New teaching standards | Our friendship with Japan | The shocking state of TAFE

Baillieursquos BACKFLIP

AEU

NEWS

v i c t o r i a n b r a n c h

A E U t 0 3 9 4 1 7 2 8 2 2 f 1 3 0 0 6 5 8 0 7 8 w w w w a e u v i c a s n a u

v o l u m e 17 I i s s u e 2 I a p r i l 2 011

features

regulars

contactseditorial enquiries Nic Barnard tel (03) 9418 4841 fax (03) 9415 8975 email nicbarnardaeuvicasnauadvertising enquiries Lyn Baird tel (03) 9418 4879 fax (03) 9415 8975 email lynbairdaeuvicasnau

AEU News is produced by the AEU Publications Unit editor Nic Barnard | designers Lyn Baird Peter Lambropoulos Kim Flemingjournalist Rachel Power | editorial assistant Helen PrytherchPrintPost Approved 34918100616 ISSN 1442mdash1321 Printed in Australia by Total Print on Re Art Matt 100 Recycled Paper Free to AEU members Subscription rate $60 per annum Disclaimer The opinions expressed in the AEU News are those of the authorsmembers and are not necessarily the official policy of the AEU (Victorian Branch) Contents copy AEU Victorian Branch Contributed articles photographs and illustrations are copy their respective authors No reproduction without permission

Contentscover story

AEU Victorian BranchBranch president Mary BluettBranch secretary Brian Henderson

AEU VIC head office address 112 Trenerry Crescent Abbotsford 3067 postal address PO Box 363 Abbotsford 3067 tel (03) 9417 2822 1800 013 379 fax 1300 658 078 web wwwaeuvicasnau email melbourneaeuvicasnau

country offices Ballarat (03) 5331 1155 | Benalla (03) 5762 2714 Bendigo (03) 5442 2666 | Gippsland (03) 5134 8844 Geelong (03) 5222 6633

AEU

NEWS

A new deal for CRTsCasual teachers do it tough with low pay no security and little PD A new agreement could help put that right

Fighting for the soul of TAFETAFE is in crisis mdash but after years of mismanagement united action can help it turn a corner

Standard bearersEducation ministers have signed off on a set of national standards for teachers But how do they measure up

3 presidentrsquos report 27 safety matters4 letters 28 classifieds23 womenrsquos focus 29 christina adams24 AEU training 30 culture25 on the phones 31 giveaways

5

Printe

d on R

eArt M

att 10

0 re

cycled

paper

Baillieursquos backflipTeachers made their feelings known when our somersaulting premier visited their primary school

15

20

12

COVER Kim Fleming

16Friendshiprsquos firm foundationsThe earthquake in Japan has alarmed members who have made firm friends with Japanese families through the AEUrsquos exchange program

AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION UNION VICTORIAN BRANCH

RECALL ELECTION NOTICEFair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009

Nominations are called for the following offices DELEGATES TO BRANCH CONFERENCE To be elected by and from members of the Early Childhood sector Primary sector Secondary sector TAFE and Adult Provision sector mdash A full list of offices to be filled may be obtained from your Sub-Branch Secretary the Branch office of the Union or from my office

ELECTION OF WOMEN TO BRANCH CONFERENCE The rules of the Branch provide that the minimum number of women to be elected shall be 50 per cent of the number of persons to be elected from each region If the number of persons to be elected is an odd number the minimum number of women to be elected shall be determined by reducing the total number of persons to be elected by one and taking 50 per cent of that number

If the number of women candidates is less than the number of women to be elected the remaining position or positions in question will be filled by a male candidate or candidates

NOMINATIONS which must be in writing and comply with the Rules of the Union may be made anytime from 23 March 2011 They must reach my office or postal address not later than 1200 noon on Wednesday 27 April 2011 Nominations cannot be withdrawn after this time

NOMINATION FORMS are available on request from me or the Branch office of the Union

ELECTORAL MATERIAL supplied by candidates for distribution with ballot papers shall be restricted to a maximum of 200 words per candidate and may include a passport size photograph The material may include an indication of preference provided all candidates are shown in the order they appear on the ballot paper and there is a preference allocated to each candidate Electoral Material may be emailed to vicelectionsaecgovau but must reach my office or postal address not later than 1200 noon on Wednesday 4 May 2011

ADDRESS FOR LODGING NOMINATIONSBy Post Australian Electoral Commission GPO Box 4382 Melbourne VIC 3001By Hand Australian Electoral Commission Level 8 2 Lonsdale Street Melbourne VIC 3000 By Fax (03) 9285 7149

BALLOT The ballot if required will open on Monday 23 May 2011 and close at 900am on Tuesday 14 June 2011

Changed Address Advise the Union nowNOTE A copy of the AECrsquos election report can be obtained from the organisation or from me after the completion of the election

Phoebe Chamberlain 23 March 2011Returning Officer Tel (03) 9285 7138

2 aeu news |april 2011

AEU Vic branch president

IT DIDNrsquoT take long Only two weeks after we learned that the

Coalition had ordered the Education Department to cut $338 million from its budget over the next four years Premier Ted Baillieu reneged on one of his few positive public education policies mdash to make Victorian teachers the highest paid in the nation

Instead Mr Baillieu said Victorian teachers would be offered a 25 pay rise with any additional increase to be ldquooffset by commensurate productivity improvementsrdquo

Let us be clear a 25 ldquopay riserdquo when the cost of living is running at 27 is effectively a pay cut From highest paid to pay cut inside 100 days of government is a backflip of enormous proportions Moreover it cannot be justified

Mr Baillieursquos original pledge was not made lightly nor at the last minute in the heat of the election campaign

It was made back in 2008 during our dispute with the then Brumby

Government over the Schools Agreement We met Ted Baillieu on several occasions and pressed our case for Victorian teachers to move from the lowest paid to the highest paid in the nation

It was at the Liberal Party State Conference on April 13 that year that he made the unequivocal pledge that he took to the 2010 state election

To quote from his press release of the day

ldquoVictorian parents and teachers should not endure a situation where our teachers continue to receive the lowest levels of pay in Australia Victoriarsquos children deserve better and education can never be our number one priority if those who teach our children struggle on poor salaries

ldquoWe are facing an exodus of teachers from Victoria and those who suffer most are our children That is why we must immediately lift the pay of teachers in our school system so they are not just

equal with other states but the highest-paid in the nationrdquo said Mr Baillieu

The press release went on to say the Coalition would bring kindergarten primary and secondary teachers to ldquonational parity levels and aboverdquo and even added this promise from Mr Baillieu on cost-cutting

ldquoIf we want the best and brightest teachers we must compete and we must be prepared to fund realistic salaries We will not cut teacher numbers and we remain committed to maintaining the current student-to-teacher ratios in our classroomsrdquo

In November last year the Liberal leader insisted that his election policies had been independently fully costed and would be delivered

Ted has no excuse There is no budget ldquoblack holerdquo such as former Liberal Premier Jeff Kennett used as the excuse to slash 10000 teachers and support staff and cut preschool and TAFE funding by 20

We have had 11 years of budget surpluses and the Baillieu Government has just announced a $347m half-year surplus

Every government calls for productivity from the public sector in enterprise bargaining However this government singled out Victorian government school teachers there was no caveat

Moreover there are no produc-tivity ldquocutsrdquo to be made Victoria is still the lowest funded education system in the nation The Government spends over $1100 per student below the national average and we have the leanest bureaucracy of any state or territory

Yet we have the highest or near highest student outcomes in Australia

Now thatrsquos productivity at its maximum

SOMERSAULTING premierTed Baillieursquos pledge to make our teachers the best paid in Australia was no off-the-cuff soundbite mdash he made it at his partyrsquos highest state forum

Alan Cooper Geoff Allen amp Staff

Level 3432 St Kilda Road Melbourne 3004

Visit us at wwwretireviccomau

Retirement Victoria is the AEUrsquos preferred provider of financial and retirement planning services to members

Retirement Victoria Pty Ltd is an authorised representative of Millennium3 Financial Services Pty Ltd AFSL 244252

AEU PREFERRED PROVIDERS

APPOINTMENTS (03) 9820 8088

Alan Cooper Geoff Allen amp Staff

Level 3432 St Kilda Road Melbourne 3004

Visit us at wwwretireviccomau

AEU PREFERRED PROVIDERS

TO RETIRE SUCCESSFULLY YOU NEED THE BEST ADVICE

APPOINTMENTS (03) 9820 8088Retirement Victoria is the AEUrsquos preferred provider of financial and retirement planning services to members

Retirement Victoria Pty Ltd is an authorised representative of Millennium3 Financial Services Pty Lts AFSL 244252

wwwaeuvicasnau 3

presid

entrsquos rep

ort

RETIREMENT SEMINARS Retirement Victoria will hold the following seminars at the AEU building 112 Trenerry Crescent Abbotsford on the following dates

Tuesday 12 April 2011 at 10 am (holidays)Book online at wwwaeuvicasnaucalendarEventId=142 Saturday 28 May at 10am Book online at wwwaeuvicasnaucalendarEventId=278Tuesday 5 July at 10am (holidays)Book online at wwwaeuvicasnaucalendar

Members will have noticed that the State Super Fund (ESSS) has changed the format and content of its annual member statements Whereas the previous format was clear and informative the new approach is precisely the opposite A foreign language Retirement Victoria offers a free translation service at your first appointment along with a wide ranging discussion on the best way to attain your retirement objectives

features

regulars

contactseditorial enquiries Nic Barnard tel (03) 9418 4841 fax (03) 9415 8975 email nicbarnardaeuvicasnauadvertising enquiries Lyn Baird tel (03) 9418 4879 fax (03) 9415 8975 email lynbairdaeuvicasnau

AEU News is produced by the AEU Publications Unit editor Nic Barnard | designers Lyn Baird Peter Lambropoulos Kim Flemingjournalist Rachel Power | editorial assistant Helen PrytherchPrintPost Approved 34918100616 ISSN 1442mdash1321 Printed in Australia by Total Print on Re Art Matt 100 Recycled Paper Free to AEU members Subscription rate $60 per annum Disclaimer The opinions expressed in the AEU News are those of the authorsmembers and are not necessarily the official policy of the AEU (Victorian Branch) Contents copy AEU Victorian Branch Contributed articles photographs and illustrations are copy their respective authors No reproduction without permission

Contentscover story

AEU Victorian BranchBranch president Mary BluettBranch secretary Brian Henderson

AEU VIC head office address 112 Trenerry Crescent Abbotsford 3067 postal address PO Box 363 Abbotsford 3067 tel (03) 9417 2822 1800 013 379 fax 1300 658 078 web wwwaeuvicasnau email melbourneaeuvicasnau

country offices Ballarat (03) 5331 1155 | Benalla (03) 5762 2714 Bendigo (03) 5442 2666 | Gippsland (03) 5134 8844 Geelong (03) 5222 6633

AEU

NEWS

A new deal for CRTsCasual teachers do it tough with low pay no security and little PD A new agreement could help put that right

Fighting for the soul of TAFETAFE is in crisis mdash but after years of mismanagement united action can help it turn a corner

Standard bearersEducation ministers have signed off on a set of national standards for teachers But how do they measure up

3 presidentrsquos report 27 safety matters4 letters 28 classifieds23 womenrsquos focus 29 christina adams24 AEU training 30 culture25 on the phones 31 giveaways

5

Printe

d on R

eArt M

att 10

0 re

cycled

paper

Baillieursquos backflipTeachers made their feelings known when our somersaulting premier visited their primary school

15

20

12

COVER Kim Fleming

16Friendshiprsquos firm foundationsThe earthquake in Japan has alarmed members who have made firm friends with Japanese families through the AEUrsquos exchange program

AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION UNION VICTORIAN BRANCH

RECALL ELECTION NOTICEFair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009

Nominations are called for the following offices DELEGATES TO BRANCH CONFERENCE To be elected by and from members of the Early Childhood sector Primary sector Secondary sector TAFE and Adult Provision sector mdash A full list of offices to be filled may be obtained from your Sub-Branch Secretary the Branch office of the Union or from my office

ELECTION OF WOMEN TO BRANCH CONFERENCE The rules of the Branch provide that the minimum number of women to be elected shall be 50 per cent of the number of persons to be elected from each region If the number of persons to be elected is an odd number the minimum number of women to be elected shall be determined by reducing the total number of persons to be elected by one and taking 50 per cent of that number

If the number of women candidates is less than the number of women to be elected the remaining position or positions in question will be filled by a male candidate or candidates

NOMINATIONS which must be in writing and comply with the Rules of the Union may be made anytime from 23 March 2011 They must reach my office or postal address not later than 1200 noon on Wednesday 27 April 2011 Nominations cannot be withdrawn after this time

NOMINATION FORMS are available on request from me or the Branch office of the Union

ELECTORAL MATERIAL supplied by candidates for distribution with ballot papers shall be restricted to a maximum of 200 words per candidate and may include a passport size photograph The material may include an indication of preference provided all candidates are shown in the order they appear on the ballot paper and there is a preference allocated to each candidate Electoral Material may be emailed to vicelectionsaecgovau but must reach my office or postal address not later than 1200 noon on Wednesday 4 May 2011

ADDRESS FOR LODGING NOMINATIONSBy Post Australian Electoral Commission GPO Box 4382 Melbourne VIC 3001By Hand Australian Electoral Commission Level 8 2 Lonsdale Street Melbourne VIC 3000 By Fax (03) 9285 7149

BALLOT The ballot if required will open on Monday 23 May 2011 and close at 900am on Tuesday 14 June 2011

Changed Address Advise the Union nowNOTE A copy of the AECrsquos election report can be obtained from the organisation or from me after the completion of the election

Phoebe Chamberlain 23 March 2011Returning Officer Tel (03) 9285 7138

2 aeu news |april 2011

AEU Vic branch president

IT DIDNrsquoT take long Only two weeks after we learned that the

Coalition had ordered the Education Department to cut $338 million from its budget over the next four years Premier Ted Baillieu reneged on one of his few positive public education policies mdash to make Victorian teachers the highest paid in the nation

Instead Mr Baillieu said Victorian teachers would be offered a 25 pay rise with any additional increase to be ldquooffset by commensurate productivity improvementsrdquo

Let us be clear a 25 ldquopay riserdquo when the cost of living is running at 27 is effectively a pay cut From highest paid to pay cut inside 100 days of government is a backflip of enormous proportions Moreover it cannot be justified

Mr Baillieursquos original pledge was not made lightly nor at the last minute in the heat of the election campaign

It was made back in 2008 during our dispute with the then Brumby

Government over the Schools Agreement We met Ted Baillieu on several occasions and pressed our case for Victorian teachers to move from the lowest paid to the highest paid in the nation

It was at the Liberal Party State Conference on April 13 that year that he made the unequivocal pledge that he took to the 2010 state election

To quote from his press release of the day

ldquoVictorian parents and teachers should not endure a situation where our teachers continue to receive the lowest levels of pay in Australia Victoriarsquos children deserve better and education can never be our number one priority if those who teach our children struggle on poor salaries

ldquoWe are facing an exodus of teachers from Victoria and those who suffer most are our children That is why we must immediately lift the pay of teachers in our school system so they are not just

equal with other states but the highest-paid in the nationrdquo said Mr Baillieu

The press release went on to say the Coalition would bring kindergarten primary and secondary teachers to ldquonational parity levels and aboverdquo and even added this promise from Mr Baillieu on cost-cutting

ldquoIf we want the best and brightest teachers we must compete and we must be prepared to fund realistic salaries We will not cut teacher numbers and we remain committed to maintaining the current student-to-teacher ratios in our classroomsrdquo

In November last year the Liberal leader insisted that his election policies had been independently fully costed and would be delivered

Ted has no excuse There is no budget ldquoblack holerdquo such as former Liberal Premier Jeff Kennett used as the excuse to slash 10000 teachers and support staff and cut preschool and TAFE funding by 20

We have had 11 years of budget surpluses and the Baillieu Government has just announced a $347m half-year surplus

Every government calls for productivity from the public sector in enterprise bargaining However this government singled out Victorian government school teachers there was no caveat

Moreover there are no produc-tivity ldquocutsrdquo to be made Victoria is still the lowest funded education system in the nation The Government spends over $1100 per student below the national average and we have the leanest bureaucracy of any state or territory

Yet we have the highest or near highest student outcomes in Australia

Now thatrsquos productivity at its maximum

SOMERSAULTING premierTed Baillieursquos pledge to make our teachers the best paid in Australia was no off-the-cuff soundbite mdash he made it at his partyrsquos highest state forum

Alan Cooper Geoff Allen amp Staff

Level 3432 St Kilda Road Melbourne 3004

Visit us at wwwretireviccomau

Retirement Victoria is the AEUrsquos preferred provider of financial and retirement planning services to members

Retirement Victoria Pty Ltd is an authorised representative of Millennium3 Financial Services Pty Ltd AFSL 244252

AEU PREFERRED PROVIDERS

APPOINTMENTS (03) 9820 8088

Alan Cooper Geoff Allen amp Staff

Level 3432 St Kilda Road Melbourne 3004

Visit us at wwwretireviccomau

AEU PREFERRED PROVIDERS

TO RETIRE SUCCESSFULLY YOU NEED THE BEST ADVICE

APPOINTMENTS (03) 9820 8088Retirement Victoria is the AEUrsquos preferred provider of financial and retirement planning services to members

Retirement Victoria Pty Ltd is an authorised representative of Millennium3 Financial Services Pty Lts AFSL 244252

wwwaeuvicasnau 3

presid

entrsquos rep

ort

RETIREMENT SEMINARS Retirement Victoria will hold the following seminars at the AEU building 112 Trenerry Crescent Abbotsford on the following dates

Tuesday 12 April 2011 at 10 am (holidays)Book online at wwwaeuvicasnaucalendarEventId=142 Saturday 28 May at 10am Book online at wwwaeuvicasnaucalendarEventId=278Tuesday 5 July at 10am (holidays)Book online at wwwaeuvicasnaucalendar

Members will have noticed that the State Super Fund (ESSS) has changed the format and content of its annual member statements Whereas the previous format was clear and informative the new approach is precisely the opposite A foreign language Retirement Victoria offers a free translation service at your first appointment along with a wide ranging discussion on the best way to attain your retirement objectives

AEU Vic branch president

IT DIDNrsquoT take long Only two weeks after we learned that the

Coalition had ordered the Education Department to cut $338 million from its budget over the next four years Premier Ted Baillieu reneged on one of his few positive public education policies mdash to make Victorian teachers the highest paid in the nation

Instead Mr Baillieu said Victorian teachers would be offered a 25 pay rise with any additional increase to be ldquooffset by commensurate productivity improvementsrdquo

Let us be clear a 25 ldquopay riserdquo when the cost of living is running at 27 is effectively a pay cut From highest paid to pay cut inside 100 days of government is a backflip of enormous proportions Moreover it cannot be justified

Mr Baillieursquos original pledge was not made lightly nor at the last minute in the heat of the election campaign

It was made back in 2008 during our dispute with the then Brumby

Government over the Schools Agreement We met Ted Baillieu on several occasions and pressed our case for Victorian teachers to move from the lowest paid to the highest paid in the nation

It was at the Liberal Party State Conference on April 13 that year that he made the unequivocal pledge that he took to the 2010 state election

To quote from his press release of the day

ldquoVictorian parents and teachers should not endure a situation where our teachers continue to receive the lowest levels of pay in Australia Victoriarsquos children deserve better and education can never be our number one priority if those who teach our children struggle on poor salaries

ldquoWe are facing an exodus of teachers from Victoria and those who suffer most are our children That is why we must immediately lift the pay of teachers in our school system so they are not just

equal with other states but the highest-paid in the nationrdquo said Mr Baillieu

The press release went on to say the Coalition would bring kindergarten primary and secondary teachers to ldquonational parity levels and aboverdquo and even added this promise from Mr Baillieu on cost-cutting

ldquoIf we want the best and brightest teachers we must compete and we must be prepared to fund realistic salaries We will not cut teacher numbers and we remain committed to maintaining the current student-to-teacher ratios in our classroomsrdquo

In November last year the Liberal leader insisted that his election policies had been independently fully costed and would be delivered

Ted has no excuse There is no budget ldquoblack holerdquo such as former Liberal Premier Jeff Kennett used as the excuse to slash 10000 teachers and support staff and cut preschool and TAFE funding by 20

We have had 11 years of budget surpluses and the Baillieu Government has just announced a $347m half-year surplus

Every government calls for productivity from the public sector in enterprise bargaining However this government singled out Victorian government school teachers there was no caveat

Moreover there are no produc-tivity ldquocutsrdquo to be made Victoria is still the lowest funded education system in the nation The Government spends over $1100 per student below the national average and we have the leanest bureaucracy of any state or territory

Yet we have the highest or near highest student outcomes in Australia

Now thatrsquos productivity at its maximum

SOMERSAULTING premierTed Baillieursquos pledge to make our teachers the best paid in Australia was no off-the-cuff soundbite mdash he made it at his partyrsquos highest state forum

Alan Cooper Geoff Allen amp Staff

Level 3432 St Kilda Road Melbourne 3004

Visit us at wwwretireviccomau

Retirement Victoria is the AEUrsquos preferred provider of financial and retirement planning services to members

Retirement Victoria Pty Ltd is an authorised representative of Millennium3 Financial Services Pty Ltd AFSL 244252

AEU PREFERRED PROVIDERS

APPOINTMENTS (03) 9820 8088

Alan Cooper Geoff Allen amp Staff

Level 3432 St Kilda Road Melbourne 3004

Visit us at wwwretireviccomau

AEU PREFERRED PROVIDERS

TO RETIRE SUCCESSFULLY YOU NEED THE BEST ADVICE

APPOINTMENTS (03) 9820 8088Retirement Victoria is the AEUrsquos preferred provider of financial and retirement planning services to members

Retirement Victoria Pty Ltd is an authorised representative of Millennium3 Financial Services Pty Lts AFSL 244252

wwwaeuvicasnau 3

presid

entrsquos rep

ort

RETIREMENT SEMINARS Retirement Victoria will hold the following seminars at the AEU building 112 Trenerry Crescent Abbotsford on the following dates

Tuesday 12 April 2011 at 10 am (holidays)Book online at wwwaeuvicasnaucalendarEventId=142 Saturday 28 May at 10am Book online at wwwaeuvicasnaucalendarEventId=278Tuesday 5 July at 10am (holidays)Book online at wwwaeuvicasnaucalendar

Members will have noticed that the State Super Fund (ESSS) has changed the format and content of its annual member statements Whereas the previous format was clear and informative the new approach is precisely the opposite A foreign language Retirement Victoria offers a free translation service at your first appointment along with a wide ranging discussion on the best way to attain your retirement objectives

Letters from members are welcome Send to AEU News PO Box 363 Abbotsford 3067

fax (03) 9415 8975 or email aeunewsaeuvicasnau Letters should be no more than

250 words and must supply name workplace and contact details of the writer Letters may be

edited for space and clarity Next deadline 4 May 2011

lett

ers

Maths as taught in private schoolsI AM merely a primary school teacher but I donrsquot see how Ted Baillieursquos offer of a 25 pay increase at a time of 3 inflation will make Victorian teachers gain the

extra 8 needed to be the best paid in the country Perhaps because I teach in a government school and Ted went to a private school I may not be as good at maths as he isEducation is a service industry and yet we are expected to make ldquoproductivityrdquo gains while Ted presides over a budget that spends over $1100 less per

student than the national average The clicheacute of ldquochampagne tastes on a beer budgetrdquo comes to mindTed is effectively cutting teachersrsquo pay yet at the same time trying to attract the brightest and best graduates into education Am I missing something Working

teachers harder paying them less blaming them for the shortcomings of todayrsquos society and adding more and more to the curriculum is a Dickensian approach at best that has been tried in the past unsuccessfully

The dedication of teachers to their students their colleagues and to the profession has kept the education system afloat for the past 30 years Does the Premier realise that around 50 of teachers are due to retire in the next few years Someone will be needed to fill those positions

I am glad I am not in Tedrsquos job where critical decisions must be made about whether to fund the Grand Prix or pay teachers nurses emergency services and police for what they actually contribute to society

I am happier in my classroom teaching children even though the equation 25 - 3 = 8 will be hard to explain to themmdash Greg Tuck Nyora Primary School

Thanks for the winCONGRATULATIONS to the union What a fantastic resource of knowledge and expertise for members

An article in AEU News alerted me to a possible underpayment With expert assistance from David Bunn the outcome was a large reimburse-ment To think I may never have known The union does know best

So I urge you all to read the contri-butions to AEU News and appreciate the wealth of knowledge and work of the AEU

mdash An extremely grateful member Anna Poynton Ascot Vale

Merit pay anathema to teachingTHIS sub-branch views with serious concern that the AEU has effectively endorsed the trialling of a perform-ance pay process

Our members are deeply dismayed at the potential division that will emerge in schools as staff members are encouraged to clamour over each other for an amount of money that should be paid across the board to all teachers in order to keep us in line with the best-paid teachers in this country

We are also concerned that the scheme is based on a tried and failed business model that aims to encourage selfish individualism and falsely assumes that simplistic and

ill-defined measures of performance can represent the known complexity associated with educational outcomes

Performance pay is therefore anathema to the collective and collaborative needs of schools and to the sharing of resources and skills this system requires

mdash Grant McMurdo Princes Hill SC AEU representative

Mary Bluett responds AEUVB policy does not endorse performance pay The full policy can be found at wwwaeuvicasnaupolicies

EduPayrsquos part-time problemsAFTER reading the current Education Support Newsletter I have a comment regarding eduPay access for part-time staff

As a part-time ES my access to computers at my workplace is somewhat limited given the number of hours that I work

I believe that it would be far more useful to provide external access from home computers so that things like pay advice slips and leave credits could be readily viewed from home or at an external access point I have not seen details of my pay since this system was introduced

mdash Lyn CrispThornbury High School

Research into child abuse teachers neededTEACHERS (current and former) who have had experience of reporting (or considered reporting) suspected child abuse since 1994 when legislation obligating teachers to report was introduced are invited to participate in a research study

The purpose of the study Understanding Victorian Teachersrsquo Participation In Child Protection is to understand better the nature of teachersrsquo experience in learning about and being involved in child protection responsibilities

Participants will be invited to attend a 45-minute interview about

their preparation for and involve-ment in child protection activities The interview will be audiotaped and transcribed

To protect the confidentiality of those involved you will be asked to discuss general aspects of these events In reporting the results pseu-donyms will be used to protect the confidentiality of participants pupils events and schools Any identifying details will be held separately from any data collected

Please email me at louiselaskeydeakineduau if you wish to take part

mdash Louise LaskeyDeakin University Burwood

Announcing our new

ONLINE PACKAGES FOR CRITERIA WRITING AND INTERVIEW

Promotions Positions - $135 Classroom Teaching Positions - $99

These detailed packages are specific to the Victorian

criteria They will help you develop a dynamic application and prepare for a powerful interview performance

Available for immediate download at wwwteachers-resumescomau Tel 0411245415 Email teachers-resumesbigpondcom Teachersrsquo Professional Reacutesumeacutes ndash ABN 40 833 718 673

Seeking promotion or a classroom teaching position

4 aeu news |april 2011

Wersquore there for the AMWU

Assisting AEU Members for over 30 yearsAdviceLine Injury Lawyers division can assist you ndash no win no charge ndash withbull Work injury compensation ndash physical and psychological injurybull Road and transport accident injury compensationbull Medical negligence bull Asbestos injuries

Holding Redlich also offers special arrangements for AEU members forbull Employment and discrimination lawbull Family law servicesbull Conveyancingbull Wills and estate planning

Contact us directly on 9321 9988 or 1300 MY INJURY or contact your AEU organiser for a referral Visit wwwadvicelineinjurylawyerscomau or wwwholdingredlichcomau today

Nic Barnard amp Rachel Power AEU News

SOMERSAULTING premier Ted Baillieu has been put on notice by the AEU after his double

backflip on election pledgesJust days after demanding ldquoproductivity gainsrdquo

or an effective pay cut from teachers he threatened disability sector workers with job losses and cuts to hours over the outcome of the ongoing national equal pay case

The Coalition mdash which in opposition pledged to fund and support the outcome of the case before Fair Work Australia mdash said it had budgeted only $50 million per year for any wage rises for disability community and social workers arising from the case

The AEU has already written to the Premier demanding a meeting after his reverse over teachersrsquo pay Having pledged to make Victorian teachers the best-paid in Australia Baillieu is now offering just 25 per year mdash below inflation

AEU branch council on March 18 unanimously rejected the offer and called on the Coalition to honour its pledge

It also warned that if agreement negotiations mdash due to begin shortly mdash were not productive the government would face a vigorous campaign including industrial action after the current agreement expires in December

The productivity demand comes on top of instructions to government departments across the board to make savings including $338m over four years in education

Victoria already has one of the leanest education bureaucracies and remains Australiarsquos lowest

funding state mdash spending $1100 below the national average per student

Baillieu got his first taste of teachersrsquo mood when he made a scheduled visit to Hawthorn West Primary School in his electorate the day before news broke of the new pay policy

The school is a regular location for photo opportunities for the Premier but members said they could no longer stand by

In a silent protest they held placards with slogans including ldquoBroken promises mdash not what we teach our kidsrdquo and ldquoYoursquore no different are you Ted 100 days and your word is deadrdquo

ldquoWersquore very disappointedrdquo said AEU rep Belinda

Fillmore ldquoBaillieu came here on election day to take photos with the children and now hersquos kicking us in the teethrdquo

AEU member Melanie Jacobsen said ldquoItrsquos a lack of respect to our profession A lot of baby boomers are retiring Wersquove got a leadership crisis We need to attract good peoplerdquo

Baillieu shook hands with AEU members outside the event but didnrsquot stop to talk

Victorian teachers are paid 8 less than colleagues in Western Australia the current highest paid

More on the disability fair pay campaign page 11

Baillieu told Honour your wordPremier targets low-paid disability members in second backflip while teachers warn action will follow if he doesnrsquot move on pay

THE AEU has sent a message of solidarity to teachers in Japan through its sister union in

Shizuoka following the earthquake and tsunamiAEU branch council expressed its condolences

to the Shizuoka Teachersrsquo Union and through it to the Japanese people The AEU has had a partner-ship with the STU for over a decade

The resolution said ldquoThe terrible earthquakes and tsunamis have caused so much loss of life injuries displacement and hardship

ldquoThe damage to nuclear plants and the potential impact on the people is frightening Our hearts go out to our brothers and sisters in Japan and to our many friends in Shizuokardquo

AEU branch president Mary Bluett has also

written to outgoing STU president Norio Kato expressing her concern ldquoWe trust Shizuoka has been spared but know you will all be grieving the deaths injuries and displacement of so many of your peoplerdquo she wrote

Shizuoka south of Tokyo is outside the immediate earthquake zone and was not directly affected by the tsunami This yearrsquos AEU trip to Shizuoka is expected to go ahead as planned

Education International the global federation of teacher unions has set up an urgent action appeal to help the Japan Teachers Union support its members To donate go to wwwei-ieorg

More pages 16ndash17

Sadness and solidarity for Japanese friends

L-R Teachers Olivia Soderberg Belinda Fillmore and Melanie Jacobsen

wwwaeuvicasnau 5

new

s

Parental leave updatePAID parental leave (PPL) was introduced for new parents by the Federal

Government on January 1 From July 1 it will be paid through your employer

However the Federal Government continues to fund this leave so prospective parents must continue to register for PPL through the Family Assistance Office either online or at a Medicare office

The FAO will decide your eligibility and advise your employer how much to pay The employer will act only as paymaster

Detailed advice can be found at wwwaeuvicasnauwomen and will be updated as more detail becomes available from the Education Department

The department is preparing advice for principals and business managers on the mechanics of this payment Members should also note that federal PPL is additional to your existing employer-funded paid maternity leave

mdash Barb Jennings womenrsquos officer

CLOUDS OVER mid-east flagshipTeachers say jobs at Victoriarsquos international school in the Middle East are not what they were promised

Rachel Power AEU News

IN MAY 2008 amid great fanfare then Premier John Brumby formally opened the first international

school to teach the Victorian curriculum mdash the Victoria International School of Sharjah (VISS)

The Emir of Sharjahrsquos admiration for Victoriarsquos Effective Schools Model had led him to establish the private school in the United Arab Emirates catering for local and expatriate students from Prep to Year 12

It operates under a memorandum of under-standing between the Victorian Government and the Emirate of Sharjah with staff largely seconded from Victorian schools employment is promoted to Victorian teachers as a unique professional develop-ment opportunity

The ties between the two are close Teachers implement the Victorian curriculum and have access to edumail Their service is recognised by the DEECD for the purposes of salary long service leave and sick leave The department helped develop the VISS strategic plan and is about to conduct a five-year review of the school

But thatrsquos where the relationship ends mdash a fact made ldquocrystal clearrdquo to teachers according to Sue Christophers general manager of the DEECDrsquos international division Pay and conditions are entirely matters for the school she says

For some staff working at VISS it has been a shock to find they are now on their own when it comes to professional and industrial matters with little recourse when things go wrong

Judy (not her real name) arrived at the school in mid-2008 not long before the global financial crisis hit exchange rates turning what she says was touted as ldquoa very lucrative engagementrdquo into a nightmare ldquoInstead of getting ahead in Sharjah (we) were going backwardsrdquo she said

Staff were presented with an amended contract hastily delivered without consultation which they signed believing it would be reviewed after 12 months she said

The college shifted to paying staff in the local dirham currency Salaries were set in Australian dollars but converted at a capped exchange rate

Staff were notified of another serious amendment to their contract mdash a shift from three months to six

monthsrsquo notice mdash via a generic email Judy said The change made it impossible for staff to take up alternative positions at the start of the next academic year without risking their benefits

Judy said the situation led to a dramatic hemorrhaging of staff between late 2009 and mid-June 2010 allegedly due to the wage changes and low morale

Among them were teachers Cassandra

Crevola and her husband who were offered the new contract with changes to paid leave and other entitlements a few days after their arrival

ldquoWe went over there believing that the school was running in conjunction with the Victorian Government so should be pretty saferdquo Cassandra says

The couple quit just four months into a three-year contract On top of wage changes she says the induction and accommodation fell well short of expectations accessing benefits involved time-consuming bureaucratic processes and any concerns took months to resolve

ldquoWe were promised something quite incredible and got something quite differentrdquo she says

Both Judy and Cassandra say such conditions were a shock for teachers used to working in the unionised Victorian education system The fact that VISS followed Victorian department policy on VELS annual reviews and staff structure led them to assume their wages and conditions would also be protected by DEECD

ldquoMy overall impression was that hellip the school was working hand-in-hand with the department It wasnrsquot until we were at the school that we realised that links between the department and the school were pretty flimsyrdquo said Judy

Sue Christophers blames early teething problems coupled with the financial crisis in causing confusion for staff

ldquoWe try to give thorough briefings about whatrsquos involvedrdquo she said ldquoBut itrsquos a tough job and itrsquos not for everyone Our advice is to go in with your eyes openrdquo

The college is now onto its third principal in less than four years Former principal Gordon Pratt told AEU News ldquoIt is recognised and indeed discussed quite openly that this experience may not be for everyone and that to commit to a minimum of two years is a decision that should not be taken lightly

ldquoIt is fair to say that those who enjoy this experi-ence the most are those who are flexible engaged and interested in experiencing another culturerdquo

6 aeu news |april 2011

new

s

Offer valid for Refi nance Home Loan applications received from 1 March to 30 April 2011 and loan must be funded by 31 July 2011 Minimum loan amount is $50000 This offer is only available to new Refi nance Home Loans it does not apply to switching existing Victoria Teachers Credit Union Home Loans Applicants who decide not to proceed with the loan may incur establishment fees Offer valid for the fi rst 50 Refi nance Home Loan applications received from 1 March to 30 April 2011 that go on to be funded by 31 July 2011 Minimum loan amount is $250000 $500 will be credited to the Membersrsquo Victoria Teachers Credit Union Home Loan account This offer is only available to new Refi nance Home Loans it does not apply to switching existing Victoria Teachers Credit Union Home Loans Loans in excess of 80 Loan to Value Ratio (LVR) will incur Lenders Mortgage Insurance charges 1 Comparison rate calculated on a secured loan amount of $150000 for a term of 25 years WARNING This comparison rate is true only for the example given and may not include all fees and charges Different terms fees and other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate Fees and charges apply Terms and Conditions are available on request

home loan sale - save $1100Refi nance your home loan to us between 1 March and 30 April 2011 You can save up to $1100 instantly Wersquoll waive the establishment fee saving you $600 Yoursquoll receive an additional $500 cash if yoursquore one of the fi rst 50 applications received to the value of $250000 or more and your loan is funded by 31 July 2011^

To fi nd out more call a friendly Home Loan Consultant on 1300 654 822 or visit wwwvicteachcomau

establishment fee

$500 cash incentive^

699699

Basic Home Loan

Comparison Rate

Rachel Power AEU News

FLOODING in Victorian schools has highlighted again the dangers of damp classrooms and the

need to ensure safe working environmentsJanet Marshall AEU health and safety organiser

said the case of six teachers who fell ill at Cranbourne Carlisle Primary School following the February floods offered a particular warning

The school in Melbournersquos south-east was closed for several days after carpets were damaged in flash flooding Upon return several teachers reportedly suffered headaches and nausea caused by chemicals and mildew made airborne by large fans used in the drying process

ldquoSchools must make OHampS a priorityrdquo Marshall said ldquoFunding and resources may be scarce and some buildings require greater maintenance and cleaning than others but this is no reason not to comply with the lawrdquo

Lyndhurst Secondary College was also closed for three weeks by the floods mdash a painful reminder for former teacher Jane (not her real name) of the injuries she suffered while working there

She hasnrsquot returned to the school since 2006 when a severe asthma attack left her in intensive care and has now given up teaching completely

After three-and-a-half years fighting for compen-sation Jane won a six-figure payout for respiratory problems caused by working in a damp and mouldy classroom

But while the money will enable her to manage her ongoing medical costs she says ldquoThrough all this I was mostly hoping that Irsquod get a piece of paper from the Government saying that the problem (at the school) had been rectified

ldquoThe money is nothing compared to my healthrdquoJane says that while a lot of effort is put into

warning about obvious hazards like tripping invisible risks can be the most dangerous ldquoWe laughed at the fact that there was a mushroom growing out of the carpet Had I known what I know now I would have vacated that place immediately

ldquoPeople get sick and donrsquot realise why hellip The rule is mdash if it smells musty therersquos mould present You need to contact your OHampS officer and get a thorough (inspection) done straight awayrdquo

She says her case is evidence of why union

membership is so important ldquoThe AEU has been very supportive They did more than enoughrdquo

Marshall says such illnesses and adverse reactions are not uncommon and must be taken seriously ldquoToo often cleaning and maintenance is sub-standard because of the reluctance to take precious resources out of the education program

ldquoThis can result in staff developing dust and mould-related allergic conditions and asthmasrdquo

The Education Department recently reissued an OHS policy procedure (DEE EHU-01-1-2) reaf-firming its commitment to allocating resources to maintain healthy safe and supportive workplaces

ldquoWe must work together to ensure that this commitment is upheldrdquo says Janet ldquoThis means AEU members working collectively with health and safety reps to ensure employer obligations under the Act are metrdquo

For health and safety support email janetmarshallaeuvicasnau

Flooding prompts health warningA case has highlighted how mould and damp can cause permanent health problems

AEU member Jane was left disabled by damp and mould

wwwaeuvicasnau 7

new

s

DUCKS AND APES get message acrossMelbourne state schools were among the winners at a national arts festival with one taking out the top award for its campaign against palm oilRachel Power AEU News

EACH year the national Wakakirri Festival challenges students to

make a positive impact on the world around them in the form of dance song film writing or general arts

Lysterfield Primary School took the overall Wakakirri Prize for Positive Impact for its project investigating the effects of palm oil farming on the habitat and wildlife of south-east Asia

This prize is awarded not only on the strength of a schoolrsquos Wakakirri work but on how students have used their entry to spread awareness within the local and global community and practiced their message at school

Contrasting the lives of a boy and an orangutan at risk of losing

its home the schoolrsquos story ldquoPalm Oil Problemrdquo makes the link between the destruction of native habitat to make way for palm tree plantations and the luxury goods we find on our supermarket shelves

Teacher Danielle Sandeman says the students were ecstatic about winning the national prize

ldquoIt really highlighted Wakakirri and the power of storytellingrdquo she says ldquoIt was great for the kids and the community to see that a simple thing like buying a particular product can have a big impactrdquo

Their campaign included creating a mural for a local community festival making posters signing petitions writing articles for the school news-letter and making presentations

Lysterfield PS students are now well-versed in checking the labels on supermarket products to identify which ones to avoid

Wakakirrirsquos marketing coordinator Brendon Comber says the students really embraced the issue ldquoThey coordinated a campaign which demon-strated awareness and commitment to a specific issue and resulted in an actual change in the purchasing habits of their parents and the people around themrdquo

Also among Victoriarsquos winners was Yarraville West PS whose short animation ldquoA Duck Out of Waterrdquo won the storyndashfilm category

Coordinator Heather Britton says a group of Year 56 students took four months to create the script make the

sets and models and shoot and edit the film

Its theme of clean waterways emerged after a local field trip to Stony Creek and was made as part of the schoolrsquos regular claymation program

Having run second for two years the kids were ldquovery excited to finally be voted the winnerrdquo says Heather ldquoA Duck Out of Waterrdquo will also screen at this yearrsquos Little Big Shots film festival

Established in 1992 Wakakirri has become Australiarsquos largest arts festival for schools Entries presented at live shows and online reach over 1 million people each year

Schools can view entries and register their interest for the 2011 competition at wwwwakakirricom

Keeley at the computer working on her schoolrsquos Wakakirri project

NANO-RISKS NEED NEW RULES

CURRENT regulations are not designed to protect workers against risks from nano-materials that proliferate in everyday products members were told at an AEU health

and safety forumThe first of four forums in 2011 heard from Friends of the Earth about the health

and environmental challenges of nanotechnology mdash the science of the small When materials are scaled down in size they exhibit new properties creating great potential for science medicine and manufacturing but also bringing new risks

Nanotechnology is now used in areas as diverse as food computing automo-tive industries and diagnostics It is already used in over 800 everyday items such as sunscreen where its use is often not labelled

However nano particles can be hazardous because of their size surface area and toxicity They can be inhaled or absorbed through skin

Despite growing evidence of the dangers no country has yet introduced regulations to cover these risks Instead they rely on regulations that werenrsquot designed to protect workers against nano-sized materials

Now unions are lobbying for regulations to protect workers The issue will also be considered at AEU Council mdash in particular the case of sunscreen

OHampS forums are a chance for AEU members to come together over a glass of wine to find out about new or emerging health and safety issues The next forum is on May 18 More at wwwaeuvicasnauohs mdash Janet Marshall OHS organiser

National Reconciliation Week 2011

May 27 ndash June 3

ldquoLETrsquoS Talk Recognitionrdquo is the theme of National Reconciliation Week 2011 mdash a time for all Australians to reflect on our shared histories and achievements

Recognition will be a key issue in the coming years the Federal Government is expected to hold a referendum on recog-nising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the constitution

But Reconciliation Victoria says the theme is also about what the act of recognition means to each of us and to the nation

Schools are encouraged to stage events and lesson activities to mark the week interpreting the theme however they wish

You could hold an event to recognise the important contributions Indigenous Australians make to your community mdash or engage students and staff more deeply in a conversation about the value of recognition and its particular importance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

Reconciliation Victoria would like to know about any activities you have planned Email inforeconciliationvicorgau

Scenes

from

Yarrav

ille We

st PS

rsquos entr

y

8 aeu news |april 2011

new

s

Does your school or workplace AEU Rep deserve special recognition Email aeunewsaeuvicasnau telling us who yoursquore nominating and why The Rep of the Month receives a limited edition AEU leather briefcaseNominate your REP

Chris JohnsonDoncaster Gardens PS

CHRIS Johnson does ldquopretty much everythingrdquo he can to maintain

an active sub-branch at Doncaster Gardens Primary School

Since he took over as sub-branch president in 2008 membership has grown threefold from a handful of members to its current 22

ldquoBasically I go into bat for staffrdquo he says of his role ldquoI keep people abreast of whatrsquos going on

encourage members to attend the AEU Active course and let graduates know about the benefits of being in the unionrdquo

Chris says he became involved with the AEU as a contract teacher in the mid-90s ldquoMoving from school to school each time I changed my sick leave would go back to zero credit pay back to the old subdivision 1 The union sorted all of that out for merdquo

AEU organiser Kim Daly says Chris is an ldquoenthusiastic and passionaterdquo rep whose sub-branch members hold him in high regard

ldquoLast year he put a lot of effort into establishing effective consulta-tion at the schoolrdquo she says ldquoHe maximises attendance at sub-branch meetings He also ensures that his sub-branch is always well repre-sented at regional meetingsrdquo

Nic Barnard AEU News

A POINT Cook teacher won almost $100000 in backpay after the

AEU advised her she had been underpaid for more than a decade

Elaine (not her real name) returned to teaching 11 years ago after raising a family She had taught for six years in the 1970s service that should have counted towards her pay grade

Instead she was wrongly given a new TO number and placed back at Level 1 of the pay scale After 11 years thanks to further misclas-sification during six years of contract and casual work she was still only at accomplished level A3 mdash around $17000 pa short of her correct grade at the top of the scale

She raised the issue at an AEU Active training course with Ballarat organiser Erich Sinkis who imme-diately put her straight ldquoHe rang someone at the (education) depart-ment and got them to look me uprdquo Elaine said

Erich told her how to get a record of service from the department ldquoIrsquom so old they had to look in the archivesrdquo she said ldquoOnce I got that record it was a really easy processrdquo

She added ldquoErich started me off and put me on the right track and told me what to dordquo Sinkis says itrsquos the biggest payment hersquos ever helped a member to secure

ES wins backpay for meetingsWestern suburbs integration aide Lyn Dawson has won backpay for

attending meetings outside her working hours She had been told she had to attend as part of her contract

She was also paid only from 908am each day despite being required to start earlier and was not paid for recess

With the support of ES organiser Kathryn Lewis she took the case to the Merit Protection Board which ruled that Lyn had ldquoworked in excess of her agreed time fractionrdquo and ordered her to be paid backpay for those extra hours

The total is expected to be more than $2000 and sets a precedent for

four colleagues who were in the same position

Lewis said ldquoThis is a common misreading of the agreement for ES staff who work in the classroom with teachers We keep coming across members who have been underpaid for weeks or even years So we go back and win backpay for themrdquo

ldquoI was very impressed by Kathrynrdquo Lyn said ldquoShe was very professional and kept on top of everythingrdquo

Members who think they may have been underpaid should call the MSU on (03) 9417 2822 or email melbourneaeuvicasnau

Backpay advice nets teacher $100kSimple questions to the AEU can produce big benefits

Conference callCLIMATE change will be high on the agenda at this yearrsquos AEU Branch

Conference on August 6 mdash the unionrsquos peak decision-making forumLegislation on a carbon tax is expected to be making its way through the

Senate as the conference is held making the issue highly topical But there will also be debates on state and federal education mattersNominations for delegates are now invited there are almost 900

positions open Members can also apply for observer status For details see the notice on page 2 Notices have been sent to all sub-branch representatives

Branch conference sets the union agenda for the year and is a chance for members to steer AEU policy The more members who participate the greater our voice

Disability program in limboA HIGHLY-praised program to assess and support disabled children in

Victorian schools has been left in limbo by the new Baillieu GovernmentThe ABLES program was launched with fanfare by the Brumby Government

during the state election campaign after a lengthy trial involving special and mainstream schools

But the reference group set up before the election has never met mdash its first meeting was cancelled and AEU vice president Carolyn Clancy says no new date has been set

ldquoIt would be extremely disappointing if the program were cancelled before it even got off the groundrdquo she said ldquoA lot of work has gone into it over a number of years especially from special schools in trialling materials and offering strategies to teachers to support these studentsrdquo

ABLES features a suite of tools to allow teachers to assess students with special needs and evaluate their progress as well as strategies to help students reach the next level

ldquoThe trials were extremely well receivedrdquo Ms Clancy said ldquoItrsquos a valuable tool for designing one-on-one programs for students with special needsrdquo

wwwaeuvicasnau 9

new

s

CART

OON

copy P

OPE

THE

CANB

ERRA

TIM

ES

Nic Barnard AEU News

MICHAEL Hill and Rob Stewart are the new voices at the end of the

phone when members call the AEUrsquos Membership Services Unit for advice

Michael is the first principal to join the team mdash he recently retired from the helm at Upper Yarra Secondary College after 37 years in teaching Itrsquos not his first time at the AEU he worked here briefly in the late 1990s

He left then because he missed

the students mdash ldquoit was like having a stone in my shoerdquo mdash but is now glad to be back

ldquoItrsquos a learning curverdquo he says of his new job ldquoespecially working not just with the school sector but disability TAFE AMES and early childhood But the issues seem very similar in all of them

ldquoInstitutions everywhere are struggling with increasing demands and shrinking budgets and staff and leaders are caught in the middle trying to do their best with the interests of their students at heartrdquo

Rob Stewart brings his experience as a past deputy vice president for the TAFE and adult provision sector to the job

He and Michael fill the big shoes in the MSU left by Glenda Piddington and David Bunn

David a former organiser who has spent 30 years working in the union movement is our new industrial officer supporting the AEU and individual members with legal and industrial matters delving into the fine print of laws and agreements helping frame logs of claims and advising on legislation

Meanwhile Glenda has moved to head up our member-ship records team which is now front and centre on the ground floor of the AEU building in Abbotsford

The team handles all member-ship inquiries processing new members and changes of details With membership now at a record 45500 they have been ploughing heroically through applications

As well as joining or updating online members can now visit them at their new front desk to pay subs pass on changes of details and buy AEU merchandise

Glenda a business manager and AEU rep at Springvale PS until she joined the AEU staff last year said

ldquoWersquove got a great team in the records section but this move will hopefully mean we can give an even better service to membersrdquo

New faces new jobsItrsquos all change at the AEU with two new faces on the Membership Services Unit and a new home for our membership records team

Vale Brian

BRIAN Harbour was AEU to the end mdash so much so that the

Sebastopol College teacher was buried last month with an AEU flag draped over his coffin

Brian died in February aged 61 Sub-branch president Wayne Johnston paid tribute to his ldquocomrade and materdquo at the funeral as ldquoan outstanding and loyal teacher unionistrdquo who held numerous union roles during his 36 years at the school including being the unofficial entertainment officer

ldquoBrian always fought the hard fight to make teachersrsquo working conditions betterrdquo Wayne said ldquoHe was always at the forefront of strikes stopwork meetings union rallies and union marches hellip We would walk together as a team at the front of the march to hold the union banner high

He could always find an alternative or a compromise to break a deadlock and he would always go the extra mile to help out union membersrdquo

Michael Hill

Glenda Piddington

10 aeu news |april 2011

new

s

Say it loud PAY UPBaillieursquos broken promise demands a loud response from the equal pay campaign in disability services

Nic Barnard AEU News

JUNE 8 will see a National Day of Action over equal pay for disability

and community workers mdash an event now even more important after the Coalitionrsquos broken promises

The day will put pressure on federal and state governments to fund in full the outcome of the equal pay case now before Fair Work Australia

Before the state election Premier Ted Baillieu and his community services spokesperson Mary Wooldridge promised to fully fund the outcome of the case

Ms Wooldridge told the Victorian Council of Social Services ldquoWersquove been very clear wersquoll be making financial commitments in our policies in relation to supporting that claim and if itrsquos more than that then we will be funding and supporting itrdquo

Now the Coalition says it has budgeted only $50 million per year to meet the outcome and anything more could result in a ldquogaprdquo in government funding to the sectors ldquoThis may result in a reduction in servicesrdquo its submission to FWA says which could in turn lead to cuts in jobs or hours

AEU branch president Mary Bluett said ldquoMary Wooldridge had made her position crystal clear mdash they would fund the outcome

ldquoOur members in disability work with some of the most disadvantaged and disabled adults in Victoria They perform an enormous service to the

community often at personal risk and yet are some of the lowest paid workers in the state

ldquoIf Fair Work Australia says these workers deserve more then the Government has a responsibility to fund it in full Disability services are already stretched and underfunded and have no ability to bridge the gaprdquo

She added ldquoTo threaten cuts to staff or hours when the service already has difficulty attracting and retaining trainers makes no senserdquo

Unions argue that community and disability workers have been histori-cally underpaid for their skills and qualifications because the profes-sions are mostly staffed by women

June 8rsquos rally will not be protected industrial action but any member who is free on the day is urged to attend and those in disability services in particular should seek approval from their employers to take part

Many employers back the equal pay case and have supported previous rallies

Pressure on to pay upMeanwhile the AEU is to increase pressure on a handful of disability employers who are holding out over a 325 pay rise from last July for which they have already been funded by the State Government

Many employers have signed a memorandum of understanding with the AEU to pay the money mdash work on a new agreement has been suspended until the outcome of the equal pay case

But a few have not signed and have not yet passed the money on They face a campaign of naming and shaming if they fail to do the right thing by their staff

TAFE appeals landmark email rulingBENDIGO TAFE has sought leave to appeal against the Federal Court decision that it acted illegally in standing down

AEU rep Greg Barclay over an email sent to membersBarclay mdash now the AEUrsquos acting deputy vice president for the TAFE and adult provision sector mdash may have to wait

until next year just to learn if leave has been granted The case has already hung over him for more than a yearA majority of the full bench of the court found in February that the institute had contravened the Fair Work Act It was

a landmark ruling that protects the right of union officials to communicate with their members over issues of concernBranch president Mary Bluett said ldquoWhile itrsquos disappointing this comes as no surprise This is a very significant

decision and if they are given leave to appeal we will contest it all the wayrdquoBarclay remained phlegmatic ldquoBendigo TAFE breached the Act and thatrsquos the way it stands Wersquoll just have to wait

and see if they are granted leave to appeal At the end of the day I still know I did the right thingrdquo mdash Nic Barnard

Equal Pay rally November 2010

TASMANIATEACHERS are ramping up their pay campaign as the Tasmanian Government refuses to address key concerns in agreement talks

AEU branch president Leanne Wright says the union has put the Government on notice amid concerns that it might turn its back on maintaining salaries in line with interstate pay levels

ldquoWe canrsquot get any straight answers from the education departmentrdquo she told The Mercury ldquoWe keep asking them to put a salary offer on the table and they wonrsquot do it

ldquoWe have decided we are not going to wait and see what it is mdash we are going to start ramping up our campaign nowrdquo

The union is also fighting for teachersrsquo aides who are currently stood down over Christmas

NEW SOUTH WALESNSW Teachers Federation has called on new Premier Barry OrsquoFarrell to rule out plans to slash the public education budget following a Sydney Morning Herald exposeacute of a secret Education Department blueprint modelled on Jeff Kennettrsquos cuts

The SMH says the department plans to slash up to $1 billion initially and then up to $800 million each year thereafter

Acting NSWTF president Gary Zadkovich says 100 schools would be closed and assets sold leading to a loss of 7500 teachers and 1500 support positions TAFE cuts of up to $135m pa are also planned

ldquoThis would be the most devas-tating attack on public education students and staff in NSW historyrdquo Zadkovich said

QUEENSLAND QUEENSLAND Teachersrsquo Union has now distributed around $350000 in relief funds to members following the floods and cyclone General secretary John Battams sent a message of thanks to AEU branches

wwwaeuvicasnau 11

new

s

Say it loud PAY UPBaillieursquos broken promise demands a loud response from the equal pay campaign in disability services

Nic Barnard AEU News

JUNE 8 will see a National Day of Action over equal pay for disability

and community workers mdash an event now even more important after the Coalitionrsquos broken promises

The day will put pressure on federal and state governments to fund in full the outcome of the equal pay case now before Fair Work Australia

Before the state election Premier Ted Baillieu and his community services spokesperson Mary Wooldridge promised to fully fund the outcome of the case

Ms Wooldridge told the Victorian Council of Social Services ldquoWersquove been very clear wersquoll be making financial commitments in our policies in relation to supporting that claim and if itrsquos more than that then we will be funding and supporting itrdquo

Now the Coalition says it has budgeted only $50 million per year to meet the outcome and anything more could result in a ldquogaprdquo in government funding to the sectors ldquoThis may result in a reduction in servicesrdquo its submission to FWA says which could in turn lead to cuts in jobs or hours

AEU branch president Mary Bluett said ldquoMary Wooldridge had made her position crystal clear mdash they would fund the outcome

ldquoOur members in disability work with some of the most disadvantaged and disabled adults in Victoria They perform an enormous service to the

community often at personal risk and yet are some of the lowest paid workers in the state

ldquoIf Fair Work Australia says these workers deserve more then the Government has a responsibility to fund it in full Disability services are already stretched and underfunded and have no ability to bridge the gaprdquo

She added ldquoTo threaten cuts to staff or hours when the service already has difficulty attracting and retaining trainers makes no senserdquo

Unions argue that community and disability workers have been histori-cally underpaid for their skills and qualifications because the profes-sions are mostly staffed by women

June 8rsquos rally will not be protected industrial action but any member who is free on the day is urged to attend and those in disability services in particular should seek approval from their employers to take part

Many employers back the equal pay case and have supported previous rallies

Pressure on to pay upMeanwhile the AEU is to increase pressure on a handful of disability employers who are holding out over a 325 pay rise from last July for which they have already been funded by the State Government

Many employers have signed a memorandum of understanding with the AEU to pay the money mdash work on a new agreement has been suspended until the outcome of the equal pay case

But a few have not signed and have not yet passed the money on They face a campaign of naming and shaming if they fail to do the right thing by their staff

TAFE appeals landmark email rulingBENDIGO TAFE has sought leave to appeal against the Federal Court decision that it acted illegally in standing down

AEU rep Greg Barclay over an email sent to membersBarclay mdash now the AEUrsquos acting deputy vice president for the TAFE and adult provision sector mdash may have to wait

until next year just to learn if leave has been granted The case has already hung over him for more than a yearA majority of the full bench of the court found in February that the institute had contravened the Fair Work Act It was

a landmark ruling that protects the right of union officials to communicate with their members over issues of concernBranch president Mary Bluett said ldquoWhile itrsquos disappointing this comes as no surprise This is a very significant

decision and if they are given leave to appeal we will contest it all the wayrdquoBarclay remained phlegmatic ldquoBendigo TAFE breached the Act and thatrsquos the way it stands Wersquoll just have to wait

and see if they are granted leave to appeal At the end of the day I still know I did the right thingrdquo mdash Nic Barnard

Equal Pay rally November 2010

TASMANIATEACHERS are ramping up their pay campaign as the Tasmanian Government refuses to address key concerns in agreement talks

AEU branch president Leanne Wright says the union has put the Government on notice amid concerns that it might turn its back on maintaining salaries in line with interstate pay levels

ldquoWe canrsquot get any straight answers from the education departmentrdquo she told The Mercury ldquoWe keep asking them to put a salary offer on the table and they wonrsquot do it

ldquoWe have decided we are not going to wait and see what it is mdash we are going to start ramping up our campaign nowrdquo

The union is also fighting for teachersrsquo aides who are currently stood down over Christmas

NEW SOUTH WALESNSW Teachers Federation has called on new Premier Barry OrsquoFarrell to rule out plans to slash the public education budget following a Sydney Morning Herald exposeacute of a secret Education Department blueprint modelled on Jeff Kennettrsquos cuts

The SMH says the department plans to slash up to $1 billion initially and then up to $800 million each year thereafter

Acting NSWTF president Gary Zadkovich says 100 schools would be closed and assets sold leading to a loss of 7500 teachers and 1500 support positions TAFE cuts of up to $135m pa are also planned

ldquoThis would be the most devas-tating attack on public education students and staff in NSW historyrdquo Zadkovich said

QUEENSLAND QUEENSLAND Teachersrsquo Union has now distributed around $350000 in relief funds to members following the floods and cyclone General secretary John Battams sent a message of thanks to AEU branches

wwwaeuvicasnau 11

new

s

Casual teachers do it tough with low pay no security and little PD But James Rankin AEU vice president and convenor of the unionrsquos CRT association says a new agreement could put all that right

A NEW DEAL for CRTsAS WE head towards bargaining for a new Schools

Agreement we at last have an opportunity to address the significant issues that face casual relief teachers

Changes brought about by the Fair Work Act mean we can now attempt to bring CRTs into the agreement mdash until now they have been covered only by a ministerial order

This will be difficult to achieve particularly under a Coalition government and we will have to campaign hard for that outcome But it would give us an excellent platform for improving conditions and salaries for our CRT members that we simply havenrsquot had in the past

Is CRT pay all that badThe common perception among permanent teachers is that the rate for CRTs is not that bad Many believe that CRTs get paid the same as other teachers plus a 20 loading to compensate for going unpaid during holidays and the lack of leave entitlements

The reality is that CRTs are paid significantly less than a graduate teacher

Over time CRT wages have declined relative to

other teachers In 1989 a fully qualified ldquotemporary teacherrdquo was paid $12880 per day today the maximum daily CRT rate is $256

By comparison a first-year teacher was paid $23816 in 1989 compared to $55459 today Salaries have risen 127 for graduates but only 95 for CRTs

So a CRT today can earn a maximum annual income of $51200 (inclusive of that 20 loading and regardless of experience) mdash more than $4000 less than a first-year teacher And thatrsquos assuming they can find work every day

There are a number of reasons for this clear decline over time The two most important are that CRT wages barely increased during the Kennett era and CRTs have not had the benefits of changes to the salary structure

Since the end of the Kennett Government in 1999 CRT wages have risen only by the percentage increases won by the AEU for the rest of the workforce However changes to the salary structure have delivered significantly more for ongoing and contract teachers than these flat percentage rises

CRT pay rates are complicated further when teachers are employed by an agency or referred

to a position by an agency Fees vary between agencies as do the amounts charged to schools This can result in CRTs being paid even less than $256 per day mdash in some cases significantly less

However itrsquos not just about the money CRTs have a range of other important grievances including lack of breaks hours of attendance yard duty access to PD and the non-payment of superannua-tion to name a few

What can we doWe need to re-establish the link between CRT rates of pay and the Schools Agreementrsquos salary structure The essential task is to make sure that where salary increases are delivered to the teaching workforce that this includes CRTs

The log of claims submitted by the AEU to the Education Department late last year includes a claim that would deliver this salary outcome as well as a number of other items developed in consulta-tion with CRTs across the state

To find out more or to get involved in the campaign please contact me on jamesrankinaeuvicasnau

12 aeu news | april 2011

feat

ure

WHATrsquoS IN THE LOG

FEATURES of our log of claims that affect casual relief teachers includebull All CRTs to be employed by DEECDbull Salaries re-linked to Level 7 on the teachersrsquo pay scale plus 20

loading in lieu of annual and personal leavebull Tighten up payment of superannuationbull Medical intervention allowance when such duties are requiredbull $40 short call allowance in addition to daily salarybull Paid travel expenses for engagements beyond 50kmbull Professional development allowance for CRTsbull PD provided by the DEECD centrally with provision for CRTs

to attend local school-based PDbull CRTs to be informed of new DEECD initiativesbull Minimum 30-minute paid lunch break and other changes to

rules on hoursbull No more than one yard duty of maximum 30 minutes per full daybull All CRT employment recognised for commencement salarybull Minimum standards for CRT agencies through an accreditation

process to be developed by AEU and departmentFull details at wwwaeuvicasnauagreements2011 (see from page 58 of the schools log of claims)

LIKE many women I started CRT work while on family leave I would have preferred a

part-time role but there are very few available in the primary sector CRTing was the next best thing and was OK for us for a while as we had my husbandrsquos income to rely on

I didnrsquot expect to enjoy the work as much as

I do I love the challenge of walking into a new classroom of quickly creating a positive atmos-phere with the students and implementing another teacherrsquos planning or of creating a program for the day

And I am excited to see the wonderful work that goes on in schools and inspired by the

commitment and caring of the teachers I meet in these schools

This year however I can no longer afford to work as a CRT My husband is returning to study so I need to be the main earner in our family I canrsquot earn a living as a CRT

With 12 weeks of the year where I canrsquot work no sick leave or carerrsquos leave no holiday pay and no guarantee of work CRTing isnrsquot an option for us We need some guaranteed income not one or two days one week and maybe a full week the next then no work for a week I simply canrsquot pay the bills or feed my daughter

I am now stuck in financial limbo I couldnrsquot return from family leave this year as I couldnrsquot commit to working until I knew whether my husband was accepted into the course I am currently applying for contract positions but unfortunately

there arenrsquot many available at this time of the year

My husband and I are stressed and worried about money and if I donrsquot find work soon I will need to look at working outside the profession The irony here is that despite these experiences my husband is studying to be a primary teacher too

PD FOR CRTsYour room mdash my rules

THIS year the AEU offers three PD conferences specifically for CRTs during school holidays The first of these ldquoYour Room

My Rulesrdquo in South Melbourne on April 14 will cover the popular issue of classroom management

Speakers include a keynote from Jo Lange who will also run a workshop on boys and behaviour the popular Glen Pearsall on five tips for engaging students Margaret Armstrong on restorative practice and Jo Prestia on catering for different learning styles

For more information or to book a place online visit tinyurlcom4uw9cf6

MORE INFORMATION FOR CRTs

THE AEU website has a dedicated section for CRT members There is a wealth of information for you there mdash so get informed and

get active at wwwaeuvicasnaucrt

PHOTO MARK WILSON

STUCK in l imbo

Despite loving her CRT work Olivia OrsquoConnor says she can no longer afford it

wwwaeuvicasnau 13

feature

DESPITE its improvements the posting of My School 20 should

have left public school teachers seething with anger

It has laid bare the substantial fraud in claims made by the Gillard Government and by curriculum body ACARA about the original website In this apparent new era in school

accountability the sponsors and designers of My School 10 have ended up wearing the least account-ability of all mdash while the schools serving the most disadvantaged were forced to wear a year of shame

My School 10 was launched with all the language of transparency accountability choice and quality

mdash almost a perfect storm of political advantage From the outset observers were able to see that claims made about the website and about its index of advantage ICSEA just didnrsquot ring true

In a longer study published in Inside Story (insideorgau) I looked closely at the 35 secondary schools given an ICSEA value of 1000 They clearly did not enrol similar students and should never have been compared

The new website has sparked a host of stories about school funding and this will help recreate the debate about equity and funding But all I could think about was the original group of ICSEA 1000 schools How did they fare in the new website

My School 20 shows that these 35 schools are very different indeed

They spread across an ICSEA range from 941 to 1059 Most of the private schools saw their ICSEA values adjusted upwards most of the public schools went in the reverse direction Many which displayed splashes of red (donrsquot go there) on their original NAPLAN page now have respectable tinges of green (safe to go) Other schools have seen their inflated repu-tations evaporate overnight

It didnrsquot have to be like this If it was ever needed My School appeared at least one year too early A charitable explanation (for ACARA) would firmly place the blame for this at Gillardrsquos door But ACARA chiefs tied themselves in knots trying to justify claims made about the site Its chief executive Peter Hill understated the errors in ICSEA and lightly dismissed

problems telling a Senate inquiry that the very publication of data improved its quality

Any commercial product in such instant disrepair would be subject to a recall or just laughed off the market with its manufacturer called to account andor paying a considerable price

Obviously the media is happy to move on and forget the mistakes of the past If the teaching profes-sion is equally sanguine wersquoll all face the problems of the mistakes being repeated with impunity My School 20 still does not allow schools to be fairly compared and it might be some time before we can be confident about the financial data

The Gillard Government and ACARA should make some statement of contrition to the thousands of schools

unfavourably compared under My School 10 ACARA must place very visible caveats on every page of the new website warning about the use of the data to compare schools

More than that we are entitled to a full inquiry into the circumstances preceding and accompanying the launch of My School 10 and the various official claims made about the site Itrsquos not good enough to just move on mdash to do so would be to invite more of the same

Itrsquos about accountability

Chris Bonnor is a contributing author to the Centre for Policy Developmentrsquos More Than Luck Ideas Australia Needs Now You can read a fuller analysis of My School 20 in Inside Story at tinyurlcom46vdb74

My SchoolrsquosSELECTIVE ACCOUNTABILITY

ACARA and the Gillard Government should not be allowed to get away with the damage they have caused to public schoolsrsquo reputations Chris Bonnor writes

The lessons not learned

FOR all the effort the Federal Government put into relaunching My School it proved something of a one-day wonder in the press But if the site itself

is an improvement on last year the media failed to raise their game to matchMelbourne High School principal Jeremy Ludowyke might as well have

been shouting into the wind last year when he forcefully pointed out that students have been at the selective school for only three months when they sit the NAPLAN tests MHS was again widely celebrated for its results

Once again there was no distinction across the media between the results of selective and non-selective schools

One of the most important changes to the site the display of margins of error went entirely unreported The margin of error shows clearly the unreli-ability of this snapshot data but for all the unsuspecting reader of The Age or Herald Sun knew the raw scores were gospel

Perhaps most surprisingly there was no attempt to examine the data to see which schools had registered big improvements since students last sat the tests two years ago

The Herald Sun ran eight pages of hard-to-read tables mdash unranked mdash which left some suspecting the paper had been given high-level access to the files

Predictably most reporting focused on the new funding information which has put the independent sector in particular on the back foot mdash there seems little link between the high fees of elite institutions and their outcomes

By Sunday it was all over save for a story in the Sunday Age about alleged cheating at one western suburbs public school

Whatever the truth of that particular case it proved the Gillard Government had been successful in at least one of its aims mdash itrsquos now teachers that bear the burden of responsibility not governments

mdash Nic Barnard

Some schools have seen their inflated reputations evaporate overnight

14 aeu news | april 2011

feat

ure

FANCY a career in horticulture A member reported to me recently

that a student enrolling in the subject at his regional TAFE institute can expect to pay around $17000 mdash for a Certificate III qualification

That seemed to sum up the dire state we have reached in the public TAFE sector Horror stories abound in our institutes mdash stories of broke students dropping out rising workloads and redundancies

Most of the issues are not isolated mdash they are endemic a consequence of years of under-funding patch-ups and denial about the true state of the public TAFE sector

TAFE in 2011 is seeing more of the negative aspects of the last govern-mentrsquos ldquoskills reformrdquo just as the AEU had predicted

Despite the concessions introduced by the new Coalition Government a 25-year-old student with a health care card can find herself on a government-subsidised course paying $2000 but sitting next to another student who is 24 and has had his fees and charges reduced

This inequity is unacceptable and must be addressed But the legacy of the skills reform is not the only problem facing TAFE

Quality down workload upWe now face a move back to paper-based compliance and away from good teaching and learning practice

Face-to-face delivery continues to

be reduced more and more Teachers are responsible for learning done by students through homework guides learner guides or some other form of low-cost or no-cost delivery

Only non-teachers could justify this game of smoke and mirrors Teachers know that an injustice is being done to the students mdash and to teachers some of whom have had their delivery hours slashed by up to 60 in cases reported to the AEU

Decisions to slash delivery hours are not made to benefit students they are made to increase profitability

Instead of being responsible for 800 hours of teaching per year some teachers may now be responsible through this ldquoshavingrdquo of hours for up to 1600 hours mdash but with only half the time for preparation and correction of studentsrsquo work

As if that werenrsquot enough the issue of excess hours compounds the growing pressure on teachers Excess hours are now seen by some TAFE managers as a way to further increase delivery at reduced cost

Bizarrely some teachers are told they will not get any additional preparation or correction time for the excess teaching hours they are being asked to do

So much for quality teaching and learning practices

So what are we going to doThere is a saying that you get what you settle for Well the AEU will not

settle for what is happening to TAFENor do we accept that nothing can

be done about itWhile others appear to have given

up the AEU will notTo force the defenders and deniers

to acknowledge what is occurring we need to continue to expose the current situation in TAFE for teachers and students

The TAFE 4 All website will continue to publish the personal stories of AEU members and students about what is happening in their TAFEs across the state

We will ensure that politicians bureaucrats boards of directors CEOs and managers cannot use that tired old defence ldquoWe didnrsquot knowrdquo

Time to step upBut we must also strengthen the way we work as a union to reverse this spiral of decline That means

Stronger AEU sub-branches We know that senior managers from TAFEs meet regularly to share how they are squeezing more out of teachers and that these strategies are imposed at the teaching centre level

Strengthening the ability of sub-branches to challenge and expose these practices through institute consultative committees (ICCs) and the consultation provisions in our TAFE Agreement will help us resist these attacks on the integrity of teaching practice

Sharing information Sub-branches have successfully negotiated changes to work practices and addressed the negative impact on workloads in their own institutes We will continue to share these strategies with other sub-branches so that they too may push for similar changes at their own TAFEs

Strengthening our professional networks The greater the number of networks that exist across TAFE for AEU members to discuss and work together to defend their teaching and professional integrity the more effective we will be in bringing about positive change for TAFE

Unite and fightWe have shown that we are capable of great things in TAFE

The MBA campaignThe TAFE4ALL campaignThe way we positively transform the

lives of thousands of students on a daily basis

Working together we can and will defend and rebuild what happens for each teacher and for each individual student and the public TAFE system

Greg Barclay is acting AEU deputy vice president for TAFE and adult provision

FIGHTING for the soul of TAFE

Join the campaign

bull wwwtafe4allorgaubull wwwaeuvicasnautafe

After years of mismanagement things have rarely looked bleaker for TAFE But united action can help it turn a corner Greg Barclay says the fightback starts here

wwwaeuvicasnau 15

feature

PETER Walker watched with anxiety as the tsunami wreaked destruction on the coast of Japan

The Year 5 teacher at Roxburgh Homestead Primary School was in Japan last year as part of the AEUrsquos annual exchange program with Shizuoka Teachersrsquo Union

He was hosted by a family in Shizuoka on the east coast about 150 kilometres south of Tokyo ldquoI was initially worried when I heard about the tsunami because Shizuoka is on the coast It was only the next day when I saw the maps in the newspaper and realised it had happened much further north that I felt confident my host family was OKrdquo

Peter sent the family an email to let them know he was thinking of them Even though ldquoShizuoka is a lot further south of where all the action was happeningrdquo he was still relieved to receive a reply confirming they were safe

He had stayed with them for only three nights but the family was so generous and warm towards him that they became close friends When Sheho the

little girl burst into tears as he said goodbye Peter couldnrsquot help but shed a tear or two himself

AEU branch president Mary Bluett has also written to the Shizuoka Teachersrsquo Union on behalf of the branch expressing sympathy and solidarity after last monthrsquos tragedy

The two unions have run the annual educational exchange since 2000 and Bluett has made several trips herself

ldquoYou get an idea of Japan and Japanese educationrdquo she says ldquoPeople are initially worried about the homestay but they come back and say it was the highlight of the triprdquo

The daughters of her host family asked her how Australian women made the strides they had ldquo(Japan) is so different but these two young womenrsquos aspirations are the same as ours They want to learn from us which is pretty humblingrdquo

It was the STU that came up with the idea of an inter-union exchange For eight years its teachers came to Victoria annually

ldquoThe union wanted its teachers to visit here to find out about our school councils first handrdquo Bluett says ldquoThis (aim) became broader looking at our education system the curriculum and how we teachrdquo

The Japanese delegation arrives in Victoria mid-year and now Australian members visit Japan in the Term 3 holidays for sightseeing a union conference and the homestay and visit to the host teacherrsquos school

ldquoPersonally and professionally itrsquos very enrichingrdquo Mary says ldquoIt broadened my horizons and knowledge Irsquove met a lot of people in my travels but the Japanese are such lovely people Everybodyrsquos changed by the experiencerdquo

Peter was hosted by Akira Sawaoku an English teacher at a local junior high school Sanae his wife and daughters Ai and Sheho

ldquoThe Japanese people are poles apart from the World War II stereotypical understanding of Japaneserdquo he says ldquoThey are the most hospitable people yoursquod ever meet I never spent one yen The

Last monthrsquos earthquake alarmed many members who have made firm friends with Japanese families through the AEUrsquos exchange program Cynthia Karena reports

Friendshiprsquos firm foundations

Enlightening enjoyable and stress-free

Having never travelled overseas the supportive environment and the friendliness of the Japanese was a fantastic way for Dianne Le Marshall to begin

ldquoYOU get three holidays in one mdash sightseeing a look at education in another country and a grassroots look at family life through the home stay visit something you canrsquot get on any

other tourrdquo Dianne Le Marshall says of her trip to Japan last yearA Japanese teacher at Windemere Primary School in the Victorian Central Highlands Dianne

found the exchange opened her eyes to another cultureldquoIt was fascinating Some of my perceptions were changed I thought (Japanese) were strict

they were but there is a nice feeling that teachers and students have with each otherrdquoBeing a part of Japanese life was one of Diannersquos more memorable experiencesldquoI was really lucky I got to see a tea ceremony and it was really amazing The reverence placed

on the ceremony the tea house the ritual the formal kimono mdash it takes you back to times pastrdquoThe conference day was an opportunity to meet and share experiences with other unionists

ldquoThey have longer hours and harder hours They are expected to do a lot more extracurricular stuff (such as) run clubs

ldquoThey are very non-militant But they did get Saturday morning work dropped recentlyldquoThe teachers didnrsquot seem to find class sizes an issue but they were stunned to find out our

class sizesldquoVery little time was spent on discipline Students stood by their desks and bowed I didnrsquot see

any misbehaviour But some (children) didnrsquot get attention because there were so manyrdquoDianne and the other Australian teachers were surprised at the lack of technology in the

classrooms ldquoconsidering the Japanese are known for their technology mdash it was a bare classroom there were no computers or interactive whiteboardsrdquo

And she has just one piece of advice for anyone thinking about the trip ldquoGo for itrdquo

16 aeu news | april 2011

feat

ure

Friendshiprsquos firm foundations

family took me out to Japanese restaurants and showed me around their immediate areardquo

The husband took Peter to the local school where he saw class sizes of 40 students ldquoAs a unionist I see the benefit of having a strong union Their union is trying to get a lower ratio

ldquoIrsquom always interested in education and unionism overseas This trip was an opportunity to meet up with fellow unionists No matter where in the world unionists want to get the best for their fellow worker and for the studentsrdquo

But Peter never realised how multi-cultural Australia is until he went to Japan ldquoIn the school four out of 700 were a different nationality I went to a shopping mall and I never saw another European At dinner on my last night a Japanese toddler was staring at me with his mouth openrdquo

The Japanese exchange program also exceeded Elizabeth Healyrsquos expectations The student welfare coordinator at Princes Hill Secondary College is an experienced traveller and says Japan is the

friendliest best mannered most helpful and safest country she has ever visited

ldquoI got a better appreciation of Japanese culture and living in a Japanese home to see how they liverdquo

At her homestay despite Elizabethrsquos protesta-tions her host wife Kazuko was determined to dress Elizabeth in a kimono and take photos ldquoWe fell about laughingrdquo

More laughter followed when Kazuko took Elizabeth to a bath house ldquobut everybody made me feel at homerdquo

Elizabeth found the schools highly structured but says the Japanese passionately believe school should be fun ldquoThere are lots of games and lots of activities Teachers have a positive relationship with the kids Anyone new was regarded as funrdquo

The teachersrsquo conference gave Elizabeth an opportunity to hear about their concerns and issues in the workplace ldquoIt was interesting They are working towards having a more inclusive curriculum but therersquos a long way to go We talked about class

sizes inclusion and catering to different abilitiesldquoI came away with a strong sense of similarities

of purpose and values There is a desire to improve their working conditions and what they can do for the kidsrdquo

Elizabeth was also concerned when the earth-quakes and tsunami hit Japan ldquoThe first thing I did was have a quick look at the map

ldquoShizuoka is OK it is safe I sent an email to my host family and Kazuko replied saying they were (alright) hopeful and safe and that words couldnrsquot describe what had happenedrdquo

The tragedy in Japan has not lessened the effect the exchange program had on her ldquoIt was an absolutely amazing experience It was inspiring it was fun the people were helpful and so generous with their timerdquo

THIS yearrsquos trip to Shizuoka is still scheduled to go ahead during the Term 3 holidays The

AEU is now seeking expressions of interest from members No Japanese language is required

Running from September 25 to October 3 (dates may vary slightly) this is an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas and information about education with teachers in Japan and to experience the Japanese culture

The program includesbull Educational exchange with Shizuoka

Teachersrsquo Unionbull A three-day homestay with a teacherrsquos

family and visits to their schoolbull Meeting with Shizuoka Prefectural Board of

Educationbull Sightseeing in Kyoto and Nara

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development recognises this program as PD (for tax purposes) and works with the AEU on various aspects of the visit

Members are also sought in the Castlemaine and Bendigo region to host families during the Japanese visit to Victoria An allowance of $200 towards hostsrsquo expenses is provided

Contact Lee-Anne Poynton on 03) 9418 4874 or email lee-annepoyntonaeuvicasnau

Peter Walker with Ai and Sheho of his host family during last yearrsquos exchange

Find out more atwwwaeuvicasnaujapan

wwwaeuvicasnau 17

feature

Friendshiprsquos firm foundations

family took me out to Japanese restaurants and showed me around their immediate areardquo

The husband took Peter to the local school where he saw class sizes of 40 students ldquoAs a unionist I see the benefit of having a strong union Their union is trying to get a lower ratio

ldquoIrsquom always interested in education and unionism overseas This trip was an opportunity to meet up with fellow unionists No matter where in the world unionists want to get the best for their fellow worker and for the studentsrdquo

But Peter never realised how multi-cultural Australia is until he went to Japan ldquoIn the school four out of 700 were a different nationality I went to a shopping mall and I never saw another European At dinner on my last night a Japanese toddler was staring at me with his mouth openrdquo

The Japanese exchange program also exceeded Elizabeth Healyrsquos expectations The student welfare coordinator at Princes Hill Secondary College is an experienced traveller and says Japan is the

friendliest best mannered most helpful and safest country she has ever visited

ldquoI got a better appreciation of Japanese culture and living in a Japanese home to see how they liverdquo

At her homestay despite Elizabethrsquos protesta-tions her host wife Kazuko was determined to dress Elizabeth in a kimono and take photos ldquoWe fell about laughingrdquo

More laughter followed when Kazuko took Elizabeth to a bath house ldquobut everybody made me feel at homerdquo

Elizabeth found the schools highly structured but says the Japanese passionately believe school should be fun ldquoThere are lots of games and lots of activities Teachers have a positive relationship with the kids Anyone new was regarded as funrdquo

The teachersrsquo conference gave Elizabeth an opportunity to hear about their concerns and issues in the workplace ldquoIt was interesting They are working towards having a more inclusive curriculum but therersquos a long way to go We talked about class

sizes inclusion and catering to different abilitiesldquoI came away with a strong sense of similarities

of purpose and values There is a desire to improve their working conditions and what they can do for the kidsrdquo

Elizabeth was also concerned when the earth-quakes and tsunami hit Japan ldquoThe first thing I did was have a quick look at the map

ldquoShizuoka is OK it is safe I sent an email to my host family and Kazuko replied saying they were (alright) hopeful and safe and that words couldnrsquot describe what had happenedrdquo

The tragedy in Japan has not lessened the effect the exchange program had on her ldquoIt was an absolutely amazing experience It was inspiring it was fun the people were helpful and so generous with their timerdquo

THIS yearrsquos trip to Shizuoka is still scheduled to go ahead during the Term 3 holidays The

AEU is now seeking expressions of interest from members No Japanese language is required

Running from September 25 to October 3 (dates may vary slightly) this is an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas and information about education with teachers in Japan and to experience the Japanese culture

The program includesbull Educational exchange with Shizuoka

Teachersrsquo Unionbull A three-day homestay with a teacherrsquos

family and visits to their schoolbull Meeting with Shizuoka Prefectural Board of

Educationbull Sightseeing in Kyoto and Nara

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development recognises this program as PD (for tax purposes) and works with the AEU on various aspects of the visit

Members are also sought in the Castlemaine and Bendigo region to host families during the Japanese visit to Victoria An allowance of $200 towards hostsrsquo expenses is provided

Contact Lee-Anne Poynton on 03) 9418 4874 or email lee-annepoyntonaeuvicasnau

Peter Walker with Ai and Sheho of his host family during last yearrsquos exchange

Find out more atwwwaeuvicasnaujapan

wwwaeuvicasnau 17

feature

OUR log of claims for education support members is now sitting on the desk of Education Minister Peter Hall ready for negotiations to begin for a new

ES AgreementOur long preparations culminated with the log being served on the Minister

after it was unanimously endorsed by AEU councillors at the February meeting of branch council

The log represents a joint effort from members and the AEU and as a result we have a clear direction for negotiations

Our ES membership has more than doubled since the last agreement was negotiated That gives us great strength at the negotiation table and members old and new are all eager to work together to improve their conditions and entitlements

We will be seeking some major improvements for ES members We are looking to ensure that the consultation clause is strengthened mdash that clause is the key to unlocking the potential of any agreement

We will also be seeking a 10 salary increase per year for the three years of the agreement as well as increases to special payments and allowances

The process around requests for range reviews and reclassification was improved in the current agreement mdash but there is still work to do in this area We will be seeking clearer guidelines and timeframes around review requests

Members have a right to know the reasons for any decision mdash we will be seeking for employers to be obliged to provide these reasons as well as seeking the capacity for principals to use special payments to attract or retain staff

We are also seeking changes to the eligibility for the first aid allowance and additional criteria for special payments with a minimum level of $1000

Contract employment levels remain high for all staff in schools mdash both teachers and ES Our claims will seek to strengthen eligibility for translation to ongoing employment

We will also be trying to tighten the relevant clauses around contract employment to ensure that staff are not kept on contract without very good reason

Our most significant claims can be found in the attendance and time in lieu (TIL) clauses where we will be looking to update the 4852 model of attendance to bring it more into line with the 5252 model for teachers

We are also claiming a paid lunch break for ES staff mdash as per teachers Our log seeks to introduce a paid morning and afternoon tea break as well as

time allocated during working hours to access eduPay and greater clarification around TIL For ES staff who work directly with students we will be seeking guaranteed preparation time

Under our proposed Reimbursement of Expenses clause the cost of the National Criminal History Record and the Working with Children Check would become allowable expenses

And of course we will also be asking the Education Department to make laptop computers available to ES staff on the same basis as it does for teaching staff

Our log of claims is very comprehensive and this article does not do it justice I encourage ES members to go to the AEU website and view the complete document for themselves

I would like to thank members who took an active part in the log of claims process and worked with us in this first step to shape the next agreement to improve your working conditions

As well as serving the log on government we have met the two other unions that cover ES staff mdash United Voice (formerly the LHMU) and CPSU mdash to begin developing an agreed position for negotiations

The AEU is serious about achieving an agreement that meets membersrsquo needs and a strong membership provides us with a commanding negotiating position

ES MEMBERS stake their claimA tighter rein on contracts 30 pay rise paid breaks mdash and of course a laptop deal Organiser Kathryn Lewis outlines the ES log of claims

Find out more and read the log at wwwaeuvicasnauagreements2011

18 aeu news | april 2011

feat

ure

Teachersrsquo aide Deb MacPherson is passionate about winning a better deal for ES members mdash and a new AEU program has helped her get the message out Cynthia Karena talks to her

ldquoSO MANY people donrsquot know what we dordquo says teachersrsquo aide Deb MacPherson of education

support staffDeb who works at East Gippsland Specialist

School has been developing an informal network of ES members in her region to try to promote the profession and campaign around the AEUrsquos forth-coming negotiations for a new ES agreement

So last month she signed up for the AEUrsquos ES Advocate placement program to learn more about her union

The program brings ES members into the AEUrsquos Abbotsford office for a week to shadow the union leadership and organisers

ldquoEven though Irsquom a treasurer on the sub-branch I donrsquot have much idea about how the union operatesrdquo Deb says But in a week with the program mdash ldquoitrsquos wonderful brilliant do itrdquo mdash she made lots of useful contacts and is now aware of where to turn to in the AEU for help and answers

ldquoIt was one of the most enlightening courses Irsquove ever done It gave me great insight into how the union worksrdquo says Deb

ldquoI viewed the day-to-day running of the business but I also saw the human side Irsquom impressed by the dedication to improving everyonersquos conditions Therersquos heaps of heart Itrsquos not a bureaucracy Your union has a soulrdquo

Deb has been in the AEU for four years She initially saw it as an organisation to back her up if there was an issue with the school or workplace ldquoThe union was insurance if something went wrongrdquo

Now she thinks of it as a place of action ldquoItrsquos about members and getting things done for educationrdquo

Taking part in the ES Advocate program increased Debrsquos passion to see a better deal for education support staff

And as a new AEU councillor she was able to

channel that enthusiasm into arguing for improve-ments in the ES log of claims as it was ratified by council last month

AEU deputy president Meredith Peace who has led the unionrsquos work on the ES log says ldquoWe need members like Deb there to mobilise people When we start to negotiate we need people there to bring pressure to bearrdquo

Deb says one of the key issues for her is the level of pay for ES staff

ldquoItrsquos low compared to the work we dordquo she says ldquoWersquod like a substantial pay increase something that recognises the intensive work we do and the larger responsibilities we have

ldquoMy particular passion is for special school settings where there can be more occupational violence because of behavioural attitudesrdquo

There is greater mental stress because of the potential for violent incidents to happen says Deb

ldquoA young student who had very little self-control lashed out and scratched my face quite deeply It happened in a split second

ldquoOlder kids pick up and use weapons (such as) scissors against students and teachers Irsquove had scissors pointed at me by a student who threatened to stab merdquo

Why then after six years as an ES does Deb still do the job

ldquoWe love the kids and we love to see the advancements they make Thatrsquos so worthwhile it far outweighs the scary stuffrdquo

In special schools every student has a special need says Deb ldquoIn the mainstream schools also particularly those with medical interventions

ldquoItrsquos a big responsibility For some interventions there is pay to compensate and for some there is notrdquo

Compounding that is the ES pay scale which comprises five ranges ldquoMost ES working in the classroom are range 1rdquo she says ldquoOur ultimate aim for ES working in specialist schools and mainstream with a high level of medical intervention is to be put into range 2hellip to cover the extra duties we dordquo

The AEUrsquos ES log of claims includes a 10 annual pay claimmatching that for teachers Negotiations are expected to begin shortly the current agreement runs out in December

amp tellshowThe most important thing I take into the classroom every day is hellip Definitely a sense of humour

The best trick for coping with staff meetings is hellip actually to listen Getting caught out when something is said and you havenrsquot been listening is very embarrassing

The best piece of advice I ever received was hellip To treat people the way you want to be treated yourself

My advice to a beginner in my job is hellip Donrsquot run away on your first day mdash it gets better

The most important thing the AEU does for its members is hellip Keeping us informed of our rights

The most inspirational figure in your life was hellip My mum She taught me to go with the flow and be able to cope with anything

In my other life I am hellip A mother of five and a grandmother of almost six mdash one is due in November and thatrsquos really cool

The ES ADVOCATE

wwwaeuvicasnau 19

pro

file

feat

ure

A NEW set of national professional standards for teachers was approved for release by the countryrsquos

education ministers at their meeting in FebruaryThe standards are intended to supersede existing

standards used in registration-related processes underpin pre-service and continuing teacher education programs and link into career structures

They were developed through the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) mdash a public company which came into being on January 1 2010 under the aegis of the Federal Minister for Education

The ldquonewrdquo national standards (and sub-standards and descriptors) are a mixed bag They combine standards already used in various states add-ons from the AITSL bureaucracy and some minor fine-tuning after ldquoconsultationrdquo

The key message in the AITSL documentation is that they represent the teacher view of teaching practice

There was we are told ldquoan extensive validation processrdquo with teachers to the point where ldquoeach descriptor was shaped by the professionrdquo This claim does stretch credibility The AEU for example wrote to AITSL expressing our concern that the final draft could only be accessed by teachers through invite-only consultation forums rather than as a downloadable document on its website

The stated purposes of the standards range from the fairly explicit mdash to underpin pre-service program accredi-tation (graduate standards) support processes for full registration and the requirements of nationally consistent teacher registration (proficient standards) and inform ldquovoluntary certification processesrdquo for highly accomplished and lead teacher categories mdash to vague possibilities such as informing professional learning and acting as a possible basis for a ldquoprofessional accountability modelrdquo

The new framework consists of three broad ldquodomainsrdquo and seven standards each with four to seven sub-standards (called a ldquofocusrdquo) and four descriptors for each sub-standardfocus corresponding to four teacher levels mdash Graduate Proficient Highly Accomplished and Lead

The three domains are Professional Knowledge Professional Practice and Professional Engagement mdash the

Education ministers have signed off on a set of national standards for teachers But how do they measure up

AEU research officer John Graham takes a look

same as those used by our Victorian Institute of Teaching

The standards themselves have some slight variations from their VIT versions Under ldquoprofes-sional knowledgerdquo the national standards combine VIT Standards 1 (ldquoteachers know how students learn and how to teach them effectivelyrdquo) and 3 (ldquoteachers know their studentsrdquo) into the single standard ldquoKnow students and how they learnrdquo

Under ldquoprofessional practicerdquo the VIT and AITSL standards cover the same three areas but with a different mix and match of the various elements Under the third domain ldquoprofessional engagementrdquo the VIT standard ldquoteachers are active members of their professionrdquo is watered down to the bureau-cratic ldquoengage professionally with colleagues parentscarers and the communityrdquo

The major difference between the existing VIT standards and the new national standards is the division of the latter into the four levels mdash Graduate Proficient Highly Accomplished and Lead While Graduate and Proficient equate to the VIT standards for graduating teachers and full registration the two higher levels have not been addressed by the VIT

The category descriptions and standards for Highly Accomplished and Lead come from those used by the New South Wales Institute of Teaching The only Victorian parallels are links to career structure performance standards (and the roles and responsi-bilities) for expert and leading teachers

The levels are described as progressive ldquocareer stagesrdquo with each stage representing ldquoincreasing levels of knowledge practice and professional engagementrdquo The idea is that a teacher passes through each stage in turn

This seems straightforward enough for the first two levels The differences between the top two levels are less clear According to AITSL these levels will be accessed by ldquovoluntary certificationrdquo The role descriptions of the two levels overlap some of the attributes ascribed to one level could just

as easily suit the other Other distinc-tions fall into the ldquogoodbetterbestrdquo camp with Proficient teachers labelled as ldquoeffectiverdquo Highly Accomplished teachers as ldquohighly effectiverdquo and Lead teachers as ldquoexemplaryrdquo and so on

The weakest part of the framework is the descriptors in particular the notion of progression from one level to another The strain of making meaningful distinc-tions between the levels is evident in the language used and the inconsistencies

There is a sort of formula for each level of the descriptors The Graduate generally has to ldquodemonstraterdquo whatever sub-standard is being described The Proficient teacher seems to have moved beyond ldquodemonstratingrdquo to ldquoapplyrdquo ldquoimplementrdquo ldquoestablishrdquo or ldquouserdquo the sub-standard

This distinction is confusing and hardly valid as the notion of ldquodemonstratingrdquo is more about how performance of a standard at any level can be indicated and assessed

The formulaic differences between the top two levels are also problematic The Highly Accomplished teacher spends a lot of time ldquosupporting and assisting their colleaguesrdquo while the Lead teacher ldquoleads their colleaguesrdquo (presumably not in a supportive way) The Lead teacher does a lot more ldquoreviewingrdquo and ldquoevaluatingrdquo than their Highly Accomplished colleagues

The inconsistencies are many and varied between the levels The Highly Accomplished teacher has to ldquosupport colleagues to interpret codes of ethics and exercise sound judgement in all school and community contextsrdquo The Lead teacher instead of supporting colleagues just has to ldquomodel exemplary ethical behaviourrdquo

Standard bearers

20 aeu news | april 2011

COMMENT

Standards not quotasGood teachers who stay in the classroom deserve reward mdash but arbitrary quotas must not be imposed

Mary Bluett branch president

JOHN Grahamrsquos article provides an excellent overview of the national professional standards for teachers The implications for the profession are potentially very importantThe AEU can support and even welcome national professional standards for teachers However the

current standards suffer from a lack of broad input from the profession and a process and timeline that have again been driven by political rather than professional or educational imperatives

Their endorsement by education ministers after their meeting in February was prematureEvery year many teachers cross state or territory borders In this context national standards (with

national registration in line with those standards) make sense A set of compulsory standards for pre-service (graduate) and full registration (proficient) mdash

endorsed by the profession mdash would further facilitate and extend cross-border accreditation and registration This is a process and outcome that the profession would welcome

The development of these standards would also drive and ultimately regulate pre-service courses in universities nationwide

In addition to these two compulsory levels the national standards propose two ldquovoluntary certifica-tion processesrdquo for Highly Accomplished and Lead teacher categories (both above the current Victorian expert teacher level)

While we have concerns about the current standards we support the broadening of a career structure based on classroom teaching in particular a no-quota standards-based classroom teaching career structure

Our current career structure increasingly pressures teachers to leave the classroom to pursue promotion and the higher salary that comes with it Leaving the classroom should be a real choice rather than the only financial choice

Given that the inclusion of ldquoHighly Accomplishedrdquo and ldquoLeadrdquo teacher classifications extends the important debate about how we meet the needs of the profession mdash to recognise and reward classroom teaching while providing choice of career paths

One consolation and an empowering one is that any change to the career structure must be covered by our industrial agreement

The AEUrsquos federal policy endorsed by the Victorian branch is that we support such a career structure provided it has no quotas

Indeed our log of claims includes the ldquohighly accomplishedrdquo classification at a salary double that of a beginning teacher (currently $55459 per year)

Letrsquos see how Backflip Baillieu responds to this

In another case Graduate and Proficient teachers have to set ldquoachievable and challengingrdquo goals for all students while the Highly Accomplished and Lead teachers only have to worry about ldquochallengingrdquo goals

The crucial relationship between the new national standards and existing career structures and indus-trial agreements is left up in the air

ldquoThere is no link between perform-ance pay career structure and the

Standards as these are management and industrial issues to be deter-mined within individual jurisdictions sectors and employersrdquo AITSL says

Governments can say that there are now ldquonational standardsrdquo for teachers in Australia The rush to get to this point met political imperatives but seems to have compromised the quality of the standards and subdued the teacher voice in their creation

IN BRIEFOne set of standards

bull Signed off by state and federal education ministers December 2010

bull Must be incorporated into agreements to take effect

Three domainsbull Professional knowledgebull Professional practicebull Professional engagement

Four career stagesbull Graduatebull Proficientbull Highly Accomplishedbull Lead

Seven standards

PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE1 Know students and how they

learn2 Know the content and how to

teach itPROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

3 Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning

4 Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments

5 Assess provide feedback and report on student learning

PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT6 Engage in professional

learning7 Engage professionally with

colleagues parentscarers and the community

More information wwwaitsleduau

David Bott BA(Psych) PG Dip Ed PG Dip Psych Head of Psychology Head of Year 7 Aldenham School UK

Alison McCormick PG Dip ACS MAPP MRCSLT MNZSTAPositive Psychology Consultant Speech amp Language Therapist

Jeanne Shaw BA(Hons) PG Dip Ed MEM PhD (in progress) MACERetired Deputy Principal

TM

positive psychology great teachingTeach Positive

14th amp 15th

April 2011

Melbourne

University

Standard bearers

wwwaeuvicasnau 21

feature

COMMENT

Standards not quotasGood teachers who stay in the classroom deserve reward mdash but arbitrary quotas must not be imposed

Mary Bluett branch president

JOHN Grahamrsquos article provides an excellent overview of the national professional standards for teachers The implications for the profession are potentially very importantThe AEU can support and even welcome national professional standards for teachers However the

current standards suffer from a lack of broad input from the profession and a process and timeline that have again been driven by political rather than professional or educational imperatives

Their endorsement by education ministers after their meeting in February was prematureEvery year many teachers cross state or territory borders In this context national standards (with

national registration in line with those standards) make sense A set of compulsory standards for pre-service (graduate) and full registration (proficient) mdash

endorsed by the profession mdash would further facilitate and extend cross-border accreditation and registration This is a process and outcome that the profession would welcome

The development of these standards would also drive and ultimately regulate pre-service courses in universities nationwide

In addition to these two compulsory levels the national standards propose two ldquovoluntary certifica-tion processesrdquo for Highly Accomplished and Lead teacher categories (both above the current Victorian expert teacher level)

While we have concerns about the current standards we support the broadening of a career structure based on classroom teaching in particular a no-quota standards-based classroom teaching career structure

Our current career structure increasingly pressures teachers to leave the classroom to pursue promotion and the higher salary that comes with it Leaving the classroom should be a real choice rather than the only financial choice

Given that the inclusion of ldquoHighly Accomplishedrdquo and ldquoLeadrdquo teacher classifications extends the important debate about how we meet the needs of the profession mdash to recognise and reward classroom teaching while providing choice of career paths

One consolation and an empowering one is that any change to the career structure must be covered by our industrial agreement

The AEUrsquos federal policy endorsed by the Victorian branch is that we support such a career structure provided it has no quotas

Indeed our log of claims includes the ldquohighly accomplishedrdquo classification at a salary double that of a beginning teacher (currently $55459 per year)

Letrsquos see how Backflip Baillieu responds to this

In another case Graduate and Proficient teachers have to set ldquoachievable and challengingrdquo goals for all students while the Highly Accomplished and Lead teachers only have to worry about ldquochallengingrdquo goals

The crucial relationship between the new national standards and existing career structures and indus-trial agreements is left up in the air

ldquoThere is no link between perform-ance pay career structure and the

Standards as these are management and industrial issues to be deter-mined within individual jurisdictions sectors and employersrdquo AITSL says

Governments can say that there are now ldquonational standardsrdquo for teachers in Australia The rush to get to this point met political imperatives but seems to have compromised the quality of the standards and subdued the teacher voice in their creation

IN BRIEFOne set of standards

bull Signed off by state and federal education ministers December 2010

bull Must be incorporated into agreements to take effect

Three domainsbull Professional knowledgebull Professional practicebull Professional engagement

Four career stagesbull Graduatebull Proficientbull Highly Accomplishedbull Lead

Seven standards

PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE1 Know students and how they

learn2 Know the content and how to

teach itPROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

3 Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning

4 Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments

5 Assess provide feedback and report on student learning

PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT6 Engage in professional

learning7 Engage professionally with

colleagues parentscarers and the community

More information wwwaitsleduau

David Bott BA(Psych) PG Dip Ed PG Dip Psych Head of Psychology Head of Year 7 Aldenham School UK

Alison McCormick PG Dip ACS MAPP MRCSLT MNZSTAPositive Psychology Consultant Speech amp Language Therapist

Jeanne Shaw BA(Hons) PG Dip Ed MEM PhD (in progress) MACERetired Deputy Principal

TM

positive psychology great teachingTeach Positive

14th amp 15th

April 2011

Melbourne

University

Standard bearers

wwwaeuvicasnau 21

feature

inte

rnat

ional

teaching initiatives program 2011Victoria Teachers Credit Union is proud to provide fi nancial assistance for innovative learning techniques

If your School or Preschool has a new concept idea or innovative teaching method we encourage you to apply for a grant to help your initiative come to life

Applications opened Monday 14 February and will close Friday 8 April 2011

For more information about the application criteria funding categories and to apply visit wwwvicteachcomau

NON was 17 with hopes of a better life when he accepted a

trusted friendrsquos offer of work His friend said they could earn better wages if they crossed from Laos into Thailand

Together they crossed the Mekong River at night Non was hurried into the back of a van that didnrsquot stop until it reached the Thai coast His friend was nowhere in sight

Non was pushed onto a fishing boat and forced to work under the watchful eyes of men with guns He was threatened with beatings if he worked too slowly mdash and sometimes beaten for no reason For two years he lived on board working from early morning well into the night and sleeping on a crowded deck with 40 other men

Forcing or tricking people to work against their will for little or no pay and in abusive conditions happens worldwide In the south-east Asian fishing industry this form of human

trafficking is particularly horrific as there is no escape for men trapped at sea As many as 10000 workers are trapped on trawlers in the Gulf of Thailand

Food and medical treatment are often withheld There have been reports of ship captains spiking drinking water with amphetamines to ensure workers work day and night or shooting those who fall ill and throwing them overboard

Aid organisation World Vision has launched the Donrsquot Trade Lives campaign to educate and unite the public against this modern slavery

The campaign calls on govern-ments individuals and the private sector to address the demand for exploited labour and challenge the attitudes systems and structures that allow it to happen

Melissa Stewart World Vision Australiarsquos advisor on human traf-ficking says ldquoWe raise awareness of trafficking among vulnerable

communities and help victims like Non in trauma recovery Our programs support victims through counselling and protection services helping them secure justice through criminal court processesrdquo

Non often despaired during his captivity But he worked hard and stayed silent gaining his captorsrsquo trust over time Finally they left him alone during a brief stint ashore and he seized the opportunity to escape

After days in the jungle he found refuge in a house He was helped to the Laos embassy in Bangkok where World Vision helped him return home Not his real name

TEACHERS can connect their class to international issues throughGet Connected World Visionrsquos global education resource for upper primary and lower secondary schools Published twice a year and distributed to all schools this issues-based workbook won the Australian Geography Teachers Association award for Best Primary School Resource 2010

You can order Get Connected and find other resources online at worldvisioncomaulearn

Take action

1 Go to donttradelivescomau and join the campaign2 Send a Clean up our electorate eCard urging your Federal MP to work with local businesses and ask the Government to review federal procurement3 Choose ethical products mdash the 2011 Guide to Ethical Supermarket Shopping in stores and online at ethicalorgau can help you make informed decisions

Caught in the traffickersrsquo netTrafficking and slavery is the third largest organised crime activity in the world behind drugs and arms enslaving 27 million people worldwide A new campaign aims to raise awareness through education PH

OTOS

WOR

LD V

ISIO

N

22 aeu news | april 2011

insid

e the A

EU

WomenrsquosFOCUSBarbara Jennings womenrsquos officer

SAMANTHA Lane was a very topical speaker at our International Womenrsquos Day dinner on

March 8 Sam is an award-winning football commentator

and journalist a feisty young professional woman who holds her own with some of Australiarsquos best known comics on Channel 10rsquos top-rating footy show Before The Game

She spoke about her disappointment with sections of the AFL following the treatment of a damaged 17-year-old girl who had behaved

unwisely with some male footballersHer love of the game and respect for much of

the code was clear It is disappointing to many of us who love the game that the attacks have been aimed at someone who is not an adult rather than at the adult men who have chosen to act very inappropriately

Sam spoke passionately and openly about her life and was such an inspiration that she had a queue of admirers afterwards wanting her autograph

The dinner celebrated 100 years of International

Womenrsquos Day across the world Lyn Baird from our publications unit designed a gorgeous placemat to mark the occasion which you can see above

W

I

N

S

B

Y

V

I

C

T

O

R

I

A

N

E

D

U

C

A

T

I

O

N

U

N

I

O

N

S

C

e

l

e

b

r

a

t

i

n

g

1

0

0

y

e

a

r

s

Activ

ities

for s

tude

nts a

nd te

ache

r res

ourc

es ca

n be

foun

d at

ww

wa

euvi

casn

au

IWD

I

W

D

1758

IWD_placematindd 1

180211 946 AMThe blame gameOur IWD dinner offered a timely insight into the world of AFL mdash and how women get the blame when men misbehave

ALL women members of the AEU are encour-aged to apply for this yearrsquos Rosemary

Richards Scholarship The scholarship is valued at up to $10000 per year Be as creative as you like mdash itrsquos your development opportunity

Rosemary Richards was a proud feminist unionist and educator who played a crucial role in shaping the AEU as an organisation which reflects feminist principles The award now in its fourth year recognises her significant contribution to the

AEU and to all its members women in particularThe award aims to extend women membersrsquo

experiences and participation at all levels of the AEU (or an international public education union) by supporting initiatives including but not limited to

bull Design and implementation of a discrete project

bull Establishment of a work shadowing or mentoring arrangement

bull Research or study

bull Formal andor informal training and development

Applying for the awardA background document application form and Rosemaryrsquos full tribute can be found at wwwaeufederalorgau Applications close Friday April 22 For further information contact Catherine Davis AEU federal womenrsquos officer on (03) 9693 1800

Harvesting the Fruits of our Labour100 years of Womenrsquos Rights

Womenrsquos Conference 2011Saturday May 7

registration wwwaeuvicasnauwomen_conf information Gayle 9418 4860

Keynote speaker Stephanie Alexander

1759_WMN_conf_flyer_2011indd 1 20311 257 PM

WITH IWD over planning is well underway for our second big

event of the year mdash the annual Womenrsquos Conference on Saturday May 7

This yearrsquos theme is ldquoHarvesting the Fruits of our Labourrdquo and should be another sell out especially with our keynote speaker Stephanie Alexander the award-winning chef restaurateur and founder of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation

This fabulous program involves students (only in government schools) growing their own food organically in a school kitchen garden with the

help of a garden specialist and then preparing and eating a yummy meal with the help of a kitchen specialist

Teachers report that the program excites and engages students while teaching them about organic gardening and the pleasures of cooking and sharing healthy food

Workshops at the conference will show you how the program can be embedded into curriculum materials and resources There will also be information on how to get funding so that your school can be involved

Other workshops include dealing with negative people easy strategies

for wellbeing and how to prepare great applications and interviews among other topics

Ged Kearney ACTU president will address the conference and Lisa Darmanin assistant secretary of the ASU Victoria will speak about the groundbreaking pay equity case

Comedian Denise Scott will give us her take on ageing and Mary

and Steve will provide food and champagne to start and finish the day See you there Bring a group from your school

Bookings are now open for this member-only event and must be made through the online booking system mdash go to wwwaeuvicasnauwomens_conference

Dig for victory

PHOT

OS W

ORLD

VIS

ION

Rosemary Richards Scholarship 2011

L-R Gillian Robertson Samantha Lane and Mary Bluett

wwwaeuvicasnau 23

AEU TRAINING amp PDKim Daly and Rowena Matcott training officers

Full details of all AEU training programs

conferences and events can be found at

wwwaeuvicasnautraining

AEU TRAINING CALENDAR TERM 2 2011All courses and conferences are full-day events unless indicated Upcoming events can be found on the AEU Calendar at wwwaeuvicasnaucalendar

AEU ACTIVETwo-day coursesMay 18ndash19 AEU AbbotsfordMay 18ndash19 BenallaMay 24 amp June 24 MorningtonMay 26ndash27 BallaratMay 26ndash27 PakenhamSpecial settingsJune 1ndash2 AEU Abbotsford

AEU ACTIVE FOR NEW AND ASPIRING PRINCIPALS (one-day)June 22 Abbotsford

CONSULTATION AND EMPLOYMENT (one-day)May 5 WerribeeMay 31 AEU AbbotsfordJune 10 Sale

KNOW YOUR AGREEMENTS (one-day)June 7 AEU AbbotsfordJune 16 CraigieburnJune 21 Geelong

ORGANISING AROUND OHampS (half-day)June 7 MeltonJune 15 AEU AbbotsfordJune 21 Whittlesea

EDUCATION SUPPORT Twilight conferencesConference 4pm ndash6pm Dinner 6pmndash8pmApril 7 MordiallocJune 9 SaleJune 20 ColacJune 30 Whittlesea

WOMENrsquoS PROGRAMTargeting leadership (930ndash4pm)June 7 KeilorJune 21 Berwick

Building resilience managing negativity (430pmndash6pm)May 24 LyndhurstJune 1 Taylors Lakes

Applying for leadership (430pmndash730pm)May 25 Footscray

Northern Met Network (430ndash6pm)June 15 South Morang

Womenrsquos conferenceMay 7 Abbotsford

OTHER EVENTS

Disability workshop (half-day)June 14 Abbotsford

NEW EDUCATORSPD in the Pub New Teachers Survival Kit (430pmndash6pm)May 16 Caroline SpringsMay 17 BerwickMay 18 BendigoMay 24 MoorabbinMay 25 CarltonMay 26 CroydonMay 30 WodongaMay 31 PrestonJune 1 MilduraJune 7 TraralgonJune 8 GeelongJune 9 WarrnamboolJune 14 Ballarat

Young Member Activists ProgramJune 14ndash17 AEU Abbotsford

New educatorsPrimary conferenceMay 6 AEU Abbotsford

New educators Secondary conferenceMay 20 AEU Abbotsford

Students conferenceApril 20 AEU Abbotsford

OHampS REP FORUMSMay 10 BallaratMay 17 TraralgonMay 24 BendigoMay 31 GeelongJune 7 MeltonJune 15 AEU AbbotsfordJune 21 Whittlesea

Our new one-day coursesEverything you need to know about consultation and about your agreements

THIS term the AEU training team has successfully run a number of new one-day schools courses

as well as our traditional two-day AEU Active program We pay replacement costs for all these programs

Consultation and Employment is one whole day focusing on what a consultation committee (CC)should look like and how it should function

The emphasis is on how to improve your CC at your school taking into account your individual setting and staffing circumstances We also discuss

employment (ongoing and fixed term) mdash how and why this should be on every consultative committeersquos agenda

The Know Your Agreements day is exactly that a chance for you to familiarise yourself with both the Teacher and ES Agreements We discuss the content and how to ensure these basic entitlements are being adhered to in your school context

All of our AEU Active training courses are designed to improve knowledge allow time for questions and discussion of your individual

situations and to give you strategies to improve your situation and the confidence to be active

Booking onlineWe are aware that a number of people have had difficulties using our new online booking system and ask you all to persevere or call us if you canrsquot log in

More details of all our courses can be found at wwwaeuvicasnautraining and in the AEU 2011 Events Calendar which has been sent to all sub-branch reps and PD coordinators

GETTING A JOBApplication writing (430pmndash6pm)June 14 AEU Abbotsford

Applying for principal positionsApril 27 AEU Abbotsford

Applying for leading teacher positionsApril 19 AEU AbbotsfordJune 22 AEU Abbotsford

2011 EVENTS CALENDAR

Events_coverindd 2

20211 953 AM

24 aeu news | april 2011

insi

de

the

AEU

On the PHONESMembership Services Unit mdash 1800 013 379

insid

e the A

EU

ESS2

492_

(11

10)_

A Members include teachers who commenced employment prior to 1994 If you are not already an ESSSuper member you are not eligible to join

^ IFFP is a division of Industry Fund Services Pty Ltd ABN 564007016195 AFSL 232514

ldquoResigningorretiringWersquollpayupto$1000towardsfinancialadvicerdquoChristian Kueng ESSSuper Member Education Consultant

ThinkingofresigningorretiringNeedsomefinancialadviceESSSupermembersndashtalktotheexpertswhorunyourfund

Our Member Education Consultants are the experts in your fund They can discuss your options and provide further information about your benefits And through our partnership with Industry Fund Financial Planning (IFFP)^ you can get all the advice you need to help secure your financial future

Upto$1000rebateforsuperannuationadvice

If yoursquore an eligible ESSSuper member when you obtain financial planning advice and stay with ESSSuper you may be eligible for a rebate of up to $1000 to cover part or all of the cost of the super related advice Visit wwwesssupercomausoundadvice for all the details

At ESSSuper we know as well as you do that yoursquove worked hard for your future And wersquore here to make your super work harder for you

Call1300 655 476tomakeafreeappointmentwithoneofourMemberEducationConsultantsorafinancialplanner

ESS2492_DecemberShine_125X188 ADV_FAindd 1 181110 609 PM

Do you have an issue yoursquod like to see covered in

On the PhonesEmail aeunewsaeuvicasnau

or call the MSU on (03) 9417 2822 or 1800 013 379

David Bunn industrial officer

WHILE we spend much of our time advising individual members of their rights and

obligations the Membership Services Unit is also a valuable resource for the AEU representative in the workplace

From our point of view a call from a rep means that we are giving good information to someone recognised in the workplace as having a key role in assisting members They will often put our information to use over and over again including to support individual members who ring us

Many of the issues members raise with us are collective ones mdash for example the system for allo-cating extra responsibilities in schools conditions relating to school camps time in lieu or attendance requirements for part-time workers

We had many calls at the start of the year from part-time teachers confused as to whether they should attend on a curriculum day which was not one of their normal working days

Much better for us to discuss that issue with the

rep in Term 4 when the issue can be settled for a whole group of workers in a discussion with the principal

A good year for babiesMost AEU members who give birth are eligible for paid maternity leave Almost all parents of children born after 1 January 2011 are now also eligible for the Commonwealth Governmentrsquos paid parental leave

Contrary to frequently circulating myths one does not cancel the other mdash consult our advice sheet on the AEU website at wwwaeuvicasnauppl More information for new parents can be found at wwwaeuvicasnauwomen

Late fees and VITWe get a steady flow of calls from teachers who for one reason or another failed to pay their VIT registration on time and now have been notified of a hefty late fee Do they have to pay the late fee in order to be registered Yes

If you had a strong reason for failing to pay the

original invoice you should pay it now including the late fee and then write to VIT setting out your circumstances and seeking a waiver of the penalty and a refund

TAFE and public holidaysComing up to Easter itrsquos as well to point this out the TAFE Agreement in setting 800 hours as the maximum face-to-face teaching time for a TAFE teacher already takes into account the public holidays during the year

In other words the working year has been discounted to allow for those days That is why if your teaching days coincide with a public holiday you have to make up those teaching hours at some other point

Our TAFE A-Z guide recommends that when timetabling work at the start of a semester public holidays should be excluded and teaching hours distributed elsewhere

A reprsquos guide to the MSU

wwwaeuvicasnau 25

New Educators NETWORKAndrew Cassidy graduate teacher organiser

insi

de

the

AEU

ESS2

661_

(03

11)_

HP_

AEU

ESSSuper is ready to help you before you leave your job

ESSSuper members ndash talk to us before you resign or retire We know moving on from a job can be confusing when it comes to organising superannuation So for all your important questions we can help with the answers

Ready to make a move Nowrsquos the time to

think about how you want to enjoy your future

speak to our Member Education Consultants about your options

learn how our range of pre and post retirement products could benefit you

Our Consultants are experts in your fund and can simplify even the hardest of super questions And if you need to discuss individual financial circumstances we can refer you to a qualified financial planner

Whether yoursquore changing employers or retiring and want to secure a comfortable future ndash talk to us today

Call 1300 655 476 to book a free appointment with a Member Education Consultant

Members include State Government employees who commenced employment prior to 1994 If you are not already an ESSSuper member you are not eligible to join

Issued by Emergency Services Superannuation Board ABN 28 161 296 741 the Trustee of the Emergency Services Superannuation Scheme ABN 89 894 637 037 (ESSSuper)

Proudly serving our members

TERM 1 has flown by and in a blink of an eye it will be Term 2 Itrsquos time

to start thinking about the fantastic professional development opportuni-ties for graduates coming up in May

Primary Graduate Teachers Conference Friday May 6Andrea Hillbrick a literacy expert specialising in Victoriarsquos e5 teaching model will be keynote speaker at our primary conference talking on building comprehension skills across the curriculum

Shersquoll share effective tools and strategies to construct meaning and understandings while focusing on implementing the e5 instructional model

Following on from Andrearsquos presentation participants can choose

three of five fantastic workshops on offer All conference attendees will receive a USB stick with informa-tion from all presenters to ensure maximum value

Our workshops are Numeracy ideas that work with Michelle Benoit Parents your worst enemy or your greatest ally with Ross Dean Five simple things a workshop focusing on technology in the classroom with Martin Jorgenson e5 with a practical classroom focus with Andrea Hillbrick and Ten techniques to transform your teaching with Glen Pearsall

Secondary Graduate Teachers Conference Friday May 20Glen Pearsall is a familiar face to those who have attended his great PD in the Pub sessions He will be

presenting a keynote speech that will explore the science and art of motivating students

Glen will demonstrate how through effective strategies teachers can transform disruptive classes chal-lenging students to take ownership of their learning

Participants will choose three of the five fantastic workshops on offer All conference participants will receive a USB stick with information from all presenters to ensure maximum value

Our workshops are Parents your worst enemy or your greatest ally with Ross Dean Five simple things a workshop focusing on technology in the classroom with Martin Jorgenson Difficult students great teachers teaching with an evidence-based strengths approach with Greg

Donahue Beyond telling off effective discipline for beginning teachers ndash a focus on boys with Jo Lange and Assessment and feedback with Glen Pearsall

Book your placePlaces will fill quickly Keep an eye out at school for conference pamphlets with detailed information about all workshops and keynote presenta-tions You can also find out more at wwwaeuvicasnauprimary_grads and wwwaeuvicasnausecondary_grads

All bookings need to be made online through the above URLs

If you have any questions please email me andrewcassidyaeuvicasnau

Enjoy the holidays

Essential PD for new teachersMay is conference month for AEU graduate members

Graduate Teachers Conference

PrimaryFriday 6 May 2011

1

7

7

3

KEYNOTE SPEAKER BLAST OFFAEU Victorian Branch head office

112 Trenerry Crescent Abbotsford 3067

Telephone (03) 9417 28221800 013 379 1800 013 387

Fax 1300 658 078Email melbourneaeuvicasnauAEU Ballarat Office

608 Sturt Street Ballarat 3350Telephone (03) 5331 1155

1800 013 039Fax (03) 5333 7105AEU Benalla Office90-94 Nunn Street Benalla 3672

Telephone (03) 5762 27141800 013 994Fax (03) 5762 6955AEU Bendigo Office

89 Williamson Street Bendigo 3550

Telephone (03) 5442 26661800 013 990Fax (03) 5441 4090AEU Geelong Office

Suite 2 Ormond House 109 Yarra Street Geelong 3220

Telephone (03) 5222 66331800 133 853Fax (03) 5222 6599AEU Gippsland Office

Level 1 42 Buckley St Morwell 3840

Telephone (03) 5134 88441800 013 979Fax (03) 5133 6120

to a flying start

ANDREA HILLBRICKBuilding comprehension skills through

investigations across the curriculum

R

e

a

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g

w

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m

1773__GTPrimaryConfindd 1

110311 1000 AM

Graduate Teachers Conference

Friday 20 May 2011

1

7

7

3

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

BLAST OFF

AEU Victorian Branch head office

112 Trenerry Crescent Abbotsford 3067

Telephone (03) 9417 2822

1800 013 379 1800 013 387

Fax 1300 658 078

Email melbourneaeuvicasnau

AEU Ballarat Office

608 Sturt Street Ballarat 3350

Telephone (03) 5331 1155

1800 013 039

Fax (03) 5333 7105

AEU Benalla Office

90-94 Nunn Street Benalla 3672

Telephone (03) 5762 2714

1800 013 994

Fax (03) 5762 6955

AEU Bendigo Office

89 Williamson Street Bendigo 3550

Telephone (03) 5442 2666

1800 013 990

Fax (03) 5441 4090

AEU Geelong Office

Suite 2 Ormond House

109 Yarra Street Geelong 3220

Telephone (03) 5222 6633

1800 133 853

Fax (03) 5222 6599

AEU Gippsland Office

Level 1 42 Buckley St Morwell 3840

Telephone (03) 5134 8844

1800 013 979

Fax (03) 5133 6120

to a flying start

GLEN PEARSALL

The Keys to Student Engagement

In

th

is

e

n

g

a

g

in

g

a

d

d

re

s

s

th

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h

ip

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th

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ir

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w

n

le

a

rn

in

g

Secondary

1774__GTSecondaryConfindd 1

100311 322 PM

26 aeu news | april 2011

Safety MATTERSBob Maguire OHampS organiser

Persistence pays offWhen classroom temperatures rose one health and safety rep kept his cool

SometimeS a health and safety rep needs to go outside their comfort zone the following is an example of this mdash and a classic example of the 3Ps of

organising around oHampS the power of the HSR the power of the collective and the power of persistence

in term 3 last year we were contacted by the HSR from a primary school in north-west Victoria He was concerned that air conditioning in some class-rooms at the school was inadequate on very hot days and that despite the support of the principal the education Department seemed uninterested in doing anything about it

At the behest of the HSR and staff the principal had sought advice from three air-con suppliers including the company whose product was in the school All agreed the system was inadequate one put it in writing the information was passed to the region mdash and met with silence

the rep contacted the AeU for advice As consultation had occurred and the staff affected fully supported the HSR the rep told the principal by email (records are very important) that if no action were taken he would have to issue a provisional improvement notice (PiN)

the region responded that the school should monitor temperatures in the classrooms and report at the end of the school year

As summer was approaching the HSR issued a PiN giving the department until the end of the term 3 holidays to fix the problem

the HSR rang the AeU again at the start of term 4 to discuss what action to take next in light of a response from the region

in the interests of ongoing relationships we advised him to again meet staff and then give the principal another opportunity mdash in writing mdash for the region to produce a plan of action if no acceptable response was received within 48 hours the HSR should contact WorkSafe

this time the HSR was contacted by an oHampS specialist engaged by the region

When the rep said that he could feel the heat coming through the walls the specialist indicated that the wrong type of classrooms had been sent to the school the region agreed to install an extra air-conditioning unit in each classroom and to monitor temperatures at no cost to the school this occurred in late November

the HSR wrote to tell us the outcome adding ldquoFurther to this i have now got processes in place that will enable me to see issues resolved through consultation at staff meetings and oHampS team meetings as requiredrdquo

He also noted that good relationships with principal staff had been maintained ldquoBeing careful to document all communications and maintain good communication processes has been vitalrdquo

All of which shows the 3Ps at work the oHampS Act reverses the power balance in workplaces mdash the health and safety rep now has power and it was by using it that he got the region to take action

Regular meetings with the affected staff empowered the rep and provided invaluable support taking a group on is harder than an individual there is safety in numbers And as the HSR points out this support included the AeU

And persistence paid off Despite inadequate responses mdash and sometimes no response at all mdash the HSR pushed on And won

PD from your bedroomtLN is running a number of professional development programs as live

interactive video streams they allow you to participate in high-quality seminars at tLN training venues from the comfort of your home (or school)

All you need is a broadband internet connection and a set of headphones After enrolling we will send you a link to the website where the event can be viewed You can interact with other participants and the facilitator through our text-based chat system see the slides being presented hear the audio and view live video of the seminar on your screen

Some schools use these seminars to provide extra PD for staff after school hours by projecting the website onto a digital whiteboard

All our online sessions run on thursdays from 4pm to 615pm Some are free for teachers from tLN member schools and others cost just $50 For more information or to enrol visit wwwtlnorgau

Upcoming online programsmay 5 Playgrounds common groundmay 19 Five it apps that work in the classroomJune 2 Differentiating learning stylesJune 9 multimedia for the early yearsJuly 21 Brain workshopAugust 4 Getting to grips with how grammar works

Preschool validation trainingARe you considering undertaking the validation process for early

childhood teachers Rosalie Kinson will conduct a practical workshop to guide you through validation

As a former AeU vice president Rosalie had a role in developing and implementing the standards and validation process since her retirement she continues to make a contribution as an educational consultant and presenterthe workshop covers

bull Understanding the domains and standardsbull Rules of evidence and selecting your evidencebull Describing your pieces of evidence (writing your narrative)Please bring along two pieces of potential evidence to the session this

training is free to AeU members and can be included in your PDeP A light working lunch will be provided

Registration is essential email linamastroianniaeuvicasnau or call (03) 9417 2822 by may 6 with your name workplace and whether you are applying for accomplished or exemplary classification

Saturday May 14 1030amndash130pm

AEU Building 112 Trenerry Crescent Abbotsford

wwwaeuvicasnau 27

insid

e the A

EU

WILSONS PROMONTORYPromclose Cottage wwwpromclosecom 0418 125 412

TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL

CENTRAL VIETNAMComfortable accommodation at new farmstay retreat in stunning rural setting at the edge of UNESCO World Heritage Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park Adventure tours run by Australian host Website wwwphong-nha-cavecomEmail phongnhafarmstaygmailcom

driveEUROPEPeugeot Citroen Renault

2011 European specials out NOWOur 37th year of service to the European traveller Email enquiriesdriveeuropeorg (02) 9437 4900

FRANCEFive cottages for rent Provence Dordogne Burgundy Ile de FranceOnly $1175 pw Contact maxtensgmailcomwwwstayinafrenchcottagecom

FRANCE mdash LANGUEDOCTwo renovated stone houses in tranquil village near Carcassone sleep four or eight from $600 a week See website at wwwfrenchrentalhousesbigpondhostingcom or phone (02) 4757 1019 0414 968 397 email marjen1946hotmailcom

FRANCE mdash PROVENCERestored 17th-century house in mediaeval fortified village of Entrevaux Spectacular location close to Cocircte drsquoAzur and Italy Contact owners (03) 5258 2798 or (02) 9948 2980 wwwprovencehousestaycom

FRANCE mdash SOUTH WESTRenov 17thC 2 bdrm apart in elegant Figeac ldquocentrevillerdquo or cottage in Lauzerte 12thC hilltop village Low cost wwwflickrcomphotosclermont-figeac or wwwflickrcomphotosles-chouettes Ph teacher owner (03) 9877 7513 or email jimmcdontpgcomau for brochure

ITALY mdash FLORENCEBeautiful fully furnished apartment in historic centre Sleeps 2-6 $1700 pw telephone 0419 025 996 or wwwconvivioapartmentcom

ITALY mdash UMBRIAApartment Beautiful sunny 2 bdrm Historic Centre Citta Di Castello euro625pw 2p euro675 3-4p0414 562 659 darylhelygmailcom

PROVENCE mdash LANGUEDOCLarge village house Luxury plus location Suitable for up to eight adults (03) 5444 1023 wwwhouserentalfrancecomau

ROMEStudio apartment Piazza Bologna beautifully appointed sleeps 2 opens onto garden courtyard $1100 pw telephone 0419 488 865 or wwwninoapartmentromecom

SOUTH OF FRANCE mdash LANGUEDOCTwo charming newly renovated tradi-tional stone houses with outside terraces Sleeps 4 or 6 Market town capital of Minervois wine growing region close to lake Canal Midi Mediterranean beaches historic towns From $460 per week Visit Web wwwlanguedocgitescom Email infolanguedocgitescom

SOUTH OF FRANCELovely village house in the heart of a wine growing region wwwmyfrenchhomecomau Julie 0403 314 928

TEACHER TOURS JULY AND SEPTAll tours 14 days and tax claimable(1) July 2 mdash THAILAND-LAOS Bangkok River Kwai Chiang Mai Luang Prabang Vientiane etc $3995 pp twin(2) Sept 24 mdash CHINA All the iconic features of China inc 4 day Yangtze River cruise $4299 pp twin (3 )Sept 24 mdash VIETNAM Hanoi Halong Bay Hoi An Nha Trang and HCMC Mekong Delta Cu Chi Tunnels $3355 pp twin Non-teachers welcome For itineraries email Terry Tremellen (Shepp High) tremellenterencekedumailvicgovau or 0431 359 283

TRAVEL AUSTRALIA

AIREYrsquoS INLET HOLIDAY RENTALHoliday rental 3 bdrms 2 living large decks 1 acre garden bbq woodfire Phone 0416 234 808 (03) 4208 0668

AIREYrsquoS INLETSATIS BEACH HOUSE

Stylish and comfortable 3 bdrm house for six on the beach side of Great Ocean Road Paddle our canoe on the inlet walk to the lighthouse cliff walk and beaches Phone (03) 5380 8228 or email melrosegjrnetau

BRIGHT Autumn Affair Cottages

Beautifully presented 1 and 2 bedroom cottages an easy 5 minute stroll into township Adjacent to the lsquoMountain to Murray Bike Trackrsquo All amenities included Visit wwwbrightautumnaf-faircomau

HOLIDAY HOUSE PHILLIP ISLAND VENTNOR

Two bdrm sleeps 6 available weekends and holidays Jane (03) 9387 9397 or 0431 471 611 or Louise (03) 9343 6030 or 0413 040 237

LORNE COTTAGESleeps 4 panoramic views 5 mins beach and shops Available December and January Phone (03) 9387 4329

clas

sified

s

VITA ITALIAN TOURSGrand Tour of Italy for Teachers

28122011 ndash 1412012Join us on our annual personally guided tour of Italy designed especially for you to enjoy a well deserved holiday without concerns where to stay eat or how to get around The tour includes extended stays in Rome Sorrento Florence Venice and visits to Perugia Assisi Urbino Siena Republic of San Marino and much more Our all inclusive price allows you to relax and enjoy your experienceCall Mario or Viny for a complete itinerary on (03) 9460 7373wwwvitaitaliantourscomau

NOTICES

FINANCENeed money in a hurry

We offer short term personal loans from $500ndash$10000 (conditions apply)CALL US NOW for a quick pre-approvalTel 1300 654 230 WEB qefcomau

Quick and Easy Finance The name says it all

RETIREMENT VICTORIAVisit us at wwwretireviccomau

RETIRING SOONVolunteers for Isolated Studentsrsquo Education recruits retired teachers to assist families with their Distance Education Program Travel and accom-modation provided in return for six weeks teaching Register at wwwviseorgau or George Murdoch (03) 9017 5439 Ken Weeks (03) 9876 2680

TAX CLAIM FOR TEACHERSA tax claims check list for teachers is provided free of charge by Teachers Taxation Services Pty LtdFor a copy email infoteacherstaxbiz or telephone (07) 3821 1879

VISAS IMMIGRATIONFor the professional advice you need mdash contact Ray Brown Phone (03) 5792 4056 or 0409 169 147 Email raybrown888bigpondcomMigration Agents Registration No 0213358

bathrooms en suites new or old evaporative cooling amp all home maintenance

NE METRO AREAQuality work for the right price

with over 18 years industry experienceCALL SIMON

mobile 0414 294 824 phfax 9439 9223

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bathrooms construction amp maintenance

Next deadline4 May 2011

Love Teaching Buy your own education franchise

The Kip McGrath business offers you a great opportunity to invest in your future while making a real difference in the lives of children

Joining Kip McGrath offers you the chance to buy your own business without all the hassle We take care of managing the accounts payroll and GST as well as providing full training and ongoing marketing support

Join a recognised and trusted name in the tutoring field Call Chris Lee on 03 5561 2345 or visit kipmcgrathcomau

28 aeu news | april 2011

Tie a yellow ribbonHEADING off to the school swimming

sports is probably not my favourite activity on the school calendar

Piling onto a bus with students brandishing banners and face paint in a frenzy of screaming and laughter while attempting to balance a first aid kit several litres of sun cream and all of my form grouprsquos permission slips I think of all the marking sitting waiting for me at home At least this is a genuine excuse not to touch that pile

ldquoWhat house are you in Miss What houserdquo

ldquoUm the yellow onerdquoldquoHow come yoursquore not wearing any

yellow thenrdquoldquoThat is an excellent questionhellip I

donrsquot really have any yellow clothesrdquoldquoLamerdquoldquoWear this Missrdquo And suddenly

I become part of Yellow House as a yellow ribbon is tied into my hair I manage to avoid the smear of yellow face paint that rushes towards my cheek

ldquoThe ribbon is fine ThanksrdquoFrank our assistant principal is on bus duty

and the intensity of loading the entire school onto buses is now taking its toll A sweat has broken out across his brow and his pacing between the buses has become frantic as he clutches a clipboard and a mobile phone that someone has handed in

ldquoHow many seats left on this bus HOW MANYrdquo

The doors shut on his clipboard sending the mobile tumbling to the ground We are finally on our way

Arriving at the pool a carnival atmosphere erupts as Greg the Principal seizes the loud-speaker system to address the school It takes him a while to work out that no sound is coming out Once that is rectified he proceeds to deliver his address in a shout which is further amplified by the loudspeaker and occasionally punctu-ated with alarming screeches to which he seems completely oblivious

ldquohellip swimminghellip excellent traditionhellip screeeechhellip get out of that treehellip sun smarthelliprdquo

Year 7s flit about the pool in their bathers and

Year 9 girls strut past again and again on never-ending laps of the pool (out of the water not in) Boys are repeatedly reminded about where it is appropriate to play ball sports and where it is not Year 12s suddenly wildly nostalgic about ldquotheir lastrdquo everything take numerous pictures and regularly shout out messages to teachers and friends via the loudspeaker system

ldquoWe love you Mr GrahamrdquoldquoYou rock Miss DriverrdquoldquoHappy Birthday Katrina She is 18 todayrdquoThe splashes of competitors chorus

throughout the day as race after race begins Teachers swap their classroom hats for new roles as line marshals toilet supervisors ribbon givers and sun cream patrollers occasionally managing a conversation with another staff member they havenrsquot had a chance to chat with since the start of the year It is a rare thing for teachers to be able to talk with another teacher without interrup-tion Today is no exception

ldquoWhat house are you in Miss Miss Miss Adamsrdquo

I hold up my yellow ribbon for all to see and I am left alone

Melbourne comedian and teacher Christina Adams looks particularly fetching in lemon-yellow

WINE TALKINGPaddy KendlerMcLarenrsquos formula wonMCLAREN Vale now stakes a strong claim

to being the best winery tourism region in Australia I write this after some 30 visits since the 1970s three in the past six months

Yes there are more glamorous wine areas such as the Yarra and Mornington while Margaret River is a delightful destination The Barossa and Clare Valleys are undeniably charming the Hunter appeals to many north of the Murray the Tamar is definitely worth a glance and Rutherglen is surely the most underrated wine region in the nation And I had better mention the beautiful King Valley

But if ever you really wanted to chill out among the vines to enjoy exceptional regional cuisine revel in shiraz and grenache and take in super sea views from the hillsides rest assured that McLaren Vale is Godrsquos own country Or that of Bacchus for alternative believers

The local wines are user-friendly to a fault the fault being too easy to overindulge They are rarely too precious but more in the cheeky-to-bold spectrum as in heart on the sleeve After a dayrsquos tasting you will sense their regional character because they speak of their soils their aspects and their benign maritime climate Check out wwwmclarenvaleinfo

Meanwhile life in the wider wine market continues Consider theseTRENTHAM SHIRAZ 2009 ($13) Yet another example of huge value from one of the very best producers along the Murray Savoury stuff wwwtrenthamestatecomauCOCKATOO RIDGE SEMILLON SAUVIGNON BLANC 2010 ($11) The latest releases under this label are surprisingly good value but this one especially appeals because so many of its rivals at this price are downright duds Definitely worth a substantial sampling wwwcockatooridgecomauDrsquoARENBERG ROUSSANNE (THE MONEY SPIDER) 2009 ($18) An excellent inter-pretation of a tricky Rhone white grape which seems to have found a home in McLaren Vale Well worth the searchPRINTHIE MOUNTAIN RANGE CHARDONNAY 2010 ($18) Quite simply the best chardonnay under $20 I have tasted in ages and a pointer to the successful future of the Orange region in NSW Absolutely delectable daveprinthiewinescomau

wwwaeuvicasnau 29

cultu

re

REVI

EWS

BY R

ACHE

L PO

WER

Nic Barnard AEU News

TWO moments among many stick in the memory from Davis

Guggenheimrsquos saccharine polemic Waiting for ldquoSupermanrdquo

In the first a cutesy cartoon illustrates what the director and his co-writer Billy Kimball see as the golden age of education

ldquoIt should be simple mdash a teacher in a class filling their children with knowledge and sending them on their wayrdquo the narrator says as the teacher opens up the top of a childrsquos head and pours in a jug of words

The second is a parallel that verges on the bizarre Citing the fact that 68 of convicts in Philadelphia dropped out of high school Guggenheim compares the cost of an average four year sentence with the (cheaper) cost of putting a child through private school

Clearly he implies if these prisoners had gone to private school they would never have offended and the taxpayers would all be better off

Between them these snippets illustrate both the gulf in under-standing and the underlying agenda of Waiting for ldquoSupermanrdquo in which the director of Al Gorersquos climate change thesis An Inconvenient Truth turns his attention to education

This is a profoundly depressing film not as it intends mdash in high-lighting the shocking failures of American education or the missed life chances of its children mdash but in the level to which debate about education has fallen and the capture of arguments by market-driven private-sector idealogues

Coming as it does from a writerdirector with a progressive back-ground itrsquos also something of a Trojan horse It has attracted media attention and generated acres of debate in the US among the likes of Oprah Winfrey Here its messages were quickly jumped on by The Australian and other non-friends of public education and unions

In a long mawkish and at times tedious tour of the US its conclu-sions are worryingly simple unions have destroyed what was apparently the worldrsquos greatest public education system by making it impossible to sack bad teachers charter schools are the only answer and performance pay is the way to make teachers pull their fingers out

The film follows five children in different states as they enter a (literal) lottery to get into their local charter school

Into this narrative it weaves the thread of an argument and interviews with Geoffrey Canada the charismatic but arrogant teacher-turned-entre-preneur behind the Harlem Success charter schools tame academics journalists reforming school superin-tendents mdash everyone in fact except for actual teachers

Guggenheim admits his own guilty secret at the beginning mdash that despite making a sympathetic film 10 years ago about first-year-out public school teachers he chose private for his own kids

But what is the secret of the charter schools eulogised in the film Itrsquos never truly explored beyond references to a longer teaching day and a belief that every child can succeed mdash as if most teachers go through their careers conspiring to make children fail

One chain of charter schools seems to have based its entire approach on the example of a teacher who taught her kids in rap to help them remember their multiplication tables If only success were that simple

As the credits roll an unfolding text leaves us with an inspira-tional text mdash that we already know what works great teachers more classroom time world class standards and real accountability If you agree therersquos a number to text

Guggenheim pays lip service to teachers as selfless heroes devoted to their students but actually seems to believe that most are lazy bums

whorsquoll only start to work if theyrsquore threatened with the sack or a pay cut

And along the way he repeatedly misses a different picture

One failing public school is described as one of the most overcrowded in New York yet funding is apparently not the answer The charter schools he focuses on show outstanding results mdash yet as the film admits fleetingly in passing thatrsquos true of only a handful of charter schools

Furthermore the students the film focuses on although often disadvan-taged clearly have motivated and aspirational parents who have taught their kids the importance of education and push them to succeed The cynical implication that these children are doomed by their failure to win the entrance lottery to a charter school does them a disservice

Nor does Guggenheim consider the impact of his own middle-class flight on his local public schools mdash the loss of role models and parental support

What are the lessons for Australia Our education system is not like Americarsquos and our political and indus-trial frameworks are different But our leaders seem inordinately fond of the American example and charter school entrepreneurs have never been slow to travel oversees to sell their ideas

Waiting for ldquoSupermanrdquo shows that we need to be on our guard This is a sentimental crowd-pleaser that attempts to win hearts but has nothing useful to say

HOW I ENDED THIS SUMMERDir Alexei Popogrebsky124 mins rated M

BREATHTAKING cinematography is the chief triumph of this intermi-

nably slow-moving Russian film about two men posted at a meteorological station on a remote Arctic island

Extreme weather may not be the main danger for the mismatched pair mdash Sergei (Sergei Puskepalis) the brusque and stoic veteran and his distracted new offsider Pavel (Grigory Dobrygin) too busy playing video games and listening to heavy metal to keep his mind on the job

Tension builds when Pavel intimidated by the older man fails to relay a message that Sergeirsquos wife and son have suffered an accident As radio transmissions threaten to inform Sergei of their condition Pavel turns to increasingly desperate measures to disable the signal

There is a weird beauty in the frozen landscape but the director doesnrsquot succeed in portraying tedium without forcing his audience to experience the same mdash RP

LITTLE PEOPLEJane SullivanScribe $3295 352pp

THE 19th century Australian tour of a celebrated

troupe of performing dwarfs forms the basis for Age columnist Jane Sullivanrsquos unapologetically melodra-matic new novel

When Mary Ann a pregnant and destitute governess saves a child from drowning in Melbournersquos Yarra River she is drawn into a world she never could have imagined

Offered work and a secure future for her baby she finds what appears to be the opportunity of a lifetime turns increasingly sinister as she becomes caught in the web of petty jealousies and secret agendas rife among the troupe and its entourage

Part fact mostly invention Little People is a feat of imagination mdash a rollicking thriller in which the ordinary intersects with the bizarre mdash RP

Still WAITINGNew documentary Waiting for ldquoSupermanrdquo turns the spotlight on the US education system mdash and seems to jump to all the wrong conclusions

30 aeu news | april 2011

culture

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AEU NEWS is giving members the opportunity to win a variety of Australian resources for their school libraries from our good friends at Hachette black dog books Text Publishing and ABC booksTo enter simply email us at giveawaysaeuvicasnau by 10am Tuesday May 3 2011Include your name and school or workplace Write ldquoWin Teaching Resourcesrdquo in the subject linePrizes will be sent directly to the winnerrsquos school or workplace with a special inscription recognising the winner Good luck

Congratulations to our winners from AEU News issue 1 2011 The Billionairersquos Curse and The Emerald Casket mdash Claire Cochrane Sale College Dancing in the Dark mdash Julie Rees Victorian College for the Deaf Careful What You Wish For mdash Anne Stephens Rosebud Secondary College The Glasshouse mdash Allan Storer Colac Primary School

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wwwaeuvicasnau 31

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WIN teaching resourcesSUBSCRIBE TO THE AEU

E-NEWSLETTER AT wwwaeuvicasnau FOR THE CHANCE TO WIN MORE GIVEAWAYS

AEU NEWS is giving members the opportunity to win a variety of Australian resources for their school libraries from our good friends at Hachette black dog books Text Publishing and ABC booksTo enter simply email us at giveawaysaeuvicasnau by 10am Tuesday May 3 2011Include your name and school or workplace Write ldquoWin Teaching Resourcesrdquo in the subject linePrizes will be sent directly to the winnerrsquos school or workplace with a special inscription recognising the winner Good luck

Congratulations to our winners from AEU News issue 1 2011 The Billionairersquos Curse and The Emerald Casket mdash Claire Cochrane Sale College Dancing in the Dark mdash Julie Rees Victorian College for the Deaf Careful What You Wish For mdash Anne Stephens Rosebud Secondary College The Glasshouse mdash Allan Storer Colac Primary School

Time to refinance your home loan

If you are about to renovate buy an investment property reaching the end of a fixed rate loan or simply want to reduce your payments

mecu Limited ABN 21 087 651 607 AFSL 238431 Terms conditions fees and charges apply and are available on application Loans subject to normal lending criteria and approval $8 monthly fee applies MECB0180

Call today on 132 888 or visit mecucomaurefinance

Discover the benefits of refinancing your home loan with mecubull Low ratesbull Free redrawbull 100 offset account

Time to refinance your home loan

givea

ways

The Boy Who Wasnrsquot There and The Boy Without a Soul by Michael PanckridgeGABRIELLErsquoS story begins when she wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory She discovers a voice in her head that tells her she is on a quest

A combination of suspense mystery spooky themes and an intriguing heroine make these must-reads for both young male and female audiences

black dog books RRP $1699

The Unidentified by Rae MarizFIFTEEN-year-old Katey aka Kid goes to school in the Game an alternative education system run by corporations Students vie with each other to be sponsored mdash being ldquobrandedrdquo means celebrity status not to mention financial freedom But what kind of freedom is it if yoursquore always being watched

A book about identity and integrity and the importance of standing up for what you believe inText Publishing RRP $1995

Letrsquos Go Wild by Sorrel Wilby illustrated by Michelle PikeDID YOU know Tigers have stripy skin as well as stripy fur Catfish have more tastebuds on their skin than we have in our mouths

Discover everything there is to know about animals and their skin mdash how they use it to attract or repel hide or stand out and stay cool or warm

ABC Books RRP $1299

George and Ghost by Catriona Hoy illustrated by Cassia ThomasGEORGE and Ghost are friends but George isnrsquot sure he believes in Ghost anymore How can Ghost prove to George that he is real

In this recently released heart-warming picture book AEU member Catriona Hoy explores the ups and downs of childhood friendship mdash whether real or make-believe

Hachette RRP $1699

wwwaeuvicasnau 31

Health insurance designed with you in mind

CMYK BLACK

SPOT WHITE

Quality products at competitive rates

Designed exclusively for education community

Generous benefits and limits

Members get the benefits not shareholders

Teachers Health Fund provides quality health insurance to give you peace of mind

For more information visitwwwteachershealthcomau or call 1300 728 188

Health insurance for teachers that ticks all the right boxes

Health insurance designed with you in mind

CMYK BLACK

SPOT WHITE

Quality products at competitive rates

Designed exclusively for education community

Generous benefits and limits

Members get the benefits not shareholders

Teachers Health Fund provides quality health insurance to give you peace of mind

For more information visitwwwteachershealthcomau or call 1300 728 188

Health insurance for teachers that ticks all the right boxes