to be feared. They provide socialisation, a different world-view, life changing experiences, friendships, connections to community, especially for women.” The general consensus across TAFE

“We are fighting each other for a job and also for a program. There is an undercurrent. We are in competition with each other as workers. We don’t have any job security or any sense of continuity. Social structure is very important for educators and to the wellbeing of the campus. It has broken down completely. We are fractured. The atmosphere becomes poisonous as we have to fight for positions after many years of working together,” said one TAFE member. n 11

COVER STORY: ENTERPRISE BARGAINING

1 AEU President David Smith tells the crowd gathered that it’s time DECD started listening.

1 A strong message at the protest was the need for proper funding to ensure all kids get access to the best possible public education.

It’s time DECD listened to the profession! Around 300 AEU members rallied outside DECD on Friday 23 October to protest the Department’s instransigence in enterprise bargaining negotiations.

1 Trish Gilbert, Teacher, Northfield PS and Anne Willis, Director, Kathleen Mellor Preschool. 12

t’s been six months since enterprise bargaining (EB) negotiations between AEU and the Department of Education and Child Development began back in early May. While AEU negotiators have made progress in some areas, the key issue of workload has been all but ignored by the Department who say there is no evidence of a workload problem. AEU members have provided a range of different data and examples of high workload during the EB period but continued over page 3

1 Strong messages for DECD bureaucrats who have continued to close their ears to our evidence on workload. They say there are no workload grievances so there can’t be a workload issue.

COVER STORY: ENTERPRISE BARGAINING

1 In the 2010 Arbitration the AEU presented evidence to the Industrial Relations Commission that showed teachers and leaders in most classifications were working upwards of 50 hours per week. DECD haven’t been listening. On Friday night, October 23, they had no choice when a cacophony of noise was unleashed by AEU members at DECD’s Flinders Street headquarters . Opening the rally, AEU SA Branch President David Smith gave some background on the origins of the dispute and made it clear that the AEU is the voice of the profession. “Without trying to be offensive to any of us present, we have a few thousand years of experience between us in the education of children in this State.

Why won’t they (DECD) listen to us? One of the reasons is almost nobody sitting on the other side of the table is an educator. And as they say in Japan – a fish begins rotting at the head,” he said. Northfield Primary School teacher and AEU Branch Executive member Trish Gilbert said that despite working in a Category 2 site, she and her colleagues are consistently under pressure due to lack of resources. “On average we have ten students in each class with English as a second lan-

1 Many preschool and school leaders tell us their roles have morphed into that of an administrator or manager, rather than an education leader.

1 Our members tell us that large class sizes contribute to extra workload and poorer outcomes. guage, up to three Aboriginal students and three with an identified disability. We have a professional and moral obligation to facilitate the learning for these children … but we have less and less resources. We spend too much time ‘managing’ students and not enough time teaching,” she said. Kathleen Mellor Preschool Director Anne Willis told members that she worries South Australia is no longer at the forefront of early years education. She puts this down to an out of control continued over page 3

1 Burnt out educators = poor results for students. 13 13

COVER STORY: ENTERPRISE BARGAINING The passionate speeches from all speakers received a rousing response from members at the protest. But it didn’t end there. The loudest noise was left for the passing of resolutions aimed at progressing the negotiations toward an agreement. n

workload. “We’ve got people who are so overworked and under-resourced they cannot do their job properly. I would love to be able to spend more time planning and programming the lessons I give to children, because I have a full teaching load; I don’t have admin time away from the children.” Anne said she and many other preschool directors aren’t resourced to have time off the floor to manage their site. “If there are children in attendance, I’m on the floor with them. On top of that I have the phone to answer, parents coming in wanting to enrol their children or ask questions, I’ve got parents coming in who are upset about something that happened earlier in the morning and they want to talk to me. I struggle to do my job properly because I am constantly under pressure and nothing is being done to fix it,” Anne said. “I embrace change where it is good but some initiatives, like Same First Day start for preschool kids, have been a disaster,” she added. Chair of the AEU’s Principals Consultative Committee Stephen Measday spoke passionately about the purpose of public education, which he says has been lost on those who make decisions at Flinders Street. “It really is a sad thing that we need to come out on this Friday afternoon to remind the Department of what its responsibilities are,” said Measday.

“We have an employer that cares more about consistency, more about its data, more about risk management, and more about conformity, than it cares about the kids in our classrooms,” he said. “The problem is the Department no longer speaks the same language that we speak. As a profession we know that compliance is the enemy of learning and we expect every day the kids in our classroom to take risks with their learning … every day we ask our kids to do their best, that is our professional responsibility. And you don’t hear the word “profession” used by DECD very often, do you?”

1 AEU Vice President Howard Spreadbury MC’d the protest.

1 The sound of hands clapping penetrated the DECD building as members did their best to get the Department’s attention

tro

1. That this rally of AEU members demands: a. That the employer genuinely listens to the demonstrable concerns of education workers; b. That in the offer for the new Enterprise Agreement, the employer acknowledges that the workload of education workers is excessive, unreasonable and unsustainable, and is adversely affecting the education of South Australian

>2015 –

Resolutions passed at the October 23 protest

EB >

ONE STAFF ONE UNION! nger Toge

students; c. That the employer provides, before the AEU Branch Council meeting of 7 November 2015, solutions which genuinely address the workload concerns. 2. Further, this rally of AEU members gives notice that if the employer fails to address our legitimate concerns, we authorise the AEU to investigate options for further action. n

COVER STORY: ENTERPRISE BARGAINING

Members talk about their workload concerns The AEU Journal didn’t have to look far at our October 23 rally to find members who were fired up about the increasing workload demands on teaching staff. Here’s what some had to say ...

LAINE COLEMAN Fulham North PS “The collection of data and the time that we devote to the analysis of data, too much attention is paid to that. Collecting data and testing is not teaching and it’s all time taken away from the act of teaching and it seems lately that with every new “initiative” they add on they’re not letting go of anything else. I don’t understand this. It’s often layer upon layer – administering the tests, prepping the kids, and the storage of the data, and we’re expected to analyse it ad infinitum. I don’t think those tests tell me anything I didn’t already know about my students.” n

GLENN PARTINGTON Woodville HS “The administration workload is crippling. The constant new initiatives and the accountability rather than resourcing. It’s not directly a workload issue but an example of the divisiveness of some of the Department’s policies is the underfunding of things like staff leave. I’m in administration and schools are only funded for around six days leave per year yet staff are entitled to 10 days sick leave and special leave on top of that. Ultimately the leave comes out of our budget and that impacts on resourc-

ing teaching and learning. A division is created between leadership and staff if leave isn’t approved.” n

RENEE DAISH Blackwood HS “I knew that coming out of university the teaching load would be high, especially in my first couple of years. But I had no expectation that there would be all this extra work on top of teaching. Data collection is important to some degree but it needs to be used properly and we need to have time to carry out those tasks. You can’t perform properly as a teacher when you are spending so much time on non-teaching tasks.” n

MARYANNE RUDD Hallett Cove School “I’ve got 32 students in my Year 7 class and about 15 of them have significant learning difficulties. This year has been about accessing as much assistance and help to make the curriculum accessible to those students. There’s not much time left outside of work hours for me to have a life – it seems the Department isn’t prepared to put in the resources to support these kids, so it’s up to me to make all the sacrifices. I’m in my sixth year of teaching. I knew it

was going to be challenging and I was up for the challenge but I’m feeling disillusioned. I came from another profession and I’ve never known another role where there is so much expected of staff – it seems the onus is constantly on teachers to cover the funding gaps.” n

NINA MLYNOWSKYJ Aberfoyle Park HS “Teaching workloads are very demanding and often onerous. On top of normal contact time in the classroom, teachers are also grappling with endless marking and student feedback, not to mention meetings, parent and student emails and phone contact, T&D responsibilities, and finally administrative duties such as maintaining curriculum information and publishing results on DayMap. I have worked out that, as a Senior English teacher, I will have marked approximately 1720 papers during the course of the past three terms. The majority of this marking has to be done on weekends, since the working week at school is far too busy; but I also have to mark for a number of hours every night, otherwise the work piles up even further. Clearly there is a serious workload issue demonstrated here and neither I, nor my colleagues, are “mismanaging” our time as has been suggested. Furthermore, this unsustainable workload is eating into our family and personal lives, leaving us with little hope of achieving work-life balance.” n 15 15

WORK HEALTH & SAFETY

Psychological Health Surveys a WHS Catch 22 AEU Work Health and Safety Organiser Jill Cavanough discusses…

n line with its increased compliance focus, and supported by some modest additional funding, DECD last year required that the “Business Manager” WHS scheduling tool be up-to-date by the end of June this year. This means that all DECD sites are required to be able to demonstrate that they have undertaken the Department’s Psychological Health Survey as one of the elements of Business Manager, and most have either done or are still doing it. DECD pays out $14 million plus annually for psychological injury claims; this clearly represents a lot of members in distress. It is also money that could be spent so much more positively if the employer controlled identified hazards and workers were not injured in the first place. This principle of identifying and then controlling hazards is what underlies every aspect of WHS – it’s about prevention being better than a cure. And looking from the glass half full per-

“Hopefully, the survey has resulted in some healthy discussion around what it has revealed and a collective identification of ways to reduce the risks.”

about individual “counselling” discussions resulting from individuals’ responses. What if I am in a very small workplace? We know of one reported case where a staff member was asked: “If you don’t like it here why don’t you leave?”

spective, the Psychological Health Survey could be seen as a means of identifying and then controlling risk. But it’s not that simple.

Saving Money

Members ask questions In many sites the previously optional survey is now compulsory for the first time, and as a result, a range of questions have been raised by members with the AEU. Do I have to do it? What if it’s not confidential? What’s the point if it won’t make any difference? What

This is taking place in a context where psychological wellbeing and injury has become an even more politically charged battleground. The government’s response to the cost factor (across all industry) has been to change the workers’ compensation legislation to make it harder to have a “stress” claim accepted. While not specifically aimed at government employees, this SA law change will have the “convenient” effect of demonstrating that workplaces such as schools and continued over page 3

VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT preschools are safer, when it’s just the goal posts having moved! And of course, the claims that are accepted are really just the tip of the iceberg. People don’t like putting their hand up to identify psychological distress and as a result usually soldier on until it can’t be ignored any longer.

So while DECD negotiators are on the one hand arguing that the known hazard of overwork is not taking place, at the same time, for “compliance” purposes, members in sites have had to report their views on whether they have, for example, psychologically healthy workplaces and supportive leadership!

Impact on leaders

The survey originally included a whole section where the actions of the Department as a whole (that is the employing body) could be commented on by all in sites, including principals and directors. That leaders have now been removed speaks volumes about the Department’s efforts to transfer WHS duties as responsibilities that really can’t be transferred to site leaders because they are not Officers under the Act . Hopefully, the survey has resulted in some healthy discussion around what it has revealed and a collective identification of ways to reduce the risks. That’s what it is supposedly intended to achieve, but we are working in a Department where consultation and shared decisionmaking are becoming increasingly unfashionable. n

Members may recall an article in an earlier issue of this Journal about DECD’s ‘validation rules’ which aligned DECD levels of disability (A, D, I etc) with corresponding levels of adjustment under the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data for Students with Disability (NCCD). We, and our colleagues in the AEU federal office, were extremely concerned about the possible effect the rules may have on the accuracy of SA’s data. Members provided us with direct evidence of the impact of the distribution of the DECD rules on their school’s data and worked with us to bring about a great result. DECD recently distributed a communiqué to all school leaders stating that: • The validation rules are to be used only as guidelines • The judgment of educators is valued by DECD in the assigning of levels of adjustment • Schools are not required to change their data to meet the DECD rules. Importantly, it also asks that any schools where the data was adjusted to meet the DECD rules and is therefore not an accurate reflection of the additional needs of their students, are to contact DECD. A copy of the communiqué is available on the AEU website (see link right). It’s crucial that the data is a true representation of our students’ levels of need as it will inform future funding arrangements. SA students must get their fair share.

Do you require a DCSI clearance check?

It’s important that you lodge your application at least three months prior to the expiry of your current clearance. You should receive a notification from DECD six months prior to expiry – we advise that you apply then. We’ve been working with DCSI and DECD Officers to assist eligible members with the process of gaining exemption to continue working or maintaining their salary if unable to work and in having their applications escalated. A very small number of members continue to experience lengthy delays. If you have concerns about time being taken to

process your application or that you may not be able to work due to a delay, contact the AEU.

IMS restructure Members in the Instrumental Music Service (IMS) have undergone yet another review and now face the uncertainty of a restructure. These members provide wonderful opportunities for many students and for some, career pathways into the music industry. They encourage both participation and excellence, they build students’ skills in working independently and collaboratively as members of groups and help young people develop self-confidence. I’ve seen students given opportunities to shine that would not have been possible were it not for the IMS. The AEU made a submission to the review which made our position clear – that to provide an IMS which is accessible to all students on an equitable basis would require an increase in funding and expansion of the service. The IMS restructure being undertaken by DECD is being done without any increase in funding and is based on a Music Focus Schools model. Further information will be made available to all schools as phase 1 of the process unfolds.

DECD Central Office Restructure Almost 100 of your AEU member colleagues are currently employed in DECD central office. They have a broad range of educational experience and expertise and provide support for schools in curriculum, pedagogy, current research in teaching and learning, community liaison, Aboriginal, Special and International Education, HR and many other areas of student support, teaching and leadership. They are educators. The AEU firmly believes that all levels of our public education system need the voice and experience of educators. However, information provided to the AEU indicates that there will be a reduction in the number of educators in Flinders St. With input from members of the Flinders Street Subbranch, we’ve made a submission to DECD leadership regarding the restructure and continue to be involved in consultation and in ensuring members’ industrial entitlements are met. n 17 17

8: www.aeusa.asn.au>Issues>NCCD

Leaders are the meat in the sandwich here. When the psychological health survey was initially established, a senior executive would determine whether to implement change based at least in part on the psychological risk to school and preschool staff, including leaders.

AEU Vice President Jan Murphy reports ...

To download the DECD communiqué, follow this link

Currently, within the Enterprise Bargaining process, the AEU and DECD have reached an impasse over work intensification, as evidenced for example by the leadership workload impact of Partnerships and ever increasing reporting, and by the flow-on of this to all staff. Our evidence has been described as “anecdotal” by the employer (wearing its industrial relations hat), when under the WHS Act, every identified hazard, such as excessive workloads, must be taken seriously.

Data, DCSI, IMS and DECD restructure

RETI REMENT

GONSKI WEEK

50 plus years of service

State Government commits to direct allocation of Gonski funds

Burton Primary School Teacher Barb Kreft calls time on a long and rewarding career JOURNAL: What and where was your first appointment? BARB: My first appointment was a Year 3 class at Elizabeth East. In July of that year, the Principal came to me and he said “I’ve just had a fight with the Department, and the last one who signed on has to go to Brahma Lodge”. That was me. Luckily, I had my father’s car, so by that afternoon, in the space of an hour, I was at Brahma Lodge with a Year 2 class. JOURNAL: Why did you join the AEU? BARB: Initially, it was for security and safety, but I think the union is really important. It was good to know that if I got into trouble, there were people there who would help me out. I think I’ll be okay now. I’ve got 41 days left – not that I’m counting. JOURNAL: What positive changes have you seen for women in education, through the AEU? BARB: Equality. In the 60s, equal pay was coming in. It took 5 years to get it. That was big. JOURNAL: What advice would you give to someone considering becoming a teacher? BARB: Be really sure you want to do it. The number one thing is, this job is not 18

9 to 5. Even if you leave at the end of the day, your brain is going at 100 miles a minute. You’re always thinking “how could I have done that better; the child reacted that way, what could I have done better?” So my advice is make sure you’re fully committed, because it’s going to take over your life. You’ve got to be dedicated. JOURNAL: Why have you always worked in ‘disadvantaged’ schools? BARB: It sounds like a cliché, I feel that I’m making more of a difference to the whole child, not just the learning. We are here as their security and consistency that they might not be getting at home. JOURNAL: Over the course of your career, has there ever been anything that has made you reconsider being a teacher? BARB: No. I absolutely love teaching, but I hate all the other stuff that has nothing to do with kids. To the end I’ll be a hard worker, and I still love teaching, but all the other stuff clouds it. JOURNAL: What are you most looking forward to when you retire? BARB: (Laughing) Doing relief work! It’ll be challenging, but I’ll enjoy being able to do the teaching, and not have to do n all the other stuff.

Craig Greer reports …

he AEU has welcomed both the announcement by Minister for Education Susan Close that $31 million in extra Gonski funding will go direct to SA schools next year to improve results for students, and the State Government’s continued commitment to honouring the full six years of its Gonski agreement. AEU SA President David Smith said the funding would build on the good work that schools had done with the first two years of Gonski funding and allow more students to benefit. “This announcement is good news for our schools, particularly those that educate disadvantaged students,” Mr Smith said. “But we need the Turnbull Government to commit to delivering the full six years of Gonski funding if we want all South Australian schools to have the resources they need to give all students a quality education.”

AEU T&D PROGRAM 2015

COUNCIL DATES FOR 2015

EVENTS & COURSES

Branch Council Meetings

Term 4

Saturday, November 7

TAFE Divisional Council Meetings Friday, November 6

AEU Aboriginal Members Conference

Schools in South Australia are already seeing improved results for their students through more literacy and numeracy programs and extra one-on-one support for students as a result of the Gonski funding. Minister Close made the Gonski announcement at Glenelg Primary School’s Gonski Week assembly on Wednesday October 28. Ben, pictured above with daughter Sarah who attends the school, told the AEU Journal the roll out of the full six years of Gonski funding is critical to childrens’ futures. “In terms of removing generational disadvantage, Gonski is a really important program. Education is really the foundation and the key to giving children the opportunity to understand the world around them and to giving them the opportunity to contribute positively to society,” he said. Gonski Week events were held throughout the electorate of Hindmarsh where AEU member and community engagement with the campaign was high. Le Fevre High School Principal Rob Shepherd told staff at their Gonski morning tea, attended by Port Adelaide Federal MP Mark Butler, that the Gonski funds have allowed them to continue some of the great intervention programs run at the school. “We have a complex school and we’re a successful school because of the commitment of our great staff. You can’t run a school like this on the smell of an oily rag. The union has campaigned strongly for the Gonski funding and we as educators need to continue to have the conversation with people about why Gonski is so important. We have some great programs here that the Gonski funding has enabled us to maintain and we want them to continue.” n

Fri 20 Nov 9:15am – 3:30pm A one day conference for AEU SA Branch Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members on current educational issues of concern to our ATSI members. There will be a conference dinner on the evening before the conference. This conference is organised with the support of the AEU SA Branch Aboriginal Education Consultative Committee. Open to: AEUSA Branch Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members. Support: Relief, country travel & accommodation.

LGBTIQ Networking Function Fri 27 Nov 5:00pm – 7:00pm Join our AEU SA LGBTI Consultative Committee and staff for an opportunity to network with people from the industry. Light refreshments provided. Open to: AEU LGBTIQ members and allies.

Super SA Financial Wellbeing Day Tues 15 Dec 10:00am – 3:00pm A holiday ‘drop-in’ day on financial wellbeing. Meet with industrial professionals and get you finances fit – fast! Open to: Everyone! AEU Members and Non-members. See Ad on Page 2

AEU INFORMATION UNIT

Open Weekdays Do you have a question your union rep can’t answer? Don’t forget the Information Unit is open Monday – Friday

ATTENTION TEACHERS! Renewal of Teacher Registration Does your teacher registration expire in January 2015? If so you will need to lodge an application to renew your registration by 31 December 2015. To be registered as a teacher in South Australia you must apply to renew your registration by the due date. If you have not received an application to renew your registration by 30 November 2015, please contact the Teachers Registration Board at info@trb.sa.edu.au as non-receipt of an application to renew is not an acceptable reason for allowing your registration to expire.

Renewal of Teacher Registration is to be carried out online on the Teacher Registration portal of the TRB website: www.trb.sa.edu.au If your registration was due to expire you should have received an email from the TRB advising of this. If you have any questions about your registration, email the TRB at:

Email: info@trb.sa.edu.au

10.30am to 5.00pm For assistance call:

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

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email Phoebe Gunn at

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

To register go to

SSO: DID YOU KNOW?

INDIGENOUS

Your Pay Your Way! As members would be aware, SSOs who are permanent part-time and also on 12 month contracts won the right to spread their pay over the whole year starting last year. Many SSOs have made the choice to do this and have seen, for the first time, money in their bank accounts over the Christmas holidays! If you are on contract, you will need to fill in the VL515 again and send into DECD HR by Week 9 (December 7 – 11) so you can spread your pay in 2016. If you are a permanent part-time SSO and you want to continue to spread your pay you do not need to do anything, your pay will continue to be averaged over the year. However, if you want to exit this scheme, you must let DECD know so they can cancel this process and you will go back to being paid during the term times only. It is important that members know that their pay will be reduced every fortnight so that they can be paid over the whole year so before you opt into this scheme have a read of the DECD policy (HR34) to get all the information you need. n

First Aid Officer If you are the trained designated First Aid Officer make sure you fill in a VL613 so you can claim your fortnightly allowance. This allowance is discussed in the School Services Officers (Government Schools) Award Schedule 1. S1.3 states: “The employee will be paid a First Aid Allowance of $15.00 per week provided that the employee fulfils those duties on at least 3 days a week. Employees performing first aid duties for less than 3 days will be paid an allowance calculated at the rate of 41 cents per hour for each hour of part thereof. n

Wishing all our SSO members a Merry Chistmas and a safe and Happy NewYear 20

Pilibili brings the voice of children to TARNANTHI Twenty-two lucky students were given a rare opportunity to collaborate with Aboriginal artists during October

ilbili is a child-led collaboration between Carclew, Hampstead Primary School and the Art Gallery of South Australia. Twenty-two children from Hampstead Primary School have had the unique opportunity to learn about Ngarrindjeri culture and arts through Riverland: Yvonne Koolmatrie. Their thoughts and perspectives on the work have been translated to an audio tour for visitors to the exhibition. This tour is available on iPods at the Art Gallery’s information desk and is free to all visitors. TARNANTHI Artistic Director, Nici Cumpston, said “This is a wonderful opportunity to hear about the artist and her work from the perspective of children. An important aspect of Pilbili is the opportunity to learn and experience Ngarrindjeri culture first hand from the artist.” In the lead up to TARNANTHI, children were introduced to traditional culture and weaving practices with Ngarrindjeri Elders, including Major Sumner, in a series of workshops. They then interviewed Yvonne Koolmatrie about her work, gaining insights such as how the traditional and contemporary forms she makes have become highly-valued works of art collected by private and public galleries and museums all over the world. The children participated in a weaving workshop with Yvonne Koolmatrie where she shared her love of weaving and

explained the importance of continuing this important cultural tradition. Learning about Ngarrindjeri weaving has also provided the children with cultural awareness, as well as an introduction to the importance of the Riverland and the environmental and sustainable practices Ngarrindjeri have always undertaken to look after this vital resource. Students also engaged in a workshop with Art Gallery of South Australia volunteer guides, learning the basic principles of guiding people through an art exhibition. Sara Holmes, Arts teacher at Hampstead Primary School says it was a fantastic experience for the students. “It was great for the students to engage with various people from the Ngarrindjeri culture and gain an appreciation for their culture through visual art. The students were really proud to have their work put on display in a public environment. Each child was given a focus piece of art they had to learn about and working with the gallery guides they created some explanatory text, which they then had professionally recorded for the exhibition audio guide. It has resulted in some big leaps of confidence for a number of students and obvious improvements in writing,” said Sara. n Riverland: Yvonne Koolmatrie is on display at the Art Gallery of South Australia until 10 January 2016.

RUNNING HEAD WOMEN’S FOCUS

MEMBER PROFILE

Solidarity with Flinders Street!

Doing what needs to be done

The AEU Status of Women Consultative Committee shows its support

Jake Rogers tells us about his first year of teaching at Tumby Bay Area School

ne thing for sure is that we are all in this world of education together. Whether we work in a school, a TAFE, a preschool, an outreach program or in an Education Office we are all doing our bit and are all part of the Education Team in SA. We are all making a difference. There is so much change afoot within DECD and it is our comrades, our colleagues and our brothers and sisters that are feeling the brunt of that change. Many of those men and women are currently under enormous pressure and stress with the proposed restructure of Flinders Street and the Instrumental Music Service. Our fellow AEU members have no idea what will happen to them, where they will be placed and if they will even have a job at the end of all this. For some, this will mean significant change; they have worked in Flinders Street for a long time, dedicating themselves to education through curriculum support and development or consultation or HR services – doing all that they can to make DECD and student outcomes the best they can be. There can be no greater stress and worry in this economic climate and leading up to Christmas, than to have insecure work. All AEU members should spare a thought for our comrades who are currently swimming in a sea of uncertainty. Many of these people have dedicated many years of their career to be the “behind the scenes” professionals. They are the ones who have provided the support, direction and resources needed by those in schools to do what they do best. We need to send our support and our best wishes to our comrades not just because we should but because we care. n AEU Women’s Officer Tish Champion

JOURNAL: Why did you take up teaching? JAKE: I had some inspirational teachers and at some point it just clicked for me. I loved history at high school. My history teacher was passionate about the subject and she had a great attitude. She was always available to help us. She managed to find a way to make it engaging and bring out the best in students. JOURNAL: Why country teaching? JAKE: I moved here for personal reasons initially but I love the easiness of the area and being part of the community. I spent Term 1 relief teaching then was lucky enough to get a contract. JOURNAL: What inspires you in your role? JAKE: The children! They are why I get up in the morning. JOURNAL: What are the challenges in your job? JAKE: Well, the technology is a bit dodgy compared with city schools. Resources are limited but that makes you resilient. There’s a chance to learn new skills and demonstrate leadership by taking control of something and being responsible for it. Our school is R–12 with about 200 students and 20 staff. We take a whole of school approach and just get on with doing what needs to be done to move forward and develop as a school. Kids challenge the new teacher and in such a tight knit community it would be easy to be seen as an outsider. I got involved in sport and have made some valuable connections in the community that way. JOURNAL: What advice would you have for teachers just starting in a teaching role? JAKE: Use senior people as a resource even if it is just for something small. Connect with people. Continual commu-

1 Jake Rogers nication with parents is also really important. All of this helps to get kids in a good headspace so they can focus on their learning. JOURNAL: Why did you join the union and why is union membership important? JAKE: I wanted more information about my profession from a reliable source. The Professional Development courses are great too. It is good to know I have protection in case something goes wrong. The union provides leadership away from the school. Students benefit if things are working well at the top levels. n 21

The AEU Executive & Staff of the SA Branch wish all members

Merry Christmas and a Happy NewYear! Have a peaceful, relaxing and safe holiday. The AEU Office will close at 12 noon Thursday 24 December 2015 and will reopen on Monday 4 January 2016.

Have you recruited a new member lately? As we move forward with our enterprise agreement it’s important that we have strong membership in all public education workplaces. Do you have a colleague who is yet to join the union or is unsure of the benefits of union membership? If so, why not encourage them to join the union that protects and improves their wages and conditions? Membership packs can be obtained via your Sub-branch Secretary or send your colleague the link to the membership section of the AEU website.

8: www.aeusa.asn.au/join.html

Help us build strength in the union that supports public education workers in South Australia! n

NOTICEBOARD

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November Branch Council will set AEU subscription rates for 2016. Permanently employed members who pay by fortnightly direct debit will notice a change in their deduction in 2016 when we revert to the customary 26 pay fortnights from the 27 that are scheduled for 2015. The annual subscription however will remain unchanged at 0.88% of annual gross salary.

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located at Credit Union SA

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

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

KINGSTON NEAR ROBE: 2-storey 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)

OUTBACK TAGALONG TOURS 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

TEACHING RESOURCES: To give away: Folders hard/soft covered...upper to middle primary ...many topics covered... from retired teacher. Donation to the Smith Family. Interested? T: 0418 834 174 (Jane)

SEAGRASS VILLAS AT NORMANVILLE: situated on Jetty Rd, two new 1 BR spacious villas for holiday rental. Luxury accomm. a short stroll to cafes, shops, pub and to the Normanville Beach. Spa in court yard garden for the perfect getaway, come and treat yourself. Villa 1 is dog friendly – allowed inside. 5% discount for AEU members. T: 0409 400 265 (Lynn) E: lynn.wilson22@bigpond.com

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

journal@aeusa.asn.au

AN INVITATION TO RETIRED OR RETIRING TEACHERS & SSOs Have you retired or are about to retire? Are you seeking opportunities to maintain or increase your level of fitness and want to learn more about your city and surrounding hills and bushland? Are you seeking companionship with other retired teachers and their partners as well as other walkers from a range of backgrounds (not just teaching!)? Walks are organised at several levels. Rovers walk from 14–18 kms, Walkers from 8–10 kms, Ramblers from 6–7 kms and Amblers up to 5 kms. The R.T.A. Walking Group is a sub-group of the Retired Teachers Association and is affiliated with The Walking Federation of SA. We walk in conservation parks, national parks and forestry reserves within the Mt Lofty Ranges and Fleurieu Peninsula, suburban beaches and along the six creeks of the Adelaide Plains, the River Torrens Linear Park and other suburban trails. It’s a great way to get to know your city and surroundings! A camp is also organised each year in country areas within SA or Victoria.

If you are interested in finding out more about our walking group, you are invited to contact: our President, Kym Wenham Tel: (08) 8386 1110 email: wenhams@adam.com.au or John Eaton Tel: 0419 176 713 email: joneaton@bigpond.net.au We hope you will join us for the 2016 walking season!

Our home, sweet home loan offer for teachers.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a great home loan offer all sewn up. Call 8202 7777, ask a mobile manager, visit a branch or creditunionsa.com.au New variable rate loans of $200,000 or more, conditions and fees apply. 1Rate based on a loan of $150,000 with monthly repayments over 25 years. This comparison rate is true only for the example given and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate. 2A limit of one cashback per application applies. Credit Union SA Ltd ABN 36 087 651 232 | AFSL/Australian Credit Licence Number 241066 | Credit Union SA Centre, 400 King William Street, Adelaide SA 5000.