Anonymous #422

Submitter information

Name

Anonymous #422

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 Librarian

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?

Teacher librarians are specialist teachers whose work is essential for building collections of resources that boost students’ literacy and meet the teaching and learning requirements of the Australian Curriculum, AND they are experts in teaching research skills (also known as information and digital literacy), which are essential for students to succeed in our information-saturated world. Because teacher librarians’ work is often behind-the-scenes, and because out-dated stereotypes about their role still persist, teacher librarians need to be included in the list of teachers whose role is highlighted in the national campaign.

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?

We strongly recommend including the Master in Teacher Librarianship (M.Ed.TeachLib) qualification in the bursaries offer (postgraduate), as it is recognised as an education/teaching qualification.
Another existing initiative, relating to Action 8, includes the ACT Education Directorate's program to increase the number of teacher librarian positions in schools that are clearly identified as being in need, by centrally funding scholarships and the positions themselves. Additional funding for and expansion of this project could be included in the Commonwealth High Achieving Teachers program.

Strengthening Initial Teacher Education (ITE)

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

Somewhat agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

We strongly recommend providing paid internships, paid study leave, and pathways for teachers retraining as teacher librarians (currently only available with a postgraduate option) to ensure their successful completion of study to grow the teaching profession.

Maximising the time to teach

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

Neither agree nor disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Teacher librarians can have a significant positive impact on teacher workload and morale by: collaborating with classroom teachers on planning, facilitating and assessing learning of literacy, information literacy, critical thinking and digital skills; finding and providing reliable resources for teachers and students, including digital resources and high-quality literature; and supporting development of teacher pedagogy and quality assessment (more information can be found here https://www.education.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/1435435/School-Libraries-The-Heart-of-21st-Century-Learning.pdf ).
Further benefits to teachers, students and school communities are facilitated by other library support staff and well-resourced school libraries. We strongly recommend funding school libraries to meet the ‘Recommended Minimum Information Services Staffing Levels’ published by the Australian Library and Information Association/Australian School Library Association (2020).
Further local and updated data on the impact of full time, qualified teacher librarians (with a flexible timetable) upon teachers’ workload, could be generated by funding a study. The current teacher librarian initiatives in the ACT Education Directorate could facilitate this.

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?

Very effective

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

In relation to Actions 19-20, teacher librarians must be included in state and territory data as part of national teacher workforce projections and ITE graduate/postgraduate supply data. This can provide insight into the teacher librarian shortage (particularly attrition through age/retirement as per findings from the ‘ALIA Professional Pathways: School Libraries Research Project Report’, pp. 27-34, https://read.alia.org.au/alia-professional-pathways-school-libraries-research-project-report )
Action 23 should also collect data specifically about the growth of classroom teacher workload and the impact on teacher morale in schools without qualified teacher librarians.

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?

We recommend paid internships, paid study leave, and pathways for teachers retraining as teacher librarians (currently only available with a postgraduate option) to develop and support career pathways in the profession.
Greater education needs to be provided to HALT assessors, school leaders and administrators about the role of the teacher librarian to ensure understanding of this unique position in schools.
We also recommend support and funding for a national mentoring program for teacher librarians, to bring cohesion to what is currently a disparate program across different jurisdictions. This can ensure retention in our profession, where practitioners are often the sole teacher librarian in their school community.