No. 3-24, 22 February 2024 | Open PDF 

TO: QTU MEMBERS

Working for members

The QTU works for members by negotiating outcomes to complex industrial and professional issues and by representing the profession on numerous committees and key stakeholder groups.

Teacher Shortage Campaign

The meeting to discuss strategies to support those schools that recently suspended their industrial action on this issue (North Rockhampton SHS, Sarina SHS and Biloela SHS) will occur next week.

The QTU is aware that the department has sent a survey to members to secure their input on what initiatives would encourage them to work in rural and regional Queensland (particularly transfer rating 2 and 3 schools). If you have received this survey, we encourage you to complete it, time permitting. The Union will be distributing its own survey on the teacher shortage to Union Reps and school leaders later this week. This will allow us to update the information from the 2022 survey. 

While the survey is being conducted, and to support discussions at next week’s meeting, QTU members are encouraged to meet to share their ideas about initiatives and the impact of the teacher shortage in their schools. A summary of suggestions and a brief outline of the impact of the teacher shortage on member health and wellbeing can be sent to the QTU via email consult@qtu.asn.au    

QTU State Council will consider activities for the week of action when it meets next Saturday (2 March).

Week 41 activities

Discussions advocating for a program of alternative activities during the final week of Term 4 are ongoing. Depending on local arrangements, this should allow additional release time for classroom teachers and heads of programs, enabling them to finalise 2024 work and prepare for the implementation of V9 of the Australian Curriculum.

Right to disconnect

Members may be aware that the right to disconnect is now an employee entitlement in the amended Fair Work Legislation. QTU members in school and TAFE (with the exception of CQU TAFE) work under the Queensland Industrial Legislation, not the Fair Work Act, and are therefore covered by the relevant state industrial instruments (ie certified agreement and award). Clause 9.5 of the Department of Education State School Teachers Certified Agreement 2022 recognises that employees are not required to respond to work-related emails, phone calls, or other communications outside of rostered duty time. This is intended to help address the issue of “digital presenteeism”.

Following QTU consultation, the department will soon release its “Encouragement to disconnect from digital technologies and communications” guide. This protocol states that disconnecting outside of rostered duty time helps to “avoid ‘availability creep’, where employees feel they must be available to respond to work requests at all hours of the day.” The department and the Union encourage teachers and school leaders to establish clear boundaries and set up out of office replies, such as “Thank you for your email. I am out of the office and will return on (insert date). I will not be accessing email during this time and will respond on my return.”

Schools are encouraged to develop protocols to implement this guide in consultation through the LCC. This should include how emergent issues should be communicated, by exception, outside of school hours.

Australian Curriculum – Version 9 (ACV9) implementation update

Last year, the QTU was successful in securing an additional year to assist QTU members with familiarisation and implementation of version 9 of the Australian Curriculum (ACV9). Consequently, this year remains a familiarisation year for the ACV9 transition. 

The QTU has continued to advocate for schools to be provided with additional release time for teachers to collaboratively develop programs and resources during rostered duty time, in spite of the Director-General’s advice last year that: “The department has no plan for additional funding to be provided to schools for the Teacher Relief Scheme to be used for ACV9 transition.”

The QTU believes that this response fails to recognise the significant workload involved in transitioning to a new version of the curriculum. The QTU will continue to advocate for additional release time for schools. 

We would urge all members to write to their local state members and to the new Minister for Education Di Farmer, advising of the need for TRS release. We will keep you updated as this matter is progressed.

New classroom observation and performance development processes

New joint statements have been signed with the DoE to reduce workload and simplify the processes around classroom observations and performance development. These new joint statements are designed to ensure collaborative capability development is front and centre, consistent with the public sector’s Positive Performance Management Directive. They are:  

• Collaborative Capability Development - Setting Professional Goals (SPG) replacing the Annual Teacher Performance Review and Annual Education Leaders Performance Review joint statements.
• Collaborative Capability Development – Classroom Observation and Feedback (CO) replacing the Collegial Engagement in the Classroom joint statement.
   

The joint statements outline a consistent approach to be used across the state, and simplify both processes. They re-focus on professional support and reducing workload. In addition, they see a return to their original intent, which was to assist capability development and the professional growth of teachers and education leaders in a supportive manner.

Schools are encouraged to use the joint statements in 2024, however there is no expectation that schools should “re-do” this work if they have already commenced these processes in 2024 using the previous joint statements. This year will allow the new processes to be developed through consultation, using the local consultative committee to manage the change. They will be in use across the state in 2025. 

EB log of claims development meetings

Preliminary work on the next EB has begun, and will continue throughout Term 1. During Term 2, special EB11 branch and area meetings will give members the chance to propose items for consideration in the next log of claims. All members, branch officials and area council delegates will be invited to attend these special branch meetings or a designated area council meeting, to discuss achievements in EB10 and look at what we want to include in the log of claims for EB11. More information will be available from your Organiser in the coming weeks.

QTU Education Leaders Conference - registrations now open!

The forthcoming QTU United Leadership Conference will be held over two days (25-26 March) at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane. The conference has a focus on both the professional and industrial aspects of leadership and will provide valuable information and insights for members in leadership positions.

In addition to the conference itself, there is a special pre-conference event featuring one of our guest speakers, Ruhee Meghani, a leading voice in shaping inclusive wellbeing. This is to be held at the QTU’s Milton Office from 3.00pm to 5.30pm on 24 March.

Information regarding keynote speakers, conference sessions and workshops can be found on the Education Leaders Conference web page. 

Links to register for the special preconference event and the conference can be accessed HERE (www.qtu.asn.au/myqtu) and on the Education Leaders Conference page, as well as via https://www.qtu.asn.au/elc 

The QTU has asked the department to recognise the conference as approved professional development. 

We look forward to seeing you soon at this event. If you have any questions, please email services@qtu.asn.au

Kate Ruttiman

General Secretary

 Authorised by Kate Ruttiman, General Secretary, Queensland Teachers' Union
21 Graham Street, Milton, QLD, Australia, 4064