qtjmar2013-web

Q U E E N S L A N D T E A C H E R S ’

15 March 2013 • Volume 118 number 2

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Q U E E N S L A N D T E A C H E R S ’

www.qtu.asn.au

Editorial policy Articles and letters should be sent to ‘The General Secretary, Queensland Teachers’ Journal Editor, PO Box 1750, Milton BC, 4064’, faxed to (07) 3512 9050 or emailed to [email protected]. Letters should be no more than 200 words in length. Articles should be a maximum length of 500 words. All submissions should be signed and those wishing to remain anonymous should indicate their name is not for publication. Articles, letters to the editor and advertising in this journal do not necessarily represent the views of the Union. The next edition will be published on 22 April 2013. The deadline for all editorial and advertising material is 22 March 2013. For advertising enquiries, email [email protected] or call (07) 3512 9000.

8 State government's report card

9 Staffing crisis

10 State Budget

16 Win for special school

17 PD dispute

18 Professional standards

19 TAFE team ready for EB

21 Student reporting

23 Temporary teachers

features

regulars 4 News

5 Editorial

7 From the President

20 If I only had a blog

25 New and beginning teachers

27 Legal

28 Retired teachers

29 QTAD

29 Professional reading

30 At leisure

31 Lighter side

32 Classifieds

35 QTU contacts

35 Anniversaries, reunions and events

All aboard the Gonski bus12

Cover image: Teachers at Enoggera State School show that

they really do "give a gonski"

Politicians address AEU15

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A helping hand4

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Vol 118 No 2 | Queensland Teachers' Journal 3

15 March 2013

The natural disasters that occurred in Queensland over and subsequent to the Australia Day weekend impacted QTU members as it did other Queenslanders.

For the second time in as many years, the QTU’s Natural Disaster Fund has been accessed to provide assistance to members experiencing hardship because of damage to their principal residence.

At the time of writing, approximately $100,000 had been distributed to financial members of the QTU who suffered as a result of the tornados and flooding.

In some cases, not only did teachers suffer damage to their own homes and possessions but they found that their classrooms were flooded to ceiling height and resources they had developed over a number of years were completely destroyed.

As can be seen in Steve Leese's report on this page, it is at times like this that Union

members can turn to each other for help – after all that is part of why the QTU exists.

Barry WelchDEPUTY GENERAL SECRETARY

Pictured: the clean up at Bundaberg East State School

Members lend a helping hand In January 2011, much of Ipswich and the surrounding areas were inundated. Many people lost their possessions and many schools were also hit, losing many resources.

The response from those Ipswich people unaffected by the flood, and indeed the wider community, was amazing. I recall people from Northern NSW driving to Ipswich to offer assistance to complete strangers because, as they jokingly said “the surf was bad”. I remember meeting about 40 teachers from all over south-east Queensland who assisted with the clean up during the last few days of the summer vacation. And there were the boxes of books collected from all over the state that were delivered to schools devastated by flooding, such as Brassall State School. The Ipswich community will be forever grateful for the support shown during its time of need.

Fast forward two years to 2013. The forecasts are bad and it looks as though Ipswich will be inundated again. Thankfully for the people of Ipswich, things didn’t turn out to be as bad as expected, but as we all saw, areas such as Laidley and Bundaberg were not so lucky and once again suffered flooding. Schools such as Bundaberg East State School had water through many of the rooms, destroying resources and

equipment. Many homes in the Bundaberg area lost everything.

Members of the QTU’s Ipswich Central Branch remembered the assistance provided to us back in 2011 and also the need to restock schools and families with school supplies, and we wanted to help.

From this thought came the Ipswich Central Flood Relief Appeal. The word went out through various networks and the collecting got underway. Time was of the essence, so a short timeframe of only 10 days was decided upon. The response was overwhelming, with many thousands of dollars-worth of supplies arriving at the collection centre

from all over the state, along with almost $1,500-worth of gift vouchers. Leah Olsson coordinated a collection in the Redlands area and, with the help of QTU Organisers, delivered the donations to where they were needed. Admin staff spread the word through email to their colleagues and we were quickly receiving offers from far and wide. My classroom became a storage area and my students assisted with the sorting of donations and counting of the many gift vouchers we received.

Special mention needs to go to the corporate supporters of this appeal: Richers Transport, who provided free freight from Brisbane to Maryborough; Officeworks Ipswich, for their donation of stationery worth approximately $300; TUH, which donated 432 pencil cases; Ipswich Special School, for agreeing to being the collection centre; and the QTU, which donated $1,000 worth of vouchers, as well as the services of the Moreton and Wide Bay Organisers to deliver the donations in their areas. Thanks to every single person who supported the appeal.

Steve LeeseBRANCH PRESIDENT – IPSWICH CENTRAL

4 Queensland Teachers' Journal | Vol 118 No 2

QTU fund helps flood victims back on their feet

It’s time for Gonski It’s time to act

It is imperative that we act now to secure the Gonski national school funding reforms before the end of this Federal Parliament. Otherwise, there is a very real prospect that the once-in-a-generation opportunity for increased funding and a fairer funding system will be lost.

If the new system is legislated before the federal election, then even if the Coalition is elected, it will hopefully not have the number of votes in the Senate to repeal the legislation. All of the federal Coalition’s statements to date have been in support of maintaining the current flawed and unfair system introduced by the Howard government. A new system, even phased in, is crucial before the federal election.

Over the next four months, we have to campaign at three levels. First, we have to get the ALP government to produce the funding model based on Gonski and a funding commitment. Based on the Prime Minister’s address to the recent AEU Federal Conference (see page 15), this is well in hand, but cannot be taken for granted.

Second, we have to get state governments (including the Newman government) to agree to the funding model and make their own funding commitment. Given the Bailleau government’s recent funding announcements in Victoria (and Campbell Newman’s support) this will be a key area of effort.

This has now gone a step further with Queensland Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek telling the DETE Principals' Conference that "the Gillard government [should] give up on Gonski and 'butt out'

of education". While the argy-bargy might be predictable in the lead-up to serious negotiations, the state government's position is appalling. It says, in effect, that it doesn't support more funding or the fairer funding model recommended by the expert panel led by David Gonski. It would rather sell out the students, teachers and parents of Queensland for the sake of petty party politics.

Finally, when we surmount these obstacles, we have to campaign to get the necessary legislation passed by the Federal Parliament.

At the recent AEU Federal Conference, the state and territory unions representing teachers in public education across the country committed to a national campaign up to the federal election to secure the Gonski reforms.

Already this year you will have seen the first steps of this last phase of our national campaign: the TV ads in support of Gonski, the launch of the campaign outside the Queensland Parliament, and the Gonski buses driving around Brisbane (see page 13).

But there is more to come. Now is the time for all of us, QTU members, all parents in our schools and our school communities, to demand the implementation of the

Gonski reforms and the major injection of additional funds that the students of Australia, particularly those in disadvantaged communities, deserve.

Those opposed to the implementation of these reforms will argue, loudly, that funding is not important; that it is teacher quality or school autonomy or something else that will lead to school improvement. Yet teachers and others know, and must argue more loudly, that you need the resources to do the job. The evidence from the national partnership schools across the country, particularly the low SES schools, is clear: given the resources, you can transform schools and students’ lives.

However, this campaign will not be won through TV ads or liveried buses. It will only be won through the mobilisation of all of our members, all of our parents and all those in our communities who support our schools in demanding the implementation of the Gonski reforms. We have demonstrated that strength in the past in support of many worthy causes, now we must do so again in support of these watershed changes.

It’s time for Gonski. It’s time for us to act. It’s time.

Graham MoloneyGENERAL SECRETARY


Editorial

Time for NAPLAN to go onlineThe Australian Education Union is calling for NAPLAN to go online.

The AEU has written to Schools Education Minister Peter Garrett urging a more sophisticated and educationally sound approach to NAPLAN that would address problems such as excessive test preparation, a narrowing of the curriculum and high levels of student stress.

AEU Federal President Angelo Gavrielatos said: “We need to look at shifting NAPLAN to an online test in 2014.

“This would allow a much closer alignment with the curriculum and make the tests responsive to what students can actually do.

“In an online mode, a larger range of items could be delivered, both at the upper and

lower levels of ability. That would decrease the frustration struggling students, in particular, feel with the current one-size-fits-all test and provide a more effective test of the knowledge and skills of high performing students.

“Online tests could also be delivered over a longer period and even on an ongoing basis. That would address one of the biggest problems at the moment, which is the intense pressure on students and teachers in the lead up to the week in which the current ‘high-stakes’ test is conducted.

“Teachers across the country are saying that they are under increasing pressure to ‘teach to the test’. Not only is that not educationally

sound but it reduces the time available for teaching other important areas of the curriculum.

“Doing the test online would cut the time required for marking and data input and allow much faster and more useful feedback for teachers, students and schools. That would substantially improve the diagnostic value of the tests.”

News

Gary Quinn – a bloke for all seasonsWhy is it that we often learn the most about the people we count among our closest friends after they are gone?

The death of Senior Union Rep Gary Quinn from melanoma brought about such an epiphany. At his memorial service, a room packed with many hundreds of people heard about Gary’s life from those who lived it with him: friends, family, colleagues.

We heard about Gary’s childhood in difficult circumstances in Ipswich and his successes in his education at state schools and later at university, where he trained to become a PE teacher. We heard about Gary’s passion for teaching, his work as a guidance officer and his dedication to the Queensland Teachers’ Union. About years of honorary duties founded on leadership, compassion and comradery. We were told that Gary was a man who cared greatly for others, gave willingly of himself to individuals and the community and lived and breathed social justice principles, even before they become fashionable.

As a family man, Gary was a rock upon whom family and friends depended. He had a deep and abiding relationship with his siblings and an extensive circle of friends. He loved Joan his wife and Caley, Brodie and Jessie his children with an intensity that was palpable in every thought, word and deed.

For those who knew him, none of this should have been a surprise and yet, as we celebrated the layers of his life, his persona took on colour and nuances that resonated because they added depth to the character we thought we knew.

Knowing these things prior to Gary’s untimely death would not have changed how he was perceived by others. Knowing them now provides a foundation for understanding what we had and what we have lost. It places into perspective the importance of a life lived to the full.

To conclude I borrow from Robert Whittington who wrote of Sir Thomas More, the historical character on which the play “A Man for all Seasons” is centred.

Gary was “a man of an angel’s wit and singular learning. I know not his fellow. For where is the man of that gentleness, lowliness and affability? And, as time requireth, a man of marvelous mirth and pastimes, and sometime of as sad gravity. A man for all seasons.”

Vale Quinny, rest in peace mate.

Kevin BatesPRESIDENT


The federal election – a spotter’s guide


From the President

We have another six months of federal election campaigning to endure, or enjoy, depending on the education and industrial relations policies delivered during that period by the major parties.

Clearly, the adoption of the Gonski recommendations on schools funding through the Australian Education Bill 2012 will be a critical point of difference between an ALP or Coalition government.

That issue is covered in detail elsewhere in this Journal (see page 12), so this column is dedicated to contrasting what the QTU would like to see emerge during the election campaign with what we have learned to expect.

The goodEducation has become the favourite subject for motherhood statements by politicians at all levels of government and from all parties.

They say education is critical to defining Australia’s place in the world; that it is the key to social and economic equity; that it is the foundation stone on which the states’ and country’s future will be built.

Yes – but it is time that education as a political issue became more than just words. It must be treated as an investment rather than an expense.

The concept of value should go beyond funding; it also should be applied to education professionals in both the school and TAFE sectors. They should be closely consulted on any proposed policy; their practice, experience and professionalism should be respected by decision-makers;

they should be treated like the experts they are.

Workers deserve the same sort of respect in IR policies. Without workers, there is no economy. Without workers, there will be no productivity gains. Workers deserve their fair share of the nation’s wealth and they deserve to be treated decently in the workplace.

The bad and downright ugly Unfortunately, at the same time as politicians pay lip service to the value of education and educators, they also seem to like to deliver a slap in the face to the profession at every opportunity.

The demeaning of teachers and principals is apparent in much of the current rhetoric from both sides of politics. By harping on about a need to “improve teacher quality”, the implication is made that current teachers are of questionable quality. Repeating the aim of attracting “the best and brightest” to teaching causes the public to doubt the quality of both practising teachers and aspiring teachers. Presenting “school autonomy” as the silver bullet to solve systemically imposed woes is not only cynical, but also insults the professionalism of school leaders and education staff by undermining their authority in decision-making while lumbering them with more responsibility.

Worse, in wanting to be seen to address problems created by political catastrophising, politicians provide “solutions” with no demonstrable benefit. For example, instead of addressing medium to long-term difficulties in attracting and retaining education professionals, such as career structure, workload and remuneration, politicians come up with various “get teaching quick” schemes.

Worst, some politicians just can’t resist using schools, their workers and their unions as ideological footballs. Any sensible government member or candidate would see that consulting with unions is an efficient way to garner the views of many workers; any member or candidate with a vehement ideological opposition to unionism would not.

As the 2013 federal election campaign grinds along, the QTU will continue its lobbying efforts to promote and protect public education, and maintain the position that the QTU supports candidates who would support our members.

Kevin BatesPRESIDENT


As the state government comes to the end of its first year, let's see how it performs under DETE’s new year 1 - 2 student reporting criteria...

Queensland Government: First year report

News


During an ABC radio interview, Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek insisted that he had not heard a single principal complain about his under-resourcing of state schools.

Despite meeting with more than 50 principals in the two proceeding weeks, he said, not one teacher or principal had raised the impact of the changed allocative model or the loss of resource teachers in schools.

In a further interview later that week the Minister corrected his statement and indicated that in fact, only one principal had raised these concerns, which he dismissed as a “distraction”.

What he failed to understand at the time was that some of these principals were dealing with the impact of natural disasters on their schools.

However, given the reaction of QTU members following his remarks, the Minister can no longer be under any illusions that these issues do not matter to QTU members. Following his comments, members have been writing to the Minister informing him of the strategies that had been taken to address the shortfall and calling on him to act.

The Minister, who insists that he is willing to listen, has failed to respond to the concerns the QTU has raised with him since the announcement of the budget cuts last year. It would seem that he is afflicted with selective hearing whenever it is suggested that he accept responsibility for cuts to staffing allocations in schools.

This year, the loss of 200 resource teacher numbers in secondary schools and the change to the allocative model in primary schools of more than 175 students will see schools operating with fewer resources, despite having more students.

Following Day 8, reports received by the QTU demonstrate that the cuts are already having an effect. Primary schools in metropolitan areas have had to redirect release time for deputy principals, forcing these school leaders to return to the classroom at the expense of their leadership responsibilities. Additionally, some schools are seeing prep class sizes of up to 32 or are having composite classes proposed by the department, a suggestion that fails to recognise the complexities of the school and the needs of its community.

What the government fails to understand is the impact that these cuts have on teacher and school leader workloads. Teachers are already attempting to meet departmental expectations around the implementation of the Australian Curriculum, and having to do this in an under-resourced school takes its toll.

But it would seem that the cuts keep coming. Support services to schools are currently under attack, with what appears to be a cut in the resource support for

students with special needs, the provision of guidance officers and the allocation of national partnership school funds in some regions.

As well as applying for additional allocation, members should work with their P&C and local community and write to the Minister and their Member of Parliament advising them of the impact of these cuts.

When contacting the Minister or MPs, you should indicate you are writing as QTU members responding to his comments on ABC radio to ensure that he understands the impact of the Government’s cuts on schools. A letter might be signed by a number of QTU members and members of other unions.

A clear message needs to be sent to this government that we will not tolerate its attempts to play the miser at the expense of providing quality, well-resourced education to our students. Together we might be able to make the government listen.

Kate RuttimanDEPUTY GENERAL SECRETARY

State government under-resourcing beginning to bite


State Budget

The QTU is calling on the state government to ensure that June’s State Budget announcement brings to an end the under funding of Queensland’s state schools.

Despite the challenges of the current political climate, the QTU remains committed to working with governments of whatever persuasion to deliver programs that provide quality education on a level playing field, that enhance the teaching profession and that promote successful outcomes for students.

The unfortunate shortfalls of the 2012/13 State Budget have forced DETE into compensating for the deficit of 569 FTEs from its existing budget and, hence, changing the allocative methodology.

The QTU’s message to the government will be clear: enough is enough.

We will be calling on the government to:

• provide the extra funding needed to redress this year’s deficit of 569 FTEs

• provide sufficient extra funding in the 2013/14 budget to properly cover projected enrolments in 2014

• commit to a growth in funding that at least maintains class size targets, early literacy support and curriculum offerings.

The QTU 2013 Budget Submission aligns with our 10 year strategic plan, and will therefore also call on the government to:

• fund an ongoing building program to replace State Schools of Tomorrow

• increase the number of special education teachers, specialist and support staff for students at risk, behaviour teachers, guidance officers, learning support teachers, ESL teachers, therapists and teacher-aides

• provide funding to progressively expand the number of positive learning centres, including in regional Queensland

• improve vocational education programs for remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and link them to viable employment opportunities.

In addition, the QTU is asking the Newman government to put politics aside and commit to meaningful dialogue with the federal government with a view to implementing the Gonski recommendations, which provide school funding on a needs-based model.

The QTU 2013 Budget Submission was presented to State Council at the beginning of March and will shortly be available on the QTU website.

Craig WoodACTING RESEARCH OFFICER

State Budget a chance for government to right the wrongs

To stay financial and continue to enjoy all the benefits of QTU membership, make sure your dues are paid by 31 March (payment details are on your 2013 dues notice).

Help us stay in touch and update your details online today at www.qtu.asn.au

> QTU Education Leaders Conference Friday 17 May, Brisbane

> QTU Professional Issues Conference Friday 23 August, Brisbane

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Labour Day

All QTU members and their families are invited to turn out for the annual Labour Day celebrations across the state on the first weekend in May.

The state government’s extraordinary decision to move the Labour Day public holiday from May to October will not impact on the Union’s celebrations, which will still take place during the first weekend in May, public holiday or no public holiday.

Many in the union movement strongly believe that Labour Day’s historical links to May Day are unquestionable and that the decision to move the public holiday was merely political, an attempt to squash what is recognised nationwide as the largest of the Labour Day celebrations: Brisbane’s.

Labour Day is a great opportunity to

connect with your Union, celebrate the many achievements of the QTU and the union movement as a whole, and send a strong message to a state government which continues to threaten job security and public education through insidious cuts and changes to policy, often without consultation.

The Brisbane march and family fun day (RNA showgrounds) will be on Sunday 5 May, while regional centres will mostly celebrate on Saturday 4 May. All QTU members and their families are encouraged and welcome to celebrate Labour Day with their Union - keep an eye on the QTU website, where further details of celebrations statewide will be published as soon as they are available.

Penny SpaldingASSISTANT SECRETARY - WOMEN’S AND SOCIAL WELFARE ISSUES

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School funding is a "defining test" Between now and April, our political leaders are expected to decide the future funding of every school in the nation.

Their decisions will affect the education of millions of children in schools and many more that are not there yet. They will also have far-reaching implications for principals, teachers and support staff.

Acting on the recommendations of the Gonski Review would, for the first time, see schools funded according to what they are expected to achieve and the needs of the students they enrol.

It would mean a substantial boost in resources for public schools, which Gonski recommended should get at least 75 per cent of the additional money. Although the amount would vary according to current funding levels and student need, the average increase would be $1,500 per student per year.

That is enough to pay for seven additional teachers in a school with 500 students.

We are urging state and federal governments to deliver the additional funding recommended by Gonski in full and to allocate it to areas we know will improve student outcomes: smaller class sizes, additional specialist teachers, more help in the classroom for students with disabilities and special needs, more time for professional development in schools and better mentoring and support for young teachers.

The need to act on school funding is urgent. As the Gonski Review warned, Australia’s performance in education, across all sectors, is slipping and the gaps between what students from different social and economic backgrounds achieve are widening.

The extent of the problem was confirmed by the latest international test results, released in December last year.

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011 and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2011 show that our results have flat-lined since the first science and maths tests were held in 1995. It was the first time we have participated in the reading test and in year four reading Australia was outperformed by 21 countries. These results were only slightly offset by the much higher achievement levels of year eight students.

The results also exposed the extent of our equity problem. The gap between our highest and lowest achievers in year four maths and science was the fifth widest among all the developed nations that make up the OECD.

Of equal concern was the level of under-resourcing of schools and the strong connection between resources and results. More than half our primary students are in schools where principals say the teaching of reading and maths is affected by resource shortages. The number rises to two thirds of primary students in science.

The tests show students in schools where there were no resource shortages scored

significantly higher in reading and maths than those in schools that were affected.

These results reflect what teachers in many schools have been saying for far too many years – we cannot significantly improve student outcomes in an environment where basic resources are absent. Shortages of teachers, overcrowded classes, a lack of time for cooperative professional development, sub-standard teaching resources and facilities – all these things must be addressed to ensure that every child has the opportunity to get a high-quality education.

What is now required within the next few months is a national agreement with all state and territory governments on how the new funding arrangements will work and what each government will contribute. That timetable must be met to allow a new system to begin on time in January next year.

Our political leaders will never have a better opportunity to bring about the fundamental change that is required. It is a defining test of both their leadership and their commitment to each individual student and the nation as a whole.

It is not a question of whether we can afford to act on school funding, it is a question of whether we can afford not to. Please help convince the politicians to act by registering your support at www.igiveagonski.com.au

Angelo GavrielatosFEDERAL PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION UNION

News

Gonski: this is our momentIt’s so close you can smell it, so near you can taste it, but it is still a hair’s breadth away.

QTU members have done so much and we have come so far – we will not be thwarted in our quest for a fair and transparent needs-based schools funding system.

In the 5th century BC, Herodotus, the father of history, wrote “Some men give up their designs when they have almost reached their goal. While others on the contrary, obtain a victory by exerting at the last moment more vigorous efforts than ever before”. We are now in that long last moment.

Within this moment, we need to convince the Newman government that it must join the Commonwealth and get onboard with Gonski. This will be the campaign focus in the lead up to the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting in early April. If the Queensland Government does not act to secure Gonski, the extra funding to address educational disadvantage will be lost to Queensland schools. The ball is in Campbell Newman’s court.

The exertions began with the launch of the 2013 Gonski campaign outside Parliament

House in Brisbane on 3 February, when a crowd of Gonski supporters joined two large Gonski-liveried buses for an event which attracted TV and print media coverage along the eastern seaboard. This was followed by a Gonski bus tour, which took the campaign to schools large and small on the north-side of Brisbane.

Next came Gonski Week, the week beginning 11 March, a chance for our members, branches and schools to engage in activities that told the government that it is time to get on board with Gonski – for our kids' sake.

Once the COAG meeting is over, the next challenge will be to get Gonski legislation through the Federal Parliament, to make fair funding a reality. And so the moment goes on.

Life is made of moments – and lives are made by moments. So let us make that vigorous effort in this last moment – the betterment of so many lives depends on us doing so.

Barry Welch DEPUTY GENERAL SECRETARY

Research shows overwhelming support for Gonski

Nine out of 10 Australians believe the Prime Minister and state and territory leaders should strike a deal on Gonski and invest substantially more in education.

An Auspoll of 2,200 people, commissioned by the AEU as part of a renewed campaign for immediate action on the findings of the Gonski Review of school funding, revealed that:

• 89 per cent of people support an agreement on Gonski between the Commonwealth and state and territory governments, and 86 per cent say it is urgent

• over 80 per cent of people, on average, believe their state or territory governments should contribute at least part of the additional funding the Gonski Review said was urgently required

• people in Queensland are overwhelming opposed to the underfunding of public education being imposed by their State Premier

• a clear majority said their opinion of the Premier would worsen if he did not strike a deal with the Prime Minister on Gonski

• smaller class sizes and more training and support for teachers are the things Australians most want to see additional funding committed to.

AEU Federal President Angelo Gavrielatos said: “This polling shows the overwhelming level of public support for action on school funding and Gonski.

“Clearly people are sick of the political infighting and buck-passing on education. They want to see a real investment in education and public schools from the federal government and the states and a level playing field for kids which we don’t have now."

A new television advertisement campaign was launched to accompany the campaign, which you can see at http://youtu.be/4sJhpmXrwTA



How Gonski would work• An extra $6.5 billion for schools, based on need.

• A new schooling resource standard – a base level of funding for every student. For private schools, the amount payable would reduce as parent capacity to pay fees increases.

• Loadings (extra funding) for schools with students who face educational disadvantage, ie low income families, Indigenous students, students with a disability, students with low English language proficiency, small schools, rural and remote schools. These loadings increase with the concentration of disadvantage.

• The current “indexation” of funding to be replaced by a “real cost increase” funding model.

• No school will lose money.

• Every school’s funds will increase every year.

How Gonski would work• An extra $6.5 billion for schools, based on need.






Authorised by Graham Moloney, General Secretary, Queensland Teachers’ Union, 21 Graham St, Milton Q 4064

Authorised by Graham Moloney, General Secretary, Queensland Teachers’ Union, 21 Graham St, Milton Q 4064

How Gonski would work

Tell him it’s time to start investing more in our children and our schools.

The Gonski Review found we urgently need to invest more in education and schools.

That funding would make a world of difference to children across Queensland.

But Premier Campbell Newman hasn’t committed to paying his share.

Send him a message at www.igivegonski.com.au

• An extra $6.5 billion for schools, based on need.






In perhaps her strongest commitment yet, Prime Minister Julia Gillard has told the annual AEU Federal Conference in Melbourne that “the government that I lead will deliver Gonski”.

Addressing delegates, observers and guests at the late February gathering, she went on to identify the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting in early April as the “big test” at which state premiers as well as the federal government would be required to come to the party.

Putting the funding commitment in context, she explained: “Australia is the 12th biggest economy in the world. While the model proposed for Gonski has been costed in the order of $6.5 billion a year, this sum represents less than 0.4 per cent of our annual GDP. Our nation spends twice that amount each year on tobacco. We spend twice that amount again on alcohol. We can afford school reform.”

Her comments were made in the context of a proposed National Plan for School Improvement, designed to achieve better student outcomes and provide the funding support required to achieve that objective.

“We have a vision worth fighting for. An Australia that is not just prosperous but

smarter, fairer and stronger. An Australia where every school is a great school and every child receives a great education.”

Her speech is worth reading on the Prime Minister’s website (www.pm.gov.au/press-office/speech-australian-education-union-national-conference), particularly in the context of the federal election in September this year.

Senator Christine Milne, the leader of the Greens, also addressed the conference. A former teacher herself, she said: “ The Greens want the full Gonski fast-tracked”, and pointed out that three simple changes to the Mineral Resource Rent Tax could raise $26 billion over the forward estimates to make this possible.

She said: “The Greens are ready to implement legislation to pass the Gonski reforms now”, adding that there is a real risk of failure in the event of delay. “The essential Gonski reform must be legislated and locked in before the 14 September federal election.”

Her speech included a number of statements in opposition to standardised high-stakes testing and providing support for teachers. She spoke of the Greens’ opposition to the My School website, the chaplaincy program and performance pay proposals, and their support for the government’s Building the Education

Revolution and national partnership agreements.

Senator Milne’s speech is also worth reading on her website (http:\\christine-milne.greensmp.org.au).

The leader of the opposition, Tony Abbott, was invited to address the conference, but declined. However, to date all the statements made by his education spokesman have supported the retention of the current flawed funding model introduced by the Howard government.

The AEU Federal Conference endorsed a campaign to secure the implementation of the Gonski reforms and then to campaign in the lead-up to the federal election on the maintenance of the Gonski funding system, along with other education issues and industrial relations.

As well as taking part in a general statewide campaign, the QTU will be aiming to have a significant presence in a number of key seats as part of this nationwide effort.

Graham MoloneyGENERAL SECRETARY

“We have a vision worth fighting for” ... Gillard and Milne address AEU Conference


News

The Mount Ommaney Special School community has had a David and Goliath fight with the Queensland Government – and won!

The school provides a fantastic program to some very vulnerable and severely disabled students. Many of these students have severe and multiple impairments and also require specialised equipment to ensure they reach their full potential.

The school is extremely well regarded in the community for the wonderful programs it delivers to its students, and, not surprisingly, its enrolment numbers have continued to increase. In 2012, however, they reached the maximum level at which a safe, accessible learning environment could still be provided for students and staff.

The problem was, the staffing formula provided for 12 classroom teachers but the facilities formula only provided for 10 classrooms. The staff at the school felt that larger class sizes would have a major impact on their ability to continue delivering the brilliant programs as they had in previous years.

The inherent health and safety risks for staff and students of being forced to work in overcrowded and cluttered classrooms was also a cause for concern. Indeed, for some students it could have been a matter of life or death, if they were to have a seizure or the oxygen bottle was inaccessible when needed in an emergency.

QTU Workplace Representatives Helen Climie and Lynda Fincham got in touch with the Union to discuss what they could do. This phone call was the start of a great campaign. Within a week, staff at the school had provided a list of their health and safety concerns. A letter to the department was drafted outlining the concerns and the potential impact an incident could have. Numerous phone calls were made to the assistant regional director and the facilities officer outlining the members’ concerns.

And it paid off. It was with great delight that I received a call from the school, closely followed by an email from the workplace representatives, informing me that the building would be in place and ready to go at the start of the 2013 school year.

A fantastic result from a great campaign that will not only benefit Mount Ommaney Special School but all special schools in Queensland, highlighting as it did the discrepancy between the staffing formula and the facilities formula.

Congratulations to the staff at Mount Ommaney Special School for standing up for their Right to Teach and their students’ Right to Learn in a safe environment.

Steve Leese ACTING MORETON ORGANISER, 2012

State Schools Alliance training

A training day has been held to help local consultative committee representatives prepare for life in Independent Public Schools (IPS).

The training, attended by LCC representatives from Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Brisbane schools, was organised as part of the State Schools Alliance initiative, formed by the QTU, United Voice and Together to ensure a cooperative approach to working with IPS schools. The training is due to be rolled out to other regions shortly.

This type of alliance is important for all workers in state schools, not only for ensuring that all union members operate in a consultative workplace, but also for the benefit of students.

Due to the significance of the day, representatives from each union spoke about the importance of the alliance and LCC training for all unions. Lyn McKenzie, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Education, Training and Employment, provided an update on Independent Public Schools as well as her perspective on local consultative processes in schools.

The program included interactive sessions on local consultation and local consultative committees, working together as union representatives and school councils, and the next steps for the State School Alliance.

Paige BousenASSISTANT SECRETARY - EDUCATION LEADERS

Special school classroom campaign a winner


News

The QTU has taken the dispute over the department’s new professional development policy to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC).

On 31 January, DETE released a schools update which included a new professional development policy restricting all teacher PD to either student-free days or outside school hours.

This policy was released without consultation with the QTU and in contradiction to the industrial entitlements of teachers outlined in the Teachers Award State 2012. The QTU sees this as a breach of the certified agreement, particularly the commitment around no further claims.

When the issue was raised with the department, some minor changes were made to the policy, but the significant issue of teacher release during school time was not addressed.

To date, the QTU has followed the dispute resolution procedures stipulated in the award and certified agreement, resulting in discussions at a Senior Officer level. At the time of writing, however, the department

Commission called in over PD dispute

had not changed the policy. Consequently the QTU has notified the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC) of a dispute, with the intention of having the policy amended to reflect the award entitlement.

It is the Union’s view that the industrial rights of teachers as provided in the award override the new policy. Consequently, refusal to release teachers for professional development activities during school time, provided appropriate relief arrangements are in place, could constitute a breach of the Teachers Award State 2012.

Clause 9.1.3 of the Teachers Award State 2012 provides for an annual program of professional development for teachers that can be made up of activities scheduled for student-free days, programs during rostered duty time (with appropriate relief arrangements) and activities voluntarily undertaken outside rostered duty time.

It is clear from the award that any professional development undertaken outside rostered duty time is voluntary and that, provided that appropriate relief arrangements are in place, teachers are entitled to attend professional development during rostered duty time.

The QTU has pointed out to DETE that:

• the award stipulates that teachers should be able to access professional development during student contact hours

• professional development outside rostered duty time is voluntary

• principals, in consultation with staff, are best placed to determine the appropriate professional development activities for their staff and the best timing for these activities

• some professional development, such as the implementation of the new curriculum, would be deemed as system imperatives and teachers cannot be compelled to undertake these activities outside rostered duty time

• the release of teachers during student contact hours does not necessarily compromise the continuity of student learning, given that teachers attending professional development usually leave set work for students to continue with, ensuring minimal disruption to student learning

• some professional development (including DETE and QSA professional development) is only conducted during school hours and consequently, if a principal, in consultation with a teacher, determines that professional development is necessary to both benefit the students of the school and meet the needs of the teacher’s personal development plan, it is at the principal’s discretion to approve attendance.

The QTU also raised concerns that this policy may be misinterpreted in relation to industrial relations education leave (IREL). Teachers are entitled to five days IREL each year and this entitlement is outside of any professional development policy.

We will keep you informed of developments.

Kate RuttimanDEPUTY GENERAL SECRETARY



Professional

While the QCT has adopted the new Australian Professional Standards for Teachers for teacher registration and continuing professional development (CPD), their use as part of the Developing Performance Framework (DPF) cycle remains subject to negotiations with the department.

The agreements between DETE and the QTU on the use of DETE professional standards (2005) and the DPF (2010) commit both bodies to promoting the use of the existing DETE standards framework to Queensland state school teachers as an effective tool for reflecting on and strengthening teaching practice, and for planning personal and team professional development. These agreements remain in force until both parties agree to modify them.

Therefore, the DETE professional standards remain the basis for discussions in the forthcoming DPF cycle. Teachers cannot be expected to use the new Australian Professional Standards until there is agreement on their use and proper induction and engagement. The QTU will be meeting with the department to discuss these issues. For more information, visit education.qld.gov.au/staff/development/standards/teachers/index.html

New QCT requirements This year, all teacher registration bodies in Australia implement the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers as part of the move towards nationally consistent registration. The new standards supersede the Professional Standards for Queensland Teachers previously developed by the Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) for registration purposes.

The adoption of the new standards will affect both provisionally registered and fully registered teachers.

Provisionally registered teachers

If you expect to apply for full registration by 30 June, you should continue to use the

current process and the QCT standards. If you expect to apply for full registration after 30 June, you will need to use the new Australian Professional Standards.

Fully registered teachers

The QCT’s Continuing Professional Development Framework has been updated to reflect national requirements. Changes include the following.

• The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Proficient level or above) will be used for reflecting on practice, planning and recording continuing professional development (CPD).

There is no requirement to use the QCT online tool to record CPD, though many teachers do. Advice concerning recording and evidence of CPD can be found in a revised QTU fact sheet at www.qtu.asn.au/cpdfactsheet.

• An annual CPD requirement of at least 20 hours will apply for all fully registered teachers who teach for 20 days or more in a calendar year starting from 2013.

This is a reduction from the previous requirement of 30 hours per year (or 150 hours over a five-year registration period) and brings Queensland into line with NSW and Victoria. Of course, the majority of teachers easily exceed either requirement.

Of greater concern is the removal of the sliding scale, whereby the CPD requirement for a year was based on the number of days taught, e.g. the CPD requirement for a teacher teaching 80 – 119 days was 15 hours rather than 30.

Under the changes, any teacher who teaches 20 days or more has to meet the full

CPD requirement of 20 hours. There is no CPD requirement for a teacher who teaches fewer than 20 days (compared with 40 days previously).

Even though the changes only commence this year and aren’t retrospective, they have potentially significant implications for part-time and temporary and casual teachers. The QTU will be monitoring this situation very closely and will take up issues with the college.

• The teaching experience requirement for recency of practice for fully registered teachers whose period of registration ends on or after 1 January 2013 will be 100 days in the five-year registration period, compared with the previous requirement of 200 days.

• A returning to teaching condition will apply to teachers who do not have recency of practice at renewal of registration.

• For principals, the Australian Professional Standard for Principals is also relevant, for professional practice and development.

For more information about the QCT Professional Standards, visit www.qct.edu.au/standards/ or contact [email protected]. Alternatively, contact me.

Leah MertensRESEARCH OFFICER - PROFESSIONAL ISSUES

QCT introduces new professional standards

These are uncertain times for TAFE, but one thing that remains constant is the QTU's determination to secure the best possible EB agreement for TAFE educational employees.

The Department of Education, Training and Employment’s recent update on Queensland’s Skill Reform Agenda flags a move to a new TAFE Queensland.

The departmental rhetoric is that the changes will make TAFE “a stronger, more agile, more efficient” organisation. The update is very thin on detail, with the minutiae of the changes expected to appear in the forthcoming VET five-year action plan. The establishment of the TAFE statutory authority is flagged for 1 July and rumours are that the amalgamations will be delayed until early 2014. The uncertainty continues.

There is no doubt, however, that the negotiations for a three-year replacement enterprise bargaining agreement for TAFE educational employees – which will play out over the next 12 months – will be pivotal in this future TAFE. They will start no later than 1 April, and despite the connotations of the start date, the QTU is not treating the matter lightly. We have assembled a strong team to vigorously pursue the Union’s log of claims.

The team is made up of myself, David Terauds, with 15 years experience as a TAFE teacher and QTU activist; QTU Industrial Officer Thalia Edmonds, who has experience of the school and tertiary sectors and is also a barrister; TAFE Research Officer Dr John McCollow, who will research the history of the current industrial conditions of TAFE teachers in Queensland and the corporate

history of TAFE; QTU President Kevin Bates, who has previously been actively engaged in the TAFE sector as Industrial Officer and Organiser, and is now chair of the QTU’s TAFE Council and Executive; and Deputy General Secretary and team leader Kate Ruttiman, who was formerly Industrial Officer with responsibility for TAFE and negotiated a number of TAFE EBs.

Active consideration is also being given to rounding out the negotiating team with TAFE activists, to help ensure that current practices are taken into consideration, that broad consultation is undertaken and that grassroots concerns are dealt with.

The team has spent the early part of the year productively, actively clarifying the QTU’s log of claims. As part of the development and preparation process, the team has undertaken consultation, including meeting with AEU Federal TAFE Secretary Pat Forward and Industrial Advocate David Colley, who provided invaluable input and advice, not only on interstate conditions and salaries, but on the nature of bargaining under the federal Fair Work regime. Depending on the exact employment arrangements with the new TAFE Queensland statutory authority, it is conceivable that negotiations may require arbitration under Fair Work.

The QTU’s log encompasses roles, delivery, remuneration and professionalism. The primacy of teaching in the TAFE

environment and the strengthening of professionalism and autonomy are core to the QTU’s position.

It is clear to officers of the Union that the fight over TAFE educational employees’ conditions and wages is a key battle in the war being waged against teaching and education around the country. What happens in TAFE will provide a model for the broader education sector five years down the track.

But above all, it is the need to maintain quality outcomes for students and the broader community, as well as producing industry-ready graduates, that lies behind the QTU’s determination to fight to keep committed teaching professionals at the heart of TAFE.

David TeraudsTAFE ORGANISER

QTU team poised for TAFE EB negotiations


TAFE


Opinion

If I only had a blog ...At a time when we are not only teaching curriculum area content but also teaching general capabilities, cross-curricular priorities and having mind to what will be tested in NAPLAN and QCS, data has its place. But as the saying goes: “Not everything that counts can be counted and not everything that can be counted counts.” Let’s not lose sight of the kids and let’s not lose faith in our instincts. Data is only a part of the story.

Having the right data in the right circumstances can be powerful. It can make the picture clearer, lead us with more precision to the intervention or differentiation our students require and it can tell us if what we are doing is working. Data can tell us useful things about students.

Let’s acknowledge though, that data is only one aspect of the teaching and learning cycle. When teachers are forced through policy, system or school expectations and lack of time to reduce students to the data on the page or the screen, we can lose the magic and wonder of the teacher-student relationship. The sense that professional teachers know their students deeply is at risk in an environment dominated by lists, spreadsheets and high-stakes testing. There is the risk that students begin to be thought of as numbers and levels, and not as young people with a whole range of talents and capacities, hopes and dreams and problems and struggles.

Understanding the story behind student data, knowing the curriculum content and how to deliver it in ways that will help the student, that is what professional teachers do best. But how often do we find ourselves with time to talk about what is really going on for the student? How often do we find

ourselves looking at student data and knowing exactly what a student needs and planning to address that need but feeling frustrated by the knowledge of how much more effective we could be if we were properly resourced.

In some cases, data has ceased to be helpful to teachers because there is too much of it. The focus on data has become so demanding on time and energy that it becomes a cause of stress. Asking the right questions about the data is essential. There is an art to leading a professional conversation about student data in such a way that it supports the teacher and enables reflection on classroom approaches for individuals and groups. This professional dialogue about our students, our teaching and assessment practices is the key to improvement of our approaches and student achievement.

The Queensland College of Teachers has identified the use of data as an issue facing teachers and is this year funding research into the use of data with the aim of supporting teachers in selecting and using data to focus on teaching, learning and student achievement.

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers identify the interpretation of student

data within Standard 5, and the descriptor across career stages variously refers to the use of student assessment data to analyse and evaluate learning and teaching to identify interventions and modify teaching practice. In the context of Australian Curriculum implementation, that must involve ensuring that teachers not only have time to share with and learn from their colleagues about teaching practice, but also about our judgements of

the quality of student work against standards.

Data for the sake of data and data conversations that are based on the wrong premise will only serve to undermine teacher confidence and stifle our professionalism and creativity.

Sam PidgeonHONORARY VICE-PRESIDENT

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Union wins improvements to student reporting

Curriculum symposium

The Australian Curriculum Studies Association (ACSA) has hosted a curriculum symposium, “Quality learning through general capabilities: opportunities and challenges”. The symposium focused on the relationship between general capabilities – literacy, numeracy, information and communication technology capability, critical and creative thinking, personal and social capability, ethical behaviour and intercultural understanding – and the content of the curriculum.

Professor Emeritus Alan Reid AM from the University of South Australia provided the keynote address, giving a historical context to the general capabilities, tracing the origins of the general capabilities through an international landscape of curriculum development dating back 30 years, and identifying challenges for their implementation.

The current general capabilities, which align with the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians, are about skilling the whole of the young person, unlike previous competencies which tended to have a vocational focus.

Reid noted that the challenge of implementation can be represented on a spectrum of enactment. On one end of the spectrum teachers and students are enacting the general capabilities in every learning area and in every lesson. On the opposing end, curriculum planners “name and hope” for recognition of the general capabilities in the business of teaching and learning. Reid posits that the failure of earlier key competencies was that they hovered around naming and hoping.

The challenge is to move beyond naming and hoping to embedding and enacting the general capabilities in teaching and learning programs and to value the capabilities for their direct relationship with the Melbourne Declaration.


PrepIn place of A–E effort and behaviour codes, from semester one 2013, prep teachers can use comments. They will also no longer be required to maintain an early learning record. Years 1–2The A–E codes previously used in the effort and behaviour columns on student reports will be removed from the One School template and will be replaced with more appropriate descriptors:

• very high

• high

• sound

• developing

• support required. Years 3 – 10The behaviour and effort descriptors will be:

• excellent

• very good

• satisfactory

• needs attention

• unacceptable. Years 11-12The behaviour and effort descriptors will be:

• excellent

• very good

• satisfactory

• needs attention

• unacceptable.

At exit, year 12 students receive only a level of achievement.

The QTU has successfully stopped the use of A–E rankings for effort and behaviour on student reporting.

Late last year, the Union campaigned vigorously to stop the use of the rankings, maintaining that the use of A–E for describing a student’s effort and behaviour in class is inappropriate, unacceptable and harmful to the student’s self-esteem, and could impact negatively on future learning potential.

The department finally agreed to remove the A–E codes from all behaviour and effort columns for every year level, to be replaced by either comments of appropriate descriptors.

The QTU refutes the populist view that parents will automatically translate these comments into A–E rankings.

For more information on student reporting, refer to the Policy Statement: Reporting to Parents (http://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/framework/p-12/docs/policy-reporting.pdf ), which was sent out to all schools on 6 February as part of the P-12 Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Framework.

Leah MertensRESEARCH OFFICER - PROFESSIONAL ISSUES


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Temporary teachers

QTU membership is for temporary teachers tooWhile high membership density has ensured the retention and protection of our industrial entitlements over the years, despite some tough enterprise bargaining negotiations, some of the most vulnerable employees in DETE, temporary teachers, are missing out, delaying joining the QTU or labouring under the misapprehension that “you only join when you gain permanency”.

QTU membership has real benefits for temporary teachers, giving the peace of mind that you only get from knowing that you have access to top legal cover and industrial support, advice and advocacy. Of course, many temporary (contract) teachers have uncertainty of ongoing employment

QTU membership has real benefits for temporary teachers, giving the peace of mind that you only get from knowing that you have access to top legal cover and industrial support, advice and advocacy. Of course, many temporary (contract) teachers have uncertainty of ongoing employment or don’t have the cash to pay dues up front. That’s why there is a different dues scale for temporary teachers, as well as access to monthly payments.

QTU Reps are strongly encouraged to introduce themselves to temporary teachers at their school and talk to them about the QTU and the benefits of membership, especially if they are yet to join. Membership information is available on the QTU website, or can be accessed by ringing the QTU.

In addition to the support offered by the local Regional Organisers, temporary teachers are also supported by Assistant Secretary, Penny Spalding (email [email protected] or phone 3512 9000).

The conversion process The temporary teacher conversion to permanency process, negotiated in 2010 as part of EB6, continues to provide access to an offer of secure employment for teachers who have been on long-term temporary contracts. This agreement is vital in ensuring that the proportion of permanent teachers in Queensland is not eroded

and means temporary teachers aren’t left hanging following years of continuous service. This process remains unchanged following the certification of the last certified agreement.

QTU representatives in schools and temporary teachers are encouraged to read the QTU information brochures "Temporary (contract) teachers" and "Conversion of temporary teachers to permanency", which are available through QTAD and the QTU website.

The QTU are following up with the department regarding issues with the conversion process, especially late last year. Concerns include the department’s failure to identify eligible teachers, teachers not receiving the offer because their address details weren’t up to date and, in some cases, the department not placing teachers within the specified time frame.

Teachers who believe they are eligible for the conversion process should obtain a current statement of service before contacting the QTU for advocacy.

Tips for temporary teachersYou should:

• ensure your application and personal contact details are up to date (with DETE and the QTU)

• be proactive about your employment – keep your eye on the “current vacancy

and demand” section on the “Make a Difference. Teach” website (http://education.qld.gov.au/hr/recruitment/teaching/) and register with seek.com to get any updates

• consider retraining or updating your skills – employment with DETE is need driven, the “Make a Difference. Teach” site includes areas of demand

• consider statewide service – if you are able to teach in rural and remote areas you have a much greater chance of getting a permanent position

• be the best teacher you can be, and ensure your suitability ranking reflects your skill – the reality is jobs will go to those with Outstanding rankings first

• know your industrial rights – read your QTU Journal and the electronic newsletter sent out each term, Temporary Teacher Communiqué

• understand the conversion to permanency process

• complete the QTU’s “Temporary teachers seeking advocacy” form

• get your facts straight (not all staff room advice, even if well intended, is accurate) – if in doubt, contact the QTU.

Penny SpaldingASSISTANT SECRETARY - WOMEN'S AND SOCIAL WELFARE ISSUES

Union movement puts portable entitlements on the agenda

News

Unions campaigning for better job security in Australia are in for the long haul, ACTU Secretary Dave Oliver has declared.

Addressing the National Press Club in Canberra, Oliver said job and income security would be over-riding themes for unions in the 2013 election year.

He also called on Opposition Leader Tony Abbott not to shut the door if he wins the election, warning that almost 300,000 union members in marginal seats are being mobilised to hold all parties to account.

He said: “Australians see the standards we had built up collapsing, and they fear not only for their own jobs, but for the jobs they worry might not be there for their children.

“So the union movement’s agenda will be focused on job and income security, and the things that have always been a part of the Australian fair go at work.”

Oliver said reversing the trend towards insecure work would take many years – as did the historic creation of a universal superannuation guarantee – but unions had identified some priorities that they would be pursuing this election year.

One of these will be a national scheme for portable leave entitlements that can be transferred from one job to the other.

“We live in a world where many people have two or three employers one week, and the next week just one,” Oliver said.

“In this world, entitlements that we all agree should be the right of everyone with an Australian job – things like annual leave and sick leave – don’t translate very well.

“If you’re doing nine hours at one childcare employer and 18 hours at another, and you get sick, at the moment, you probably have no right to sick pay from either boss.

“Now, some industries have solved this problem. In many parts of the construction industry, those entitlements travel with you, across employers from job to job, accruing regardless of who’s paying you.

“We go into this election saying that all Australians should have this. As Australians, we work hard, and we deserve our holidays. When we get sick our bills don’t stop – we need to know that we’ll still be able to make rent or cover the mortgage. They are things that every working Australian should have.

“And the way to achieve that is through a national scheme to make those entitlements available to everyone, by making them portable.”

EST deadlineTime is running out for teachers eligible for the 2013 round of applications for the experienced senior teacher (EST) classification.

Applications opened on Friday 1 March and are due to close on Thursday 4 April. Applications are via the SmartJobs website (www.smartjobs.qld.gov.au).

For more information on EST, read the QTU advice brochure at www.qtu.asn.au/collections/brochures/current-brochures-advice/experienced-senior-teacherexperienced-senior-teacher/

School leavers face shrinking job marketQueensland’s increasing jobless rate will make 2013 a hard year for school leavers and recent graduates entering the job market, the Queensland Council of Unions has warned.

With a jobless rate for December of 6.2 per cent (up 0.1 per cent from November), Queensland continues to trend above the national jobless rate of 5.4 per cent, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics labour force figures.

QCU President John Battams said Queensland’s economic indicators showed that 2013 would be tough for many school leavers, recent graduates and families under the Newman government.

“This government says that it’s just over halfway through its planned 14,000 job cuts, so there will be even more Queenslanders worrying about their financial security in the coming months.

“It’s time for Mr Newman to actually lead this state, and ensure that Queenslanders have jobs to sustain their families and communities.

“The LNP government’s slash and burn philosophy has put us into reverse growth, and Campbell Newman can’t seem to find the forward gears.”



Beginning teachers

Ben Crowley Urangan Point State School

Years of teachingI have been teaching for two years full-time, but like many beginning teachers had to do the relief circuit for two terms prior.

Union involvementI became involved after being asked to attend a branch meeting by my previous principal. I am now a Union Representative at my school and am hoping that I will be able to attend an Area Council meeting soon.

On the UnionSeeing friends who work in professions that don’t have a strong union makes me feel sorry for them. I am glad that our Union has fought for our rights and conditions in the past and will keep fighting even harder in the future.

Advice to beginning teachersI have two tips.

• No matter how “bad” it is now, next term will be better.

• Try to find another teacher to “bounce some ideas off”, it will most likely end up with you getting new ideas from them.

Most rewarding experienceThis happened this year with a student who had returned from a two-year absence from school. After the first week back, the class was writing personal reflections on the start to the new school year. This particular student had written: “I love school now, and I wish the teacher was my brother”.

Beginning to teach As a new educator and an employee of DETE, there are certain formal requirements that you must fulfill during your first year of teaching.

ProbationAll new permanent employees of DETE undergo a period of probation upon appointment, including formal induction and supervision, to satisfy the employer of their suitability for continuing employment.

For teachers, the probation period is eight months. You must be confirmed in your position or have your engagement terminated before the end of the eighth month of employment. For teachers appointed at the beginning of a school year, this will be immediately prior to the September school holidays.

At the end of your first three months, you will be provided with a performance review by your principal, which must be recorded on the applicable form. Any areas of concern must be identified and an agreed action plan developed.

The induction and monitoring process will vary according to the workplace and the needs of individual employees. The program may involve classroom observations, monitoring of planning and assessment and some form of professional support/mentoring.

A formal appraisal will be conducted by the end of six months of service (usually July), resulting in a recommendation of either confirmation or termination of appointment.

Provisional registrationIn Queensland, the law provides that only registered teachers may be employed to teach in any school. On completion of an approved teacher qualification, a teacher can be granted provisional registration. This allows you to teach for up to two years until you are granted full registration by the Queensland College of Teachers (QCT). This process is totally separate from consideration for employment.

Full registration as a teacher may be granted after a year of successful full-time teaching or the equivalent (200 days).

During provisional registration, you must demonstrate that you meet the professional standards for full registration (go to www.qct.edu.au to learn more). The college requires your principal to complete the “Provisional to full registration recommendation report” to verify that you have met the standards (see the QCT website).

InductionIn the certified agreement, there is a commitment to a gradual roll-out of compulsory introduction to teaching and induction programs for beginning teachers. These may take the form of the Flying Start induction program and current practices employed under the Partners for Success program, including the DETE new educator induction website. This new section of the website does not replace a school induction program, it supports and builds on it.

Ultimately, the induction program must meet the needs of the teacher, the school and the wider school community; therefore programs will vary from school to school.

If you have concerns, you should initially speak with your immediate supervisor, e.g. HOD or HOC. If your concerns are not addressed, discuss the matter with your QTU Union Representative. If there is no QTU Rep at your school, contact your QTU Regional Organiser (a list can be found at the back of this Journal or at www.qtu.asn.au). Alternatively, email [email protected]

To find out more, read the QTU information brochure “Beginning to teach” at www.qtu.asn.au/brochures-beginning-to-teach

Lynn Cowie-McAlisterASSISTANT SECRETARY - SERVICES

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Legal

One of the most important areas for teachers to be aware of in terms of contemporary professional practice is the need to maintain professional distance from students.

This is vital for the maintenance of professional standards, child protection issues and, indeed, the protection of teachers from allegations that their interactions with students are improperly motivated.

All contact with students outside the discharge of professional duties is potentially problematic, particularly if it is not known or approved by supervisors. This does not only apply during the teacher/student relationship, it can continue for some time afterwards. It is acknowledged that the power imbalance inherent in the teacher/student relationship can continue to influence students and make them vulnerable to exploitation for a period of time after the ending of the formal teacher/student relationship.

As in all professional ethics matters, it is important both to be aware of the underlying principles, indeed to have internalised them so that one’s instincts are consistent with those principles, and also to be aware of the detailed and specific directions which may apply.

In the case of teachers employed by the Department of Education, Training and Employment, the provisions of the code of conduct and the standard of practice are critical. Protecting students from harm, including interactions with students, is dealt with in Section 1.5 of the standard of practice, on pages 4 to 7. In this article,

we wish to emphasise a number of specific passages which appear near the bottom of page 5 and the top of page 6. These are detailed and specific, and while there is not room to set them all out here, we will highlight a number of them.

In relation to mobile phones:

• “you must not communicate with students using a personal mobile phone, either verbally or by text message, unless prior approval has been given by your principal or supervisor”

• “you must discourage students from such communication with staff”

• “use of the departmental mobile phone must be for official purposes only”.

In relation to email:

• “you must ensure you do not communicate with students from a private or personal email address”

• “departmental policies which allow for communication with students via departmental email must be for official purposes only”.

In relation to photography:

• “you must not use personal cameras or mobile phones to photograph students unless prior approval has been given by your principal or supervisor”

• “the use of a personal or departmental

mobile phone or camera to photograph students must be for official purposes only”

• “parental or custodial approval must be given for the publication of photographs of students”.

In relation to social media sites:

• “you must not use social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Myspace or YouTube to contact or access students enrolled in any state educational facility”

• “you must not use official departmental social media sites for inappropriate or non-work related communication”

• “you must only establish an official social media presence/site with approval from an appropriate manager”

• “if you use private social media sites in your personal time, you must ensure that the content is appropriate and private and that you restrict access to people who are not students”.

The list is not exhaustive. You should regularly read these provisions, and ensure that you comply.

Andrew KnottTRESSCOX LAWYERS

Maintaining professional distance – the importance of specific instructions

Working for seniors As a statewide organisation representing retired teachers through branches in Brisbane, Toowoomba, Maryborough, Townsville and Rockhampton, the QRTA is affiliated with the Queensland Teachers' Union, QTMB and Teachers’ Union Health. The branches organise regular meetings/social gatherings for the social wellbeing of the members.

Also, the QRTA is a member of the Seniors Sector Roundtable (SSR) which was initiated in February 2007. Representatives from eight seniors’ organisations meet monthly and work closely with government on seniors’ issues and needs by advising on budgets and policies which will benefit all seniors. QRTA is also represented at the Brisbane Seniors’ Network, which is chaired this year by Brisbane City Council. This group comprises organisations working for seniors and those whose interest lies in commercial ventures for seniors, such as retirement villages.

As a senior living in the community, it is necessary to know how to access the right institution for you. One avenue would be your local GP. More information comes from friends and family and their knowledge of the community. The Seniors One Stop information line, through Lifeline and Uniting Care, and Home Assist Secure are other ways seniors and their carers can gain information. Brisbane City Council’s commitment to enabling seniors to benefit from and contribute to a shared vision for the future of Brisbane and those who live there is detailed in the Seniors’ Strategy 2012-2017, which is available through the council offices by phone or the BCC website.

While health, aged care, income support and housing are the responsibility of the Australian and Queensland Governments, the council aims to improve the quality of life for seniors by addressing such areas as community facilities, sports and recreation, environmental programs, transport planning and strategy, and public transport services.

Our first activity was successfully held in March. This Morning Tea at the Irish Club was made possible through a grant for seniors’ social activities from the Brisbane City Council.

On April 19 there will be a tour of Newstead House and morning tea. Newstead House is approximately 15 minutes drive from Brisbane’s CBD, and Brisbane City Council buses pass the entrance. Alight at stop 12. Timetable information is available from Translink (13 12 30) or from its website. River City Cruises also cruise to Newstead House twice daily. Bookings are essential (call 0428 278 473). Please note that there is limited parking in Newstead Park. Please notify Pam MacKenzie on 3844 9660 or email [email protected] of your attendance for booking purposes.

Noela RogersQRTA PRESIDENT


Retired teachers

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Classroom observationThe issue of classroom observation has a long, sometimes acrimonious, history but both the QTU and the department know that, done properly, classroom observation and feedback by teaching colleagues is a valuable strategy to help develop teaching practice.

In accordance with the Joint Statement on Collegial Engagement in Classrooms, schools should determine the nature and frequency of any classroom observations, including feedback opportunities, through consultation with teaching staff. This consultation process must involve consideration by the local consultative committee.

The principal, therefore, cannot simply instruct one teacher to observe another teacher’s class without the entire school staff being consulted. The LCC should consider the following questions.

Who will be doing the observing? Is it a student teacher, a beginning teacher on probation or a teaching peer who is involved in planning with that classroom teacher? Is it a HOD, HOC, DP or other school leader? The process for evaluating teachers on probation is separate.

How often will these occur?Are the lesson observations going to be weekly, monthly, annually or a one-off? Are they for everyone, or just some teachers? The statement says it should be accommodated into the normal routine of the school.

What is the purpose of the observation?The statement says that it should be positive and collegial, not inspectorial or performance-checking.

Will there be feedback? The purpose of observation is to provide feedback to teachers to help them reflect and improve their professional practice. The QTU believes that the feedback is between the teacher being observed and the observer and that only the person being observed should get any written feedback.

If the lesson observation is done more in the spirit of a mentor/mentee relationship, for example when the principal wants a teacher to observe a colleague who they believe is exemplary, then the LCC needs to agree that this is appropriate. If agreed by staff, then a formal buddy system could be established at the start of the year. Teachers can volunteer to give demonstration lessons to their peers.

Do I have to use my non-contact time to observe another teacher?Teachers observing another teacher’s practice can asked to be covered rather than using limited non-contact time to do the observations, but that would have to be locally negotiated. A teacher can’t be directed to use their own non-contact time to observe another teacher.

In summary, the QTU believes that, where possible, principals, deputy principals and heads of programs should be involved in classroom observations. However, there is nothing preventing these observations being undertaken by your peers, provided a decision to allow this to occur has been taken by the LCC and has the consensus of all teaching staff.

Professional reading update"From school improvement to sustained capacity” , Frank Crowther, Corwin (2011)

This book is the culmination of Crowther’s IDEAS project, which considered school improvement in an international context in more than 350 schools. His contribution extends beyond the latest edu-speak buzz words, and demonstrates genuine understanding for the everyday experience of school leaders and their communities.

Three research questions are posed.

1. What is needed for school improvement?

2. What are the constituent parts of capacity building as a process of building and sustaining school success?

3. What forms of leadership are needed in order to ensure capacity building for sustainable school success?

Crowther’s response includes the creation of a capacity-building “COSMIC” model defining six dynamics of leadership:

1. Committing to school revitalisation

2. Organisational diagnosis and coherence

3. Seeking new heights

4. Micro-pedagogical deepening

5. Invoking reaction

6. Consolidating success.

Crowther also conceptualises a model of parallel leadership that promotes sustained capacity-building that can lead to school improvement. Several examples of parallel leadership are explored, each embodying collaborative work environments in which teachers and administrators demonstrate mutual trust and shared purpose, with respect for individual expression.

The IDEAS project includes among its principles of practice the notion that “teachers are the key” and environments of “no blame”. “From school improvement to sustained capacity” inspires cultures of trust and respect for the teaching profession.


Vol 118 No 2 | Queensland Teachers' Journal 29 Profits back to members Value for money products High quality services

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1300 360 701 www.tuh.com.au

Ifyoujoinbefore12April2013

yougetthe2ndmonthfree*

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Winedown

Gibbston Valley is a highly regarded Central Otago winery and Jenni came back from a NZ holiday with a bottle of its Pinot Blanc 2011. The rest of us chose wines we thought would be good summer drinking.

Pinot Blanc is a mutation from Pinot Noir. In California it is considered as an alternative to Chardonnay, with the same body but less fruit. For this wine, the fruit had been hand harvested, whole bunch pressed and drained to old oak barrels, where fermentation with indigenous yeast took place for a year before bottling. This is dry, complex, brooding wine that opens up with a bit of time in the glass to show a nose of dried flowers, with good palate weight and excellent length. The mouthfeel is more like Semillon than Chardonnay and some of us thought this wine could age quite well. The alcohol level is 14.5 per cent but the wine carries it easily.

Although only established in 2007, Dandelion Vineyard is fast making a name for itself, as the winemaker Elena Brooks shows a deft touch with fruit from South Australia. The Twilight of the Eden Valley Chardonnay 2010 is a thoroughly modern style Chardonnay. It was

bottled without fining and given minimal filtration to retain the essence of the vineyard. In the glass, the wine is bright, light gold in colour with a bouquet of melon and stone fruit. The palate is full, complex and beautifully balanced, with a touch of creaminess and a nuanced oak background. A core of minerally acid helps provide further structure. The alcohol level is 13 per cent, with minimal use of sulphur dioxide. We sourced this wine for less than $14.

The Cape Geographe label is a collaboration between online retailer Glug Wines and winemaker Mark Warren. 2011 was a good vintage year in the Margaret River, where the blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc

is one of the signature wines. Fewer than a thousand cases were made of the Cape Geographe Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2011 and it is very good example of both the style and the region. Fresh and clean, the nose flows onto the palate with scrumptious fruit and excellent acid balance, all coming to a brisk finish. Alcohol is just over 13 per cent.

Modern style Rosé has to be a starter for summer drinks and the Krondorf The Growers Barossa Valley Grenache Rosé 2012 is a stand-out example. The wine is bright in the glass, with a soft palate of crushed red summer berry flavours. There is no trace of sweetness, and the acid, while soft, is sufficient to provide a backbone to the wine, which comes to an attractive and lingering finish. The alcohol level is 13.5 per cent, but the balance carries this. We considered it an exemplary example of a modern Rosé.

Keryn Archer, Jenni Holmes, Rob O’Brien and Warwick Jull

Guy Sebastian Memphis AlbumTwo words I never thought would ever grace this page – Guy Sebastian – WAIT, don’t turn the page!

I had the fortune over Christmas to be in one of our major department stores when they off-loaded all of their CDs at $4.95. Among the armful I picked up was this. I was attracted to the title ( I’m a fan of 60s Southern soul), so took a chance.

I was mightily impressed by all the talent on this album, as have been several of my friends who, indulgently at first, were amazed. By using many of the original musicians of the era – Steve Cropper, Donald “Duck” Dunn, Steve Potts (all original Booker T and the MGs members) and Lester Snell, and Dave Smith – Sebastian has created a perfect platform to display his impressive range of expression and technical prowess.

The Memphis Album is an excellent

introduction, or revisitation, to Memphis soul, and a good introduction to Guy Sebastian for those unfamiliar with his talent or intellectually averse towards any Idol releases (guilty as charged). For hardened soul collectors, the backing tracks by the MGs and Memphis Horns alone should be enough incentive to track down this CD; Guy Sebastian’s sheer talent will be a revelation.

Sons of Rogues Gallery Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and ChanteysThe original Rogues Gallery album, with a stellar musical cast, was released in conjunction with the second Pirates of the Caribbean film. The new album, stretched long over two discs and two hours plus, is a hearty listen.

The compilation’s heartbreaking highlight is the Tom Waits and Keith Richards duet “Shenandoah”. Through voices “thick with decades of rum” and Richards’ delicate guitar

solo, the pair recall rivers and women which have loved and betrayed them.

There is plenty more to delight. There’s The Pogues’ Shane MacGowan with “Leaving of Liverpool”, with both Depp and Verbinski providing guitar solos. Another pair of standouts are “Barnacle Bill The Sailor” by Kembra Pfahler, with her voice like a siren song, and Beth Orton’s “River Come Down”.

There’s room for fun too. Iggy Pop is hilarious on “A**hole Rules the Navy”. as is Swans’ Michael Gira on “Whiskey Johnny”, while New Orleans natives Ivan Neville and Dr. John balance humour and swagger on their respective numbers. Also included are Nick Cave, Sean Lennon, Macy Gray, Todd Rundgren, (as well as a surprise Frank Zappa instrumental recorded in 1968).

After listening to this rollicking recording, you may regret that pirates have long ceased to spark your imagination.

Perry Anderson

Turn It Up


At leisure


Lighter side

What happens on camp should stay on camp...

Having just returned from year seven camp, I am suffering from an acute case of "camp voice’".

Basically, this means that my voice has dropped significantly and I now sound quite masculine. Frustratingly, I do not have an infection or any soreness associated with "camp voice", so having a couple of days at home on the couch is not really viable. I seem to contract this affliction every year after camp from talking non-stop and becoming deliriously tired and giggly by the last day. Perhaps it’s a way of coping with the horror of camp food and its impact on my digestive system.

Have you ever found yourself reaching for your fourth piece of toast on camp and wondering just when it was you decided weak orange cordial was a reasonable drink to consume at breakfast time? And every single camp meal is eaten as if it is your last – a frantic consumption of foodstuffs you rarely consume and a tendency to stockpile for later (I start collecting items such as muffins and wrapping them in paper

napkins to take out on camp activities, lest I starve in the hour and a half before our next meal). I also feel the need to seek out seconds and thirds of many of the meals, even if I have complained my way through the first serving of it. I also become an avid consumer of chocolates and chips bought along by my fellow teachers. I like to combine this with a rapid spike in my caffeine intake for maximum impact. By the end of camp, I’m so full of sugar and heavily processed white foods that I am behaving like a child with ADHD who has forgotten their medication. No wonder my husband is always so delighted by my return.

Days of being the first point of contact for over a hundred children ensures that when you finally make it home (and dispose of the five muffins wrapped in napkins still lurking in your backpack), your mind plays tricks on you. The constant cry of “Miss Adams! Miss Adams!” follows me around the house and leads to a guilty, heart-stopping moment when drinking a well-deserved glass of wine before dinner. Regaling my husband with hilarious tales from my few days away,

I come to the startling realisation that sometimes what happens on camp should stay on camp, if only because no one else can fully appreciate the highlights unless they also attended…and are also so tired that they try to open the fridge from the side without a handle.

Just like my young charges, I am manic and highly animated in the first few hours home, only to fall sound asleep on the couch while watching the DVD I insisted on viewing and then sleeping a solid 12 hours in a position that cramps my neck and leaves my face heavily creased by my pillow. I also wake up to "camp voice" and a craving for healthy food and clean clothes.

Christina Adams

"By the end of camp, I’m so full of sugar and heavily processed white foods that I am behaving like a child with ADHD who has forgotten their medication"

Reconsider axing teacher exchange?I could spend forever detailing the professional value of teacher exchange, but instead let me attempt to appeal to the current financial, political climate.

Departments are being told to cut costs and do so with little or no consideration to the bigger picture of our local economy.

Education Queensland has axed teacher exchange. From talking to people on exchange and completing an exchange myself, I suggest the following information to be average:

• family expenditure of $40,000 in local travel when on exchange

• 20 exchange families a year across our state

• two lots of visitors visit exchange people spending $15,000 on local travel

• further travel from relationships created as a result of the exchange program.

Education and travel are the only two non-primary industries that our local economy has. Have our various Ministers across industries given thought to where funding cuts are taking place and in turn the impact in the big picture?

I believe that teacher exchange continues to generate money into our state’s economy well beyond $1,500,000 annually. The program itself I guess would have cost the government less than $50,000 per annum. Pretty good returns one would think?

Cindy Bin TahalQTU MEMBER

Letters

Letters should be sent to "The General Secretary, Queensland Teachers' Journal Editor, PO Box 1750 Milton BC 4064, faxed to (07) 3512 9050 or emailed to [email protected]. Letters should be no more than 200 words in length.


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To inquire about advertising or to place a classified in the Journal, contact (07) 3512 9000, visit www.qtu.asn.au/journal or email [email protected] Financial members can list in the classifieds for half price.

Is anxiety interfering with your life?If you experience anxiety that is so overwhelming it interferes with your ability to function from day to day, you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder. If this situation seems familiar, there is a range of treatments that can help you.

How do you know if you have an anxiety disorder?People with an anxiety disorder feel distressed a lot of the time for no apparent reason. An episode can be so severe that it is immobilising.

You might experience:

• persistent, excessive or unrealistic worries

• compulsions and obsessions which you can’t control

• intense anxiety about social situations

• panic attacks

• an intense, irrational fear of everyday objects or situations.

The physical effects that you feel might include a pounding heart, difficulty breathing, upset stomach, muscle tension, sweating, choking, or feeling faint or shaky.

How can anxiety be helped?With the appropriate treatment and support, most people can deal with their symptoms successfully and get on with their lives. Treatment can help people to manage, reduce or even eliminate the symptoms associated with anxiety disorders. Diagnosis is usually made by a psychiatrist. Clinical psychologists, mental health nurses, social workers or counsellors often manage ongoing treatment.

Effective treatments include medication, cognitive behaviour therapy (where you can

learn new and effective ways to cope with your symptoms) and community support and recovery programs.

How to get helpThe first step to getting help is to see a doctor. If you have a loved one or friend who needs help, offer to go with them to make this first step, and ask for a longer appointment so that there is time to talk to the doctor about your concerns. In preparation for this visit, it is often helpful to write some notes to help you explain what’s happening.

To learn more about anxiety disorders, call Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or access their website at www.beyondblue.org.au.

Classifieds

Health

This column supplied by TUH.

Office No. of Positions

State Council Representative of a BranchLockyer ..................................................................................................................................... 1Fassifern .................................................................................................................................. 1Springwood ............................................................................................................................... 1

TAFE Council Representative in a Branch or group of BranchesBNIT - Brisbane North .............................................................................................................. 1

Nominations close midday on Tuesday, 16 April 2013Candidates for election must be financial members of the Union at the close of nominations. All nominations must be inwriting and signed by the nominee. Nomination forms must also be signed by at least two (2) financial members of theUnion, provided that:

Nominees for State Council Representative of a Branch must be a member of the relevant Branch and signed by at leasttwo (2) financial members of the relevant Branch.

Nominees for TAFE Council Representative must be a member of the respective TAFE Division Branch and be signed byat least two (2) financial members of the relevant Tafe Branch.

Candidates who wish to withdraw their nomination may do so five (5) clear days after the close of nominations. Prospectivecandidates and their nominators should verify their financial status and other qualifications required by the Union (refer toUnion Rules 6.4 & 6.5).

Nominations open at midday on Friday, 15 March 2013. Nominations must be in writing, comply with the registered rulesof the Union and reach the Electoral Commission of Queensland no later than midday on Tuesday, 16 April2013.

A nomination form suitable for use in this election is printed with this Journal. Nomination forms are also available fromyour Union’s office, the Electoral Commission and the Commission’s website www.ecq.qld.gov.au. Any form of nominationthat complies with the Union’s rules is acceptable.

Nominations may be received by means of hand delivery, post, facsimile or any other electronic means that includes thesignatures of the nominees and nominators. Nominees should ensure that their nomination is received by the Commissionand can be clearly read.

Acknowledgement correspondence from the Commission will be sent via email.Please ensure your email address has been provided on the nomination form.

BallotShould a ballot be necessary to elect State Council Representative of a Branch or TAFE Council Representative of aBranch position, the Commission will conduct a secret postal ballot of financial members of the Union in the respectiveBranch/TAFE Division.

The above ballots, if required, will open on Thursday, 16 May 2013 and close at midday on Friday, 7 June 2013.

JAMES STUARTReturning Officer21 February 2013

ELECTORAL COMMISSION of QUEENSLANDLevel 6 160 Mary Street, Brisbane, Qld

GPO Box 1393 BRISBANE QLD 4001Telephone (07) 3035 8041 or 1300 881 665 Facsimile (07) 3221 5387

Email: [email protected]

Queensland Teachers Union of EmployeesElection Notice

The Queensland Industrial Registrar has issued a Decision, pursuant to the Industrial Relations Act 1999, that the ElectoralCommission of Queensland conduct an election for positions of office within the Queensland Teachers Union of Employees.


Queensland Teachers Union of EmployeesNomination Form

Nominations close at midday on Tuesday, 16 April 2013We the undersigned financial members of the Queensland Teachers Union of Employees, hereby nominate

Member No Ms/Mr/Other

for the position of - (Tick the box to indicate the position of office the nominee is standing for)

State Council Representative of a Branch TAFE Council Representative in a Branch or group of Branches

Lockyer BNIT - Brisbane North

Fassifern

Springwood

Membership No. Full Name Signature

Consent to Nomination (Candidate to Complete)

And I, a financial member of the Queensland

Teachers Union of Employees from Branch, do

hereby agree to be nominated and to act if elected.

Address:Postcode

Telephone: (Home) (Business)

(Mobile) Facsimile:

E-mail:

Signature: Date:Acknowledgement correspondence from the Commission will be sent via email.

Please ensure your email address has been provided on the nomination form.

(Print the full name of the person you are nominating)(Courtesy Title)

ELECTORAL COMMISSION of QUEENSLANDLevel 6 160 Mary Street, Brisbane, Qld

GPO Box 1393 BRISBANE QLD 4001Telephone (07) 3035 8041 or 1300 881 665 Facsimile (07) 3221 5387

Email: [email protected]

(Branch name)

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QTAD (Queensland Teachers Assist Desk): 1300 117 823 Telephone: (07) 3512 9000 Fax: (07) 3512 9050 Email: [email protected] Web: www.qtu.asn.au Address: 21 Graham Street, Milton | PO Box 1750, Milton BC Qld 4064 Facebook: www.facebook.com/QueenslandTeachersUnion

All officers, organisers and members of Executive may be contacted through the Union office, except where an alternative is given below.

Senior Officers OrganisersPresident Mr K. Bates a/h phone 0418 789 162 twitter.com/QTUPresident

Vice-President Ms J. Brown a/h phone (07) 5577 3706

Honorary Vice-President Ms S. Pidgeon

General Secretary Mr G. Moloney a/h phone (07) 3263 9592

Deputy General Secretary Mr B. Welch

Deputy General Secretary Ms K. Ruttiman a/h phone 0419 655 749

Brisbane based:

Telephone (07)3512 9000 or email [email protected]

Mr B. Crotty (Brisbane South)

Ms F. McNamara (Brisbane North)

Ms K. O’Neill (Redlands/Logan)

Mr S. Dunne (acting, Moreton)

Mr D. Terauds (TAFE) [email protected]

Regional:

Mr Z. Sugden (South Queensland) 1-3 Russell St (cnr Neil St), PO Box 2859, Toowoomba Qld 4350 Phone (07) 4614 4600, fax (07) 4614 4650 Email: [email protected]

Ms J. Gilbert (North Queensland) 15 Palmer Street PO Box 5622, Townsville MC Qld 4810 Phone (07) 4722 6400, fax (07) 4722 6450Email: [email protected]

Ms L. Esders (Gold Coast) Bldg 6, 175 Varsity Parade, Varsity Lakes 4227 PO Box 4, Varsity Lakes 4227 Phone: (07) 5562 6800, fax: (07) 5562 6850 Email: [email protected]

Ms M. Duffy (Peninsula)255 Mulgrave Road PO Box 275, Westcourt Qld 4870 Phone (07) 4046 7500, fax (07) 4046 7550Email: [email protected]

Mr S. Welch (Wide Bay) Shop 6, 264 Bazaar Street, PO Box 150, Maryborough Qld 4650 Phone (07) 4120 0300, fax (07) 4120 0350 or a/h (07) 4151 8178 Email: [email protected]

Mr T. Evans (Sunshine Coast) 6a, 9 Capital Place, Birtinya PO Box 159, Buddina Qld 4575 Phone: (07) 5413 1700, fax: (07) 5413 1750Email: [email protected]

Mr B. Thomson (Central Queensland)Rockhampton Trade Union Centre, 110-114 Campbell St, Rockhampton, Qld 4700 Phone (07) 4920 4200, fax (07) 4920 4250 or a/h (07) 4928 8177Email: [email protected]

Executive membersMr P. AndersonMs R. AndersonMr A. BeattieDr P. DarbenMs M. JacksonMs B. LinesMs M. MaguireMs R. SugdenMs. P. TaylorMr A. ThompsonMs A. WelchMs L. Winch

Assistant secretaries - ServicesMr M. Anghel Mr J. BackenMs P. BousenMs K. Creedon (Acting)Ms L. Cowie-McAlister

Assistant secretary - Services/Women's CoordinatorMs P. Spalding

Assistant secretary - Research and IndustrialMs T. Edmonds, Dr J. McCollowMs L. Mertens Mr. C. Wood (acting)

Treatment for voice disorders

It has been estimated that up to 16 per cent of teachers have a voice disorder.

Speech pathology and ENT services of Gold Coast Health Service District are conducting a research project entitled “A comparison between standard voice treatment and high intensity voice treatment programs for functional voice disorders”. This project is being funded by the Queensland Health (HP) Health Practitioner Research Grant Scheme.

The project team is currently looking for potential participants with a suspected functional voice disorder to be part of this innovative research.

Participants will be randomly allocated to receive voice treatment in either an intensive (one hour a day, four days a week for two weeks) or standard model (one hour a week for eight weeks). Treatment is provided by a qualified speech pathologist at Robina Hospital at no cost to the participant.

If you are interested, contact Chloe on 5668 5969 or Rachel on 5519 8401 or email [email protected].

News


Contact details

Serviceton South State School is celebrating its 50th anniversary on Saturday 31 August. The formal ceremony will start at 10am in the hall followed by a community event from 11.30am - 3.30pm. All past students and staff are invited to attend.

Woolooga School is celebrating its 100th anniversary on 6 October and all past teachers are invited to attend. Past teachers are invited to write an article on their time at the school. This should be emailed before 1 April. For more information, please email [email protected]

Pilton State School is celebrating its 100th anniversary on 12 October. All past students and teachers are invited to attend. For more information, email [email protected]

Kingston State High School's 1984 year 12 graduates are holding a 30 year school reunion in 2014 and would like to make contact with teachers who taught their year. Please contact Lai Tattis on [email protected], at www.classcreator.com/Brisbane-Australia-Kingston-State-1984 or www.facebook.com/groups/598660420147410/

Submit your events to: [email protected] or fax (07) 3512 9050

Anniversaries/reunions

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