Anonymous #128

Submitter information

Name

Anonymous #128

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?

Early childhood education and care

What is your occupation?

Teacher

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?

Agree. Teachers have tremendous workload. Schools need to provide teaching materials and digital PowerPoints to support teachers with curriculum resources. Teachers can then concentrate on tailoring learning for the multiple tiers in the classroom. Especially, low SEI areas where students have developmental delays, ESL backgrounds and behaviour issues. Spend time working in the community and improve outcomes for all. Instead, many are leaving the profession due to frustration. Have uniform testing across schools so that teachers are not burdened with multiple testing formats to make data look good on spreadsheets for school reviews. Also, data from multiple testing is not used effectively to inform practice. Private companies are getting richer as schools hire then to process enormous data, but not all the information is used effectively.

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?

Improve teacher supply by making the profession desirable. Improved wages and higher score entry for Teaching Courses. At the moment and in previous years the students with lowest ATAR are considered for Teaching in WA. This affects quality of learning imparted and lowers the standard of education.

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?

Higher scores and improved wages. More spaces at university for mature aged people. Pool of mentor senior teachers to guide students in their first two years. Students allocated to a mentor teacher at their place of work.

Maximising the time to teach

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

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Schools across states to provide uniform materials to teach and digital resources, for example- PowerPoints across learning areas. More EDI resources freely made available to teachers.

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.

Strongly agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Higher incomes assessed for teachers who have high impact on learning. This to be assessed by central bodies not individual school principals as favouritism comes into play.

Provision for easy transfer between schools for high performing staff so expertise can be spread out across a network. Minimise job interviews and customised tailoring of CV to schools.

Current practices have principals populating public schools with staff they enjoy working with versus merit. This is common practice in WA schools. This is not helpful in catering for the needs of the students and the larger community. Hiring of staff to be taken away from Principals and controlled centrally by the Department of Education.