NZEI is concerned for hundreds of education advisors whose jobs are at risk from planned changes to professional development for teachers and principals.

  Media Release (0.1mb pdf)

“The reality is now sinking in that the Standards are being imposed on schools with absolutely no evidence that they will raise student achievement as the government so confidently claims,” says NZEI President Frances Nelson.

  Media Release 2009/61 (0.1mb pdf)

NZEI is hosting a forum to discuss the government’s controversial National Standards and what they will mean for children’s learning.

  Media Release 2009/56 (0.1mb pdf)

The education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa says students will be the ultimate losers from cuts to professional advice and support services for teachers.

  Media Release 2000/50 (0.1mb pdf)

In this issue: World teacher day, support staff paid union meetings, initial teacher education and more...
more >>

NZEI News - 12 October 2009/19e


Hands Up for Learning – World Teachers Day is on 30 October 2009
Imagine the power of thousands – or tens of thousands – of students, teachers, children and parents putting their “Hands Up for Learning” at the same time!

World Teachers Day on Friday 30 October 2009 gives us that opportunity. NZEI is asking members in schools and ECE centres around the country to hold celebrations of teaching and learning.  Our main focus is for everyone to join in a synchronised “Hands Up” at 12.30pm on World Teachers Day, 30 October. We encourage you to reach out to students and parents in your school/ECE and your wider community and ask them to join in this event.

Posters and a checklist have been sent to schools and centres this week. NZEI branches will also be funding advertisements endorsed by NZEI, NZSTA, PTA, NZCA Te Tari Puna Ora o Aotearoa and NZ Kindergartens in many local papers in the week of World Teachers Day. You can read more about how to get involved in World Teachers Day at www.nzei.org.nz





Support staff paid union meetings
NZEI is holding a series of paid union meetings in order to report back to support staff members on the lack of progress on their negotiations and to discuss a way forward.  These are critical meetings and all NZEI support staff members should attend.

Members will be asked to endorse three principles that will guide the negotiating team at the next set of negotiations on November 18-19th.  Members will also be asked to endorse a Day of Action if the negotiations fail.

A schedule of the meetings can be found on the NZEI support staff page of www.nzei.org.nz





What should initial teacher education look like?
For the first time, the New Zealand Teachers Council has asked for feedback from the teaching profession about the requirements and processes for the approval, continuing approval and monitoring of initial teacher education programmes. The overall aims of the review are to increase the effectiveness of the approval and monitoring processes and to strengthen the quality of graduates entering the profession.

The Council has released a consultation document with a deadline of Friday 30 October 2009 for responses.  Members who have an interest in the current and possible requirements for ITE programmes are encouraged to participate in the consultation, and can download the consultation survey from the Teachers Council website - www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz/education/ite-approval-review.stm





Year Two PRTs — Apply now for full registration
If you are a PRT who will complete your eighth ten-week block of teaching this term, you are able to, and should apply for full registration during this term.  You may apply at a later time, but NZEI urges you to apply now to avoid delays.

NZEI’s checklist of the things you need to do when applying to move to full registration is available here: www.nzei.org.nz/Teacher+Registration/PRTs.html





Quicker, more accurate school payroll next year
Novopay – the new payroll service being rolled out to schools from 2010 – means payroll staff in schools will be doing payroll work online and using fewer forms.  The new service will cut errors because payroll staff will be able to check the payroll information as they enter it. Novopay will alert the payroll user if information is missing or incorrect.

For more information on how Novopay will make your job easier check the Novopay webpages: www.schoolpayroll.govt.nz/Site/Novopay/Default.aspx
<< less

The new National Standards for literacy and numeracy will be released at the end of October, and schools will then be expected to start working with them when they open their doors for the 2010 school year.

  Media Release 2009/43 (0.1mb pdf)

In this issue: World Teachers Day, Support staff back to the bargaining table, NZEI’s Annual Meeting and much more...
more >>

Hands up for Learning!
World Teachers Day Friday October 30th
World Teachers Day celebrates the contribution of teachers to our society. It’s a good opportunity to talk to our communities, as well as to people working across education, about why “teachers matter”. So mark 30th October in your diary now!

The theme of World Teachers Day 2009 is “Hands Up For Learning!”, reflecting Education International’s message that investment in teaching and learning should be a priority, especially during a recession.

On October 30th at 12.30pm, NZEI is proposing schools and centres invite parents and their wider community to join thousands of others across New Zealand in a synchronised “Hands Up!” for learning.  In the first week of Term 4 (October 12th), we’ll be sending worksites a pack about this activity, along with a WTD poster and ideas for other events and activities that promote teaching and learning.


Support staff back to the bargaining table
Support Staff negotiators will be back at the bargaining table on September 23-24th.  The negotiating team want to thank all those members who participated in the nation-wide day of action on 7 August.  Undoubtedly your actions persuaded the government to come back to the negotiating table.  It remains to be seen if the Ministry negotiators will have been given a fresh mandate – we will be reporting back to members immediately after the talks to let you know the outcome.

Dates have not yet been confirmed for the Kaiarahi i te Reo, Therapists’ ATSSD and Special Education Assistants’ Collective Agreement but it is envisaged they will get underway in Term 4.

Photos of the activities on 7 August can be seen at www.nzei.org.nz or at www.fairdeal.org.nz


NZEI’s Annual Meeting just over a week away
Around 500 NZEI members representing members across New Zealand will  meet in Wellington from Sunday 27th September for four days for our annual meeting.  The meeting will focus on “Strengthening Our Union”  – proposals for change resulting from the 18 month-long organisational review, the impact of national standards, and NZEI’s priorities for 2010. Resolutions from NZEI branches and district councils are also up for discussion.


Pay equity petition presented to mark Suffrage Day
NZEI members can be proud that 10,000 of the 15,000 signatures on a pay equity petition being presented at Parliament this week were collected by them!  NZEI national secretary Paul Goulter and Support Staff representative Pukeatua School kaiarahi i te reo Putiputi Temara will speak at the event, which is sponsored by Labour MP Sue Moroney.  The zero pay offer to GSE support workers recently, in spite of a Government-commissioned investigation that found these workers were significantly under-paid and under-valued underlines why pay equity is such a critical issue for our union.  Bargaining for GSE support workers resumes next week (21st September).


Principals meet to discuss claims
Principal members are meeting at the moment and giving valuable feedback about the framework for claims that will be negotiated next year.  NZEI has also up-graded www.principalskit.org.nz, a valuable tool for principals in their varied daily tasks.


Adult education cuts
Auckland NZEI members joined PPTA members and the public in a march protesting the Government’s cuts in adult education classes on September 12th.  Members say they wanted to support the campaign because many NZEI members use community classes to develop skills directly related to their work.


Allocating units in schools (0.5mb pdf)
Schools are being informed of their provisional staffing entitlement for 2010 over the next few weeks.  An NZEI News on surplus staffing for 2010 should also have been received by your school.

Included in the staffing entitlements will be the additional leadership and management units won by NZEI teacher members in the 2007 agreement round. These units were won to enhance career structures within schools and to remunerate staff for their leadership and responsibilities.

Please encourage your school leadership to consult about the way these units will be used in your school to recognise and remunerate roles such as  Deputy, Assistant, and Associate Principles, Syndicate and team Leaders, Curriculum Leaders and Sencos. For more information see Unit Allocation Guidelines (0.5mb pdf)


Parental leave payments to increase
Families with new babies got a boost to their parental leave payments from July 1. The maximum parental leave payment has increased from $407.36 per week to $429.74 per week from July 1. The minimum payment for self-employed parents has increased from $120 to $125 per week.


Online payroll service for schools next year
A new online payroll service available from next year will make life easier for school managers and administration staff.  The new service – Novopay – will let school payroll staff control their own school’s payroll information, working directly online in a web-based system. There will be training available for all payroll users in schools to access and support available from the Novopay Service Desk.

If you want to get a Novopay e-newsletter every month please go to the Novopay web pages at www.schoolpayroll.govt.nz and use the feedback form to request it.
<< less

An OECD report on children’s wellbeing is a wake up call that education initiatives alone won’t lift the achievement levels of New Zealand’s disadvantaged children.

  Media Release 2009/40 (0.1mb pdf)

In this issue: Pay Equity, National Standards, ECE Together and Area School paid union meetings...
more >>

Support Pay Equi-Tea!
GSE support workers have been offered a 0% pay rise and told their 2008 pay investigation report showing they are significantly undervalued is not on the table for discussion. Talks have been adjourned while NZEI seeks GSE members’ feedback.

The GSE support workers are at the sharp edge of the campaign for equal pay for work of equal value. Many of you signed the pay equity petition – please consider now supporting GSE support workers by joining them at Pay Equi-Tea events on the steps of  Parliament on Friday September 18th at 10.30am and around the country on Suffrage Day (September 19th).  Further details of the events will be available at www.nzei.org.nz as they come to hand.


National Standards: working with parents
With the Ministry of Education’s public consultation phase for national standards over, the Government is now considering the standards for gazetting in October. NZEI’s goal is to ensure the focus is on the New Zealand Curriculum as the driver of teaching and learning.  National standards should be tools to support learning by providing signposts for literacy and numeracy.  We will continue to guard against league tables and advocate for the “safe warehousing” of assessment data.

It’s important that parents understand these issues. With parent/teacher/student assessment interviews coming up this term in many schools, consider how you can communicate to parents the importance of personalised learning and the ways teachers use “rich” assessment – the formal and informal interactions between teaching and learning – to provide evidence of student progress and achievement.  See this pdf document for information on these issues.



ECE together  www.ecetogether.org.nz
Join your ECE colleagues at www.ecetogether.org.nz and be up with all the news from ECE networks around the country, professional information and ideas, and much more.  It’s your community online, so check it out and join the conversation.


Area Schools Paid Union Meetings (PUMs)
The area schools collective agreement expires on 30 June 2010 and members will be holding joint PUMs with the PPTA during September.  The meetings will be co-facilitated by the NZEI worksite representative and the PPTA branch chair.  Following their PUMs, area school members will send their feedback in to both unions and the next meeting of the area schools advisory committee in October will analyse these results and consider next steps to keep area school members informed and involved.


Education Aotearoa – in your mail box next term!
Education Aotearoa is a new quarterly magazine that is to be launched at Annual Meeting in September and will be with you at your worksite shortly afterwards.  A high quality, visually appealing feature magazine, we aim to make it a magazine that reflects your concerns.  It will be accompanied by a lively website where you can listen to interviews, follow video, and discuss issues raised by the magazine with other NZEI members. We see it as flagship for ideas and discussion about teaching and learning and a professionally-focussed journal that reflects and supports your daily work at the “chalkface”, whether you’re a primary teacher, teacher aide, librarian, ECE teacher, GSE support worker, principal or office administrator.


Tweet NZEI...
Sign up for the latest updates on Twitter… for the Fair Deal Support Staff Campaign NZEI_Fair_Deal or for general news and events: NZEInfo.  You can also follow the links from the Twitter icon on the NZEI website.


Missed out on a Fair Deal for Support Staff t-shirt?
If you missed out on the t-shirts, and would like to buy one, please let NZEI know! Email sarah.grant@nzei.org.nz indicating how many and what sizes you need.


Surplus staffing – what does it all mean?
An NZEI newsletter about surplus staffing is being sent to schools this week. Watch out for it – it’s the ultimate guide to understanding what it all means.
<< less

In this issue: The Connected Curriculum, Telecom workers need your support, and the first wave of swine flu over...
more >>

NZEI launches The Connected Curriculum DVD
The Connected Curriculum is a new NZEI video and print resource for schools, produced in partnership with well-known educationalist Lester Flockton. It’s a great resource to support a school’s learning, development, design and review of its curricular practice.

The DVD was launched by President Frances Nelson, Secretary of Education Karen Sewell, Lester Flockton and NZEI Principals’ Council chair Tony Hamilton at Mt Cook school in Wellington last week. Copies have been sent to principals and you can view it at www.nzei.org.nz/connectedcurriculum


Telecom workers need your support
Nearly 600 Telecom lines engineers in Auckland and Northland are faced with being made redundant and then having to buy their jobs back.  That’s because Telecom’s new Australian contractor Visionstream has decided to remove their employment rights and make them dependant contractors.

That means they’d need to stump up with up to $60,000 to buy their own vans and tools and face a loss of income of 50-65%  -- or leave the industry. They’d also have no guaranteed work and would have to take on huge business risks. There would be pressure to do fast shoddy work in order to cover enough jobs to earn a living income.

The Telecom workers are fighting back through strike action and by refusing to sign up to the contracts. That’s not easy to do and it means many of them are facing serious financial hardship.

The fate of the Telecom workers will ultimately affect most New Zealanders – because we all rely on a reliable and secure telephone and internet network.  And if Telecom can succeed in driving through these changes, other employers may try and implement this model of working.

NZEI is supporting a Council of Trade Unions campaign to relieve the financial pressure on the lines engineers, so that they can continue to say no.  NZEI’s National Executive has made a donation to the workers’ fund, and we’re asking NZEI members, worksites and branches to consider donating to the fund too. You can make a donation at:

02-0568-0177685-00
Bank of New Zealand
Reference: Telco

You can also make an automatic $10 donation by calling 0900 STAND TALL.
For more information call 0800 1 UNION or visit www.epmu.org.nz/telecom



First wave of swine flu over
The Ministry of Health have advised that schools may now stand down from their absence monitoring.  Based on data received, the Ministry has concluded that the first wave of the swine flu pandemic is over.  However, it believes there is a strong chance of a second and possibly more severe wave to come, so the Ministry of Education is looking at ways to improve the system for monitoring absences to make it easier for schools in future.
<< less

Fair deal Friday, Area school study grants, ECE voting and measles...
more >>

Fair Deal Friday - a big thank you!
Congratulations and thank you to everyone involved with Fair Deal Friday last week!  It was a huge success in raising the profile of the support staff campaign with reports in local media across New Zealand.

More than 1200 NZEI members visited 84 MPs during more than 70 events around the country, presenting 16,000 signatures on our pledge posters. Combined with the active support of hundreds of NZEI principal, teacher and support staff members and parents, the Government can be in no doubt about the support of school communities for the Fair Deal campaign. Check out www.fairdeal.org.nz for a flavour of the day!

NZEI is now seeking dates for a resumption of bargaining - we anticipate your ongoing involvement and support will still be necessary to win a fair deal for support staff.



Fair Deal campaign follow-up
The next step for Support Staff Worksite Reps and Support Staff Contacts is to attend important seminars over the next month, starting 24 August. These meetings are a vital source of information and it is essential that all schools have representation at them. If you or your support staff rep has not yet signed up for a meeting, find out details of the one nearest you by checking the event calendar for your region at www.nzei.org.nz.

Please encourage all support staff members to complete our online survey as well.



ECE - Don't forget to vote!
A reminder to early childhood members that you need to vote on the ECECA draft claim by the middle of next week. Thanks to everyone who returned discussion sheets - the feedback was used by your negotiations team to draw up the draft claim.  You need to return your ballot to endorse the claim by 6pm, Wednesday, 26 August.



Area school teacher study support grants
Area School Teachers can apply for Study Support Grants, negotiated for you through your collective agreement, up until Friday 18 September 2009. A study support grant is to provide time, while continuing to teach, to enable you to undertake study and/or research to:

• enhance your knowledge and skills while supporting your teaching practice, and student learning outcomes
• participate in higher level professional learning and/or
• support the extension of specialist teaching areas.
  

Each recipient gets a time allowance of 0.16 FTTE (equivalent to four hours per week), and reimbursement of up to $500 towards their course fees, paid on successful completion of their course. Guidelines and application forms are available from www.nzei.org.nz.


How healthy is your work?
The Department of Labour has commissioned a survey on work health and wellbeing, and NZEI is encouraging members to give feedback about their views. You need to click on the link below and enter the number 29 as the access/ID number for NZEI - Department of Labour Survey. For more information contact T.A.Bentley@massey.ac.nz


First swine flu, now measles
There has been a rapid rise in the number of measles cases reported around the country, with the number of notified cases so far this year already seven times higher than the total number of cases last year. There have been more than 100 cases in Canterbury, including 11 who have been hospitalised. The number of cases in Auckland is growing, and there are isolated cases in other regions. The Ministry of Education has sent information to schools and early childhood centres this week, but if you want to know more, visit the Ministry of Health's websiteor call the Immunisation Advisory Centre toll-free line 0800 IMMUNE (0800 466 863) or go to the IMAC website.


Realise the dream!
Realise the Dream is a prestigious six-day event organised by the Royal Society which celebrates, rewards, challenges and showcases the work of extraordinary school students from all over New Zealand who have carried out an excellence piece in research, or technological practice.  If you’re working with students on innovative science programmes, and want to know more, visit www.realisethedream.org.nz
<< less

School support staff around the country are turning today (Friday 7 August) into “Fair Deal Friday”. In a co-ordinated effort nationwide, they will be descending on the offices of government MPs to deliver a strong message that school communities back their fight for fair pay.

  Media Release 2009/38 (0.1mb pdf)

NZEI’s work on the implementation of National Standards is starting to achieve results!

One of our key submissions to Government was that the timeframe for the reporting of national standards needed to be extended.  Education Minister Anne Tolley has heeded this advice and on Wednesday announced that school reporting of data to the Government would be delayed until 2012.

There is still more work to be done - for example, to ensure principals and teachers are supported sufficiently and get professional development to implement the standards and to engage parents in the wider discussion about learning and assessment.  NZEI's concern that data might be turned into high stakes school “league tables” has still not been resolved.  However,   President Frances Nelson says NZEI is encouraged the union's concerns have been listened to.

“Teachers and principals will  look forward to having more time to connect the standards with the new curriculum.  We want to get both things right so student learning isn’t compromised.  We were concerned that the pressure and reporting requirements for national standards could undermine the work being done on the curriculum.

http://www.nzei.org.nz/National+Standards.html

The Education Minister has released a timeline which recognises and takes account of concerns raised by teachers and principals that the draft timeframe was too tight.

  Media Release 2009/37 (0.1mb pdf)

Fair Deal Friday, your pay demystified, ECE bargaining, Teacher registration and much more...
more >>

Counting down to Fair Deal Friday
Make sure you get your signed pledges in to your nearest NZEI office in time to have it delivered this Friday. Fax it to your NZEI office now and show your school's support for a fair deal for support staff! NZEI encourages you to join groups meeting Government MPs. Find out what's happening near you – check out this pdf or call 0800 NZEI HELP for further information about events near you.


Your pay - demystified
NZEI has produced two videos about teacher pay and staffing to help members understand the details of these issues. Check out the videos and then come and have your say about what matters to you! Join us at teacher cluster meetings starting this week to discuss key issues for  bargaining the primary teachers collective agreement in 2010.


Early Childhood bargaining team meet this week
Members of the ECECA negotiating team met in Wellington this week to finalise bargaining parameters and claims for their talks with ECECA employers in September. ”Twenty five years ago, ECE members began negotiating the first collective agreement for ECE centres,” Karla Tardieu and Rebecca Chatwin of the negotiation team say. “We’re still building on that original vision of a strong ECE profession with fair pay and conditions. In spite of the political and economic climate now, valuing our professionalism and pay parity are key issues for us.”


Full teacher registration – don’t leave it too late!
A reminder to principals, tutor teachers and provisionally registered teachers that applications for full registration must be made in the 8th term of a PRT’s advice and guidance programme. So if you’re a second year PRT, don’t leave it til the end of Term 4 to start the process!  Make sure your portfolio showing your progress to full registration is up to date and download an application form from the Teachers Council website for your principal and tutor teacher to endorse.


Happy Birthday OCC
You may have received a phone call from NZEI recently – most likely from Morgan, Teresa or one of the other staff in our organising call centre. The centre is now one year old, and has proved a valuable way of reaching members to ask their views, remind them of events, and seek their support for campaigns.


Privatisation threats to education?
NZEI has criticised a newly established Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Fund that would finance, build and maintain schools for the government in return for an annual fee as “not a good fit” for public education. NZEI is also worried about a recent speech from Associate Education Minister Heather Roy, in which she said “Nowhere is it written that the government must own education property or even employ teachers and staff”. NZEI Vice President said the extent of the Government’s privatisation agenda was a concern.


Don't forget to vote!
NZEI encourages members to vote in the referendum on child discipline. If you're on the electoral roll, you should have received a voting paper. If you haven't got one and want to check whether you can still get a replacement paper to vote, go to www.elections.org.nz. The issues on either side of the debate are outlined at www.YesVote.org.nz and www.voteno.org.nz


Schools as swine flu indicators
Schools are among the most useful advance indicators of swine flu – giving good data about both the rate of increase and the number of cases in the general population. To best understand the pandemic, the Ministry of Health is wanting a quick snapshot of absences from ALL schools, and will shortly be asking 200 schools to act as “sentinel” schools by voluntarily sending in daily data on absence rates. NZEI encourages all schools to support this request in the interests of the wider public good.


Changes at ERO
ERO has been restructured, creating three new regions (Northern, Central and Southern), each headed by a new management position known as National Manager Review Services. The Rotorua office will be closed but no review officers will be lost, and scheduled early childhood and school reviews will continue. The restructuring “aims to create a direct link from its review services in the field to the top tier of management” by making sure local matters can be taken directly to national level management as required. The three new National Managers Review Services and the existing position of National Manager Māori will all report directly to the Chief Review Officer.


Mark International Youth Day - wear a hoodie!
Celebrate International Youth Day and Hoodie Day on Wednesday August 12th by getting everyone at your organisation or community group to wear a hoodie, and to donate a gold coin to raise funds for young people and older people in NZ. Hoodie Day is organised by NZ Aotearoa Adolescent Health and Development (NZAAHD).


Study opportunities:

    * The Linking Minds travel scholarship for teachers is now open for 2009.  Successful applicants will travel to the UK during the first term holidays in April 2010. The closing date for applications is 18 September 2009. Information can be found on the NZ Teachers Council and Ministry of Education websites, with application forms available from the Ministry at: www.minedu.govt.nz/studyawards2010

    * The Federation of Graduate Women Wellington branch is offering a $2000 award to assist mid-career women teachers in the greater Wellington region undertake post-graduate study in education. Applicants must be currently enrolled in a postgraduate diploma, Masters or doctorate in education or be able show acceptance into one of these programmes for the coming year.  For more information see http://www.nzfgw.org.nz/awards4.htm or contact the Secretary, Wellington Branch NZFGW, PO Box 2006, Wellington. Applications close on September 30th.


About that job
Career Services is holding a seminar for schools in the Wellington region aimed at career advice for years seven and eight.  The Wairarapa seminar, on September 3rd, aims at building an informed understanding of careers education and will look at using career education as a context for classroom learning, as the focus of a parent / student evening and so on. For more information or help in planning or providing career services for year 7& 8 year olds, contact Janet Hay, Career Services Regional Manager, janet.hay@careers.govt.nz
<< less

Strengthening your union - proposals for change

Over the past two years, there has been a movement for change in our union.
It’s about ensuring people have the opportunity to participate and become more involved at all levels. It’s about making sure we plan and resource our activities and that we’re accountable for them.

After extensive consultation with members, NZEI’s National Executive has agreed four change proposals to go to September’s Annual Meeting.

These are:

1. Greater accountability: linking funding more directly to activity plans
2. How we come together: changing from an Annual Meeting for the whole of the union, to one every two years for the whole of the union, with Regional Meetings in the intervening years.
3. How we operate at local levels: changing the focus of District Councils and establishing Area Councils.
4. How we govern ourselves: changing the size and composition of the National Executive
   

Worksite Reps:   Please familiarise yourself with the information in Special Report: Strengthening Our Union. Discuss it with members in your worksite.  Provide feedback to your Annual meeting representatives so they can come to Annual Meeting prepared to debate the change proposals. You can download more copies at www.nzei.org.nz/NZEI+Organisational+Review.html.

This week in NZEI News - support your support staff on Fair Deal Friday, attend primary teacher cluster meetings, rate yourself in the support staff survey, learn more about the child discipline referendum and more...
more >>

Fair Deal Friday - 7 August
Support staff pay negotiations are still “stuck”, with the Government not yet moving from its zero percent pay rise offer. This week all worksite reps should receive a pack in the mail to support activities on “Fair Deal Friday”. The pack includes a pledge poster for all school staff to sign and then mail to local NZEI offices by 3 August, ready for delivery to Government MPs on 7 August. We need to show the Government there is strong support across the school community for a fair deal for support staff.



Support staff seminars in August
NZEI is holding nationwide seminars for support staff worksite representatives and designated support staff worksite contacts from 4 August – invitations will be sent shortly. If your school does not have a designated support staff representative, please encourage a support staff member to attend. If you identify someone, please send their contact details to shelley.hughes@nzei.org.nz


Primary teacher cluster meetings
Pay, workload, national standards... you told us what issues mattered to you during last term's Education Agenda discussions. Worksite reps will receive a pack this week which includes further information and feedback forms for primary teacher cluster meetings in August. This is your chance to have a say in shaping the re-negotiation of your collective agreement, so please make sure three teachers from your school attend a cluster meeting. From next week two video clips will be available on nzei.org.nz to help you understand teacher staffing and payscales.


Support Staff - rate your worth
All support staff have some level of impact on student learning. As part of progressing support staff negotiations and the ongoing support staff campaign, NZEI invites support staff members to help us gather information about the value of the work you do in supporting teachers and students’ learning. Whether you are a teacher aide working directly with students or do administrative work, we strongly encourage you to participate in the survey – just click the link above.


Special deal for NZEI members
NZEI members get cheap rates when registering for SHIFT! – the third Education Leaders Forum in October. You pay just the early bird school rate whenever you register – saving more than $500 on the full registration fee!  Make sure you tell them you are an NZEI member when you register. The conference, which looks at how education leadership can shift student achievement, is to be held in Rotorua, October 14-15th, 2009.


Pay equity petition follows campaign launch
NZEI was well-represented at the launch of the Pay Equity Campaign at Parliament on June 30th. You can see photos and video at www.fairdeal.org.nz. On Thursday this week, a petition with ten thousand NZEI members’ signatures calling for pay equity will be presented to petition organiser Labour MP Sue Moroney. Sue Moroney will present the petition to Parliament on Women’s Suffrage Day in September.


UnionAID
NZEI is a foundation member of UnionAID - an independent charitable trust set up to help workers overseas organise collectively to improve working conditions, pay and human rights. Leaflets about UnionAID are available from NZEI regional offices. You can send cash or cheque donations to UnionAID, PO Box 6689, Marion Square, Wellington, or make a phone bill donation by calling 0900 UNAID (0900 862 43). You can also become a Kiwi Solidarity member and make regular donations.



Child discipline referendum
NZEI encourages members to think about the issues involved and to vote in the child discipline referendum, which runs between July 31st and 21st August. The implications of a yes or no vote are well-canvassed at www.yesvote.org.nz which urges keeping the status quo – that is, the retention of Section 59 -  and www.voteno.org.nz which supports the referendum and the overturn of the “anti-smacking” law.


Teaching Samoan
The Teachers Refresher Course Committee (TRCC) is holding a three-day course in Wellington in October to support Samoan language teachers in New Zealand. The course aims to share best practice, understand the learning principles underlying the Ta'iala Samoan Curriculum and update language teaching and research skills.


National Library’s school services
An 0800 school library advice service, a virtual school library network and a new professional development model using online and video conferencing will be rolled out by the National Library in 2010. The supply and distribution of books will continue to be provided from Auckland, Palmerston North and Christchurch. However, there are changes to the advice and consultancy services, and overall 14 staff positions will be lost in the new structure, creating concern that commitment to online learning has a high drop off rate if it is not linked to face to face relationships with advisors.
<< less

For those of you with term breaks approaching, we hope you have some rest and relaxation planned...and that you stay healthy.  It's going to be a busy Term 3! This NZEI news includes the Fair Deal charter and the Pay Equity challenge.
more >>

August 7 -  Launch of The Fair Deal Charter

Please put Friday August 7th in your diaries now!  NZEI is planning a Day of Action to send a message to the Government that our union values the work of support staff.   We believe support staff deserve a fair deal - not a 0% wage offer!

We will be asking all primary school members to add their voice to this campaign by adding their names to a charter that will be sent to worksites for signature in the first week of Term 3.

On August 7th, NZEI branches will coordinate visits by NZEI members to Government MPs to present the charters.  Please alert members at your worksite to this date.  Worksite representatives will get more information and materials in the mail in Term 3.



The Pay Equity Challenge is launched in style

NZEI members joined Pay Equity Challenge launch events around the country this week, calling for equal pay for work of equal value and a fair deal for support staff.  Check out pictures and video at www.fairdeal.org.nz

A big thank you to the thousands of you who have signed the Pay Equity petition that has been circulating this term.  It will be presented to Sue Moroney MP, the petition organiser, at Clyde Quay School on 23 July - so get your last petitions back in to NZEI, POBox 466, Wellington as soon as possible!  If you'd like to attend the petition presentation, please email sharyn.gibbons@nzei.org.nz for further information.
<< less

NZEI is calling on the government to push out the timeframe for the implementation of national standards and says schools will actively oppose any centralised reporting.

  Media Release 2009/31 (0.1mb pdf)

This week in NZEI News...a reason to celebrate July 1, kindergarten teachers overwhelmingly ratify their new collective agreement, join the Pay Equity challenge, swine flu news, the early childhood teacher supply summit and more...

more >>

Celebrate July 1 - Download the poster
NZEI primary and area school teacher and principal members will see a 4% increase in their pay packets from July 1. The pay increase was part of a significant package won through the settlement of their collective agreements in 2007. It was made possible through high levels of NZEI membership among principals and teachers.


Still fighting for a Fair Deal for Support Staff
The Government has offered support staff a 0% wage increase. This is totally unacceptable even in the current economic climate. We are currently seeking feedback on this offer from members. It is likely that we will need your help shortly to ensure that all Government MPs get a clear message that by undervaluing school support staff, they put in question their commitment to children's learning, efficient school systems and fairness for the lowest paid people in the education sector.


Kindergarten teachers ratify new agreement
Kindergarten teachers have ratified a new collective agreement which maintains a unified pay scale and pay parity with primary teachers for another two years. 99% of the ratification votes were in favour. Mapping of kindergartens around the country shows around 84% of kindergarten teachers are members – the focus for kindergarten members now is to encourage ALL kindergarten teachers to join to be able to take advantage of the new terms negotiated in the settlement.


Join the Pay Equity Challenge
On 30 June at 12.30pm, union members and community organisations will join forces at a lunchtime rally at Parliament to stand up for pay equity and challenge the Government to reveal its plan to close the gender pay gap – the average hourly rate for men is around 12% higher than women. An NZEI school support staff member is one of the rally speakers.

This is a call for members in the greater Wellington area to get along to the rally. Let’s show the government and New Zealand that NZEI members intend to maintain parity where it has been won and win fair pay for all NZEI members.  Let’s also stand up for other women workers who are undervalued for the work they do.


3800 educators to National Standards meetings
More than 3800 principals and teachers have attended the Ministry’s national standards consultation meetings, indicating a high level of interest and concern.  A much lower number (164) have provided online feedback. There is still time to voice your views.

About 470 parents have also attended meetings, with a further 450 providing online feedback. You can find out more about the pros and cons of national standards at www.nationalstandards.org.nz


Swine of a winter
A number of schools and centres have been closed due to the swine flu, but at this stage, there is no official requirement for staff without symptoms not to come to school. If you have no symptoms but you are advised by your health professional, board of trustees or principal to go into isolation and you choose to do this – then this will count as taking sick leave. However, if you have no symptoms but your school or centre directs you to stay home, then you must be paid as normal, and any associated costs are borne by the employer. The Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education websites are being updated daily on the swine flu alert, but if you have an employment related query, call NZEI Help on 0800 693 443.


Don't dumb down ECE targets
NZEI’s early childhood teacher supply summit last week delivered a strong message that there must be no watering down of targets for moving towards a fully qualified workforce, despite the added pressures they place on teacher supply.  Currently all early childhood centres must have 50% of their teachers fully qualified and registered to remain licensed, but that target is to increase in 2010 and again in 2012.

NZEI National Secretary Paul Goulter says both community and private providers at the summit agreed that any move to water or dumb down those targets would compromise quality education for young children.


How are you feeling?
The Health Research Council and the Department of Labour have commissioned some research on work and well-being, including trying to get a national benchmark on the prevalence of workplace bullying in New Zealand. If you’re interested, you can take part in an on-line survey. Enter number '29' as your organisation ID.


Do you use the school journal?
The School Journal is a state-published reader that has been a feature of New Zealand classrooms for over 100 years. Its longevity makes it unique in the world, but there has been little written about how it has influenced classroom pedagogies. NZEI encourages teachers to take part in an on-line study to investigate the impact of the School Journals on teaching and learning in New Zealand primary schools in the hope of gaining a better understanding of how teachers have used them across the generations. The survey should take no longer than 20 minutes to complete. You can email nzteach@oakland.edu for more information, or the survey can be accessed directly by using the link above.
<< less