EdU
Vol 29 Issue 1 Apr 2014
2014 30 Years Supporting staff in non-government education
Independent Education Union South Australia Working with members in non-government schools
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Contents Secretorial: Pollie put the kettle on, Sookie take it off again 4
ISSN 1448–3637 Published by Independent Education Union South Australia
Frankly Speaking: Catholic EA 2013 takes effect 5
EdU is published four times a year and has a circulation of approximately 4000. Enquiries regarding circulation should be directed to the Communications Officer on (08) 8410 0122.
NGS a superstar of super communications 7
Editorial comment is the responsibility of Glen Seidel, Secretary.
Executive 2014 - 2016 6 IEU Reps Conference Powering into the 4th decade 8
Freedom of Association = “We’re not going away” 10 Safe@Work: Bullying it doesn’t just happen to students 11
WorkCover: Is WorkCover “buggered”? 12 We don’t do justice 13 Lutheran Digest What’s happening with HATs and Leads? 14
Anti-social media 15 Balancing Act: Supporting working parents, pregnancy and return to work national review 16
Absolutely Super: Audit your super in 2014 18 Photography awards 2014 19
IEUSA Celebrates 30th Anniversary 20
We’re on Facebook and Twitter 20 AGM & 30th Anniversary dinner invite 21
Advertising Disclaimer Advertising is carried in EdU in order to minimise costs to members. Members are advised that advertising that appears in EdU does not in any way reflect any endorsement or otherwise of the advertised products and/or services by the Independent Education Union (SA). Intending advertisers should phone (08) 8410 0122. IEU(SA) Executive Members President, Jenny Gilchrist (Prince Alfred College) Secretary, Glen Seidel Vice President, Noel Karcher (Christian Brothers College) Vice President, Anthony Haskell (Saint Ignatius’ College) Treasurer, Val Reinke (Nazareth College) John Coop (Rostrevor College) Michael Francis (Mercedes College) David Freeman (Walford Anglican School for Girls) Anthony Haskell (Saint Ignatius’ College) Sheryl Hoffmann (Concordia College) Fil Isles (Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College) Marlene Maney (Cardijn College) Priscilla Tyler (Pedare Christian College)
Beginning Teachers: We care 22 Mercedes school tour paid off 23 The Autistic Spectrum and teaching dilemmas and solutions 24 What’s your problem? Facebook warning, is it unfair? 27
Independent Education Union South Australia 213–215 Currie Street Adelaide SA 5000 Phone (08) 8410 0122 Fax (08) 8410 0282 Country callers 1800 634 815 enquiries@ieusa.org.au www.ieusa.org.au www.facebook.com/IEUSA www.twitter.com/IEU_SA
EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
Secretorial Pollie put the kettle on Sookie take it off again Emulating a wild animal killing the offspring sired by a rival, the new federal government appears hellbent on obliterating all traces of the previous Labor government’s legacy. In an attempt to find the “naughty children” by punishing the whole class, the previous government tightened up the financial reporting and governance requirements on unions (and employer associations alike). The IEU(SA) executive has now done its mandatory full day training in governance and Union work will go on pretty well as it always has – just with a bit more paperwork and reporting. No-one expected that to be wound back, but further inquiries into some blue collar unions’ activities may end up impacting on the compliance workload of the IEU as collateral damage. The interesting aspect of a government getting tough with regulating unions is that the same rules must-needs apply to employer associations too. AISSA has only recently applied to become a registered organisation and join the compliance circus. One must ask why? At the end of the day we don’t need extra or special laws for unions and employer associations. There is enough civil and criminal law to take care of anything a shonky union/employer official is likely to do. Under the guise of removing red-tape, retail financial planners will be able to revert to creaming upfront and annual trailing commissions off of your savings and more-so if they churn you frequently. The safe-haven of industry super fund planners is looking better and better. The pressure to legislatively remove employer and union trustees from industry super boards is also gathering pace. Industry funds as default funds in awards are also in jeopardy as the big end of town sets its sights on money to be made from handling workers’ capital. Anything associated with Unions is under insidious pervasive attack. We have only had right of entry to staff rooms legislated since the beginning of the year and that is lined up to be removed, along with some other right of entry provisions, when the Senate balance tips to the right in July. The Fair Work Act specifies that a place for union officials to meet with members and potential members must be “suitable for the purpose”. When
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Glen Seidel Secretary IEU organisers visit a school to talk with non-members with a view to recruiting them, it is bleeding obvious that the place that is “suitable for the purpose” is the place where these people congregate. People are hardly likely to voluntarily move off to another meeting room to experience the “joining conversation”. We are fortunate that the Catholic EA specifies that the staff room will be the usual place for such visits, but we still get periodic pushback on that after years of having this right codified. A Productivity Commission inquiry into the Fair Work Act is about to be launched and one doesn’t have to be too cynical to expect the thin edge of Work Choices MkII. We knew before the election that the conservatives would not commit to the expensive 5th and 6th years of Gonski. They told us that. Without that, Gonski is moribund and no amount of state government pledges will restore federal money. It is ironic that 30 years ago, the IEU was formed in SA when a group of non-government school members of SAIT (now the AEU) were ejected from a Council meeting over the issue of government funding for nongovernment schools. They continued their meeting on the footpath of Greenhill Road and ATIS was formed. 30 years later the “DOGS” are still barking mad even though their hallowed “Gonski” put to bed (supposedly forever) the tension between the systems. A Commission of Audit is yet to report ahead of the 2014 budget. The overcrowded National Curriculum is up for review even before it is fully functioning. Statefederal relationships are to be reviewed. A plethora of reviews and inquiries are under way. Penalty rates for unsociable hours, NBN, carbon taxes, medical co-payments, wilderness forests, cars, planes, boats, jobs, IR, super …..nothing new is being created … everything old is to be thrown up in the air. Where it will land nobody knows …. but the pattern is predictable.
EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
Frankly Speaking Catholic EA 2013 takes effect Late in 2013, Catholic school employees would be aware a new Enterprise Agreement was voted up, approved by the Fair Work Commission and back-pay subsequently flowed. Now that the dust has settled, what other new features should members be aware of? Improvements covering both teachers & ESOs include – • Parental maternity / adoption leave will accrue annual leave, personal carer’s leave & pro rata leave loading on the 14 weeks paid component. • A more detailed (non exhaustive) list of events that qualify for ‘special family events leave’ to ensure greater consistency across the sector. It includes significant graduations; immediate family weddings; state, national and international sporting events with self or child representation; moving house; child’s first day in a new school; special school event (eg significant assembly); significant family reunions; immediate family relocating or arriving from interstate or overseas; other special family events as approved by the Principal and reasonable travel associated with any of the above. • Special leave being acknowledged as accessible to staff experiencing family violence and related issues. • Personal Protective Equipment being paid for all employees to minimise risks to health & safety. E.g. safety boots for grounds & maintenance staff. • Union training leave available to the school’s teacher and ESO Reps Major improvements worth noting for ESOs include – • The rewriting of the classification matrix to better articulate what their role, at different grades, entails and to make clearer the distinction between each grade. This also includes identifying new roles such as Trade Trainers for the first time. • Temporary appointments can be for up to 3 years in specific circumstances • Increased clarity around extra work undertaken by part time ESOs (see FAQ) Improvements worth noting for teachers include – • A special increasing allowance for teachers teaching at St Barbara’s (Roxby Downs) • Reduction of 0.1 time in Student Contact Time for the first 12 months for graduate teachers in their first year of teaching in a country school. • AST status not being reviewed during the life of this EA. • Full payment for CPF Allowance in the year following the study irrespective of employment status (including teachers on leave). • Temporary appointments can be for up to 2 years in specific circumstances
Frank Bernardi Industrial Officer Most employees presume their employer is applying all EA conditions consistently and appropriately. And while it is true the CEO appoints Principal Consultants to assist principals manage their schools, there is no mandated CEO audit confirming that schools comply. The only person who can do this is you, the employee. If you are a member you can do it with the IEU’s assistance. And so it was with teacher members at St Joseph’s Pt Lincoln. At the commencement of this year they raised questions and sought workload advice from the IEU. They did have a Student Contact Time (SCT) load in excess of EA requirements. The IEU wrote to the principal seeking clarification. In response, the principal supplied notes of a staff meeting which indicated staff were “invited” to open doors at 8.30am but this was not being counted as SCT. Student diaries however identified 8.30 am as the time “Classrooms opened - Teachers present.” Hence it appears the invitation was impossible to refuse. The teacher workload breakdown supplied by the school didn’t identify what fraction teachers were employed at, yet they all had the same OPA load for meetings & yard duties. It should have been pro-rata for part timers. Further clarifications were sought and the principal responded. She would work through remaining issues with the Consultative Committee! Wrong! The Consultative Committee is not responsible for doing management’s job. Employees are employed at a particular FTE fraction, and it is management’s obligation to assign them pro-rata workloads within EA limits. The SA Catholic Schools Enterprise Agreement 2013 is available to members in the members area of the website.
EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
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New Executive 2014 - 2016 Following the elections run by the AEC at the end of 2013, a new executive of IEU(SA) has been elected for a three year term. We welcome Priscilla Tyler from Pedare and farewell Chris Burrows from Cardijn who, after nine years of service, chose not to stand. Anthony Haskell has taken on the Vice President role for this three year term along with Noel Karcher who will be serving his second term as Vice President. Marlene Maney did not stand for Vice President again but remains on Executive as an Ordinary Member and we acknowledge her contribution to the Senior Officers group over the past threee years. Wendy Evans and Louise Firrell fulfill the non-elected roles of Assistant Secretary.
President
Jenny Gilchrist, Teacher Prince Alfred College
Vice President
Anthony Haskell, Teacher
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Saint Ignatius’ College
Secretary
Glen Seidel,
Treasurer
Val Reinke, Teacher
IEUSA
Nazareth College
Vice President
Noel Karcher, Teacher Christian Brothers College
EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
John Coop, Teacher Rostrevor College
Michael Francis, Teacher
David Freeman, Teacher
Sheryl Hoffman, LSO
Fil Isles, Teacher
Marlene Maney, ESO
Priscilla Tyler, Teacher
Mercedes College
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College
Walford Anglican School for Girls
Cardijn College
Concordia College
Pedare Christian College
NGS a superstar of super communications The superannuation industry’s most outstanding marketing and communications campaigns were recognised at the 2014 ASFA Marketing Communications Awards. Entries were judged by a panel of industry peers and communications experts. ASFA CEO Pauline Vamos said the quality of entries shows the industry’s focus and commitment to delivering high-quality communication to its members. “The industry invests considerable time and resources into improving the way they engage with members and employers, and the winners are great examples of its success.” Congratulations to Lisa and the marketing team at our industry fund – NGS Super – for winning two awards: Best Delivery of ‘Fine Print’ - Judges’ Selection Award Best Use of Social Media - Popular Choice Award EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
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2014 IEU Reps Conference Powering into the 4th Decade Monday 3 March, 80 IEU Representatives rocked up to the Education Development Centre, Hindmarsh to take part in the Annual IEUSA Representatives Conference. This year is IEUSA’s 30th year and the Conference theme “Powering into the 4th Decade” explored how our past could be used to empower Reps to build Union influence in their workplaces so that the IEU would become even stronger in the future. Keynote speaker Dick Shearman, the retiring Federal President of IEU Australia, and former Secretary of IEU NSW/ACT unpacked where we came from as a Union, the challenges we have faced to earn legitimacy both with Governments and within the Union movement as the only Union for a significant proportion of education workers in Australia. He also talked about the importance of reviewing our image and our brand as a means of increasing our future influence in the growing industry of non-government education. Participants also heard from two other speakers from the broader Union movement. Rosie Ratcliffe, Professional Liaison Officer with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF), spoke of how from a conservative family upbringing that valued equality, fairness and social justice, she became involved in Union activity in her workplace and realised that these were the ideals that were the real purpose of Unions and which led her to become involved at first as a workplace activist and now an Organiser. The sharing of personal experiences of why we join and become active in Unions is a powerful tool to use when encouraging others to join and become more involved.
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Janet Giles, former Secretary of SA Unions and now Campaign Director for the ACTU, informed participants of the campaign “Australians for a Better Life” with its focus on workplace rights and benefits and people looking after each other. Janet showed two of the campaign clips which are on YouTube and explained how these messages were getting out on social media. During the Conference Reps were able to participate in three training workshops to assist them in their roles. The Communications workshop looked at how IEUSA was now using its website and social media to get important messages on current issues out to members and how Reps can encourage their members to take advantage of new communication avenues. The Organising workshop involved participants looking at “breaking down the barriers” when it comes to getting members involved in Union activity in the workplace, and the Industrial workshop explored a typical workplace grievance case through role play and discussion which showed how cases like these can be handled by Reps. The Conference adjourned for thirty minutes in the early afternoon so Representatives could participate in the IEUSA State Council meeting. Based on the feedback from those attending, this year’s Conference was very effective in providing Reps with tools to use back in schools to improve membership and increase member involvement so that the IEU does indeed, power into its next decade.
EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
Pictured Clockwise from top right: Carole Smith and Gelse D’Agostino; Dick Shearman; Daniele Zappia & Emily Burns; John Merrett & Gail Monti; Jenny Gilchrist, Janet Giles, Rosie Ratcliffe & Glen Seidel; Louise Firrell & Chris Lloyd. EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
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Freedom of Association = “We aren’t going away” Louise Firrell Assistant Secretary Members who teach at one of our independent colleges have been experiencing enormous challenges that ultimately are affecting their physical and mental well-being and their ability to give of their best to their students and the broader college community. The Board has become much more involved in the day to day management of staffing and curriculum than is the norm. This in itself would not necessarily be problematic if the level of expertise within the group was up to the task, but evidence to date suggests strongly that this is not the case. The IEU has found itself challenging seriously inadequate HR processes which have left members stressed and confused. Add to this, deliberate bullying and intimidation which is regularly manifested as ambush meetings at which staff are shouted at and belittled and you have a workplace that is becoming untenable for staff. We believe that this has been a conscious decision by the Board to deny staff the opportunity to obtain advice about their rights and entitlements from the IEU. Staff have been told in front of their IEU Reps that the Union is not wanted on the site and further that the Union has been ‘scared off’. (We assume this was as a result of a meeting in support of a member at which the Secretary was told that he was not wanted, in fact that he was an “old fart” and should p*off). The Secretary did not take the advice. All employees have the right to join (or not join) a union. Employees cannot be pressured or coerced by a union or by their employer to make a decision about joining, not joining or leaving a union and following from that seeking the support of that union in relation to their rights and entitlements. Workplace rights regarding freedom of association are protected under the Fair Work Act 2009. It is unlawful to take or threaten adverse action against a person for being (or not being) a member of a union or choosing
to be represented by a union. Section 342 of the FW Act defines adverse action which may include dismissal of an employee and a range of other actions which could be refusing to employ someone or demote the employee or change their roster negatively. Penalties of up to $10,200 for an individual and up to $51,000 for a body corporate apply. The Board might do well to consider this as we have not been ‘scared off’. Our goal in this difficult environment is to support our members and try to ensure that unfounded allegations about teacher competence, bullying and harassment do not ruin the careers of competent professionals who, despite the challenges, care deeply about their students and colleagues. Notwithstanding any remedies that the IEU may have available to it under the Fair Work Act, it needs to be strategic in the way it offers individual members advice and support that will be in their best interest. We need to balance the battles for the needs of the individual against the war to restore the school to a more productive and harmonious climate. The issues that we have been trying to support members with are: ‘redundancies’ of women trying to return from maternity leave, a member being forced to ‘retire’, demotion of members of staff from positions of responsibilities, unauthorised deductions from salaries, changes in roles without consultation and overt anti-union messages to staff by board members, obfuscation in finalising the teachers’ EA while refusing to negotiate an EA for non-teaching staff and verbal abuse of Union officials. The IEU will not be intimidated into vacating the field to an arbitrary and reckless management. It will only strengthen our resolve to fight to maintain and improve members’ conditions and to insist on due process in all management decisions. In other words, it will not result in us ‘going away’ from our members at the Islamic College of SA.
“It is unlawful to take or threaten adverse action against a person for being (or not being) a member of a union or choosing to be represented by a union.”
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EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
Safe@Work Bullying -
it doesn’t just happen to students! Gerry Conley WHS Project Officer “How can we stop bullying of students when even teachers are bullied?” was the cry of one teacher to the Federal Parliamentary Inquiry “Workplace Bullying we just want it to stop” in 2012. That inquiry led to changes to the Fair Work Act which now allows workers who are the targets of workplace bullies to formally require the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to take action against bullying colleagues and managers. If a claim by a worker is investigated by the FWC, then the worker’s employer will be expected to comply with any orders to prevent the worker from being bullied. If an organisation does not comply, it is looking at a maximum penalty of $51,000. This change was introduced in January this year so it is still early days in determining how effective it will be in controlling what has become, not only a cost to the lives of bullying targets and their families, but a major cost to the economy with an estimated $36 billion each year lost in worker’s compensation expenses and productivity. On another front, in South Australia, Safework SA has set up a Workplace Behaviour Unit to specifically investigate bullying at work. Any worker who is being bullied can contact this Unit and the Unit will require the employer to investigate the bullying and, if proven, stop it from continuing. It seems that finally Government agencies may be cracking down on employers who allow bullying behaviour by management or other workers to continue in their organisations. It is disturbing that there are many non-government schools which still do not have a policy to help employees know what bullying and harassment is, how to report it, and what will happen if someone is found to be engaging in bullying and harassment. Schools must provide effective training for all staff – from Principals down - on recognising behaviour styles that are (to put it bluntly) bullying. Some in management say there is a fine line between what could be bullying and what is appropriate performance feedback or objective critical comments.
This is an excuse. No one can say that performance feedback that is provided reasonably or once-off critical comments that are not personal are anything like continued deliberate, hurtful and repeated mistreatment of an individual or a group of individuals. Bullying behaviour comes in many forms – it can be repeatedly shouting at individuals; repeatedly being told off for no real reason; being humiliated; having your work always checked; receiving accusatory notes; being frozen out, excluded or ignored. It can often be a shock for a victim to realise that they are being bullied. It can be disturbing for other staff to observe that one of their work colleagues is being bullied. How should targets react to or respond to bullying behaviour? There is now the support from Government agencies but it is difficult for a bullying target to make that first step in contacting the FWC or Safework SA. Your IEU Organiser can help with this. There are also techniques that individuals and groups can use which tell a bully that his or her behaviour is now on notice. Bullies want to control their targets. To discover that their target/s are responding assertively disconcerts them. Small things like carrying a notepad and when the bully shouts or insults or humiliates, writing it down in front of him or her. Let them see that you know what they are doing. Collective action is powerful - eg if a number of staff observe bullying behaviour then all submit incident report forms and send copies to the IEU. These techniques are explored in our “Workplace Wellbeing” workshops “Bullying – it doesn’t just happen to students” held as part of the Safer Schools Project. This popular workshop is run after school at various suburban and regional venues. Attendees can expect to learn how to recognise bullying behaviour and to respond to it positively. Look for dates and venues on the events section of our website. If you want further information or would like us to hold a workshops at a venue near you, contact me at gerryc@ieusa.org.au
EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
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WorkCover Is WorkCover “Buggered”? Attorney-General and Industrial Relations Minister John Rau confirmed last year that WorkCover would be decommissioned. “It’s buggered,” Rau said. “We’ll decommission the scheme and start again”. Liberal leader Steve Marshall agreed with the Rau assessment. On the 24 January 2014 the Premier Jay Weatherill and Deputy Premier John Rau announced through a press release that a policy paper, “A New recovery and return to work system for South Australia” was to be released. The press release states “For many workers, WorkCover has failed to return them to work as quickly as originally planned, which in turn has driven up costs for employers.” “As a package, the changes will give workers greater control over their lives and greater certainty and savings for business.” It went on to say “We have already made some important changes to the scheme last year, including a new Board and WorkCover Charter. These improvements have already had the affect of stopping the growth of WorkCover’s unfunded liability.” What isn’t mentioned is how these important changes could possibly affect the WorkCover experience for injured workers. The devil of course is in the detail, which brings us to the policy paper and how the “detail devil” is going to impact on injured workers, just like in 2009, when we were also told that changes would benefit the scheme. Although some aspects of the package are welcomed and may benefit the injured worker and the management of the scheme, other changes are again clearly directed at achieving a dramatic reduction in employer premiums at the expense of injured workers. Some major concerns involve: • Tightening the eligibility criteria for compensation • Limiting the duration of weekly payments for the vast majority of injured workers to two years. • Imposing a 30% Whole Person Impairment (WPI) rating to minimise access to ongoing income maintenance payments. • Terminating medical and related services 12 months after workers have returned to work. There are also a number of issues that are of interest but the detail is scarce. • Ability to sue under common law • Return to work obligations • Redemptions
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Wendy Evans Assistant Secretary Psychological Injuries are also under attack with the eligibility to claim to be more tightly framed. These injuries are one of our biggest concerns. Already under Section 30A restrictions, an injury is not compensable where reasonable administrative action has been taken in a reasonable manner by the employer. Psychological injuries are often routinely rejected and injured workers often take a long time to recover. Claims become disputatious and take a long time to be sorted. Further restrictions in the ability to lodge a claim for these injuries and having them accepted will lead to injured workers being off work for longer, with the added stress of lodging disputes and the likelihood of income being severely reduced or ceased. The likely outcome would be ill and injured workers having to remain in the workplace or finding work elsewhere when they are in most need of assistance. I don’t think anyone would say that the WorkCover system doesn’t need to be reformed. It’s ironic that the WorkCover system has been badly managed for far too long. Outsourcing of claims management has been a failure, as has the administration by WorkCover of its obligation to ensure that employers provide workers with suitable employment following recovery from injury. WorkCover is in desperate need of rehabilitation. In the post-election landscape it will be interesting to see if the proposed bill and consultation will eventuate as planned. The next move is for the Minister for Industrial Relations to actively listen to the views of unions, business groups and provider representatives and fix the system. The IEU through the SA Unions Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Committee has already formulated a response to the policy paper. The full policy paper can be accessed at www.saplan.org.au/your/say/ changes-to-workcover
EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
We Don’t Do Justice Glen Seidel Secretary When it comes to individual industrial issues that don’t resolve at the worksite, the office mantra is
“We don’t do justice here! We do process and horse-trading to approximate justice”. This can be shocking for members who, when asked what they want, reply “Justice”. Often Justice is a synonym for revenge. The stick in the spokes is when the Law becomes involved. Courts and tribunals don’t do justice either. They do Law. You can have your day in court. You can have your hot-shot gun-for-hire lawyer and when it is all over you just go home. The real and constructive power of a union is onthe-ground collectivism, inventing workable solutions and maintaining ongoing relationships where possible. When we end up in the Riverside Centre arguing industrial or workers compensation cases (as often happens) we have lost that common sense battle and are letting outsiders decide our members’ fates. Suboptimal and ad hoc. One of our sector’s teachers was recently accused of indecent assault by a student – groping if you need to know. The man was sacked. Quite rightly the police were involved, the man was charged and tried. The Magistrate found that “the two [students] had put their heads together and concocted the allegations against the defendant”. He went on to find their evidence was “not creditable or reliable” whereas he found the defendant “to be an impressive witness” and therefore his evidence was preferred. The defendant was found not guilty of the charge. In the mean-time, the man has had difficulty supporting his young family and paying a significant legal bill. But now that he has been vindicated, how does he re-establish his teaching career? How does he regain his community standing? Mud sticks. The chances of his old employer taking him back are zero as during cross examination the school’s processes were found to be wanting. He has an unfair dismissal action underway, but even the most egregious sacking will only net the applicant a maximum of six months compensation.
The man will have been reported through the “intersectorial information sharing protocol”. This is the famous black-list that apparently doesn’t exist. Supposedly designed for coordinating information on serious offenders, there is anecdotal evidence that people squeezed out for performance or relationship issues find themselves blacklisted too. DECD, Catholic and Independent school employers share the names of “dud” employees and there is no way of getting off of a list that doesn’t exist. There is a black-list and people may be placed there out of spite as much as for a lack of fitness or propriety. The TRB will quite rightly need to examine his fitness and propriety. Although a criminal conviction for a sexual offence involving a student would be terminal, a finding of “not guilty” does not necessarily mean “innocent” or “fit to teach”. It does not mean that any behavior is acceptable in a teacher as long as it is non-criminal. Teachers need to display standards in excess of the threshold of criminality. The man will need to go through the TRB inquiry process. Barring surprises, I expect that he will be able to convince the TRB of his suitability, but experience has shown that even if a teacher is found to be fit and proper and allowed to retain their registration, it does not mean that s/he will ever be able to find employment as a teacher if the employers still believe them to be suspect. The Black List in action. The man is unemployable in his chosen career in Australia and arguably through no wrong doing. He has had about the best outcome the Law could have delivered. He has not necessarily received Justice.
EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
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Lutheran Digest
Louise Firrell Assistant Secretary
What’s happening with HATS and Leads? Teachers in Lutheran schools have just voted in favour of a MoU which has made changes to the teacher classification structure in the current Lutheran Schools Enterprise Agreement. The 2012 Enterprise Agreement made a break from the 10 step band 1 scale which the majority of non-government schools have been using since the introduction of the Teachers Non-Government Schools Award that came into effect in the 1980s. They adopted the terms HAT (Highly Accomplished Teacher) and Lead Teacher which are the same as the AITSL terms for teachers who have achieved certification for those bands but the criteria were not the same. Now that AITSL has trained a pool of assessors and the first numbers of teachers have begun the process for this external to the school and nationally recognised certification, the MOU has removed the ambiguity of ‘Lutheran Hats and Lead Teachers’ versus nationally accredited ones. In SA the national system assessment panels will consist of panellists from each of the sectors and they will evaluate applications from their own sectors; Catholic, Independent and DECD. When the Federal Government originally proposed the certification process there were one-off bonuses being offered to successful applicants, but that money has been withdrawn so that any financial reward is dependent on employers. At this point in time there is patchy recognition for certification in EAs. The Lutheran MoU and the Catholic Enterprise Agreement both provide salary steps for those who have achieved certification. Catholic school employers will also subsidise the application fee so that instead of an $1800 application fee, employees will only need to pay $500. There are a few independent schools who have made some provision in their recent agreements, for example reimbursement of the application fee if the applicant is successful or a salary step or a sum of money either on a one-off basis or annually which can be negotiated on a case by case basis, but there is no consistency across the sector.
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EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
Anti-Social Media Glen Seidel Secretary
I like a challenge, but please don’t come to me for industrial help on “mission impossible” over Facebook allegations or similar. Be gentle on both of us by obeying some simple, common-sense guidelines. Employment Law is rapidly evolving in this area and arm-waving appeals to “freedom of speech” or the “Vibe” are not going to cut it. Each case will turn on its own facts so don’t take too much comfort from any of the cases below. “Bagging the boss” comes naturally to many, but if your criticism of your employer becomes public and/ or damages the reputation of your workplace you can expect to be called to account. Usually schools will have policies around staff and student use of ICT, but a thin or absent policy will not give you carte-blanche to publically denigrate your employer. Save the “dump” for a face-to-face conversation with a sympathetic ear over a Friday beer or two. Email jokes become unfunny when they result in termination. One employee was terminated for sending an inappropriate email from a co-worker’s email (case#1). Another, however, used one of his lives for disseminating a crude bogus CV of a director. As the workplace had a culture of disseminating offensive material, he won his unfair dismissal case. (case#2) Facebook is a minefield. Not only will prospective employers check out the Facebook pages of job applicants, existing employees are vulnerable to random (or not so random) monitoring. Privacy settings are not necessarily sufficient protection if your friends have a connection with the business. One manager learned of adverse comments being made about him only by using his estranged wife’s Facebook page without her permission. The employee won the unfair dismissal case as the comments were considered by FWC to be private. (case#3) Facebook and Twitter provide convenient avenues for disgruntled students to “have a go” at school staff. An Orange (NSW) High School student made Australian legal history in November. In an unreported case he had $105k damages awarded against him for defamatory postings on Facebook and Twitter in 2012. These comments had a devastating effect on the teacher who is only recently back at work. Teachers feeling particularly powerless against cyber-attack from students would welcome the decision. The student has now declared bankruptcy.
More school employees come to grief from material they post on their own social media than from what others post about them. Never have students as friends on Facebook. They are not your friends. They have their own friends. You have yours and never the twain shall meet. And never email them on personal email addresses and discuss personal matters. Always keep strictly to business in the business approved method. Keep your personal details to yourself. Even genuine sharing of your personal situation or experience exposes you to the possibility of serious abuse allegations. Don’t become too informal or flippant when replying to parent emails. The printed evidence will look quite different in the cold grey light of morn. Keep your browsing of dubious websites to your own personal computer through your own ISP. Any history can be reproduced click by click from school servers and machines. I have had to wade through hours of evidence looking in vain for some mitigating explanation of a bored member’s brain fade. Never leave your computer logged-on while you are away from it. Keep passwords secure and never log on as someone else. School systems should not be used to conduct your personal business. No gambling, illegal activity or porn on school machines please! You will be in serious strife if you abuse, defame, harass or vilify anyone. The threshold for acceptability of images, jokes and comments will be much lower in our schools than in more robust work environments. Schools are going to be sensitive about being identified in postings with negative connotations and especially so if students or parents or colleagues are identified. Protective Practices sums up the rule of thumb neatly as never comment on social media about your “workplace, work colleagues or children or young people” which if published “cause harm or embarrassment to others, risk claims of libel, or harm the reputation of the workplace”, “colleagues or children or young people” Don’t think “It will never happen to me”. It happens to too many people. Protect your own career from dismissal and TRB investigation by being cyber-savvy.
Case#1 – [2013] SAIRComm 4 Kirkham v Dept Correctional Services Case#2 – [2013] FWC 10240 Qld Cronin v Choice Homes Case#3 – [2014] FWC 644 Act Wilkinson-Reed v Launtoy EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
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Balancing Act Supporting Working Parents: Pregnancy and Return to Work National Review The IEUA has prepared a submission to the National Review. The following is a summary of the submission and its recommendations which was prepared after consultation from all state branches. Despite legislative and Enterprise Agreement provisions, IEU members struggle to access flexible arrangements such as part-time or job share. This is problematic as flexible arrangements enable women and their partners to balance work, career advancement and parenting commitments. There also exist, however, many examples of good practice where employers and employees are able to negotiate through the issues to achieve satisfactory arrangements. These examples of good practice demonstrate, to all employing authorities, that flexible work place practices are achievable. The following outlines the various difficulties experienced by IEU members in accessing parental leave and flexible work arrangements.
requests for flexible working arrangements denied without adequate explanations no avenue for open dialogue or appeal impractical flexible work arrangements negative attitudes to those with parenting responsibilities lack of access to leadership positions The case studies cited in the full report highlight the inadequacies of current legislation around accessing leave and flexible arrangements. While current legislation stipulates that an employer may only refuse a request “on reasonable business grounds”, Section 65 of the Fair Work Act only requires that any written response states whether the employer grants or refuses the request. There is no requirement for an employer to provide any reasons for the refusal. The current legislation therefore places the onus on employees to seek out their employer’s reasons for refusal. In many cases the employee is neither informed nor empowered to enquire.
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Louise Firrell Assistant Secretary Thus under current legislation, employees have the right to request flexible work arrangement, but no actual right to access such arrangements. Employees whose request is refused are left with the difficult choice between returning to full-time employment (in order to retain their job), or suffering significant financial hardship (by taking a further period of unpaid leave, if available, or resigning their job). The IEU believes that this deficiency in legislation may be addressed by amending Section 65 Fair Work Act to require that any written response to a request for flexible work arrangements must also articulate in detail the particular reasons for any refusal. These difficulties are also compounded by the fact that the current legislation does not provide any mechanism to appeal or dispute an employer’s refusal of a request for flexible work arrangements under Section 65 Fair Work Act, nor is there any requirement for the matter to be covered under a dispute settlement process in industrial instrument. Appeal mechanisms are paramount in resolving the identified difficulties.
Recommendations 1. The IEU recommends that Section 65(5) of Fair Work Act be amended to place the onus on an employer to not refuse a request for flexible work arrangements unless they can demonstrate the reasonable business grounds for refusing that request, either through reference to section 65(5A) or some other relevant ground(s). 2. The IEU recommends that a mechanism of appeal be incorporated into the legislation and/or Enterprise Agreements, to require that disputes regarding refusal of requests for flexible work arrangements are automatically covered by the mandatory dispute settlement procedures.
EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
Effective Strategies and Practices
Recommendation
Many IEU members have been successful in accessing flexible work arrangements. Such success is partly due to the Union negotiated part-time / job share policies and procedures, and facilitative clauses in Enterprise Agreements.
The IEU calls for industry specific education programs which not only highlight the legislative requirements of employers to implement flexible working arrangements but the value to employers and employees and society more broadly.
However, it is important to emphasise that good enterprise agreements are not sufficient in an environment where attitudes and behaviour toward working parents are negative. Greater effort is required to overturn attitudinal discrimination experienced by working parents and improve workplace culture. The IEU recommends that employers are encouraged and supported in the development of workplace strategies and workplace plans that provide for flexible working arrangements which support working parents. (Details are available in the full report)
(Case studies have not been included in the summary but are included in the full submission which can be accessed at http://ieusa.org.au/supporting-workingparents-ieu-submission/)
While much needs to be done within the workplace to address discriminatory attitudes, there is also a need for a broader community and cross sectoral education programs. Such a program should not simply highlight the legislative rights of working parents, but also the broader community value of accessing flexible working arrangements. Only by normalising the part-time working roles of parents can we hope to achieve longterm positive changes.
EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
Absolutely Super Audit Your Super in 2014! Superannuation is often placed in the “too hard bucket” because of its complexity, the forms associated with it and the fact that it may not appear immediately relevant because of age. However, it is prudent to look over and understand your Member Statement, material sent to you via NGS Super as well as the information contained in the Fund’s website (www.ngssuper.com.au). We find there is an exponential increase in member interest starting from around age 50, but there is a strong argument in favour of an earlier consideration of your super status. By age 60 there is no doubt of the importance of superannuation, but if you are just starting to think about super at that age, you may have missed out on significant benefits available to you during earlier periods of employment. Here are some of the areas which should be considered as part of your personal superannuation audit: Dead accounts: on average Australian workers have over two accounts per worker (estimated at over $18 billion dollars in lost super) resulting from various jobs. In most cases this is not intentional and many fund members are paying fees which are superfluous. It is quite simple to consolidate accounts into your fund of choice and reduce fees/wastage. Investment choice: is the default option best for you? Your age and risk tolerance should be taken into account when choosing between “growth” and “defensive” investment vehicles. Do you have a strong preference for shares, property, bonds or cash? NGS Super will soon introduce a direct share platform for those who like to choose their own ASX 300 listed companies. Will this option suit your needs? Have you thought about your risk tolerance?
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Insurance: Income Protection and Death/Total and Permanent Disability insurance are true member benefits which have helped thousands of NGS Super members over the years. There are a number of different options associated with both types of insurance and it is wise to check whether the default option is correct for your insurance needs. For example, Income Protection has various waiting periods – 30, 60, 90 (default) and 180 days. Also, the level of salary should be considered as if your salary is greater than $80,000 per year and you have the default cover, you will not be covered for all of your salary. Similarly, it is prudent to check your level of Death/TPD insurance to ensure that it is adequate.
Bernard O’Connor NGS Super You can apply for higher levels of IP and Death/TPD and the insurer will assess your eligibility. Income Protection also has automatic “triggers” such as marriage, the birth of a child or a new mortgage over your home which allow you to increase your cover without an assessment based on medical information. Adequacy: will you have enough super at retirement? You can check our calculator to obtain an estimate of what your retirement benefit will be based on certain assumptions. Are you maximising the tax concessions provided by the government (within the contribution thresholds) via salary sacrifice? Have you thought about how much you will need annually for a comfortable, dignified and secure retirement? Have you considered what effect a salary sacrifice top-up now may have on your total retirement benefit? Have you thought about organising an appointment with a licensed NGS financial planner to help you maximise your investments? Estate Planning: as superannuation does not automatically form a part of your estate, it is not automatically subject to the laws of succession. Many members neglect to nominate a preferred beneficiary for their super and the Trustee must then determine (within the regulations) who should receive the benefit. If a member has made a valid “Binding Death Nomination”, the Trustee has no discretion and the benefit must be paid to the named beneficiary. Have you considered making a binding nomination to ensure your super is paid to your named beneficiary? Now is a good time to conduct a full audit of your superannuation account and to consider all of the options available to you. A little effort spent in organising your super may provide you with more peace of mind and certainty about your financial future. Important information: The information in this article is general information only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making a financial decision, please assess the appropriateness of the information to your individual circumstances, read the Product Disclosure Statement for any product you may be thinking of acquiring and consider seeking professional advice.
EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
Photography awards 2014 IeU members are invited to submit photographs which illustrate the every day activities in the delivery of Quality education. Your task is to produce a piece of photographic artwork that best reflects the theme; Quality Education. What We Do: Who We Are. BraNCh FINalIsTs Competition Closes July 2014 Your photographic artwork may include a statement or caption31 to reinforce your First Prize $500 visual image. It must be suitable for exhibition purposes. second Prize $300 To enter, submit your entry online via the online form at Third Prize $200 www.educationforall.com.au Highly Awards will ImageCommended size must be a minimum size of 0.5 MB and no larger than 2 MB. Ensure it also presented in each branch. is atbeleast 300dpi, (6 mega pixel camera) Images mustFINalIsTs be saved as jpeg format with entrant name and artwork title. NaTIoNal eg janesmith_makingtheirday.jpeg IeU members are invited to submit photographs which illustrate the First Prize $1000 Winners may be asked to provide a high-resolution file if required every activities secondday Prize $500 in the delivery of Quality education. Only one entry per entrant may be submitted.
Photography awards 2014 Third Prize $250
All branch finalists will go into
BraNCh FINalIsTs the national competition.
First Prize $500 NationalPrize Finalists second $300will be announced on Third Prize $200 4 october 2014 Awards for Highly Commended will World Teachers' Day 2014 also be presented in each branch.
Competition Closes 31 July 2014
NaTIoNal FINalIsTs First Prize $1000 second Prize $500 Third Prize $250 All branch finalists will go into the national competition.
National Finalists will be announced on 4 october 2014 for World Teachers' Day 2014 EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
IEUSA Celebrates 30th Anniversary
In 1984 a group of courageous people demanding a fair go for workers in non-government education met on the footpath of Greenhill Road and conceived The Association of Teachers in Independent Schools (ATIS) after the non-government section of the SA Institute of Teachers was evicted from the SAIT meeting over the issue of government funding for non-government schools. This was the first bold step in organising across independent schools where there had been no particular previous history of workplace activism outside of institutionalised staff associations. In 30 years, ATIS has extended its coverage to non-teaching workers and became first ANGEE (Association of Non Government Education Employees) and now the Independent Education Union (SA). Those brave few who met on the footpath in 1984 generated an organisation that over three decades has grown to 4,000 members in non-government early learning centres, primary and secondary schools and private adult learning institutions, with 250 Branch representatives. Through its federal union – IEUA, it has become part of an organisation of 70,000 workers in non-government education across Australia. This provides an avenue for members to influence decisions in the education debate which is being increasingly driven from Canberra. We are celebrating our 30th Anniversary with a dinner to be held after the AGM on Friday 30 May. NGS has provided a grant which will be used to produce a DVD, to be launched at the dinner, in which images of those initial days and recollections of some of the founding members and first paid officials will be presented.
Pictured above: Treasurer, Life Member and foundation member, Val Reinke is ‘touched up’ ready for the filming of his interview for the 30th Anniversary DVD documenting the beginnings of the IEUSA’ by fellow foundation member Louise Firrell.
We are now on Facebook and twitter
Keep up to date with what we are doing by following us on Facebook. We will be regularly posting informaion about our school visits, what’s happening in the sector as well as information on wider community and union campaigns and events.
Follow the links below to find out what we’re up to. www.facebook.com/ieusa www.twitter.com/IEU_SA
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EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
YOU ARE INVITED to the AGM & the IEUSA 30th Anniversary Dinner Annual General Meeting 2014
of Independent Education Union (South Australia) Inc and Independent Education Union (South Australie) Branch 4.30 - 5.30pm Refreshments served for AGM attendees and Dinner Guests 5.30 - 6.30pm
30th Anniversary Dinner
6.30 - 11.00pm $30 pp Includes main, dessert and cheese platter
At The Lakes Resort 141 Brebner Drive West Lakes
IEUSA Members only Register your attendance at the AGM by Friday 23rd May Spaces for the Dinner are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment. EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
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Beginning Teachers We Care
Student teachers and early career teachers are very much in the mind of the IEU. We are constantly looking for better ways to engage new-comers to the profession. Indeed engaging this cohort of educators will be essential for the longevity of the IEU as we “Power into our 4th Decade”. At the University employment days, IEU Organisers deliver presentations and chat with students on the merits of being a Union member as well as having the Union, their professional organisation, support them individually and collectively. We have developed the ‘IEUnion’ gateway. It’s a free resource for teaching students at any level of their studies to be able to sign up to and receive regular information about happenings in the non-government school sector and inviting them to be part of the relevant activities designed for student and early career teachers. For our student members who have decided that it is indeed beneficial to be part of our organised activities, we have school tours where the students have the chance to meet the school principal and tour a school that they may be interested in, with an opportunity to develop networks with established teachers. Students gain valuable information on how to apply for a job at the school and an insight into the culture of the place from the management and the teachers alike. There are also “Meet the Principal” sessions and professional development opportunities where early career and student teachers can mix with experienced teachers to glean valuable knowledge and develop networks.
Bruno Sartoretto Organiser One of the positive experiences that can be provided to student teachers, early career teachers and indeed any new face in the school, and let’s not forget the support staff, is for members of the IEU to greet them and tell them about the IEU. Invite them to be part of their professional organisation. The role of the IEU Rep at the school is critical in either approaching them directly or asking another member who may be working closely with the ‘new face’ to talk to them about the IEU. All participating IEU student members in 2013 commented on how useful it was to be part of the organised activities. Many of them attended more than one session and often recounted how they went home after the sessions to re-write their applications to nongovernment schools with the new insights they gained. For some of the student members these activities translated directly into employment in non-government schools. The support of the principals and staff at schools involved in this program has been crucial to its success. We would like to thank all schools who were willing to hold a tour and all of the Principals who gave their time to speak at the Meet the Principals sessions. We look forward to working with you again this year.
“I have supported the beginning teacher tours that have been organised by the IEUSA over the last couple of years. I applaud this initiative as it gives beginning teachers the opportunity to hear from current practitioners and gain a sense of what life is really like in schools. As a school we support anything that will assist young teachers beginning in the profession. I have been very impressed with the quality of the beginning teachers who go to the trouble to be part of sessions like this and have been pleased to offer two participants work in the last year.” Peter Daw, Principal Mercedes College
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EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
Mercedes School Tour Paid Off
As a graduate having just celebrated my last days of uni, I jumped on the bandwagon of madly applying for jobs. I have come to the realisation that I am not only competing against my peers to win a job, but also all the other experienced teachers looking for jobs. On top of this I am looking for an Art/Design position which is hard to come by, so when one does pop up, we are all ready to pounce!
I am so thankful for the opportunity of the school tour the IEU organised as without it, I would have been an unfamiliar face and may not be in the position I am in today. I highly recommend the IEU School Tours to any Graduate and Early Career Teacher as it is a perfect way to ‘get your foot in the door.’
I started applying for jobs around October, getting into a weekly routine of trawling through the career section of the newspaper on Saturday mornings, and an almost daily routine of checking the career websites to see what jobs had been recently added…if any. When the Art/Design position was advertised in the newspaper (and online) for Mercedes College, I was so excited and jumped at the opportunity. As a graduate member of the IEU I receive email updates on the upcoming workshops and events. I noticed there was a School Tour for Graduates and Early Career Teachers at Mercedes College a few days before my application was due and I registered straight away! The timing was perfect! There were about six of us on the tour, where Bruno from the IEU introduced us to the staff and Principal at the College. During the tour we were able to ask the Principal questions, find out more about the school and get a feel of the school’s ethos. After the tour we were able to meet more staff members at recess in the staff room, where I was able to meet the Coordinator of Art/Design and leaders of both the Middle and Secondary School. It was here I was able to make professional connections and ask questions about the advertised position. That night I went home and made some modifications to my application after finding out more about the school and dropped it off by hand the following morning. The staff recognised me from the tour the previous day and I was invited to attend the school’s art exhibition that evening. I jumped at this opportunity to come back to the school and meet the staff I had met on the tour. This allowed me to see the work the students produced and meet other members of staff. A few days after, I received a phone call asking me to attend an interview which I was so excited about. I was nervous (of course) but it was a relief knowing that I had already met the interview panel on the school tour, and we knew each other’s names and faces. This made a really smooth interview as they already knew a bit about me and I was a familiar face. A few days later, the principal phoned me to offer me the position and I was bursting with excitement.
Emily Button,
Teacher Mercedes College
EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
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The Autistic Spectrum (AS) and Teaching Dilemmas and solutions
Dr Emma Goodall
Special Needs and Autistic Spectrum Consultant Doctoral research published (Goodall, 2013) was initiated by a desire to understand why some teachers were less able to facilitate engagement in learning for students on the AS than others in the context of a lack of training for teachers in regards to effective strategies for teaching AS students. The distinctions between ‘knowledge of’ and ‘understanding of’ came to be of critical importance to distinguish effective teaching of students on the AS. Low levels of understanding of the AS seemed to lead to deficit framing of the students and higher levels of understanding to the construction of these students as individuals, with their own range of skills and areas of difficulty. Other key factors involved in teachers effectively meeting the needs of students on the AS were a willingness to try and meet the needs of the individual students using suggested strategies, teacher belief in the difference and potential of AS students and a willingness to facilitate the development of this potential. The idea of potential rested within an understanding of lived experience models of AS rather than knowledge of the medical description of the AS. Time is a precious commodity in education and suggested strategies for teachers need to be time effective and easy to implement. Teachers need to know not only what to do, but how and why. Simple strategies are often the most effective at building engagement and facilitating success for AS students (Goodall, 2013a). Strategies relate to either; communication, sensory input, self-regulation, engagement and/or participation.
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Before utilising any strategies, it is important for teachers to understand the sensory profile of their AS student (what sensory input causes distress versus calmness) as well as the student’s strengths and difficulties. It can be difficult for teachers to know that the verbal skills of a four or five year old on the AS do not in themselves give any clue as to the potential verbal abilities of that child as an adult. Some nonverbal autistics learn to speak fluently and frequently, whilst some can only speak when they are calm and feel safe and others never speak. In addition, verbal skills do not give any clues as to the literacy potential of the child. Many non-verbal autistics are skilled writers of non-fiction, fiction and poetry. This range of skills has only started to become apparent over the last ten years or so, prior to which any AS adults with skills were seen as atypical. Communication strategies need to be two way, it is not just the teacher who needs to be able to communicate effectively with the AS student, but the student also needs to be taught the skills and provided with the tools to communicate effectively with others. Many classrooms have visuals for use with AS students, but the students themselves may not have access to visuals to use as their own communication tools. For AS students who cannot verbalise when stressed, a simple ‘help’ card that they can hold up or put face up on their desk can be highly effective. Children with diagnoses of Aspergers can appear to have excellent communication skills but in reality can struggle to understand the implied meanings within EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
conversations and instructions. These are the students for whom trouble arrives when they rush out of the door to recess as soon as the bell goes, without waiting for teacher permission. However, the students have usually been told that recess starts when the bell goes. Most other students will have picked up the implied “after the teacher says you can leave the room”, but the students with Aspergers will have taken the instruction literally. The trend towards more collaborative and team learning environments is very difficult and stressful for both AS students and their teachers, who can struggle to engage these students in these learning contexts. Strategies in these environments require a school wide approach to safe spaces for learners who prefer or require quiet in order to learn. However, over the last five years, one of the simplest and most effective strategies that teachers have been implementing is direct praise using specific phrases. Previously, it was suggested by psychologists that students on the AS did not require or respond to praise or emotion. Current thinking (De Clerq, 2011, Goodall, 2013a) is that AS students want to belong and to be liked as much as any other students, but they do not demonstrate this in the same way. Thus
when AS students do something well or engage well, this can be positively reinforced by using the phrase “I like it when…” or “it makes me really happy when…”. Teacher feedback on the use of this strategy has been consistent, with initial thoughts being that the strategy would not work, but as it was so easy to try they would try it. Once the teachers tried it, they have all said that the AS student engagement increased and the student exhibited more of the positive behaviour or engagement with learning.
“Time is a precious commodity in education and suggested strategies for teachers need to be time effective and easy to implement.”
Healthy Possibilities is a New Zealand & Australian Autism consultancy, specialising in helping people to achieve their potential. Based in Christchurch and Adelaide, Emma has also been a board member of the Aspire Trust and a member of AspieHelp, which aims to support adults with Aspergers into employment through mentoring. With a background in education, Emma is passionate about the need to educate others to ensure that people on the autistic spectrum are able to not only achieve their potentials, but to live happy lives. Emma is a skilled and experienced special needs teacher and consultant. Having completed her doctoral research into the effective teaching of students on the autistic spectrum in mainstream education, Emma is passionate about the ability of autistic children and young people to gain skills and knowledge. Emma also has a Masters in special education, a BEd hons as well as Montessori pre-school and school teaching qualifications. She has worked in pre-schools, schools, and as an educational consultant and advisor in Europe and New Zealand, including for the NZ Ministry of Education. If you are interested in professional development for yourself or your school in the Adelaide region, please do not hesitate to contact Dr Emma Goodall on 0468 456 258 or healthypossibilties.net@gmail.com
Reference
De Clerq, H. (2011). The pervasiveness of autism thinking in every aspect of daily life. Asia Pacific Autisim Conference (APAC), Perth, 2011.
Goodall, E (2013). Five teachers talk about contextual factors involved in teaching students on the autistic spectrum (AS) – a case study, University of Canterbury. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://www. academia.edu/4043471/Five_teachers_talk_about_contextual_factors _involved_in_teaching_students_on_the_ autistic_spectrum_AS_-_a_case_study Goodall, E (2013a). Understanding and Facilitating the Achievement of Autistic Potential, SC: Create Space. EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
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What’s your problem?
If you have a question about your employment conditions that requires a prompt response, call the office on 8410 0122 and ask to speak to your school’s Organiser.
Facebook warning - Is it unfair? Q.
Dear Dorothy,
I am quite annoyed. Can you please tell me if I am being unreasonable? A few months ago I came across a Facebook posting which fascinated me so I posted it on my own Facebook page without further comment. It was actually posted by the IEU and concerned an anonymous principal at an anonymous school and a TRB issue. After a while I removed it. A few weeks ago I was called in to a disciplinary meeting with the principal who took me to task and chastised me for breaching any number of policies in reposting the item. I now have a formal warning on my record. I can understand getting into trouble for bagging my own boss or school, but this did not mention my school or my principal. No-one would know apart from those who already knew.
Sincerely, Miffed
A.
Dear Miffed,
It looks like your principal may have outed his/herself by reacting so strongly to a second-hand anonymous posting. By the time people read this, we will have formally taken up this issue on your behalf. Employment law is evolving around the use and misuse of social media. Mentioning the boss, the workplace or colleagues in a negative way can be career suicide, with few avenues of defence. However every case turns on its own facts. I would argue that if the principal had an issue with the original IEU post, then she/he should have taken it up with the IEU. The subject may have been common knowledge around the school anyway and your reposting it would not have increased the detriment of the post within the broader community. If you had added extra commentary which identified your school and brought it into disrepute, then you could possibly be called to account. If you were not employed by the school (or even the sector) in question and reposted or commented on an item your immunity should be better. The IEU will from time to time post some “hard edged” items on social media in a “name and shame” campaign. It might pay to keep interactions low key when the topic is close to home .. but there is no harm in looking. https://www.facebook.com/ieusa Regards, Dorothy.
EdU Apr 2014 IEU(SA)
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