Non-school-based officers should stand up for salary justice

by Kerry Johnson

I have always held a strong belief that officers in non-school-based positions should participate in the fight for salary justice as enthusiastically as our school-based colleagues. We are all teachers, with the welfare and learning needs of students as our core business. Salary justice is just as important for consultants as it is for classroom teachers and has just as significant an impact on our lives and our current and future work.

When Federation circulated a request for non-school-based officers to prepare affidavits supporting the teachers' salaries case I welcomed the chance to provide some input. As consultants in the field we have the opportunity to observe the work of our school-based colleagues in large numbers of schools and are therefore able to comment on the impact of change to the work of teachers from a slightly different perspective to teachers based in a particular school.

As a consultant for the Priority Schools Funding Program (PSFP) I work closely with 22 schools in the Fairfield District to improve literacy, numeracy and participation outcomes for students from low socio-economic status backgrounds. Like PSFP consultants across the state, I work with teachers and students from kindergarten to year 12 across all key learning areas. I felt strongly that this experience could be put to good use in arguing a case for a substantial increase in teacher salaries based on the significant changes I have observed to the work of teachers since 1991. I was also able to draw on my previous school-based experiences, having spent over 20 years as an English/history teacher and support teacher learning difficulties in secondary schools in western Sydney, central-western NSW, south coast and south-western Sydney.

Based on my experiences as a teacher and consultant, the areas I discussed in my affidavit focused on substantial changes to the curriculum, assessment and reporting procedures, technology and teacher education. I found the experience of being cross-examined in the Industrial Relations Commission extremely interesting but also frustrating because of the line of questioning pursued by the Department's barristers. The focus was on attempting to have witnesses agree that the support provided by the Department of Education and Training has more than compensated for changes to teachers' work since 1991 and that a shift to outcomes based assessment and reporting has somehow made teachers' work easier.

I would like to express my admiration for the professionalism of all the witnesses and the expertise they displayed throughout the process. Although we weren't permitted to discuss the case with each other before giving evidence I have spoken with many of them since and read excerpts from their transcripts. I would also like to thank the Federation Officers who looked after us so well and provided excellent advice and encouragement, and all those colleagues in schools and district offices who have expressed their support.

I would like to encourage all non-school-based officers in state and district locations to join with our colleagues in schools in support of the ongoing fight to achieve salary justice for teachers. As managers, co-ordinators and consultants we are very familiar with current educational research that tells us the major factor impacting on student achievement is the classroom teacher. If we are committed to supporting quality teaching in public education we must stand up and be counted in the ongoing fight to achieve salary justice for teachers.

Kerry Johnson is a Priority Schools Funding Program consultant in the Fairfield District Office.

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Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005