Anonymous #024

Submitter information

Name

Anonymous #024

Where are you located?

Western Australia

What type of area do you live in?

Metropolitan

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?

Education Consultant

Elevating the profession

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

Strongly agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Repeated positive publicity is always a good thing. The message presented in different ways through different teacher actions and stories will always keep it fresh.

It's worthwhile asking the same questions of our politicians because it mirrors some of the struggles, contradictions and poor decision making that goes on in education and we should be having a Draft National Politicians Workforce Action Plan.

What value do politicians and political parties and those in power bring to all Australians?

Criteria for currently those in power - e.g., the most marginal Federal Liberal seat in Australia?

Recognise the value of teachers in poor and difficult to manage schools by adequately resourcing them. Not continuing to resource the richer private schools.

What are we doing for the poorest government school in Australia. Poorest as in resources, NAPLAN results etc?

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.

Neither agree nor disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Making use of outstanding retired teachers in areas of need such as high end mathematics teaching and science to mentor and to present at universities to student teachers is important. At the moment you can only come in and speak to students at universities if you have a Masters. I don't have a Masters so I am unable to - durrh! Unis miss out. I am not looking to do sessional teaching, I just need two hours to guest speak. Change that policy.

How do the major, minor and independent parties increase the number of candidates entering federal elections and then retain the "good ones"? I know!

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?

Yes, allow teachers like myself to strengthen initial teacher education. Unis are putting up barriers.

The Federal Minister has my history on file. It's gone upstairs apparently, which is promising.

I speak for 1 hour on Classroom Management as priority number one because if you can't manage the behaviour, you can't the manage the learning. The students leave with a summary sheet on classroom management techniques to take with them and use for the rest of their teaching career!

I speak for 1 hour on Student engagement to demonstrate a myriad of ways to deliver the content to keep students interested and learning in the subject you are teaching because, "there's no such a thing as a badly behaved student - it's a boring lesson". Phil Beadle UK Teacher of the Year.

I'm happy to be utilised for this purpose. Let's go!

How do the actions of major, minor and independent parties ensure that initial candidate supply and quality supports good governance for all Australians?

Maximising the time to teach

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

Somewhat agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Some teachers are leaving because of the toxic workplace. Something I don't think you are addressing.
To improve retention, the workplace for teachers needs to improve if you want to retain them.
There are teachers who shouldn't be teaching - better policies in place to get rid of them. They are only causing untold damage to all parties.
There are principals and deputy principals in schools that should not be administrating. Better policies in place to get rid of them also.
Politicians and bureaucrats in charge of education policy are not always making commonsense decisions. They need to listen and act on admin and teachers actually at the chalkface. Good action plans that have been working have sometimes been stopped or taken over by Education Departments from private concerns for example with a poorer outcome. Why? I have no idea.

How do you improve retention and free up politicians to focus on good governance for all Australians?

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?

New teachers need better support in schools. Busy teachers already at schools don't have time or energy to help. The thousands are retired teachers do. Why are we not using them?

AITSL standards need to be more realistic - they are way too hard and for most outstanding teachers not achievable. They need re-evaluating.

Get dynamic former teachers into primary and high schools as guest speakers promoting teaching.

How do you better understand politicians workforce needs?

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.

Neither agree nor disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

My state removed the allocated 0.2 FTE for Level 3 Classroom Teachers to provide leadership in the school and made them all teach full time to earn they Level 3 salary. Durrhh.

How do you do improve your career pathway in politics?