Letter to D-G seeking negotiations

Federation seeks meaningful negotiations on a new Staffing Agreement

The Federation has written to the Director-General of Education and Training seeking negotiations on a New Staffing Agreement that would not diminish, dismantle or abolish the essential structures and processes of a statewide staffing system and that would continue to ensure the equitable distribution of teachers to all students in all schools.

Dear Mr Coutts-Trotter

re: Negotiations for a Schools Staffing Agreement

Having completed the schedule of meetings arranged after the Teachers Federation lodged a dispute notification in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission on 30 November 2007, the Federation hereby seeks to arrange further meetings to negotiate a new Schools Staffing Agreement, to be effective from 28 April 2008.

You would be aware of the widespread concern in public school communities over the proposed changes to current staffing procedures that were publicly announced through the media on 4 February 2008. There is significant industrial unrest amongst teachers which the Federation believes will inevitably lead to disruption and disputation.

As indicated previously, the Federation is prepared to negotiate on changes that would genuinely improve the current statewide staffing system.

In particular, the Federation seeks the implementation of on-the-job assessment as a prerequisite for promotion through local selection, a genuine appeals process, new incentives to attract and retain teachers in rural and isolated schools and more clearly defined, transparent employment and promotion practices.

The Federation is prepared to negotiate on the means by which current procedures could be improved in ways that do not diminish, dismantle or abolish the essential structures and processes of a statewide staffing system, and that continue to ensure the equitable distribution of teachers to all students in all schools.

Matters specifically raised by the Department that the Federation is prepared to negotiate include:

• New incentive arrangements that may apply to particular schools, in addition to the current incentive transfer scheme;
• The Department's undertaking, consistent with current policy on ensuring teacher quality, to identify poor performance and to work with teachers, executives and principals to remedy it;
• Procedures to better support schools in achieving a balance in the method of appointment used to fill school positions (eg. Incentive Transfer, Permanent Employment Program, Service Transfer, Nominated Transfer, Graduate Recruitment Program, General Employment List, etc.);
• Staffing codes used to denote particular school requirements for the appointment of teachers;
• Composition of selection panels;
• The review process conducted by the Tripartite Committee.

The current system also ensures the rights of teachers to secure, permanent careers within a statewide teaching service, and the rights of students to be taught by qualified teachers, wherever they may live in NSW.

This balance of employer responsibilities and obligations is indicated in the following statistics from the 2006-07 staffing operation:

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Last Modified: 21 Feb 2008