Anonymous #052

Submitter information

Name

Anonymous #052

Where are you located?

Australian Capital Territory

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?

Teacher

Elevating the profession

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

Strongly disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Politicians have been touting teachers contributions for years. Noting that they will say it in the future, and thinking it will make a significant difference is irrational at best, and likely either delusional or just more obfuscation in the area.

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.

Strongly agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

These 'solutions' seem to totally disregard why people are not entering or staying in teaching.

They are aimed to provide a small financial benefit to enter uni, that does appears to consider that the MUCH larger loss of income, when compared to their peers, 5-8 years after beginning a teaching career.

The idea that because a few teachers will gain HALT status (likely after 10+ years) and higher salaries will be a carrot for the vast majority of teachers who are on lower equivalency salaries to their peers EVEN AFTER 5 YEARS is delusional.

In any event, even teachers who are not granted HALT status deserve to be better financially valued, AND THEY KNOW IT. IT is simply not true that teachers who reach the top of a pay scale after 8 years do not continue to improve their skill set CONSIDERABLY. Ask any teacher with 15+ years experience if they have improved since they were 8 years into the profession and they will invariably say they have improved considerably.

Strengthening Initial Teacher Education (ITE)

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

Strongly agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Teachers learn in a classroom. Teaching degrees should have most of the time in classrooms, with student teachers working and having responsibilities as teaching assistants.

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?

More teachers actually makes better teachers because the load can be better shared, allowing for greater time to collaborate and focus on student learning.

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?

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

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 disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Be wary of HALT panels devising and approving teachers only in their own light, putting too much emphasis on what looks supportable via paper based evidence and highly subjective opinions. There are many varied strengths of teaching, and many that are only appreciated by people with a direct stake in the teaching-learning experience, namely students and parents.