EDUCATION SUPPORTSUPPLEMENT TO THE AEU NEWS • MARCH 2014

A E U h e a d o f f i c e 1 1 2 T r e n e r r y C r e s c e n t , A b b o t s f o r d 3 0 6 7 T e l : 0 3 9 4 1 7 2 8 2 2 F a x : 1 3 0 0 6 5 8 0 7 8 W e b : w w w . a e u v i c . a s n . a u

NEWSLETTERGoing for GONSKIWe know that the full Gonski funding deal will have significant benefits for education support staff in our schools.

Meredith Peace AEU branch president

WE’RE on the road! Four vans decked out in Gonski green are crossing the nation, heading

for Canberra with a message that Australia wants fair school funding.

Three of the vans have come through Victoria on their way to the capital from their starting points in Tasmania, Western Australia, Northern Territory and Northern Queensland — many of you will have seen them as they visit dozens of schools in the state.

The campaign puts pressure on Tony Abbott to fund the final two years of the Gonski agreements, which he refuses to do. Currently, his government is committed to fund only the first four years, which will deliver only one-third of the promised funding, leaving a huge $1.7 billion hole.

The Gonski agreement is obviously very important for our schools and students, but it is also critical for our members — not least for our education support members.

It is the students that many ES members help in the classroom who will benefit most from Gonski. Students with a disability, a non-English speaking background or from lower socio-economic back-grounds, will attract more funding for their school, to provide them the support they need.

These improved funding arrangements are about ensuring every student, regardless of their back-ground or where they live, is funded to a standard, with additional loadings allocated to schools for disadvantage.

This is simply saying that all students are entitled to an equal opportunity to access a high-quality education.

We all know the significant budget constraints our schools are under. Not only are we fighting nationally for the additional investment needed through the Gonski campaign, but we need to keep the pressure on the Napthine Government here in Victoria.

The level of funding per student in Victoria is

still the lowest in the country and has continued to decline under this government. Victoria now spends $1,881 less per student than the national average.

We need to make sure, in our state election campaign, that Denis Napthine knows this is not good enough. ES members know all too well that when budget pressures arise in schools, it is often they who feel them most keenly, perhaps through pressure to reduce time fractions or to pick up wider responsi-bility and workload.

We know we can have an impact on politicians, both at the state and federal level, if we continue to campaign effectively as a union, but also importantly with parents and community.

We need you to get involved — this is first and foremost about the kids you work with every day, but also about your schools and your working lives. Additional funding is needed and it will make it easier for you and your colleagues to provide the support and programs our students need. �

Performance and DevelopmentWE HAVE had success in delaying the proposed

performance and development changes for ES staff.

The AEU called for a delay of 12 months to any new process for ES in its initial feedback to the DEECD. With a rushed timeline and significant changes proposed for teachers and principals, it was clearly unreasonable to expect ES staff to be part of the new changes.

The complexity of developing a system that would reflect the differences of all ES roles was too big a challenge to rush through without the appro-priate planning and time necessary to do it properly. � — Erin Aulich VP secondary The Gonski road trip calls in at the Lakes P–9 College

PHOTO: DARREN TINDALE

2 ES newsletter | march 2014

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NO more unpaid recallGONE are the days of unpaid recall. ES staff who are

recalled to work during school holidays MUST be paid. Many members see this as the single biggest win in the new agreement.

Under the agreement, ES members who are recalled during school holidays are now paid the leave purchase allowance in addition to their salary.

In the past there were times when recall was misused and ES members were treated differently from teachers.

Very often the extra hours ES members worked throughout the year for events such as camps, parent teacher interviews, school concerts and other activities were not recorded as proper time-in-lieu (TIL).

Now any extra work ES members perform in addition to their normal hours should be managed as TIL and not offset against recall. �

Managing time in lieu (TIL)THERE is always more work to do than time to do it in schools, and many school staff

members work above and beyond their set work hours. Our schools could not run without a good measure of give and take, but it is

important to keep this balanced. It is also important to remember that ES members have different entitlements to

time-in-lieu (TIL) than teachers, as they are not paid for school holidays and do not have a paid lunch break.

We have won improvements to TIL entitlements for ES members; TIL can now not be offset against recall. So TIL will now have to be paid, in the form of either time off or wages paid.

TIL must be approved and documented by the principal before it is taken.The best way to manage TIL is through a local agreement or school policy.All our sub-branches need to review their existing TIL procedures for ES staff, to

ensure they are managed properly under the new agreement. ES members who attend school camps, after-school meetings or other out-of-hours

activities should be provided with TIL. The AEU can support your school in implementing this, so give us a call on 03 9417

2822 if you would like to discuss it further. �

Get to know your union Kathryn Lewis ES organiser

THE AEU wants ES members to be more engaged with the union and better informed about how it operates. To encourage this, we offer a one-week ES Advocate placement as an

opportunity for you to gain an insight into the AEU’s direction on ES issues.Over the week participants work with AEU leadership and organisers, take part in AEU

briefings and meetings‚ join school visits, and spend time with our membership services unit (MSU).

So if you are a keen union member and want to know more about the AEU and how your union works for ES, this is an opportunity for you.

To be eligible you must be a current ES AEU member. All staff replacement costs are covered. After the program, successful applicants will be encouraged to continue their connection with the union and participate in AEU regional meetings. �

UPDATE MEMBERSHIP DETAILS

It is important that we have your correct contact details in case we need to contact you about your membership. If you have changed your details, please let us know by calling (03) 9417 2822, or emailing us at melbourne@aeuvic.asn.au

www.aeuvic.asn.au 3

Join the campaigns for your students

ES NetworksTHE number of ES Networks is growing.

We now have 10 across the state, covering Horsham, Mildura, Maribyrnong, Warragul, Melton, Mordialloc, Warrnambool, Camperdown, Colac, Lilydale, Epping, Broadmeadows, Pakenham, Shepparton, Werribee and Castlemaine.

The networks are informal gatherings where members can discuss day-to-day issues and ask questions about the new agreement.

If you want to know what issues affect ES members in your area, then attending one of our networks is a great way to find out. You can find upcoming dates at www.aeuvic.asn.au/ES_networks

Or you can create a network of your own. To find out how, give us a call on (03) 9417 2822. �

Get Active Rowena Matcott training officer

THE AEU provides valuable training for all members all year round.Our training events are a great way to find out more about what

your union can do for you. A greater understanding of your entitlements and how they can be

secured in your school is one way to get the most out of your member-ship.

With knowledge comes confidence and our aim is to give our members the information and awareness they need to put agreements into action.

All courses are open to all ES members. We encourage ES and teacher members to learn more about each

others’ conditions of employment, as well as their own.It is vital that the sub-branch sees itself as a united staff, not one

group of teachers and one group of ES. Our AEU Active training program gives all AEU members a better

understanding of issues from a range of different perspectives and gives the sub-branch a stronger and more relevant voice.

Check out our ES events in the Events Calendar at www.aeuvic.asn.au/events for a training date that suits you. �

Knowing the AgreementOUR Schools Agreement is still reasonably new and members continue

to ask questions and discover new or changed entitlements. Now more than ever it is important that ES members understand the agreement to ensure they are receiving its full benefits.

The best way to do this is to attend one of the many and varied events that we have scheduled for members.

To find out what is available see the events listed in this newsletter, or refer to our 2014 Events Calendar at www.aeuvic.asn.au/events.

Connecting with new membersAs our ES membership grows it is important that new members link in with our sub-branches.

If you are a new member, say hello to your AEU rep and let them know you are interested in receiving AEU information.

If you’re an old hand and know of new members, please welcome them into your sub-branch and include them in your communications and meetings.

Our strength comes from working together. Together we can achieve improvements for our schools, our students and our own working condi-tions. �

Kathryn Lewis ES organiser

IT’S ANOTHER big year of AEU campaigns for the public education

system, and we need our ES members to get involved.

Two of our biggest campaigns this year will be to get the six-year Gonski deal fully funded for schools, and to restore funding to Victorian TAFEs.

Both these campaigns are extremely important to ES members.

The full six-year Gonski deal would increase funding for the students that many of our members work closely with, and their schools.

These are the students and schools who face the greatest chal-lenges and need the most support.

TAFE is also crucial for many of the

students our ES members work with. It provides real pathways for students, particularly those who thrive on practical, hands-on learning.

Our ES members in the secondary sector will be very aware that the changes made to the TAFE system, and the budget cuts that followed, removed vital opportunities for many students with learning difficulties.

We invest so much of our time and energy supporting students through their education and we want to see the doors open for them — not close.

I implore you to get involved and take part in our I Give a Gonski and TAFE4ALL campaigns.

It could be as easy as writing a letter to a politician, signing a petition,

putting a sticker on your car, visiting a Gonski van or sharing a story about TAFE.

See www.igiveagonski.com.au and www.tafe4all.org.au to find out more and register your support. �

4 ES newsletter | march 2014

Business Managers’ Leadership Focus

ES twilight conferences

OUR ES twilight conferences continue to grow, attracting more

and more participants. They provide practical PD and members find them easy to attend because they run from 4pm to 6pm and are followed by a great dinner from 6pm to 8pm.

One of the key features of our “Twilights” is the opportunity for ES members to meet colleagues from other schools and discuss how schools can be different in some ways and yet

so similar in others. Our members are passionate about their work and enjoy sharing positive stories and learning from each other.

AEU organisers find the twilights a great way to meet ES members and gain a better understanding of the issues they face in schools each day. If you have not yet attended a twilight conference I encourage you to do so — they are worthwhile for everyone who attends. �

TERM 1 19 March Echuca

TERM 2 30 April Mildura

TERM 2 20 May Yering

TERM 2 28 May Geelong

TERM 2 17 June Traralgon

TERM 3 22 July Ballarat

TERM 3 2 September Sunshine

TERM 3 16 September Colac

TERM 4 21 October Bairnsdale

TERM 4 11 November Mordialloc

TERM 4 25 November Pakenham

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A T THE AEU we want a better understanding of the role of school business managers.We want to work with business managers to

improve their working conditions and ensure they receive the full benefits of the new Schools Agreement.

Business managers along with principals are also key to ensuring that ES staff and teachers receive their correct entitlements.

In 2014 the AEU will run two events for business managers, with a focus on developing and enhancing existing leadership skills, and the ways business managers link into their school’s leadership team.

Our first event is the Business Manager Leadership Skill Development course.

This aims to boost personal leadership qualities and enhance existing skills in ways that encourage

positive working environments and communication. Our second event is a one-day course for

business managers and principals, focusing on planning for 2015 in the context of the new agreement.

AEU Active for Principals and Business Managers will cover long-term planning, workforce planning including recruitment, guidelines for excess, the Student Resource Package and consultation.

There will be time for participants to discuss local issues. �

Business Manager Leadership Skill Development Monday May 26, AEU Abbotsford

AEU Active for Principals and Business Managers Wednesday August 6, AEU Abbotsford