Index

Click on the link below to go straight to the entry. Also, you are invited to leave comments on any of the posts, or email me at sally4svp@yahoo.com.au if you want to discuss anything.

Introducing Myself
My Teaching Experience
Articles I have written - links
Equity Programs
Letter to TAFE TA 14 Sep 2007
Statement about TAFE
A letter to teacher-librarians
Students and Work: "You're Gold....If You're Fifteeen Years Old"
Statement by Maree O'Halloran and Bob Lipscombe
Timetable for Election
Communicating with voters

Statement by Maree O'Halloran and Bob Lipscombe

A letter to Teacher-Librarians

Dear Colleagues

As you may be aware, there is an election taking place for Senior Vice President of the Teachers Federation. I am a candidate in that election. Ballot papers will arrive shortly at your home address.

I bring 28 years of Federation activism, and classroom teacher experience in city and country, primary and high schools, as a mobile, casual and permanent teacher. I was a Fed Rep for over ten years, and have held numerous Association positions. After teaching social science, I retrained as a teacher-librarian, and worked for 12 years in high schools as a permanent, then, after taking leave, undertook casual work in primary and secondary school libraries.

In the past few years, I undertook research on teacher-librarian working conditions, then consulted widely, organised meetings across the state and a Campaigns Course, developed a Log of Claims, and then led negotiations for the Federation on that log of claims. These negotiations were based on what teacher-librarians had democratically decided were their priorities. This resulted in a breakthrough in recognition for primary teacher-librarians of separate personal RFF and administration time. In secondary, the Department acknowledged for the first time that supervision of un-timetabled students is a whole school responsibility, not just that of the teacher-librarian.

For many years, the Public Education campaign has seen me taking a leadership role. This includes addressing members and the wider community via Sky Channel, doing media interviews, developing and delivering trade union training and negotiating with DET and Government. This campaign is critical, for without additional funding there will be no further progress on issues affecting teacher-librarians, as the DET has thus far refused to agree to any of the claims which involve a monetary cost.

This campaign continues.

Letter to TAFE TA Sep 14, 2007

sally4svp@yahoo.com.au
Dear Linda
Please find herewith a response to your letter of 5 September 2007.

The roles of the union are:

• the invigoration of the membership to unite, protect, and enhance working conditions
• speaking authoritatively on professional issues which are the essence of teaching in all sectors
• continuing to fight for social justice and equity in the wider Australian political context.

The current structures of the union were set in place in the early 1970s to try to ensure proper representation of all members in the decision-making bodies, with Associations electing their representatives to Annual Conference and Council and Council electing the Executive from amongst its members.

I support the maintenance of these structures.

Federation must remain united, and continue to derive strength from the participation of all of our members, from the more experienced to the most recent, no matter where they teach or work.

I will never support any dilution of the representation of members.

Within that context, I want to introduce new ways of incorporating the views of members - to work as an adjunct to, but never a replacement of, the decision-making forums of Association, Council and Conference.

As a follow-up to the Cornerstones Conference in 2006, I organised a seminar with visiting Canadian public policy thinker, Heather-jane Robertson, and Randall Pearce, who conducted the 2005 membership survey. The purpose of that seminar was to explore ideas about new and enhanced ways of gathering the views and commitment of members, and enhancing commitment to policies and activism. I am keen to explore some of the ideas developed at that seminar.

I believe this would have a beneficial effect for TAFE TA within the framework of Federation. I believe it would allow for TAFE to retain its own identity, but also for the rest of the membership to engage with TAFE. As public educators, we have a community of interest best served through unity of purpose and ideals.

Obviously, as one of three presidential, and four senior officers, I would be working collaboratively as part of a team, as well as with Executive, to further develop any such strategies.

You asked me to address the main issues facing TAFE TA members over the next year. i see these as:

Above all else, the very viability of TAFE as the pre-eminent provider of vocational and further education is under threat from both Federal and State governments. Privatisation, under-funding and the increasing impost of fees – ie cost-shifting to students are all components of that.

Australia has a huge skills gap, which TAFE should be filling. That depends on proper support from governments. It is disappointing in the extreme that the federal ALP is still struggling to prioritise TAFE and have not yet made an announcement about TAFE funding.
Supporting and getting behind the National TAFE claim is essential.

The federal election cannot be seen as an end in itself. If the coalition is re-elected, then the attacks on TAFE through Industrial Relations arrangements and privatisation through Australian Technical Colleges will continue. If Labor is elected, the job will be to ensure that along with a change of government there is a change of policy direction.

At state level, renewal of the TAFE teaching workforce is one of the major issues of concern. It is not inconceivable that entire sections of colleges will retire from the permanent workforce in the next few years.

Federation has made gains in achieving permanent teaching positions in TAFE in the past few years. This is an outstanding victory for TAFE activists and the union as a whole. However, the continuation of the permanency campaign is critical, not only for the betterments for members this implies, but also for the existence of TAFE as a stable, reliable and iconic PUBLIC provider of training and further education.

As well as personnel renewal, TAFE institutes also need infrastructure renewal. Australians, living in a developed and rich country, with record surpluses derived from the highly skilled, often TAFE-educated workforce, deserve and require state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure. Australia’s prosperity cannot be assured by a race to the bottom in terms of pay rates and working conditions. It depends on a highly skilled and educated workforce. That’s what Australians need from TAFE.

Yours sincerely

Sally Edsall

Communicating with voters

It's all been a bit confusing over the last week or so, with Fed Reps receiving two faxes - one from another candidate and one supporting that candidate.

Quite a few people have asked me whether they are obliged to pass these faxes on.

The answer is no! They are private communications, not official Federation faxes, so you are free to deal with them as you see fit.

During an election, no resources of the Federation can be used, so all mailouts and other communications are paid for privately and organised outside work time.
Mindful of the demands placed on Fed Reps, and that seeking assistance to draw attention to election campaign material is a private matter, not an official Federation activity, I have chosen to keep requests of Fed Reps to a minimum.

A leaflet and poster will be mailed soon, and I will therefore be very grateful if you would distribute them to Federation members at your workplace. It is really important to encourage people to vote, so that the democratic structures of the union are amply demonstrated.

Congratulations to Maree and Bob

At close of nominations, Maree O'Halloran was elected unopposed as President, and Bob Lipscombe was elected unopposed as Deputy President. The term of office is 2008-2009.

Students and Work - You're Gold....If You're Fifteen Years Old

SMH banner the day the report was released

This research was independently conducted by Think: Insight and Advice. The brief was dveloped as a result of teachers' concern about the impact Work Choices is having on some students. It was conducted amongst Year 10, 11 and 12 students, and is now being extended to TAFE students.

Randall Pearce, who conducted the reaearch reported along with me at Annual Conference. Read about Randall's report to Annual Conference here.

Read the full report here.

Follow-up work is being co-ordinated now to work out great new strategies for communicating with young people, their parents and employers.

Read a report about that here.

Statement about TAFE

I have been extensively involved for 20 years in the campaigns on promotion of public education and funding, including TAFE.

In the 1996 salaries campaign, I prepared the brief for the barrister for cross-examination of several of the TAFE witnesses. In doing so, I consulted widely with TAFE activists and officers, Australian Education Union (AEU) officers and academics, including Peter Kell, who later conducted the independent inquiry into TAFE Futures for the AEU in 2006.

Through my commitment to, and involvement in, campaigning for betterments for women teachers, I have been well aware of the exploitation of the part time casual teaching workforce in TAFE, the majority of whom are women.

Part of my role as a Research Officer has been to analyse the Federal budget each year. The bulk of TAFE’s funding comes from the Federal government and it has been effectively frozen in recent years by a government bent on undermining TAFE as the pre-eminent provider of technical, vocational and further education.

In recent years, this has included setting up a private system alongside TAFE, Australia Technical Colleges (ATCs). There has been an attempt (so far reasonably unsuccessful) to undermine the union by insisting that teachers in ATCs be employed on Australian Workplace Agreements.

In this way, the industrial relations agenda of the federal government has also been sharply aligned with the provision of vocational education and training. If the Howard government is re-elected this trend will escalate across all public education sectors. The Federation must campaign actively in support of both the schools and TAFE claims on the Federal government and opposition in the lead up to the Federal election.

I strongly support the Federation’s campaign to ensure TAFE continues to be the pre-eminent provider of vocational education and training in NSW. I also support the provision of appropriate structures within the union to ensure that, whilst TAFE is an integral component of the public education system in NSW and Australia, TAFE teacher unionists can also continue their vigorous role in the future of the NSW Teachers Federation.

Finally, I have an absolute commitment to the integrity of the representative decision-making structures of the Federation. There will be no dilution of the voices of the members or concentration of power in Mary St under my watch.

Equity Programs

I have an understanding of equity programs and the importance of increased support for the most vulnerable students nurtured through both experience and training.

My teacher training at Sydney Uni included an internship at Newtown Boys High, then a disadvantaged inner city boys’ school. It included specific courses in multicultural and girls’ education.

During that year I also volunteered at the Inner City Resource Centre, established under Whitlam government funding for support of disadvantaged schools.

My first teaching experiences were in Moree, which showed me in many stark ways the importance of Aboriginal education programs, one of which I was responsible for starting at Courallie High in 1980 (see entry on 'My Teaching Experience) . I worked with some of the first Aboriginal Education Assistants, who guided me through contact with community elders.

Back in Sydney, and working in Bankstown, I served as a federation representative on the regional DSP Committee, and then the State DSP Committee, which set state-wide policy for equity programs. This was while working full time as a teacher, so I came to this involvement as a practitioners’, not as a union official.

I also helped to develop and teach co-operatively in DSP literacy and other programs at Bankstown Girls High.

Below: Author of My Place, Nadia Wheatley, taking part in a DSP-funded literacy program at Bankstown GHS.

Links to a selection of articles

I am preparing concise statements about many of the issues facing teachers, their union and public education. In the meantime, I'd like to think my record helps speak for me ...so I invite you to click on links below and see what I've had to say about many of the things which concern us as public educators.

PRIVATE SCHOOL FUNDING / PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN
New low reached in federal funding Education Online 2007
Secret review can only have one outcome Education Online, Aug 2006
The Federal Government's 'secret' inquiry into funding of private schools will be biased.
Federal budget 2006 - no surprises Education Online
McGaw tells public schools to 'act private' Education Online, Nov 2005
Dr Barry McGaw has urged public schools become more like private schools
Grimshaw Review into funding for private schools ignored. Education Online, August 2005
Five years after the Grimshaw Review on Private School Funding was first set up by then Education Minister John Aquilina, the NSW Government has released the findings.
Annual school reports reviewed. Education Online, September 2003
Federal Government cuts real funding for public schools. Education Online, May 2004
Federal funding allocations for public and private schools, announced by Prime Minister John Howard on March 11, amount to a real cut in funding to public schools.
Federal Budget a shameful indictment of regressive policies Education Online, May 2005 (co-authored with Jenni Devereaux, AEU SA branch)
Education has an extremely low priority compared to tax cuts, mostly for the most well off in Australia.
Transport subsidies under review Education Online, Nov 2003
Still waiting for funding review results Education Online, Nov 2003
Inquiry highlights private school funding Education Online July 2003
Breaking the nexus an election issue Education Online, August 2002
Why 10 percent, not 25 percent?
Explanation of the state government's funding nexus for private schools.
Federal Parliament silent on public education Education Online, June 2002
Grimshaw review delivers for private schools Education Online May 2002
Interest rate subsidy to privates should end Education Online, June 2001
States Grants Bill carried Education Online, Feb 2001
A revolution in funding - huge increases to the nation's private schools, especially the wealthiest. Countering the Government’s spin on the States Grants Bill Education Online November 2000
Guidelines for arguing against the federal government's "SES" funding model.
Labor set to pass funding Bill Education Online, Nov 2000
Call for expedited private school report Education Online Nov 2000
Schools funding Bill in the Senate Education Online, Oct 2000
Funding bias speeds drift to private schools Education Online, Aug 2000
Howard government pushing Carr on deregulation Education Online
Government for private schools moves to vouchers Education Online

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS
Federation remains opposed to Public Private partnerships Education Online, March 2006
NSW Treasury awards itself full marks. Education Online, March 2006
The NSW Treasury, one of the major proponents of the Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) program for building new schools, has recently conducted a review of the project, and given the project a glowing report.
Treasury reviews school public private partnerships Education Online, June 2005
Private financing of schools in England, Scotland and Canada Education Online, March 2003
What unions and other groups are doing to oppose private financing of infrastructure.
Heed warning signs on private financing Education Online, March 2003 (Part 1 of report)
Private financing of infrastructure in schools has been utilised in the United Kingdom and Canada for several years. The outcomes should provide a warning for NSW.
Private construction of public schools announced Education Online Feb 2001
Education Minister John Aquilina announced the private sector will fund the construction of two new high and seven primary schools in rapidly growing areas in Sydney's north-west.

YOU'RE GOLD....IF YOU'RE 15 YEARS OLD: STUDENTS AND WORK
Teachers aim to support young people who combine school and work
Teachers at Annual Conference developed an action plan to help young workers through the challenges of combining school with work.

PRE-SCHOOLS

No small matter — fighting for pre-schools. Education Online, February 2002
AEU launch of a research report entitled No Small Matter: Quality Pre-schools Benefit Children and Society by AEU Tasmanian branch Research Officer Robin Hull and NSW Teachers Federation Research Officer Sally Edsall.
Read the full report here.




CORNERSTONES CONFERENCE
Playwright assists Cornerstones Conference Education Online, September 2006
Story about Leah Purcell and students working on presentation for Cornerstones Conference.
Internationally renowned speakers for September conference. Education Online, March 2006

GLOBALISATION
What the Free Trade Agreement means for public education Education Online, May 2004
The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the United States and Australia, announced on February 9, presents many threats to the integrity of public education in Australia, both for the immediate future and the 'unknown quantities' hidden behind vague language and bland assurances from its supporters in government in both Canberra and Washington.
GATS to impact on public education. Education Online, August 2000
The Multilateral Agreement on Investment is dead but has been revisited in the form of the World Trade Organisation's General Agreement on Trades in Services (GATS), which the Australian Government signed in 1994 and is now coming into effect.

TUTORIAL VOUCHER SCHEME
Unresolved issues about Tutorial Voucher Scheme Education Online, June 2005
Serious concerns about the arrangements for the implementation of the Federal Government's "Tutorial Vouchers Initiative".
DET Party to federal voucher scheme Education Online, Aug 2004
Reading vouchers implemented in NSW Education Online

INTERNATIONAL
Collapse of charter schools in US Education Online, October 2004

FEDERAL INTEVENTION IN CURRICULUM
A telling and historic day Education Online, August 2006
The Australian History Summit
Kemp signals review of reading Education Online, November 2004

SCHOOL LIBRARIES
DET offers no additional funding on TL log of claims Education Online, March 2004
Log of claims lodged Education Online Feb 2004
Log of claims
Log of Claims prepared Education Online, November 2003

ANNUAL SCHOOL REPORTS
Deadline for annual school reports deferred Education Online, Oct 2003
Review for annual school reports Education Online, Sep 2003

ELECTIONS
The challenge for the Iemma government Education Online
Coalition policies in detail Education Online, Oct 2004
Give Greens and Democrats the Balance of Power Education Online, November 2001
Teachers mark the Coalition down Education Online Nov 2001
Politicians speak on their vision for public education Education Online Sep 2001
Looming election sees EBA retreat Education Online, Feb 2001

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
Government declares war on teacher unions. Education Online, October 2004 (with Maree O'Halloran, President)

TAFE/ACE
Wither life-long learning? Education Online

Teaching experience

Teaching experience - Mobile, Permanent and Casual, Secondary and Casual Primary

I began teaching in 1979 as a "Reserve" Social Science teacher in Moree (equivalent to a Mobile nowadays). I taught at both Moree High and Courallie High.

Apart from learning the craft of teaching, and not being much older than many of my students, I was proud to be the teacher in charge of introducing the first Aboriginal Studies course at Courallie High.

Below: With students from Moree High (left); and Courallie High (right) - during Aboriginal Studies

In 1982 I was again a mobile, and spent approximately six months as Teacher-Librarian at Liverpool Boys High, and then was appointed permanently to Caringbah High, where I was Fed Rep, and a Councillor from Sutherland Teachers Association.

During 1986 I spent time as the recipient of the Teachers Federation Eric Pearson Study Grant looking at school libraries, and the role of school librarians in the United States. This helped inform a complete revamp of policy on school libraries after presentation of my report to Annual Conference in December 1986. As well, I spent a term as a relief Welfare Officer in Federation.

In January 1987 I transferred to Bankstown Girls High School, and took part in many Federation activities, as a Fed Rep, and various Association positions, and Councillor.




Left: In the library at Bankie Girls, and out on the streets demonstrating for public education, 25 July 1989.

Between 1991 and 1993 I took leave without pay, and spent a year teaching English in Istanbul, Turkey, and two years teaching Humanities (Social Science) and setting up a school library in England.

In 1994, I was back in NSW and on maternity leave, and teaching as a casual teacher at various schools, including primary library experience at Erskineville Public School, as well as day-to-day casual work at various schools, a block of library work at Condell Park High, and a block of Social Science (Geography, Economics and Commerce) at Birrong Girls High.

At the beginning of 1995 I was elected to a Research Officer position at Federation.

Introducing Myself

I see the primary roles of the union as:

• the invigoration of the membership to unite, protect, and enhance working conditions,
• speaking authoritatively on professional issues which are the essence of teaching in all sectors
• continuing to fight for social justice and equity in the wider Australian political context.
  

This all means that the union must remain united, and continue to get its strength from the active participation of its more experienced through to its most recent members. I am excited by the prospect of finding new ways to campaign, and harnessing the talents and experiences of our more seasoned campaigners.

I also believe it is essential that the NSWTF continues to ensure that women are properly represented at all levels of the union.

I am grateful for the support I have received throughout my time as an officer, and now seek support to continue meeting the challenges of this union's work in a new capacity. I welcome the opportunity to put before you my experience in representation and negotiation.

For many years, the Public Education Campaign, with which I am closely involved, has been an example of a campaign where my capacity as an activist-researcher and public communicator have enabled me to take a leadership role. This has included addressing members and the wider community via Sky Channel, developing and delivering trade union training components as well as negotiating with DET and Government and making media comment.

Currently, working on the Students@Work campaign, which began with the release at Annual Conference of the report “You’re Gold…If You’re 15 Years Old”, I am helping to lead new ways of communicating and involving members and the wider community, in an issue deeply affecting the students we teach.

Some of what I can offer to the position:

• Extensive experience in representation and negotiation at Departmental and Ministerial level
• Country and city, permanent and casual (including primary) teaching experience (Economics, Geography, Commerce, Aboriginal Studies, Teacher-Librarian), including DSP schools (as well as elected Federation Rep on regional and State DSP committee)
• Direct experience in fighting implementation of Tory educational policies, eg fighting off “opting out” as National Union of Teachers Rep in England
• Sixteen years (1979 – 1994 inclusive) of combined teaching and Federation activism, including positions of Fed Rep, Women’s Contact, and many Association positions
  Track record as a collaborative worker who, as an Officer, has taken part in major campaigns, negotiations, and industrial cases, including annual school reporting, salaries campaigns, supervision disputes, assessment and reporting, including ELLA and Basic Skills tests, global budgets, value-added data, league tables, reform of the HSC, school reviews, the national public education campaign, and the campaign for betterments in early childhood (preschool) education in NSW.
• Dedication to the future vitality and relevance of the Federation and the union movement, in the face of the onslaught of attack from governments.
• Proven success as an activist-researcher and public communicator, including through meetings of all sizes, Sky Channel, and in writing.

Timetable for Election

Nominations are called: Monday 13 August
Close of electoral roll: Monday 13 August
Close of nominations: Noon, Thursday 6 September; Draw for position on ballot paper: 2pm Thursday 6 September
Posting of ballot papers: Wednesday 19 September
Close of poll: Noon, Wednesday 24 October
Count: 1.30pm Wednesday 24 October