A just reward

http://www.theage.com.au/news/letters/time-to-go-ted/2008/05/13/1210444430576.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

SINCE the teachers' dispute with the Victorian Government ended in kisses, we have heard the proposal to pay super principals up to $200,000 to transform under-performing schools. Unless this proposal is hitched to the expertise and energy of high-performing teachers it is doomed to failure. After all, these teachers make genuine educational reform work. But alas, we cannot identify these high performers. Give me a break.
High-performing teachers can easily be identified by school communities and without wasteful educational consultancies. Simply look at peer assessment, student assessment, extracurricular participation, post-graduate study and professional development leadership. Oh, but this will be divisive, say the unions. Not at all. Only interested teachers need apply to have an assessment, the run-of-the-mill can keep their sweet deal. Let's stop pussyfooting around real educational reform and offer outstanding teachers real remuneration, say $100,000-$150,000.
Mike Toomey, Rowville

Teachers lose, again

http://www.theage.com.au/news/letters/welfare-is-for-the-needy-not-reward-for-working-hard/2008/05/15/1210765051400.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

WHY would anyone be a leading teacher? Mary Bluett's little tirade at leading teachers who jumped the gun last week (Letters, 8/5), seems to have been somewhat premature. Now that the agreement has been released, leading teachers in the L-1 range are significantly worse off than they were under the previous salary rates. In addition, we did not receive the $1000 bonus that was touted as a sugar coating. We will not have comparative parity until 2010 but will still be expected to carry the same workload. It's ironic that the agreement actually acknowledges the value and work of leading teachers but obviously not when it comes to salaries.
Sheryl Gardner, Heidelberg

Crying poor

http://www.theage.com.au/news/letters/pennypinching-shortsighted-policy/2008/05/16/1210765171066.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

RE SHERYL Gardner's letter ("Teachers lose, again", 15/5): As a leading teacher who is one of the biggest winners out of the agreement, I am surprised that she thinks she has lost. The facts are that she will move from a salary of $72,314 to $78,019, effective May 11, 2008. This represents an immediate salary increase of 7.89%. Over the three years of the agreement her salary moves to $89,423 — an increase of 23.68%. I wonder how many Age readers would consider this a loss.
Mary Bluett, Australian Education Union Victorian Branch President

Deal doesn't add up

http://www.theage.com.au/news/letters/those-who-deserve-more-should-get-it/2008/05/18/1211049062903.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

Deal doesn't add up
MARY Bluett (Letters, 17/5) is the head of one of Australia's largest unions. I am surprised that she would be so jubilant in claiming leading teachers will gain an increase of 23.68% over the three years of their agreement. This "increase" (which includes the salary increments teachers receive each year when they have demonstrated an improvement in skill and performance) comes with a huge catch. Teachers undertaking whole-school leadership jobs, such as curriculum co-ordinators or daily organisers (with 7am starts), will be relegated to the same pay as those who run a single department.
Without a corresponding increase in schools' leading teacher budgets, it doesn't take an A-grade student to work out that we will soon be seeing cuts in a) the number of leading teachers; b) the time allowances of leading teachers; or c) all of the above. I wonder how many people would not consider this a loss?
Paul Beekman, Brunswick

Victoria's teachers to be nation's highest-paid

Victoria's teachers to be nation's highest-paid

NEWS.com.au, Australia - 4 May 2008VICTORIAN teachers will become the highest-paid in Australia and secondary students will get an extra six days of tuition each year, the State Government ...

Vic teachers pay dispute resolved

Vic teachers pay dispute resolved
ABC Online, Australia - 4 May 2008Enterprise bargaining negotiations between the Government and the teachers union has dragged on for 14 months. But a deal has finally been reached the day ...

Wage deal a step in the right direction

Wage deal a step in the right direction
The Age, Australia - 5 May 2008YESTERDAY'S wage deal might not be the silver bullet for solving teacher shortages, boosting teaching quality and improving students' results. ...