APPA April 2024 Newsletter
I trust you are all well and no doubt looking forward to a much deserved slowdown. This newsletter includes a host of updates concerning work we have been engaging with on your behalf over the term. It would be fair to say there a number of areas that are causing unnecessary pain. Whilst we appreciate some of this is due to the challenges faced by the public sector some things are simply unacceptable such as BT's waiting over a term to be paid their correct salary or Principals flying blind while we wait for resourcing to catch up.
All this being said, stories I have been hearing from Principals about what is happening in their own schools have been totally heartwarming. It's like hearing stories from 5 years ago. Schools are busy, camps are happening, sports are up and running, and young people are keen to be back at school and learning. Whilst it can be easy to focus on the pain points I have always found a walk through the playground or a classroom reminds me why I do this job, a job I love. Kids, that's why we're all here :)
We would like to Welcome Bevan Verryt from Campbells Bay School to the APPA executive as the nominated representative for NZPPA Principals.
A very big thank you to all of you who completed this survey. We had 275 responses from 422 schools. Although this only represents 65% of schools, it provides enough data to give a clear picture of the current state of Auckland Staffing to the Minister.
I have spoken directly to the Minister about this report and talked her through the key messages you have shared. One comment she made regarding the challenges relating specifically to Primary teacher supply, is that the MOE has provided national data that suggests we have an oversupply of Primary teachers. This is the underlying reason that only Secondary saw changes to immigration settings. This being said, the minister understands that whilst there may be enough teachers, they are not necessarily in Auckland and of those that are, many are not suitable.
I am currently working with the workforce team to understand the sources of their data so we can ensure there is an accurate picture of the current workforce to make intelligent decisions going forward to address this persistent issue.
One of the most startling findings suggests that there are approximately 10,000 students across Auckland with no permanent teacher.
Today it seems a number of schools that had applied for RAPLD have heard that the priorities have changed after the fact meaning many applications may no longer be deemed appropriate. We are looking into this matter and will come back to you with more on this as soon as possible.
In case you missed the email, a full list of schools involved in the Property Review process has been uploaded to the MOE website. This link takes you to the relevant section.
https://www.education.govt.nz/our-work/changes-in-education/value-for-money-reviews/
We are currently working very closely with the MOE and EPL to understand and resolve the significant issues around salary assessment timelines. Today we have been informed that the timeline for processing has been extended from 15 to 25 days. In addition, we are putting pressure on resourcing to ensure all requests are resolved by the end of the month. This includes the likes of Kahui Ako time, BT release time and other relevant changes that impact staffing. We have been told this is a resourcing issue at their end which does not make up for the stress and difficulty this places on schools.
One area we are particularly focused on is starting rates. We have queried why a newly trained teacher who has been registered and granted Provisional Certification is not automatically placed on the base qualified rate as a matter of course as the only way to receive Provisional Certification is to hold an appropriate qualification. I think we may finally be making some headway in this space.
It seems no one really knew about this or understood why we continue to start BT's on the unqualified and untrained rate. My hunch is this is a hangover from the old Q1, Q2, Q3 days. We will continue to push this issue until it is resolved.
One thing you can do to assist is to check your Salary Assessment Applications in case you have some outstanding requests.
To do this go here https://takueducationnz.my.site.com/s/
Once you're in click on Salary Assessment at the top of the page to see if you have any active requests.
You will need Taku access in your Education Sector Login portal if you don't already have it.
The APPA Executive has worked with the 3 Te Mahau directors across Auckland to establish a working relationship with regular planned meetings. This is a reciprocal relationship that ensures we are able to bring key issues to the three directors in a timely and proactive fashion whilst also gaining insights into MOE developments.
We will continue to seek input from our members to ensure we are capturing the most pressing issues.
This year we met with the following officials;
- Minster Erica Stanford
- Opposition Spokesperson Jan Tinetti
- Secretary for Education Iona Holsted
- Deputy Chief Executive Review and Improvement ERO Jane Lee
- Teaching Council Lesley Hoskin
- NZPF President Leanne Otene
Some of the themes discussed included;
- Ongoing concerns regarding addressing workforce issues including;
- the persistent lack of teachers across Auckland
- understanding graduate numbers
- salary assessment processes including delays in assessments
- delays in updating Pourato
- reintroduction of the PCT Programme
- Priorities in relation to any review of resourcing reallocation
- The need for greater resourcing in the Primary sector
- The impact of High Needs students on schools and the need for support
- Insights into how the curriculum is progressing
Over the past couple of weeks, you will have no doubt seen the reports shared by ERO regarding behaviour in our schools and the implementation and rollout of the New Zealand Histories curriculum. The reports provide a great deal of support to many of our causes. In addition, they also share some great examples of successes across the sector. ERO has recently created a new site that provides much easier access to this fantastic resource and the support material.
This new site is https://www.evidence.ero.govt.nz/
Since its inception in 1966, the APPA-TTPA-ASB Travelling Fellowship has been a hallmark of excellence in educational leadership. This prestigious award, supported financially by ASB and granted leave on pay by the Ministry of Education (MOE), has recognized outstanding principals in the Auckland and/or Tai Tokerau areas. Now, as we embark on the journey towards the 2025 fellowship, applications are officially open, offering an opportunity for visionary leaders to expand their horizons overseas and enrich their professional development.
We look forward to working closely with you all this year as a new set of directives and policies emerge over the coming months.