Response to the DEECD New directions for school leadership
and the teaching profession Discussion paper June 2012
New Directions for School Leadership and the Teaching
Profession
Council of Professional Teaching Associations of Victoria
submission
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Response to the DEECD New directions for school leadership
and the teaching profession Discussion paper June 2012
Subject:
To:
Date:
Response by:
CPTAV RESPONSE
The DEECD New directions for school leadership and the teaching profession
Discussion paper June 2012
The Hon. Peter Hall, MLC, Minister Responsible for the Teaching Profession, Minister
for Higher Education and Skills and the Victorian Department of Education and Early
Childhood Development
Friday, 7 September 2012
The Council of Professional Teaching Associations of Victoria
Who we are
The Council of Professional Teaching Associations of Victoria is the peak organisation representing professional teaching
associations in Victoria. Its thirty seven member associations (see appendix) are composed of subject specific, disciplinebased and cross-curricular organisations whose own members are teachers across all Victorian school sectors.
The CPTAV motto “Building professional learning communities” reflects the support CPTAV provides to its members, CPTAV
members are integral to the delivery of quality professional learning aimed at building the capacity of the teaching profession
to improve student learning and practice and lift the performance of Victoria’s students.
The CPTAV operates in partnership with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development through the DEECD
Strategic Partnerships Program.
A welcome discussion
The CPTAV welcomes the discussion of many issues raised in New directions for school leadership and the teaching profession
(the paper), including:
 the recognition of the need for strong action to address the status of the teaching profession
 a focus on the up-skilling of Principals
 a focus on the early recognition of, and support for, ’under-performing’ teachers
 the recognition of the need to retain ‘high performing’ teachers in the workforce
 the recognition of the complexity of the role and skills of the teacher
 an emphasis on the on-going professional learning of, and by, qualified teachers
 the review of methods by which teachers are remunerated.
 underachievement by students from schools in low socio-economic status and non-metropolitan regions is much
worse in areas such as numeracy and literacy.
 the difficulty for regional schools and those in disadvantaged metropolitan areas to employ suitably qualified
teachers.
 teachers pursuing further education must be offered incentives to do so.
Teaching will have the greatest single impact on our education outcomes (Page 5)
The CPTAV is in agreement with all four key statements which promote the quality of teaching having largest impact on
student learning outcomes.
We agree that low performing teachers need to be replaced with more effective teachers, but this should not be pre
determined as the lowest five percent, rather low performance needs to be determined using evidence based criteria. In this
way any determination will fair, transparent and more acceptable to the teaching profession.
In other professions certification or similar, is required when certain industry standards are reached. CPTAV believes that the
Victorian Institute of Teaching in partnership with schools has a role to play in certifying that teachers have reached high
performing standards. The quantity component that the VIT currently measures is hours spent on professional learning.
Qualitative criteria based on research evidence can then be used to assess the teacher capability. It is not only the role of the
Principal to measure teacher capability; the VIT also can support principals as an objective partner in this process.
Improving the quality of teaching will require strong action on three fronts (Page 6)
The CPTAV agrees that great teachers working in Victorian schools can provide models for lower performing schools to help
those schools lift the overall quality of the profession.
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Response to the DEECD New directions for school leadership
and the teaching profession Discussion paper June 2012
Action 1. We agree with this action.
Action 2. CPTAV agree that more investment in the development of teachers throughout their careers is necessary to achieve
a culture of excellence. The outcome will be teachers who innovate, develop and share teaching practice with their peers.
Action 3. We agree with this action. The CPTAV believe that principals also need to be supported with professional learning
to drive sustainable performance improvement.
Purpose of the document (Page 7)
Question 1. What is missing?
CPTAV believes that the role and importance of teacher professional associations as key partners with the DEECD in the
process of building teacher capacity (understanding of content and pedagogy) and high quality professionalism must be
included in the document.
Strategic Partnership Programs (SPP) undertaken over the last 10 years have contributed to the development of high quality
teaching and learning and this is evidenced by the quantitative and qualitative data provided on a semester reporting basis
by all SPP funding recipients.
Building teacher capacity includes a collaborative model harnessing the capacity of the whole community to enable a holistic
approach to student learning. This is in line with DEECD policy of nurturing partnerships with industry and community.
An exemplary model for this collaboration is Northern College of the Arts and Technology (NCAT) that brings together federal
and state governments, industry, community bodies, Catholic, Independent and DEECD schools to provide new approaches
to student learning based on ten years of trial and research.
Question 2. What are the priorities? The priorities are to support teachers to enable and prepare students for a working life
in a contemporary society. Another priority is to build skills and confidence to meet the challenges of working in an ever
changing global world.
Attracting great people into teaching (page 9)
CPTAV supports the policy outlined to attract great people into teaching, reflecting on top tier jurisdictions, approaches to
recruitment and working conditions.
Regarding teacher training programs “preparing teachers for a 21st century learning environment” and the Australian
curriculum. The CPTAV wants to emphasise the necessity for pre service teachers to have a deep knowledge of content,
pedagogy and classroom practice.
Rather than offering a career opportunity competitive with early career pathways and remuneration in other professions,
education offers the uncertainty of casual teaching and short term contracts to all too many graduates.
Assessment of Victoria (Page 10 and 11)
CPTAV believes if salaries and the skills required are clearly articulated, transparent and reflect criteria for high performance;
then remuneration will not be perceived as divisive. Rather it will be aspirational and involve teachers in a healthy drive to
improve.
Observation (including peer assessment) validates the achievement of advanced teaching skills and professional standards
which lead to measurable improvements of student achievement.
CPTAV promotes evidence based data including professional and student portfolios.
Modelling good teacher practice, providing it as an accessible resource, e.g. making it available as video based on line
resources.
CPTAV agree with the promotion of providing more flexibility in the regulatory environment for teaching pre requisites as
long as the understanding that subject matter expertise is only one component of high quality teaching. High quality teaching
must include a deep knowledge of pedagogy and classroom practice
CPTAV recommends early service teacher induction to be conducted by high performing teacher mentors and supported in
house with appropriate resources.
The CPTAV as the peak body for Professional Teacher Associations is key to the partnership with the DEECD to help build
capability and high performance. CPTAV members provide contemporary professional learning run by practicing, high
performing teachers.
Potential Actions (Page 12 to 14)
The CPTAV is in agreement with all statements under the heading Potential Actions
“...tailored individual teacher packages...”
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Response to the DEECD New directions for school leadership
and the teaching profession Discussion paper June 2012
In response to the statement “Differentiated awards based on effort and performance” the CPTAV believe a shared
understanding as well as clear guidelines for criteria and performance outcomes will need to be articulated if this is to be
accepted as incentive for high performance teachers.
In response to the statement “Provide greater incentive for teachers to work in areas of high need”
Please consider including the following points:
 Participate in professional on line communities which provide in time, anytime, anywhere access to teacher support
and resources.
 Under “Make pre service education fit for 21st Century learning environments...” Elite providers from overseas need
to be measured against clear and rigorous criteria to validate their elite status.
 We the CPTAV as an elite local provider, measured against the same rigorous criteria, need to be included in
providing services to pre service education.
Under “Set up formal mechanisms that strengthen relationships...” (page 14)
The CPTAV believe that as a key partner with DEECD, they need to be included as a provider of professional learning services
to pre service education and be included in developing the mechanisms that strengthen relationships between schools,
employers and peak certifying bodies.
Create a high performance profession (Page 15)
Dr Lawrence Ingvarson, in his article Professional Certification: Promoting, Recognising and Rewarding Accomplished
Teaching (ACER 2011) details a powerful argument about the need for teaching to develop as a profession and for the
professional teaching associations such as the Council of Professional Teaching Associations of Victoria to actively participate
in “the evolution of a new conception of teaching as (a) strong and accountable profession – with career stages closely linked
to evidence of increasing expertise in the classroom and in supporting colleagues.” That is, high entry standards and high
salaries will not be enough for improvement. Career retention and development will also be required and in this the
profession itself must play a key role.
What top tier systems do (Page 15)
CPTAV is in full support of top tier systems. In a top tier system teacher research drives innovation as well as school and
system improvement. This research is highly valuable and needs to be widely promoted and accessed by all teachers as part
of their professional learning.
Effective teacher appraisal processes support a culture of performance (Page 15)
CPTAV supports the school evaluation and reporting process. High performing schools should set the bench mark for all
schools. High performance standards are then articulated clearly and all teachers will have a shared understanding. The
standards can be modelled for successful implementation in all schools.
Professional learning and collaboration (Page 16)
CPTAV recommends that teachers utilise the MyVIT portal to document evidence of their professional learning, this will then
detail the breadth and depth of their participation in professional learning. CPTAV believes that the minimum of 20 hours per
year is an indicator of a low performing teacher and that high performing teachers currently undertake over 100 hours of
professional leaning in each year.
A culture of excellence (Page 16 and 17)
CPTAV agrees that there needs to be measures in place to celebrate and reward high performing teachers.
In light of the individual performance and development plans being poorly implemented, the CPTAV recommends that
observation needs to be provided by cluster schools rather than within the one school.
For a performance and development culture to be meaningful, it requires the collection of quality data that measures
teacher improvement against student learning outcomes.
CPTAV understands it is difficult for a principal to take action with a teacher whose performance has been assessed as
unsatisfactory. The CPTAV agrees with the Productivity Commission that unnecessary barriers be removed, but only if a
number of performance and development support measures including counselling, mentoring and peer evaluation have been
undertaken. The standards of performance must be clearly defined, codified and understood by all.
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Response to the DEECD New directions for school leadership
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School-based professional learning: other professional learning?
Reference is made to school-based professional learning in the paper on numerous occasions. For example Section 3 (page
16) states that “Current evidence suggests that professional learning has the most impact on students where it provides
opportunities for teachers to watch peers in the classroom and give feedback to each other on ways to improve practice.”
This form of professional learning is valuable when adopted as a whole school approach with training and modelling
undertaken as part of an informed, supportive and nurturing environment. It is imperative that this be fully resourced as a
whole-school approach to professional learning, for all teaching staff and not reserved for those teachers deemed by the
Principal (or others) to be under-performing.
Mandated learning?
Similarly, the Potential actions (page 18) point, third dot point: “mandate classroom observation as part of the teacher
performance review and school review process” – the CPTAV questions the use of the term ‘mandates.’ This suggests the
practice will be implemented, or viewed as, a punitive measure if applied to individual teachers only. The CPTAV champions a
formal recognition of collaborative teaching and sharing learning practice.
Mandating action can in itself lead to the failure of the action. Professional teaching associations can assist with describing
the look of good classroom teaching practice. They can also assist with modelling good teaching practice.
Professional learning beyond classroom observation
The paper suggests an emphasis on school-based professional learning. Potential actions (point 4 page 18) refer to
“…classroom observation and feedback…”, and “Establish exchanges and secondments for teachers to work in other
schools”. The CPTAV endorses the value of school-based professional learning. However, exclusive school-based professional
learning suggests that schools have ‘all the answers’. On the contrary, many organisations have sound professional learning
programs to support teachers and schools improving good teaching practice.
School access to off-site professional learning needs to be funded accordingly, and barriers to the provision of teacher
release to access professional learning must be identified and overcome. Consequently an additional Potential action under
point 4 (page 18) Improve professional development and collaboration is suggested as: Provide further school support for
access to quality professional learning beyond school boundaries.
Trial new ways of rewarding effective teachers (Page 18)
Incentive schemes
The paper refers to incentive schemes such as a review of pay and incentives of a non-financial nature. Such schemes have
the potential to reward individuals and ignore the notion of teams and collaboration. In addition – incentive schemes such as
bonuses, if offered, are often divisive.
Non-financial rewards, if offered, could include additional teacher support to relieve the burden of the many non classroom
administrative tasks teachers undertake. The recognition in the paper that non-financial rewards include access to
professional learning is noteworthy however this must include access (and ease of access) to quality professional learning by
a range of providers and not just by the tertiary sector.
Teacher training
In addition, non financial rewards (again on page 18) makes reference to attracting young talented people to teaching, and
the practice of young people staying no more than two to four years with an employer. The paper (page 10) states “The
package of benefits of benefits teachers needs to be reshaped .....” In this context research needs to be undertaken by stake
holders around flexible learning support and an action plan developed for retaining and improving beginning teachers.
To ensure that teachers have expertise in their specialist subject area they undergo graduate qualifications and follow on
with post graduate qualifications in pedagogy, for example a Masters of Education.
School leadership
From beyond the teaching profession?
The CPTAV welcome many of the potential actions (pages 22 and 23) for the development of Principals and school leaders –
one of these is the early identification of, and development of, potential school leaders. This professional learning needs to
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Response to the DEECD New directions for school leadership
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include a focus on the many and varied skills required to lead a school such as the management of human resources, project
delivery, entrepreneurship, financial prudence and more. However school leadership also requires a thorough understanding
of what makes an effective school, of what makes an effective teacher, and integral to this is the knowledge of the
fundamentals of sound teaching practice and student learning.
Consequently we reject the notion (page 23) that a principal appointment be an applicant from beyond the teaching
profession. Instead, with the early identification and nurturing of potential leaders from within the school, successful school
leaders and leadership teams can be appointed from within the teacher profession.
Leadership appraisal by 360 degree feedback?
The paper refers to the 360 degree feedback element of the principal performance management process (page 21) and to its
“demonstrated success as a management tool.” While acknowledging an appraisal process needs to be in place and
consistently used for Principals and school leaders, the CPTAV questions the assertion that the 360 degree tool has
demonstrated success. Yes, the tool is widely used and as such is expedient – however anonymous feedback from people
who do not need to account for their comments is a very divisive and questionable method of appraisal. 360 degree
feedback can tend to focus on negatives only; it can facilitate ‘plotting and scheming’ and lends itself to potential
discrimination. It does not provide the opportunity for the recipient to clarify comments made. A more appropriate form of
performance appraisal is one where clients and peers give considered, open and transparent feedback. Finally, participants
require training in developing feedback processes, giving effective feedback and how to follow up feedback.
Collaborative leadership
As the paper makes regular reference to collaborative team approaches within schools, likewise there needs to be a focus on
collaborative teams leading the way to school improvement.
Comments on Specific Potential actions
Build a culture of evidence-based performance management (page 18) and “Make routine use of reliable measurement tools
that reflect both teacher and student progress” – we need to ensure that there are measures for performance and measures
for transformation.
Exit teachers who are unable to improve (page 18) – why specifically focus on ‘barriers' in the context of industrial
frameworks? An industrial framework exists for purposes of protection or rights and should not be viewed as a negative or as
a barrier.
Improve professional learning and collaboration (page 18) – with reference to “Establish exchanges and secondments for
teachers to work in other schools to allow them to develop their skills and share effective teaching practices” we believe that
this should include the opportunity for teachers to work in other professional environments (not only in other schools.)
Indeed, if as the paper purports (page 9) that multiple pathways into the (teaching) profession broaden the pool of high
quality candidates, then so to should high performing teachers have the opportunity to further enhance their teaching
and/or leadership skills by having access to work in non teaching professional environments.
With reference to “Require teachers to undertake additional days of high quality professional learning and planning from the
11 weeks of ‘non-attendance time’ at their schools.” (page 19) CPTAV strongly suggest this be amended to read “Recognition
of teachers who undertake professional learning outside of scheduled class hours.”
With reference to “Assess the results of professional learning and planning at the school level”(page 19), CPTAV propose that
this be amended to read “Develop tools to measure the impact of professional learning.”
With reference to “Monitor and manage the numbers and levels of learning areas that teachers work on in order to increase
their teaching and content expertise” (page 19) CPTAV query the reasoning behind this and the extent to which it is to be
applied. We endorse it where it applies to teachers being forced to teach learning areas in which they have little or no
training or expertise.
With reference to “Partner with the tertiary sector to build the volume and quality of continuing professional learning
undertaken in schools” (page 19) CPTAV strongly suggests that partnerships go beyond the tertiary sector and extend to
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Response to the DEECD New directions for school leadership
and the teaching profession Discussion paper June 2012
teaching associations and others. In a well funded model professional teaching associations can help build the volume and
quality of continuing teacher professional learning.
In conclusion
The New directions for school leadership and the teaching profession Discussion paper has a tendency to focus on individuals
– on principals, on potential leaders, on high and low performing teachers. While this certainly has its place, improving school
leadership and the teaching profession is best done collaboratively – through planning with stakeholders and through
ongoing delivery in a collaborative environment and with a focus on collaborative teams.
Fully funded flexible learning support, in conjunction with the identification and reduction of barriers to access to quality
professional learning, is imperative to improve teacher and leader support. Action research on flexible learning support is
required to facilitate new directions in school leadership and teacher professional learning.
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