School leader update
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 129 No 4, 7 June 2024, page 22.
An introduction
My name is Chris Munro, and I am fortunate enough to be acting in the QTU's Assistant Secretary – Education Leaders role for the remainder of the year.
I have been with the Department of Education since 1990, commencing my teaching career in Mt Isa and then working in many other parts of Queensland. During my last 22 years with the department, I was a primary principal, most recently at Norville State School in Bundaberg.
I have been a Union member for more than 30 years, holding multiple branch positions and being appointed as a Principal Union Rep some time ago. My employment with the QTU has included acting as the Organiser for the Wide Bay region for a term in 2021 and being appointed into the North Queensland Organiser role at the start of 2022.
I understand the value of education and the ways in which teaching can be enhanced via the Union to ensure that it is a rewarding experience for students, teachers, and principals.
School leader forums
On Monday 22 April, the first school leader forum of the term was held in Rockhampton. This forum was attended by Kate Ruttiman (QTU General Secretary), Cindy Freier (Project Officer, Review of School Resourcing), Dan Coxen (CQ Organiser), and Paige Bousen in her last gig as the Assistant Secretary Education Leaders. These forums will continue to be held around the state for the remainder of the year.
Four "standing order topics" are discussed, giving school leaders structure and promoting conversation relating to emerging issues in their contexts:
- emerging issues from current departmental system and strategic issues
- emerging issues from the Valuing Our Profession campaign
- potential strategies relating to workload and the teacher shortage
- Comprehensive Review of School Resourcing update.
Other emerging issues, both locally and statewide, are also discussed as raised by school leaders.
I think it is important to remind school leaders that their direct feedback and the concerns gathered at the forums have directly led to the establishment and currency of QTU school leader policy positions and policy statements. The active engagement of school leaders in these professional dialogues shapes the future of QTU representation and advocacy with, for, and about school leader issues. If possible, please take the time to attend your local forum or dial in to an online forum.
Promotional panel training
Principals have been touching base about 2024 promotion panel training.
Due to the release of the new Recruitment and Selection Directive (07/23), the Department of Education is in the process of changing its recruitment and selection policy, procedure, and various other associated documents. Originally the department had indicated that all the changes would be made by the end of 2023. Unfortunately, this has not occurred, and while we were originally provided with a revised timeline of the end of February, this timeline has also not been met. This is why we cancelled the training last year and don’t believe that it is best to start training again until these documents have been finalised.
As a result of this revised timeline, we will be providing the following from the beginning of Term 3:
- All day training (face to face and online)
- shorter sessions that look specifically at the changes and the impact on recruitment and selection within the Department of Education (approx. 1.5 hours).
As soon as we have received the finalised documents from the department, we will be alerting members to when the training will occur.
In the meantime, if you wish to become a QTU Promotion Panel Nominee, please complete the nomination form included with this Journal.