Anonymous #055

Submitter information

Name

Anonymous #055

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?

School leader

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?

I fully support the proposal to increase the recognition of teachers through the proposed public recognition campaigns and The Order of Australia honours. In increasing the number of HALT teachers, funds should be allocated to support teachers in achieving this recognition. Currently, in the ACT, public educators have to pay the certifying authority a fee of $1300 to become certified. Subsidising this fee would encourage a greater number of teachers to engage in the certification process, which provides teachers with valuable recognition in addition to the incredibly valuable professional learning which takes place throughout the process of certification

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.

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

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 agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

The biggest difference to maximising time to teach is a reduction in the number of face to face hours spent teaching. In a secondary setting reducing the number of classes and total number of students taught by a teacher, will significantly reduce their administrative and assessment loads, providing more time to focus on classroom practice and meeting the needs of their students.

In the ACT the Schools Adminstration System is a poor example as it has not been successful in reducing workload of teachers in ACT Senior Secondary Colleges. This system does not adequately record attendance in a Senior Secondary College setting, nor does it comply with our certification database, data now has to be double handled, taking hours more time from our administrative staff... which in turn then reduces the amount of time they have to perform tasks that would lighten teacher's administrative loads. Data which should be rolled over, is not rolled over or is not updated correctly, taking hours and hours for administrative staff and student advisor teachers to correct.

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?

One measure that would increase supply of casual and temporary teachers in the ACT, would to be relax the professional registration requirements and fees for retired teachers, filling temporary vacancies.

In the ACT, these teachers are currently expected to complete the same number of professional learning hours as a teacher with ongoing full or part time work. Many teachers in this group are happy to engage in work to fill temporary vacancies, but give up their registrations due to the cost and annual professional learning requirements (which they are not paid to engage in). Surely their long experience can suffice to maintain registration so that they can engage in short term contracts and day to day relief teaching, without having to go through an onerous registration process each year.

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?

Fees should be subsidised and teachers should be funded with time to complete HALT assessment.