Anonymous #457

Submitter information

Name

Anonymous #457

Where are you located?

Victoria

What type of area do you live in?

Regional or rural

Are you an education professional?
(e.g. teacher, school leader, learning support assistant, teacher’s aide)

Yes

Which sector do you work in?

Secondary

What is your occupation?

Teacher

Elevating the profession

The actions proposed recognise the value teachers bring to students, communities and the economy.

Somewhat agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Respect
Respect for the teaching profession has deteriorated for decades. Teachers need government support to address the negativity often presented in the media.
1. Create a team with the specific role to celebrate success stories in schools and rebut negative stories in mainstream media.
2. Government advertising to attract young people into the profession that highlight the many wonderful moments in education.

Valuing Classroom teachers
Choosing to remain in the classroom (and not pursue administration) should be seen as a valid career choice and respected and NOT seen as lacking ambition. A classroom teacher brings a range of skills and expertise that should be validated in itself.
NO OUT OF FIELD TEACHING !!!!!!!! Students deserve better than this…..a national problem. Email me, if this needs explanation.

Subject specific
Specialist subjects need support. Home Economics, Outdoor Education, and other practical subjects need lower class sizes and university support. These subjects need to be reinvigorated, if we are to become a fitter, less obese nation. The money spent here, will save much more in the future.
Indigenous awareness education should be mandatory.
Boys in education is another area that needs a pilot program.
Career advancement
Career advancement has always been problematic. Teachers in the system have to eventually make a choice between administration or face to face teaching purely for financial reasons. Pathways need to be created that allow a fluid intersect between these choices.
1. Assistant Principals/Managers should have a maximum period in administration before returning to the class room. This would create more movement in the system and reduce the tension between administration and class room teacher.
2. Create a pay structure that values classroom teachers, through Learning Specialists or Advanced Skills Teachers.
3. Provide Teacher Registrations throughout Australia rather than based on state boundaries.

Improving teacher supply

The actions proposed will be effective in increasing the number of students entering ITE, number of students completing ITE and the number of teachers staying in and/or returning to the profession.

Somewhat agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Encouraging future teachers.
An all-out effort needs to be made to attract teachers in to the profession.
1. No HECS for future students.

2. Scholarships for students based on interviews at university.

3. Studentships that bond prospective teachers to anywhere in the state/territories for three to five years.

4. More flexibility in acknowledging prior learning by universities. The current situation acts as a disincentive rather than an incentive.

5. Discuss with universities acknowledging prior learning subjects that have credits that have “expired”.

6. Expand work placement for undergraduates, so that they get real world experience in the classroom.

Strengthening Initial Teacher Education (ITE)

The actions proposed will ensure initial teacher education supports teacher supply and quality.

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Maximising the time to teach

The actions proposed will improve retention and free up teachers to focus on teaching and collaboration.

Somewhat disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Retaining experienced staff
Experienced staff need to be retained to pass on their experience to younger staff before the imminent retirement of many older teachers.
1. Use the Norway model of giving senior staff some classroom time release to mentor and /or team teach younger or inexperienced staff. This approach has the benefit of providing guidance to inexperienced staff and ensure that classroom management issues become diminished. This may reduce the teacher exodus of under 5 year experience teachers.

2. Address the potential ageism in the profession by celebrating experience and not denigrating it.

3. Provide Professional Development support for older teachers, in order for them to navigate new technologies.


Retaining inexperienced staff
It is critical that we retain younger staff, through mentors, wellbeing staff and administration support.
1. All schools should have a Staff wellbeing coordinator that can support staff in a non- judgemental manner and be a listening voice for staff.

2. Re introduce the Teacher Release to Industry Project. (Victoria 1980s/1990s). This project was a victim of its own success. Many staff were so impressive they left education and stayed in industry. TRIP provided a potential circuit breaker for staff to have a change of scenery. The contract for this project could stipulate that this would be a one or two year tenure to ensure teaching staff aren’t lost to the system.

3. Explore a nationwide rollout of Victoria’s Strategic Partnership Program, which is another great PD opportunity.

Better understanding future teacher workforce needs

How effective are the proposed actions in better understanding future teacher workforce needs, including the number of teachers required?

Moderately effective

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Valuing Classroom teachers
Choosing to remain in the classroom (and not pursue administration) should be seen as a valid career choice and respected and NOT seen as lacking ambition. A classroom teacher brings a range of skills and expertise that should be validated in itself.
NO OUT OF FIELD TEACHING !!!!!!!! Students deserve better than this…..a national problem. Email me, if this needs explanation.

Subject specific
Specialist subjects need support. Home Economics, Outdoor Education, and other practical subjects need lower class sizes and university support. These subjects need to be reinvigorated, if we are to become a fitter, less obese nation. The money spent here, will save much more in the future.
Indigenous awareness education should be mandatory.
Boys in education is another area that needs a pilot program.

Career advancement
Career advancement has always been problematic. Teachers in the system have to eventually make a choice between administration or face to face teaching purely for financial reasons. Pathways need to be created that allow a fluid intersect between these choices.
1. Assistant Principals/Managers should have a maximum period in administration before returning to the class room. This would create more movement in the system and reduce the tension between administration and class room teacher.
2. Create a pay structure that values classroom teachers, through Learning Specialists or Advanced Skills Teachers.
3. Provide Teacher Registrations throughout Australia rather than based on state boundaries. This would allow greater freedom of movement for casual relief and staff on leave from the profession.

Retaining experienced staff
Experienced staff need to be retained to pass on their experience to younger staff before the imminent retirement of many older teachers.
Use the Norway model of giving senior staff some classroom time release to mentor and /or team teach younger or inexperienced staff. This approach has the benefit of providing guidance to inexperienced staff and ensure that classroom management issues become diminished. This may reduce the teacher exodus of under 5 year experience teachers.

Better career pathways to support and retain teachers in the profession

The proposed actions will improve career pathways, including through streamlining the process for Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher (HALT) accreditation, and providing better professional support for teachers to retain them in the profession.

Somewhat agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Retaining inexperienced staff
It is critical that we retain younger staff, through mentors, wellbeing staff and administration support.
1. All schools should have a Staff wellbeing coordinator that can support staff in a non- judgemental manner and be a listening voice for staff.

2. Re introduce the Teacher Release to Industry Project. (Victoria 1980s/1990s). This project was a victim of its own success. Many staff were so impressive they left education and stayed in industry. TRIP provided a potential circuit breaker for staff to have a change of scenery. The contract for this project could stipulate that this would be a one or two year tenure to ensure teaching staff aren’t lost to the system.

3. Explore a nationwide rollout of Victoria’s Strategic Partnership Program, which is another great PD opportunity.
Career advancement
Career advancement has always been problematic. Teachers in the system have to eventually make a choice between administration or face to face teaching purely for financial reasons. Pathways need to be created that allow a fluid intersect between these choices.
1. Assistant Principals/Managers should have a maximum period in administration before returning to the class room. This would create more movement in the system and reduce the tension between administration and class room teacher.
2. Create a pay structure that values classroom teachers, through Learning Specialists or Advanced Skills Teachers.
3. Provide Teacher Registrations throughout Australia rather than based on state boundaries. This would allow greater freedom of movement for casual relief and staff on leave from the profession.