SUPPLEMENT TO THE AEU NEWS JUNE 2016

AEU head office 112 Trenerry Crescent, Abbotsford 3067 | Tel: 03 9417 2822 | Email: melbourne@aeuvic.asn.au | Web: www.aeuvic.asn.au

Schools Sector Newsletter

AEU head office 112 Trenerry Crescent, Abbotsford 3067 | Tel: 03 9417 2822 | Email: melbourne@aeuvic.asn.au | Web: www.aeuvic.asn.au

A PERFECT STORMWith workloads weighing heavy on everyone at this critical time, the federal election is a perfect opportunity to lock in long-term needs-based funding – but we need your help.

TERM 2 is drawing to a close and everyone is focused on getting to the finish line. There’s a lot to do, and workload is front and centre of every staff member’s mind – which is why we

are surveying all ES, teachers, and princi-pals to tell us exactly what your individual workload is right now. It’s all part of the perfect storm of workload management, education funding and the federal election. We will all be going to the ballot box on July 2, and it will be a critical day for the future of public education in this country.

Schools Agreement 2016On the home front, we are meeting weekly with the department and working through the log of claims for your new agreement (see Justin Mulally’s report on page 2 for more detail). A central component of these discussions will be workloads – and this is where you can help. The AEU has engaged the Australian Council of Educational Research (ACER) to conduct research into ES, teacher and principal workloads. You will have received an email with a link to a survey about the types of tasks and duties you undertake, the time and support provided to do that work, when the work is undertaken, the impact of workload on your health and wellbeing, and the impact on supporting student learning and welfare.

I cannot overstate how important it is for all members to complete this survey.

It is so important, we want you to use this survey as an opportunity to recruit new members. This is the largest workload survey of AEU members ever conducted, and it will inform negotiations for your new agreement. The power of our voice grows with every member who completes the survey.

Right now is one of the most difficult times for workload – but I encourage you

not to view this survey as yet another job. It is a great opportunity to really make a difference to your workload in the imminent future.

Federal electionThe federal election on July 2 is another great window of opportunity to improve your workload. The Gonski needs-based funding will go a long way to making your workload more manageable. The AEU has been knocking on doors and handing out f lyers across the country, and we can confirm education is a key election issue for voters.

There is a very stark difference in what is on offer at this election. Labor and the Greens have both promised to fund the ‘full Gonski’ ($4.5 billion over two years) and to provide long-term funding for schools after the six year Gonski agreement expires in 2019. The Coalition announced a meagre $1.2 billion over three years, and no commitment to long-term funding. The Coalition have already sparked fears about funding certainty by saying the amount is only ‘indicative’.

Under Gonski, Victorian schools are due to receive around $1.1 billion in 2018 and 2019. If re-elected, the Turnbull government will cut this funding by more than $950 million. If you’re in Corangamite, you stand to lose $16.7 million, Deakin will lose $17.7 million, Dunkley $22 million, and La Trobe $18.3 million. In country areas, Bendigo will lose $18.4 million, Murray $22.5 million, and Gippsland $21.7 million. Wherever your school is located, the story is the same. Wherever you live and vote, ask your candidates where they stand on full Gonski funding. Are they going to deliver for our students and staff, or are they going to accept the cuts Malcolm Turnbull and the Coalition government are promising?

A lot has been said about ‘we can’t afford to do this’. It’s not true. Elections are about priorities, and the Turnbull govern-ment is de-prioritising our schools.

Get on board for GonskiIf you’re not already involved in the Gonski campaign, now is the time. Come and join us on election day handing out Gonski information to voters, at pre-poll booths in the first week of the holidays, telling parents what Gonski means for their kids, helping out with phone calling or doorknocking, putting up a Gonski sign on your fence, or talking to family and friends. It’s easy, non-confrontational stuff, and you’ll receive advice and support along the way.

This election is critical. Schools will lose needs-based funding if the Turnbull government is re-elected. This is our chance to bring Gonski home and finish off the deal. Imagine your school having the long-term funding it needs. This is actually achievable – but we all need to play a part. I look forward to seeing you on the campaign trail. •

Meredith Peace

JOIN ME ON TWITTER! Follow @meredithpeace and @aeuvictoria

JOIN ME ON TWITTER! Follow @meredithpeace and @aeuvictoria

JOIN ME ON TWITTER! Follow @meredithpeace and @aeuvictoria

2 Schools Sector Newsletter | June 2016

EBA NEGOTIATIONS – HAVE YOUR SAY ABOUT YOUR WORKLOAD!Justin Mulally AEU deputy president

THE BIGGEST AEU member workload survey ever conducted is now underway – and we need your feedback to inform our Agreement negotiations and campaign.

Workload was a key issue in the log of claims, and consequently we have engaged the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to write a report on the work you do, the workload associated with that work, the impact on your health and wellbeing, and the links to student learning and wellbeing.

We need every member to take part – and be sure to tell non-members that they need to join the AEU to have their say about workload.

We want to know about your regulated and unregulated workload, including how many hours of meetings you attend, the amount of electronic-based communication with colleagues, students, parents, and organisations outside the school, the level of administration and record keeping required of you, and the effectiveness of the performance and development process, among many other things.

We also want you to tell us when you undertake these duties: at school, after hours, on the weekend and during term breaks.

Our survey and Agreement negotiations also occur where the work of staff in schools has changed significantly over time, with greater focus on differentiated and individualised learning, using data to inform teaching and learning, and increased use of information and communications technology. This, matched with running the most devolved schooling system in the nation, greater government and community demands and expectations, the implementation of new initiatives, and inadequate funding for our schools (according to the Productivity Commission each Victorian public school student receives $2500 less than students in NSW) has led to the workload pressures we

currently face.If you haven’t had the chance

to take the survey please look for an email sent to you by ACER – your survey information is strictly confidential, and no individual member or school will be identified.

Negotiations for a new Agreement are continuing on a weekly basis with the AEU negotiation team and department officials working through both parties’ claims – clause by clause, sentence by sentence and word by word.

Key issues so far include consultation, classification structure, principal remuneration ranges, incremental progression notification, range reviews, salary packaging, allowances (special payments, salary loading, first aid, intensive care, leave purchase), student teacher supervision arrangements, modes of employment including contracts, and the management of employees with priority status.

With the nurses and midwives union reaching a deal in the past month, following on from police, paramedics, and public servants, we will continue to work towards reaching agreement with the government that deals with the key issues of workload, secure employment, and salary.

Throughout the rest of the Term and into Term 3 we will also be ramping up our campaign – engaging members, parents and the broader community – to build pressure on the government to deliver a fair and reasonable deal.

The most important action you can take now is to talk to your colleagues who are not members of the AEU and tell them now is the time to join the Union. •More information about the workload survey, including FAQs, can be found at aeuvic.asn.au/378192.html

Changes to notebook program for teachers and principals

MANY OF you will have read the recent circular from the department outlining the changes to the notebook program. In summary: • All principals, assistant principals, and

teachers will receive a Windows notebook at no cost to the employee.

• The department will centrally fund Apple notebooks for teachers who require the device for the delivery of specific curriculum programs. For more informa-tion, contact the Teacher and Principal Notebook Program on the details below.

• Schools with an Apple environment and infrastructure, and who want to continue to make Apple notebooks available to staff, must co-contribute to the cost through their SRP.

The AEU advised the department the notebook program needs to meet the needs of staff and students, including through the continuing provision of Apple devices. In the end, the department has decided to limit Apple provision and to shift additional costs onto schools. We don’t support this move, and will continue to pursue the matter through Agreement negotiations, especially the allocation of devices to ES members.

Salary deductions for notebooks were ceased in November 2015, with salary deducted from July 2009 reimbursed to teachers, assistant principals and principals just before Christmas last year. Changes to the notebook program will only apply at the start of a new rollout period. Schools requiring more information should email the Teacher and Principal Notebook Program on notebook@edumail.vic.gov.au or phone 1800 641 943 •

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Proper recognition for Instrumental Music TeachersTHE CAMPAIGN to restore Instrumental Music Teachers to their rightful status has progressed, with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) agreeing to review their policy.

Instrumental Music Teachers (IMTs) have been fighting to preserve their status as teachers through a VIT review of the Permission to Teach policy. This policy identi-fies the circumstances under which a person not qualified as a teacher can undertake teaching duties for a limited period of time.

In 2011, VIT changed this policy to exclude Instrumental Music Instructors and Sports Coaches. This action by VIT has undermined the stature of the profession and instrumental music provision, and has led to many instrumental music teaching

positions being misclassified as Education Support positions rather than teacher positions.

After agitation by the AEU last year, VIT began a policy review. Despite detailed feedback from the AEU and other stake-holders, it proposed to include clauses that would effectively continue the exclusion of IMTs from requiring registration. This was completely unacceptable.

The AEU and IMTs organised a campaign that resulted in hundreds of letters being sent to the Education Minister James Merlino, to local Members of Parliament, to VIT, and to the Department. VIT’s review is complete and proposed new policy is being considered by the Minister – watch this space! •

$21.6M AND 60 SPECIALIST TEACHERS TO HELP WITH NEW CURRICULUMBriley Duncan vice president primary

MID-YEAR APPROACHES, leaving us with just six months before the new Victorian Curriculum will be implemented – and there is plenty to do. The newly-dubbed “Victorian Curriculum F-10” will incorporate the Australian Curriculum while ref lecting Victorian standards and priorities. The task now is to work together to implement the curriculum successfully. The AEU has consistently said teachers and principals will need extra time and resources to do this, and it is very pleasing to see funded assistance being provided for the first time in many years.

The government has provided $21.6 million over three years for the transition to the new curriculum. The funding will cover approximately 10 days of CRT for each government school.

The Victorian Curriculum and

Assessment Authority (VCAA) will provide professional learning programs in 10 specialist areas where there is new curriculum content:

• STEM• Digital coding• Learning about religions• Critical thinking• Literacy in the early years• Music• Financial literacy• Health education and personal and

social capability• Civic participation• Ethical understanding in a global

world.The support will be provided through practising teachers and school leaders who will have a continuing 0.5 EFT teaching and school administration load at their existing school, and 0.5 EFT role

in statewide support for one of the 10 specialist areas.

The selected specialist teachers will receive training from VCAA curriculum staff, work with regional curriculum support staff, and form part of a team in each specialist area. They will develop and lead professional development in their specialist area, and develop sample teaching and learning programs and sample assessment tasks.

There will be 60 specialist teachers in total and they will be available to work with schools from the beginning of Term 3, 2016. Schools will be surveyed to ascertain their priority areas to assist in matching specialist teachers with school requests. The VCAA will provide information on how to access the specialist teachers in the near future – stay tuned for updates. •

Teacher Matt Rodd with students. Photo: Meredith O'Shea

Music teacher Curt Guerin with pupil. Photo: Meredith O'Shea

www.aeuvic.asn.au 4

EDUCATION SUPPORT

Our experienced Workplace Bankers are committed to helping education support staff make the most of their finances and can provide a financial information session at your workplace.

Arrange an appointment today at victeach.com.au or call 1300 654 822.

A bank that comes to you.

What does Gonski mean for ES staff?NO MATTER where you work or what your position is, Gonski matters. Gonski is all about bringing every school up to the level where it has the resources to meet the needs of every child. The full funding is urgently required to help students who require additional support and to lift overall achievement levels.

Right now many schools do not have the resources needed to help students. In a national survey in March this year, almost half of all public school principals (45%) described their school as under-resourced or significantly under-resourced.

Already we’ve seen some schools use Gonski money to:

• expand literacy and numeracy programs

• provide additional support for students with disability

• start speech and occupational therapy programs.

ES staff play a vital role in securing the full Gonski funding, and have a huge stake in ensuring Gonski funding comes through. It will mean better outcomes for the students you work with, a better environment to learn in, and improved job satisfaction for ES staff, teachers and principals. If you haven’t already, please sign up to the campaign and help us let the wider community know our kids cannot afford to lose Gonski. Visit www.igiveagonski.com •

ES PERFORMANCE AND DEVELOPMENT AT MAGPIE PSErin Aulich vice president secondary

EARLIER THIS term, AEU vice president for primary Briley Duncan and I had the pleasure of visiting the lovely Magpie Primary School outside Ballarat. There we had the opportunity to see the new Breakfast Club initiative in full swing, and met with ES staff to hear from them about how the performance and development process is working in their school. It was fantastic to see how a process implemented well can have such a positive impact on the staff and their own development.

The process has resulted in a forum where ES staff can set goals that are meaningful for them and are all about how they can add to their school community

– especially the kids within it. What really stood out was the whole school approach to performance and development. AEU principal member and Primary Convenor of the AEU PCA Peter Clifton has recognised the importance of this, and provided the time and space for his staff to familiarise themselves with and work through the guidelines and process together. There was a clear understanding that this process is important to the individual’s development and should be about complimenting the work you already do, not creating extra work on top.

Congratulations to all staff and students at Magpie Primary School! •

Visit to Magpie Primary School – ES staffL-R Seated: Anne Monkman, Sharon Ryan, Lisa Boak, Jo Dixon, Chrissy TischlerStanding: Erin Aulich (AEU VP secondary), Briley Duncan (AEU VP primary)

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PRINCIPALS

AEU AND PRINCIPALS WORKING CLOSELY TOGETHER FOR NEW AGREEMENTErin Aulich vice president secondary and Briley Duncan vice president primary

THE NEGOTIATIONS currently taking place for another single schools Agreement are driven by a collective desire to secure better conditions and salaries– but they have borne addi-tional fruit too, such as the opportunity for the Union to consolidate the close working relationship with AEU principal members.

The AEU understands the distinct and unique needs of AEU principals as employees. We are the only union with the knowledge, experience and resources to advocate for our principal members.

Just like a highly effective collabora-tive school environment, the AEU does not privilege one person or group by their position or the sheer volume of numbers. When tensions arise within a school and its community, the AEU is committed to supporting members in a non-adversarial manner. When there is a dispute between members, each of them will have their own designated officer who can advocate on their behalf, offering independent,

confidential advice.Our aim is to always resolve issues at

the local level. When this is not possible, the AEU will continue to support prin-cipals and assistant principals ( just like teachers and ES) every step of the way.

Often issues arise from workload pressures. This intensification of work has happened across all membership groups and it is vital that all members participate in the ACER workload survey. Workload is a key issue in the current negotiations, and while heavy workloads can take different forms, the impact on all members is the same. Principals have clearly expressed their frustration with the range of compli-ance tasks that take them away from their fundamental role as educational leaders. Many are frustrated by both the duplication of work and its ad hoc nature.

Principal members regularly identify lack of funding as a central issue in their school. Fair, needs-based funding will provide better outcomes for students. It will also address the tension principals and

school communities feel when they see clear organisational and educational needs that are not being met.

Additional funding for our schools does matter and it is important for principal class members to get involved in the campaign. Please make sure that parents and your community understand the need for greater investment in your school – the student needs it would address and positive impact it would have on young people, now and into the future. Campaigning for Gonski in the lead up to the federal election is vital and AEU principals have a central role in this, and in our Union. •

Working togetherThe AEU:

• Meets regularly with the Principal Class Association Executive and Advisory Committee, which represents the diversity of schools across the state – rural, metropolitan, P-12, alternative, specialist, large, small.

• Ensure AEU Principal Class members meet with state and federal politicians and senior DET officials so the views of both principals and assistant principals are known.

AEU Principal members:

• Influence AEU policy and the union’s positions on key professional and industrial matters through the AEU Council.

• Directly inform AEU Leadership through regional Principal Class Association meetings.

• Provide a team of elected and appointed officers who have extensive experience in representing and advo-cating for members from all settings.

• Have direct representation on the negotiating team through AEU Principal member David Adamson.

Rukshana Verzijl signs up a parent at Eastwood PS

6 www.aeuvic.asn.au

Our experienced Workplace Bankers are committed to helping educators make the most of their finances and can provide a financial information session at your workplace.

Arrange an appointment today at victeach.com.au or call 1300 654 822.

A bank that comes to you.We’ve partnered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching to provide financial management support and special banking offers for graduate teachers.

Visit campaigns.victeach.com.au/vit16 or call 1300 654 822.

Get your teaching career off to a flying start.

COLOUR OF YOUTH CONFERENCE 2016THIS JULY will mark a wonderful new initiative, the Colour of Youth conference for secondary school students who may identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer, questioning, or asexual, and who are from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds.

Those who are interested are invited to talk about their experiences, and to work with others to develop possible proposals of action for their schools. All sessions are supervised, and youth workers facilitate all working groups. The conference will also provide professional development for teachers interested in developing school policy.

The conference has been developed with support from Darebin City Council

and the Safe Schools Coalition, and is supported by the Ministries of Education and Multicultural Affairs. No school uniform is required, and morning tea and lunch will be provided. •To register, visit eventbrite.com.au and search for ‘Colour of Youth’, or email colourofyouth@agmc.org.au.

Victoria forges ahead with safe schoolsDESPITE THE risible efforts of conservative MPs from the Turnbull government, Victorian secondary schools will have access to the full Safe Schools program as well as a specially-designed school kit based on the film Gayby Baby.

The Safe Schools program was cut after complaints from ultra-conservative MPs led by George Christensen and Cory Bernardi.

The Victorian government will now make the Safe Schools program a core component of the secondary curriculum, and launch a website providing access to the original material used to teach students about sexual diversity. •The Safe Schools website is yet to be launched, but watch this space for full details. You can access the Gayby Baby school kit at thegaybyproject/schools.

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ALL OF US

Chris BushJoel RadcliffeRoz Ward

Micah ScottMatthew Parsons

HeALtH And PHySicAL edUcAtiOn ReSOURceUnderstanding Gender diversity, Sexual diversity and

intersex topics for years 7 and 8

When: Thursday July 21Where: Darebin Performing Arts Centre, PrestonTime: 9.30am – 3.00pmPrice: $10 per student, $75 per adult