Anonymous #446

Submitter information

Name

Anonymous #446

Where are you located?

Western Australia

What type of area do you live in?

Regional or rural

Are you an education professional?
(e.g. teacher, school leader, learning support assistant, teacher’s aide)

Yes

Which sector do you work in?

Primary

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?

These actions insult our intelligence. Everyone knows that advertising does not reflect reality. $10 million could be better spent elsewhere. The generation of people you are trying to attract don’t interact with advertising through the old channels so where are you going to place these ads? This plan is completely old fashioned and actually quite transparent and pathetic.
Teachers don’t want or need awards. We support each other and just want to get on with the job. The nature of this Australian Educator of the Year award is ableist.

Order of Australia? No one really cares anymore. It’s not the big deal you think it is. Some will like it, most don’t care.

If you implement the high achieving, highly accomplished teacher target then you are adding to workload and unnecessary hoop jumping which takes from our value to students. It also promotes division between staff and gives toxic leadership more opportunities to billy and demean their teachers.

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?

The term high achieving teachers needs to go. The idea behind it is sound but the name leaves a bad taste. Maybe something like experienced and committed educators?

How are you going to judge whether a teacher is high achieving or not? There is plenty of hidden curriculum that occurs on a daily basis that cannot be measured. It is wise to remember that anyone can write an excellent submission that isn’t factual. Testimonials are usually selected carefully.

Scholarships and bursaries are a good idea if implemented fairly and where most required.

Strengthening Initial Teacher Education (ITE)

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

Neither agree nor disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Performance based funding… a big no. This is very unfair. Especially for those in low socioeconomic areas.

Teaching degrees these days are struggling to keep up with current research, courses must be flexible and not set in stone.

Particular teaching programs that are corporatised for profit have no place in education. For example, we should be referring to collaborative learning as a style, not Kagan Structures. Feedback and being explicit in our intentions, not Visible Learning. Using data to inform short term teaching interventions, not Teaching Sprints. Education corporates are sucking our schools dry financially, and rubbing their greedy hands with glee.

University courses should focus on the science of learning, cognition, child development, individual needs and social emotional understandings. A deep understanding of these concepts would provide a firm foundation for new teachers to build upon and give them the confidence to make decisions around what is best for their students at that time in that moment, not what the latest craze is. Universities should also provide units that reflect the reality of day to day teaching such as administrative tasks, communicating with parents, writing reports, managing time effectively and duty of care to name a few.

Last point, get rid of the graduate portfolio! What a ridiculous expectation for a first year teacher to have to achieve after 4 years of study. What other professions expect this? It’s sucks up so much valuable time that could be better spent in the classroom.

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?

Yes to workload reduction!

Yes to common reporting templates that do not require the same thing to be written in different ways.

Moderation tasks should be provided to schools by the relevant curriculum authority, not designed by teachers in schools. Moderation is not moderation if it is not standard.
( WA is mentioned as providing moderation support materials, I am a teacher in WA and this is not totally true. Our school is one that makes moderation materials which SCASA then distributes. Outrageous that this happens when this is their job)

Reduce administrative tasks that do not add value to students.

Teachers do not want less face to face teaching, this actually makes out job harder. The only reason we are given more is so we can complete administrative tasks. Keeping teachers in the classroom with their students as much as possible should be a priority.

If EAs and support staff are to be considered a way to reduce teacher workload then they should be paid accordingly.

Bring back the National Curriculum and progressions for the whole country and stop the state authorities making changes. This totally misses the point of having a national curriculum.

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?

Extremely effective

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 agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Support and value teachers that are satisfied remaining in the classroom and who have no desire to climb the leadership ladder.

Recognise these same teachers for the leadership they do provide that isn’t explicit and measured.

Allow teachers to choose the professional development they are interested in, not only what the school leadership dictates. Involve staff in theses decisions. Encourage teachers to follow their interests and then teach/upskill their colleagues (like we used to).