"Against hatred, we send love" - Messages from PPTA members to their Christchurch colleagues and the Muslim community. p10-11
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Volume 40 | Number 1 | March/April | Poutu-terangi/Paengawha-wha- 2019
“Against hatred, we send love”
Messages from PPTA members
to their Christchurch colleagues
and the Muslim community.
p10-11
About PP TA
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In this issue...
The revolution will not be automated 3 Tomorrow’s Schools 10-11
Bringing out the best in your neighbourhood 4 Healing a community 12-13
Principal profile – An extraordinary job 8-9 Honorary member profile 14
2 | PPTA NEWS March/April | Poutūterangi/Paengawhāwhā 2019
Viewpoint
The revolution will not be automated
PPTA president Jack Boyle channels his inner
Gil Scott-Heron for this month’s viewpoint.
will not guarantee you classes of less on the school network. Because the
than 26 or provide a compensatory revolution will not be automated.
mechanism when you are .4 over your
You won’t be strolling through all
maximum hours for the first three glass learning corridors facilitating
terms. Your subsidized TESLA laptop virtual science experiments wearing
will not set your relief for you. an Amazon Headset with built in
It will not automatically sync to the microphone that can create a fully
new Smartboard when you have to immersive volcano experience for
move to the classroom down the hall children on beanbags… You will not
Jack Boyle | President, PPTA because the class before you is doing be liberated from answering emails at
an assessment. 10.30pm the day before hand ins.
You won’t have robot reader writers or
You will not be able to stay There will be no Kahoot quiz to
admin assistants. Your lessons won’t be
diagnose students’ prior knowledge and
home, you will not be able to a perfect sequence of Ted Talks curated
build an IEP at the click of a mouse. to each individual student’s strengths
log on and cop out. You will You will not be issued with a set of by an AI chatbot.
not suddenly achieve work/life Google Glasses when you become fully
balance in flipped classrooms or registered. There will be no instant The revolution will not be automated.
catch up on your KAMAR entries transfer of a learning moment to a The revolution will not be automated,
student’s e-Portfolio. There will be no will not be automated...
while your students are doing The revolution will not be an online
auto-download of the next Learning
‘independent research’. module you can access from the comfort
Set on the LPF. The revolution will
The revolution will not be automated. of your open plan stand up hot desk…
not result from a brand new process
The revolution will not be brought to ensuring a child’s $300 tablet works The revolution will be live.
you by Microsoft Schools, Mindlab or
Google Docs - without pop ups or direct
to your Surface Pro in three easy clicks.
The revolution will not help you develop
your skills as a pedagogue through AI
cartoon characters in self-help tutorials
you can access from the cloud.
The revolution will not be automated.
The revolution will not be brought
to you by CORE or Ulearn or feature
VR headsets. You won’t see Expert As we go to print, Aotearoa is reeling from the
Teachers beamed to your laptop terrible events of 15 March.
blowing a bugle and leading compulsory Our deepest sympathy and condolences go to
PLD on Inquiry Based Teaching. the victims, their families and communities.
The revolution will not be project based. We extend our aroha and support to all
It will not liberate you from admin our rangatahi, kaiako and whānau who will
nor free you up to spend more one to continue to be affected by this tragedy, to
one time with your students in hands- those in the Muslim community and those
on, competency based learning. The who live and work alongside them.
revolution will not randomly select a
sample of eight students per standard Aroha ki te hunga mate.
for NCEA moderation. There won’t be Aroha ki te whānau.
anytime online assessment tasks that On pages 10 and 11, PPTA members across
pop up in your students’ Facebook the country share their messages of support.
feed and only assess them when they
are ready to be assessed. It won’t
automatically update their ATAR scores.
The revolution will not make your marking
load five pounds lighter, Because the
revolution will not be automated.
The revolution will not track the GPS
on a student’s phone to issue an L for
Lateness in the SMS. The revolution
PPTA NEWS March/April | Poutūterangi/Paengawhāwhā 2019 | 3
Bring out the best
Bringing out the best in your neighbourhood
PPTA’s Wellington regional team talks bringing out
the best with the locals at a series of market stalls.
Thanks to the efforts of Wellington regional chair Ahmad Osama His advice for other regions wanting
PPTA’s Wellington regional said the market days were a really to do something similar was to go to a
positive experience. range of events. “That way you get to
team, visitors to community talk to people from different parts of
markets throughout the “It was really good to have so many
people in the public engage with us and the community who may have different
area learned how to support say they were in support of us. We had perspectives and people get to see
teachers to bring out the best hundreds of people sign up to show their their local teachers engaging with them
in their students. support and find out more information. in the area they live in.”
Members from the Wellington region “They were surprised and concerned It was also good to take the opportunity
held stalls at the Porirua market, the about the conditions we teach in as they to listen, he said. “Some people came
Paraparaumu Beach market and the were their children and grandchildren’s over quite negative about teachers. We
Wellington Harbourside market. learning conditions,” he said. took the time to listen to them and then
The market stalls were an opportunity to offered an alternative to that picture. It
Market-goers were keen to chat was a good opportunity to change some
about teaching and learning, sign give back to the community, Ahmad said.
people’s minds,” he said.
postcards and support members in “It was about giving our time to speak
the campaign. Members of the public to them about how our issues affect If any PPTA regions, branches or
were particularly concerned about the them. Some people in the community networks would like support or
impact teacher shortages were having may perceive industrial action as taking resources for a similar initiative contact
on their children and grandchildren in our time away and this shows we are just email PPTA national office at stca@
the classroom. prepared to give our own time to them.” ppta.org.nz for a helping hand.
Wellington regional members bringing out the best at the Porirua (left) and Paraparaumu markets.
4 | PPTA NEWS March/April | Poutūterangi/Paengawhāwhā 2019
Pay equity
PPTA branch wins pay equity for part-time members
Thanks to its PPTA branch banding together to support part-time members, Hutt Valley High
is one of the few schools in the country to achieve pay equity through paid non-contact time.
Former Hutt Valley High branch
chair Chris Carr shares how this
was achieved.
Unlike many jobs, teaching is not easily
scaled. We can reduce a teacher’s class
load but many essential aspects of the
job remain equal whether you’re part-
time or not. Meetings, extra-curricular
activities, pastoral care, and NCEA
requirements rarely shrink in direct
correlation to our overall class loads and
if you do manage to shrink these, you’re
doing so at the cost of important parts
of what makes teaching work. Part-
timers are often struck with a choice of
working for free or feeling like they’re Former Hutt Valley High School branch chair Chris Carr.
failing in their jobs.
load. More importantly, this payment shortfall, one the ministry would not
Like many schools, Hutt Valley High
is explicitly not designed to cover non- accept easily and would need to be
employs a significant number of part-
contact time; it’s to compensate part- made up from other savings.
timers. Many are parents who need to
timers for the fact large portions of their
reduce their teaching load to care for Ultimately however, teachers and
role will not be reduced in accordance
children; some are completing additional leadership wanted the same thing -
with their classes. Part-timers sit in
study. Each of the school’s part-time teachers to feel valued and be able
the same meetings as full-time staff,
staff members is essential, they often to put their all into their jobs without
take part in the same PD and appraisal
teach in hard to staff roles or provide feeling they were being ripped off.
processes, and take on the same extra-
the school with the flexibility to make curricular and pastoral duties. It’s this which allowed us to reach an
the complex mathematics of timetabling agreement with school leadership. As
work out. To put it simply, the school The issue of part-time pay had been of the first pay cycle of this year our
could not function without them. sitting in the branch’s too-hard basket part-time staff are receiving pay that
until last year. I was acting as branch reflects their hours of work both inside
Despite this, until this year many chair and had switched to part-time and outside the classroom. We are one
of Hutt High’s part-time staff felt while studying and (to my fault) it was of the minority of schools that can now
undervalued. Like many schools around only once I saw my new payslip that I state with confidence we have achieved
New Zealand, Hutt High did not pay truly understood the issue. It was only pay equity in our branch.
for pro-rata non-contact hours for staff after the branch organised meetings
working less than .8 of a full-time with all the part-timers that the issue Efforts like this aren’t solution to
load. Why would it? While the STCA became clear. At these meetings we part-timers conditions. They depend
guarantees non-contacts for full-time realised this was a problem we literally on teachers working hard to assert
staff and those working above .8, couldn’t afford to ignore. On taking it their value, schools supporting them,
the contract only asks that a school to the whole branch we were amazed and budgets being able to stretch to
endeavour to provide them for those by the level of support that we had. It accommodate this at a time when most
whose load falls below this ratio. For was then that we decided to pursue New Zealand schools are struggling to
Hutt High’s part-time staff this was the issue as a branch and to do so afford the staff they need. It is unlikely
clearly inequitable. Working part-time persistently until an acceptable solution we will see a mass movement of
doesn’t mean you don’t need to plan was developed. schools rushing to provide non-contacts
your classes, it doesn’t mean you don’t from their own staffing entitlements
have to mark, it doesn’t get rid of all Discussions with school leadership and while that is the case the situation
the essential and time consuming were complex and often heated. It’s remains inequitable.This is why it is
administration needed to function as worth stating clearly that, in not paying
essential that we, as an association,
non-contacts, the school was not acting
a teacher. All those things which make continue to fight for improvements to
illegally, they were obeying the letter of
non-contacts essential for us do our the conditions off all part timers, why
the STCA. We were asking the school to
jobs don’t just disappear. we must support our plaintiffs in their
take its already stretched budget and
equal pay court case and why we must
Instead, part-timers were given a 11% stretch it even further - to make real
continue to pressure the ministry to fix
boost to their pay. At a glance, this sacrifices to provide not just what they
this injustice.
looks like it solves the problem, only the were entitled to by law but what they
two don’t quite equal out. Non-contacts deserved as teachers. For Hutt High - Abridged. Full version available at
make up 20% of your overall teaching this would mean a substantial budget ppta.org.nz
PPTA NEWS March/April | Poutūterangi/Paengawhāwhā 2019 | 5
Guy Allan award
Unflappable dedication to fairness and equity
Celebrating Sharon King, the 2018 recipient
of the Guy Allan award for branch activism.
A member described as
“second to none” when it
comes to fairness and equity
was presented with the Guy
Allan award for branch activism
early this year.
A full branch gathered at Howick
College to see the efforts of their chair
Sharon King recognised.
“In this position Sharon is well
respected by all staff. Her compassion
and trust is reinforced through her
empathic approach. She has built
a strong branch, not only taking the
role as chair, but also mentoring
and supporting younger staff to take
responsibility for varying roles within
the branch and wider East Auckland
area,” branch member Julia Breen said
when nominating her for the award.
Sharon met regularly with the school’s
principal and had a strong, professional
and respectful relationship with the
senior management team and was
constantly sought out for her fair,
diplomatic and honest interpretation of
the collective. When she was unsure of
anything she was willing to seek advice
from the field office and was respected
for her open, honest and supportive
nature, Julia said.
“Where others might find situations
stressful, Sharon is always calm,
collected and unflappable. She is
second to none when it comes to
fairness and equity, which I believe
drives her in her exceptional role as
our branch chair. She is effective in
hearing all voices within a meeting and
is instrumental in building confidence Sharon King receives the 2018 Guy Allan award for branch activism.
so that all members can raise issues
and concerns.” noted it was designed to recognise PPTA general Secretary Michael
activists who did not seek regional Stevenson said two things stood out for
Having known and dealt with the late
or national profile, but focussed their him – Sharon’s ability to recognise the
Guy Allan in the past, Julia felt Sharon importance of building and maintaining
work on those closest to them. Helen
was well deserving of the award in his relationships in the role, often under
noted the job of branch chair was
name. “I can think of no other person difficult circumstances, and the fact
often unrewarding yet so important in
who embodies his style, values and that she did not view her role in the
seeing the hard won rights of members
manner more than Sharon,” she said. branch as static, instead nurturing
upheld. She went on to say she could
Relieving field officer Helen Pearce, who think of no one more deserving for the other activists into roles.
was branch chair a Birkdale College award than Sharon - member who had He said there were parallels between the
(now Birkenhead College) while Guy tirelessly stuck-up for her colleagues way Sharon carried out the role of branch
Allan was chair at Glenfield College since taking on the role as chair at chair and the late Gay Simpkin’s research
gave a background to the award. She Howick College. into the role of the PPTA branch.
6 | PPTA NEWS March/April | Poutūterangi/Paengawhāwhā 2019
Member engagement
Engaging with the decision-makers
PPTA’s Waikato regional team make their views known
at the Council of Trade Unions/government forum.
PPTA’s Waikato regional The PPTA Waikato regional team joined Grant Robertson also touched on the
members talked politics with representatives from NZEI and TEU education sector, noting there was
to talk with education minister Chris only so much schools could do and
the decision-makers at the first Hipkins. Three key themes emerged; posing the question – would we be
2019 Council of Trade Unions the need to make teaching and other better off investing in other aspects
(CTU)/government forum in jobs in education sustainable career of a child’s life? Making sure they
Hamilton last month. options, the need to urgently address are fed properly and live in healthy
the teacher supply crisis and whether homes, rather than simply asking
A crowd of about 200 union members the Ministry of Education and the schools to do more and more.
met with CTU leadership and prime government had the capacity to roll
minister Jacinda Ardern – who had a out the recommendations from the PPTA general secretary Michael
strong contingent of cabinet ministers Tomorrow’s Schools’ review report. Stevenson said it was a great to see
in support including Chris Hipkins, PPTA’s regional members taking part in
Grant Robertson, David Clark, Nanaia PPTA’s Waikato executive member these discussions.
Mahuta and Shane Jones – at the Vinnie Monga was stanch in her
Claudelands Arena. questioning of minister Hipkins, All in all it was a good event, but not
calling on him to urgently address particularly inspiring, he said.
Following opening speeches from CTU the unsustainable workload issues
president Richard Wagstaff and the “A government restricted by self-
teachers face in schools.
prime minister, union members split imposed budget responsibility can only
into sector groups so they could talk In a second breakout room, focussing say so much in front of workers still
one-on-one with their relevant minister. on the economy, finance minister suffering from a decade of neglect.”
PPTA's Waikato region talks politics at the CTU/government forum.
PPTA NEWS March/April | Poutūterangi/Paengawhāwhā 2019 | 7
PP TA principals
An extraordinary job
In the first of our series profiling PPTA member principals Wellington College principal
Gregor Fountain talks values, social media and teaching the future prime minister.
For Gregor Fountain taking Wellington College on the other “It instantly captured the things that
up the role of principal at hand had “an amazing sense of were happening as they happened.
belonging” but of a different type. “It’s It helped build a community to
Wellington College last year a commuter campus. Our boys come celebrate success.” Paraparaumu
was a homecoming of sorts. from all over the city but there’s a College’s current principal Craig Steed
A student at Wellington College himself really strong sense of belonging. is carrying on the account, which
he completed a history degree and Gregor is very pleased about.
Finding the COLL values
teacher training before taking up his Gregor has started a new Twitter
first teaching position at Morrinsville One of Gregor’s first major projects as
account for Wellington College
College. From there he taught at St principal was to find a set of values that
@WC_Principal.
Paul’s Collegiate in Hamilton and would connect the school and
its community. Principals and PPTA
Rosehill College in Papakura before
returning to Wellington College as head Through community-wide consultation, As a history teacher Gregor has been
of history and deputy principal. Community, Oranga, Learning Together impressed with PPTA’s involvement
and Leadership, were chosen as the in the history of educational change,
He took up his first principal job at
school’s COLL values. through constructive advocacy for
Paraparaumu College before returning
students and the curriculum.
to Wellington College to take the helm Developing these took most of last
“back here where it all began.” year and now the school is building He also believes it is important to
them into its strategic plan and support the campaign for teacher’s pay
reviewing the curriculum to make sure and conditions. “As a principal it is to
they are being represented. my advantage that we have as many
“It's a really important “It’s been really exciting to see these
talented and qualified people as we can
wanting to teach.
time to be talking about values embedded and amazing to see
gender and masculinity” groups within the school using them
too,” Gregor said
He described a parent at a tournament “It's been really exciting
with a school hockey team tweeting a to see these values
“The role of principal is an photo of the students with the hashtag
extraordinary job. You see people #learningtogether – one of the COLL embedded and amazing
at their best and their worst, from
celebration to tragedy. To be able to do
values. “ It’s wonderful to see members to see groups within the
of our community framing them in that
this work at my old school, giving back sort of way.” school using them too”
to the community that has grown me,
is pretty special,” he said. Social media
A hard decision and new challenges In both of his principal positions Gregor “Principals have a whole team
has been active on social media, of people behind them. At both
Leaving Paraparaumu College was a particularly through Twitter and video. Paraparaumu and Wellington College
hard decision for Gregor. However, he Initially he started using Twitter as I have had a team of staff behind me
saw important things happening in a means of taking part in national that do a lot of the mahi that allows
his old school and couldn’t resist the debates but when he Googled himself me to be a big picture thinker.”
opportunity to become involved. before applying for the Paraparaumu
College principalship he got a bit of a Gregor is also very grateful for the
“It’s a really important time to be shock. “There’s a difference between efforts of the New Zealand Secondary
thinking about gender and masculinity how people say things in public and Principals’ Council in terms of his own
and it seemed this school was moving how they say them on social media. pay and conditions. “I really value my
into some new spaces with that and I The tone was different to how I would colleagues who are taking the lead on
wanted to be part of it,” he said. say things in the community.” When he these things,” he said.
Building communities became principal at Paraparaumu he
A special former student
decided to leave the debating behind
Paraparaumu and Wellington College and focus on the positive side of what When you first become a teacher
have obvious differences but they was happening at school. He created you remember your first classes very
both have community at heart. the @PCPrincipal Twitter account which clearly, Gregor says, so when asked if
“Paraparaumu was a lovely community shared positive news and weekly he ever expected one of his students
school, a local school for the local videos. Adding the Twitter feed to the would be a future prime minister, he
people. I enjoyed living in and being school’s website helped freshen it up has a clear picture in his head when
part of that,” he said. too, he said. he answers “absolutely.”
8 | PPTA NEWS March/April | Poutūterangi/Paengawhāwhā 2019
Gregor taught Jacinda Ardern at as the people who helped get her decision, but it was over to me.
Morrinsville College in the mid there. When she invited me it felt like I decided to stick with principal.”
1990s and knew she would become we were really valued."
something special. “She was someone When he received a message from
Principal or headmaster a former student it confirmed he
who was always community building,
looking out for the people on the edges When Gregor took up his position at had made the right decision.. “He
and pulling them in…. I absolutely Wellington College he made one change (the student) said choosing principal
thought she was someone who would straight away, he switched from the showed that, while the school doesn’t
change the world.” traditional ‘headmaster’ title to principal. have a female principal right now, it
could. That confirmed it for me. This
What Gregor didn’t expect was a When the college board advertised is not about tradition. I’m not anti-
telephone call when Jacinda became the job it was for a principal, to make tradition at all. This is absolutely about
prime minister, asking for him to it clear that any gender could apply, gender,” he said.
accompany her to her swearing in. he said. “When I was offered the job I
“I didn’t expect that she would was asked what I wanted to be called. - Abridged. Full version available at
recognise me, and her other teachers, I thought they had already made a ppta.org.nz
Wellington College principal Gregor Fountain.
PPTA NEWS March/April | Poutūterangi/Paengawhāwhā 2019 | 9
Support for Canterbury
Against hatred, we send love
Messages of support from PPTA members nationwide.
15 March 2019 is a day that Kia ora whanau, Kia ora, Kia Orana, Talofa lava,
will be etched onto our psyche Fakalofa lahi atu, Malo e lelei, Bula
The thoughts, aroha and prayers of the
Vinkaa, Taloha ni, Namaste, Aloha!
forever. We send love, sympathy West Coast PPTA go out to all teachers,
and condolences to the victims of their family, loved ones, students and the On behalf of Komiti Pasifika PPTA I wish
whole extended Christchurch whanau. to extend our deepest condolences and
the terror attack in Christchurch, sincere sadness for those that have
their families and communities. A student of teachers like you wrote;
been affected by the horrific events that
“If you want to end the war then instead
took place in Christchurch on 15 March.
We want to honour the teachers of sending guns, send books. Instead
of sending tanks, send pens. Instead We know that some of you have lost
of Christchurch who loved and of sending soldiers, send teachers.” students and members of your community
protected their students and Malala Yousafzai and we send our love and prayers and
kept them safe, even as they (17 year-old Noble Peace Laureate) mourn with you and their families at this
were afraid themselves. We want extremely sad and difficult time.
Every day you go to work and help
to offer our support and aroha to shape the minds of the next generation. Teachers have been at the forefront of
our Muslim members throughout To help them see that this hate is the caring for their students in this tragedy
antithesis of the human condition, and we send you our thanks and support
the country and let them know every day you find yourself fighting the and let you know that we stand with you.
there is no room for ignorance battle against ignorance and hate.
As Pacific people who are immigrants
and hate in our schools. It might seem little, talking to a to this coutnry we are grateful for
student about why it is not ok to say the understanding that New Zealand
We have had messages of
those things. You might think that provides a home and a place of
support pouring in from all over your daily discussions with students belonging for people of many different
the country and share just a about inclusion are insignificant but origins. This has been highlighted by
few of them here. as Desmond Tutu reminds us “Do your the response to these events.
little bit of good where you are; it’s
In face of this terror we stand for
those little bits of good put together
peace. We will all be using this as a
Assālam ‘alaykum to all my Muslim that overwhelm the world.”
tool for teaching and learning about
brothers and sisters who, for whatever
If there is any little good we can do to the importance of not just tolerance
reason, have come to add to the cultural
help you continue to do the amazing job and acceptance but for kindness, for
and ethnic makeup that is Aotearoa/
you do please don't hesitate to ask. unity and for the celebration of the
New Zealand. As a Māori woman, I want
multicultural fabric of our country.
to say, “Nau mai, haere mai. Kia kaha.” Kia kaha,
Welcome and remain strong. You have We are thinking of you all and holding
Michael Waller
friends, whānau and allies here. you in our hearts.
Regional Chair - West Coast
Ngā mihi tautoko, Kia Manuia,
Pōwhiri Wharemarama Rika-Heke Students and Staff at Rangitikei College Natalie Faitala
Executive Counties-Manukau send you strength and courage to Executive Member for Komiti Pasifika
Te Huarahi Tāmakimakaurau endure the days ahead. With love.
10 | PPTA NEWS March/April | Poutūterangi/Paengawhāwhā 2019Ka tangi ana ā tātou ngākau mō ō tātou Kia Kaha to all of Christchurch. The Kia Ora
whānaunga me ngā whānau pani o peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand are
Please accept our thoughts and prayers
te Wheao a Ihirama. Ko tēnei whenua thinking of you today.
for your community. We are shocked
ko te tūrangawaewae mō ngā tangata
On behalf of Rangiora Technology at the events that unfolded on Friday
katoa huri noa i te Ao Marama. Ka tū
Centre I would like to express our shock and struggle to come to terms with this
mātou ki te taha o ō tātou whānau me
and sorrow that this tragic event has terrible attack on people in New Zealand.
ngā hāpori ki Ōtautahi I tēnei wā pouri.
occurred in Christchurch.
Love and sincere sympathy
As-salāmu ‘alaykum. Kia tau, kia rongo
Our thoughts are with all the families
ai tātou i te aroha me te rangimārie, mō Nga mihi,
and communities affected.
ake tonu atu.
Arohanui from Tikipunga High School
A sad time for our city.
We are shocked and saddened to learn branch of PPTA
of the tragic events on Friday. We would Belinda Turner
like to express our support and solidarity Team Leader
with all those affected in Christchurch, The PPTA Branch of Howick College
all our teacher and student whānau, and wishes to send its heartfelt con-
especially our Muslim communities. We The Wellington Girls' College branch of dolences and deepest sympathies to
stand with you in these dark times. PPTA extends its aroha and support to the people of Christchurch.
all teachers and students affected by
PPTA Tawa College Branch Officers Our thoughts will be with you over
the attack on Muslim places of worship
the next days and weeks as your
in Christchurch on Friday. We say, with
community comes to terms with the
Jacinda Ardern, "This is not us." We
Dear Christchurch Members tragic events of last Friday.
stand with all teachers in celebrating
A message of support from Aotea College diversity and rejecting hatred and He iwi kotahi tatou,
PPTA branch in Porirua to express our intolerance. We are so sorry that this Kia Kaha Christchurch.
support at this challenging time. Our event has struck Christchurch, a city
hearts go out to those affected. Against that has already faced enormous
hatred we send love, against ignorance trauma. We acknowledge the difficult How can you help
we respond with the educator's vision. task that teachers in Christchurch
Members have asked if there is
faced on Friday, caring for frightened
Aroha Nui, any way they can practically assist
students in lockdown, and the even
those affected in Canterbury.
Wayne Elley more difficult task ahead, coping with
students who have suffered the loss of PPTA has re-established the
family members and friends, and also, hardship fund used in the wake
E nga hoa mahi, in many cases, an inevitable loss of of the Canterbury earthquakes.
faith in the safety and predictability of Individual branches, regions and
Ma te Atua koutou e manaaki e tiaki
their world. Our thoughts are with you. individual members can donate.
i tenei wa papouri. Kia kaha, kia
manawanui. Members of the Wellington Girls' The bank account number is
College Branch of the PPTA 38-9017-0227157-01
Arohanui,
For further information contact
Whaea Miriama Barton
news@ppta.org.nz
Teacher in Charge of Te Reo Māori
PPTA NEWS March/April | Poutūterangi/Paengawhāwhā 2019 | 11Tomorrow's Schools
The lowdown on the Tomorrow’s Schools taskforce
The Tomorrow’s Schools taskforce chair Bali Haque answers PPTA News questions
about the group’s recommendations for reviewing New Zealand’s schooling system.
PPTA News: How can teachers the system will be worse off than it is mean for collective agreements? Will
and principals be confident now. What are the key elements that will they be negotiated with the hub instead
make the hubs successful? of the MoE?
the hubs proposed will be
the localised, connected • Each hub will be configured to Bali: Absolutely not. We see no
address the needs of its community advantage and considerable risk in
supportive organisations we so of schools. multiple contracts and see no need and
desperately need; not just an would strongly oppose any changes here.
• Focus on collaborating and
extra layer of bureaucracy? partnering with schools, teachers and PPTA News: What’s the rationale for
principals, not a compliance culture. middle schools – which still leave
students with two transitions – and
• Recruitment and capability don’t they simply delay access for
development that ensures hub students to specialist teaching?
staff have credibility with teachers,
principals and boards. Bali: Our report questions inter-
mediate schools which are unique
• Continuing ongoing professional internationally -with half the school
contacts between schools and population changing each year.
hub personnel. We don’t think a ‘two year school’
• Crown agency status to free them maximises learning opportunities.
from political and bureaucratic Middle schools are one alternative
control and enable localised option suggested in our report (although
decision making. there would the same number of
transitions, we would still avoid a
• Adequate resourcing and efficient two year turnaround). Other options
Tomorrow’s Schools and responsive systems. suggested include full primaries and
taskforce chair Bali Haque. PPTA News: Won’t hubs threaten composite schools. The final configuration
a school’s ability to innovate and will depend on local circumstances and
Bali: There will not be any extra provide programmes tailored to their vary across the country.
layer-we are recommending the particular students? PPTA News: What do you think about
disestablishment of the 10 current MoE a transition process that could see
Bali: Absolutely not! The hubs are
regional offices, and the establishment some regional hubs established in a
not new bureaucracies. Boards and
of Education Hubs -which will be very few areas to trial the changes and learn
principals will have complete discretion
different organisations. They will be from for the rest of the country?
crown agencies and therefore protected on curriculum, assessment , school
from political and bureaucratic control goals, character and priorities. Bali: We need at least a 3-5 year
while being connected with national Innovation will be encouraged so process to implement these
curriculum, assessment, pedagogical we can continually improve teaching recommendations... We fully expect
and leadership expertise. We envisage and learning. Hubs will provide a that our recommendations will be
their operation will be heavily mechanism to spread and sustain phased in over this time so that we
influenced by educators who have effective innovation through a can grow capacity and capability in the
recent successful experience in the comprehensive PLD advisory service, system. We are interested in discussing
schooling system and understand what leadership advice and regular contacts the pros and cons of locality trials for a
real partnership means. between schools. system-wide change.
PPTA News: Will the ‘successful’ PPTA News: Why no community input PPTA News: Any change will lead to
schools - with waiting lists, plenty of into the governance of the hubs? increased pressure and workload in
applications for jobs, large student the short term, how do you think the
Bali: School boards continue to provide
donations, be the losers in hubworld? transition can be managed to
community input into each school.
reduce this?
Bali: Schools’ operational funding, Hub boards will require very high level
staffing entitlements and ability to governance skills and need to be carefully The last thing we want is sudden
fundraise will continue to be controlled selected. They must all have good local unplanned change. For teachers
by individual schools. We don’t see this connections. When the minister appoints we see reduction in workload as a
being about winners and losers. We this specialised governance team they comprehensive advisory service is put
want all schools to see themselves as will need to have regard to community into the hubs and the MoE. This would
part of a network with responsibilities for input, particularly iwi. We note that it is support teachers with curriculum and
students throughout the area. We want possible to establish a legal framework assessment advice and resources. We
to build on existing strengths, therefore which could avoid party political also want to simplify the appraisal system
we see more sharing and collaboration. appointments to boards . and shift it from time-hungry compliance.
PPTA News: Hubs are vital to the success PPTA News: What would the hub as the - Abridged. Full version available at
of the system. If hubs fail, it is likely that employer of teachers and principals ppta.org.nz
12 | PPTA NEWS March/April | Poutūterangi/Paengawhāwhā 2019The fishhooks in the Tomorrow’s Schools report
PPTA general secretary Michael Stevenson identifies potential
sticking points in the Tomorrow’s Schools taskforce report.
The Tomorrow’s Schools certificate fees. This risk could be
Independent Taskforce report mitigated provided teaching council fees
become a permanent feature of the
‘Our Schooling Futures: Stronger collective agreements PPTA negotiates,
Together”- contains some or that the government fully funds any
positive recommendations on expanded functions of the council.
school resourcing, equity funding School closures and mergers
and support for new teachers.
The report proposes that hubs be
That said, there are also some concerns, able to close and merge small and
stemming from the report’s governance rural schools (p. 112). Were this to
model where it’s proposed the new occur it would result in job losses
Education Hubs will be individual crown for PPTA members and other school
entities similar to the DHB model in the employees. Currently, there is political
New Zealand health sector. risk for a government and minister
when it comes to closing schools.
Members and branches are encouraged
Under the report’s recommendation,
to engage with the report which is
PPTA general secretary this risk would be removed with hub
currently out for consultation. The
Michael Stevenson. bureaucrats and ministerial appointees
platform for comment can be accessed
making these decisions instead. Think
at conversation.education.govt.nz and
Yet, in the same report, the taskforce more redundancies and CAPNAs, more
submissions are open until April 7.
promotes the introduction of more often, in the short to medium term.
Here are eight potential fish hooks middle schools. Research by Hawk Workload increases
members should be aware of: and Hill (2000) found that middle
schools left students ill-prepared for Under the report’s recommendations,
Undemocratic hub boards
their senior years at secondary school both principals and teachers would be
The taskforce proposes that each hub and noted that Year 11 should be expected to contribute to the education
be governed by a board composed avoided as a transition point. PPTA of students at “all schools” in the hub,
of entirely ministerial appointments. supports the introduction of more Year not just in their current school (pp.
This is undemocratic and it could 7 – 13 schools instead, so students 49, 57). This is likely to have workload
result in the hubs being seen as have access to specialist subjects at a implications, especially if this demand
political machines at a local level and younger age. falls in the domain of appraisal,
is contrary to PPTA values. Between attestation and registration.
2014 and 2017, members pushed Primary/secondary resourcing
differences “unwarranted” Additional complaints body
back against the ill-conceived and
undemocratic EDUCANZ, a battle we The report states that the current Page 53 of the report promotes a
eventually won when the government disparity between primary and new parent and student complaint
changed hands. secondary general and management service. Currently, teachers already
staffing is “unwarranted”. This face potential triple jeopardy when a
Fixed-term principal appointments
assertion challenges the long-held complaint is laid against them: police
The taskforce proposes principal belief that secondary schools receive investigation, school level conduct
appointments should be made by the a higher concentration of staffing, and discipline, and a teaching council
hub for five year terms in each school. allowances and units because of the process. Having another mechanism to
Why such an arbitrary figure was specialist subjects they deliver. This investigate complaints against teachers
chosen is unknown. As a result, area recommendation is surprising given is likely to increase anxiety at an
and secondary school principals would there is a lot of intellectual grunt on already stressful time.
be thrown into insecure work, many of the taskforce, including chairperson
Conclusion
whom are in an aging workforce and Bali Haque who is a highly regarded
some in the twilight of their career. former secondary school principal Teachers working conditions are students
Since the report was published, there and NZQA deputy chief executive learning conditions. And students
are signs that this recommendation responsible for NCEA. learning conditions are teachers
may be changed following push-back working conditions. What’s required
Increased teaching council costs
from school communities. is a governance model that supports
Page 55 of the report details an teachers, students, their whanau and
School network
expanding role for the Teaching Council the wider school community - not one
The taskforce’s report is critical of of Aotearoa New Zealand in terms of based on command and control.
intermediate schools, stating they establishing a ‘Leadership Centre’. Please contribute to the debate
create an unnecessary transition With this new function there is a risk of between now and the 7 April closing
point in a student’s learning journey. increased registration and practising date for submissions.
PPTA NEWS March/April | Poutūterangi/Paengawhāwhā 2019 | 13Honorary members
I feel like I've taught nearly everyone in Christchurch
Honorary PPTA member Rachel Kearns shares her
experiences after 45 years of technology teaching.
PPTA has around 750 honorary curriculum and the centre closed very currently face. She also appreciates the
members. People who are suddenly, leaving Rachel jobless. benefits of Unimed (formerly EBS) and
other membership discounts.
no longer teaching but still “I took a supernumerary position
support the association. Many the following year at Casebrook “Since my retirement I have been
Intermediate School. This was a huge busy with my family history and
have retired after long and change from working in a two teacher tree. I have loved learning new skills
distinguished careers and centre and I loved it!” she said. and transferring my teacher style
are doing great things in their organisation into this project. You can
The interaction with so many staff
communities. In our new series and students and feeling part of the
find me at the Christchurch Public
they share their stories with the Library most week days.”
whole school was something she
PPTA News. really appreciated. Rachel’s greatest fear is the lack of
specialist trained teachers in the
At the end of her supernumerary
field of home economics (food and
year Rachel did a part time stint
at Christchurch East School before nutrition). “I see so many teachers
finally gaining a permanent position being put into these specialist rooms
at Phillipstown School Technology with no training or support. This is a
Centre where she spent the last 19 terrible state of affairs and is very sad
years of her teaching career before as the students are the losers in the
retiring in 2016. end,” she said.
Phillipstown Technology Centre was the “I strongly support the union, and am
largest technology provider in glad that manual training clause in the
New Zealand with approximately STCA enables year 7 and 8 technology
1250 students bussed in from 32 teachers to remain with the NZPPTA. I
client schools. am proud to be an honorary member.”
“Some days I feel like I have taught A truly kind and wonderful woman
nearly everyone in Christchurch,” Food and nutrition teacher Martin
Rachel said. James says Rachel has been “a tower
Rachel particularly enjoyed working of strength” to him as CCMTN chair.
with challenging students. “Her organising and catering for branch
“I loved teaching special needs and and committee events is legendary. She
lower ability students, they have has really kept the network together
Rachel Kearns with all of the mail-outs, phone calls
certainly been my favourites, and I have
enjoyed rising to the challenge of more and behind the scenes stuff that makes
“Are you Mrs Kearns? You taught me!” difficult behaviours,” she said. PPTA work,” he said.
From her first teaching job at the Gore Rachel has been involved with PPTA Rachel also did a lot of home visits
Manual Training Centre in 1970, Rachel since the beginning of her teaching to students, which was unusual for
Kearns spent 46 years teaching in the career and has been on the committee teacher in the technology area of the
technology area. of the Canterbury Combined Manual curriculum – simply because they
She has taught the grandchildren Teachers Network (CCMTN) since its didn’t have the same connections with
of former students and has often beginning – still serving as its treasurer. families, Martin said.
been stopped in the street over the “I am a background worker. I still attend “I can remember Rachel privately
years by people who remembered her the PUMs (paid union meetings) etc to paying for a student to continue having
teaching them. take the rolls and process the required music lessons because their family was
paperwork. I love catching up with struggling (and loads of baking going
Rachel trained at the Christchurch
colleagues and keeping my teacher’s home to those families).
College of Education in Home
Economics in 1969 and before that hat on,” she said.
“Rachel always had gifts of food,
worked as a Karitane nurse. After two “I am still a member of HETTANZ (Home baking and home grown produce for
years teaching in Gore she applied for Economic and Technology Teachers everyone, especially for beginning
and won a position at the New Brighton Association of New Zealand) and I teachers that were struggling or in need
Manual Training Centre in Christchurch. attend the in-service workshops etc. I – even providing bedding or discretely
like to keep up to date.” providing cash in an envelope if she
She loved her job there but
thought that might help,” he said.
unfortunately the Ministry of Education Being an honorary member of PPTA
at the time had some big ideas about gives Rachel the chance to still be “This fills in the picture of the truly kind
the provision of the new technology involved with the issues that teachers and wonderful woman that Rachel is.”
14 | PPTA NEWS March/April | Poutūterangi/Paengawhāwhā 2019Nga- Manu Ko-rero
10 ways to teach me
Dunedin’s Queen’s High School student Jordyn Katipa-Martin has clear messages for
her teachers and peers in her 2018 Korimako/Senior English Ngā Manu Kōrero speech.
Jordyn is a passionate, driven myself. Despite many of my successes
student that is not reaching her being associated with Māori or my
academics, this is what I let you see,
full potential in this subject. what I want you to see. But understand
Although Jordyn is a bright and
Number 6: I didn't do it because I’m
capable student, she is lacking
Māori, or because I'm smart and I
in focus and motivation. definitely didn’t do it because of you. I
Jordyn has so much potential to excel succeeded because I worked hard, not
in this class, but is not living up to due to my ethnicity, smarts or the labels
expectation. Smart, capable, driven, full you forced upon me.
of energy and passion. Uninterested, Number 7: I create my own success.
disengaged, lacking motivation and If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from
focus. It’s obvious something’s wrong. watching my older brother make
Throughout my whole schooling life, mistake after mistake, it’s that I have
not passing is something I had never to create my own successes. I can’t
thought of. I was the kid that did spend my life trying to make everyone
nothing in class and could pull an around me proud at my own expense.
excellence essay out of nowhere - even I can’t pursue other aspirations until I
if the topic had no relevance to me. I’m start pursuing my own. Sorry Mum, but
extremely lucky and grateful that this I don’t want to be a lawyer. Even though
has been my reality. I had no idea what First time Ngā Manu Kōrero entrant my passion is teaching and I want to
it was like to struggle in school and I Jordyn Katipa-Martin is of Waikato- make an impact, I can’t do that unless
couldn’t even begin to fathom how hard Tainui iwi. I’m being true to myself.
that must be. But what I’ve discovered Number 8: I’m sorry that my success
this year is that someone like me, ‘the them instead of me. Don’t think that isn’t what you want it to be, but why
smart Māori’, is struggling to find a everything I do has to have something does that matter if it’s good enough
reason to keep learning things with to do with Te Ao Māori just because for me?
which I have no connection. So here it I do kapa haka. Passion. Passion is
is whanau. This smart Māori kid’s ‘10 the reason I can get Excellences in Number 9: Acknowledge that there are
ways to teach me’. History and Not Achieveds in Maths. I some things that you will never truly
learn more talking to a teacher about understand. I appreciate you trying
Number 1: Don’t assume what you something they’re passionate about to get to know how I work by using
don’t know. Don’t assume that because than I ever will taking notes. I learn the previous steps, but acknowledge
I’m Māori, I can answer all your more working on the marae than I that there are some things you will
questions about Te Ao Māori. Don’t never truly understand. Not because
ever will in a classroom. I learn more
assume that I’m just another Māori of you or me, but because we are not
from the 12 year olds to whom I teach
from a broken home. Don’t assume the same. But that doesn’t mean you
kapa haka than I ever have from a
that because I can pass your tests, the shouldn’t try.
qualified teacher.
Pākehā system works for all Māori.
Number 4: Find out what I’m Number 10: Be courageous. Teachers
We already know the Pākehā education - be courageous enough to steer away
passionate about and help me embrace
system doesn’t work. We already know from traditional teaching topics. Be
it. What I think people fail to realise
Māori are not programed to think the brave enough to let your students
is, I’m not here for me. I didn’t spend
same as Pākehā. We know by years guide you into topics you might not
sleepless nights working on this speech
of never being as good as our Pākehā know everything about. Teach us
for me. I don’t waste away trying to get
counterparts,that our successes would your passions to help us find ours. Be
endorsements for me. I don’t continue
never look the same. In 2017, the pass daring enough to throw away NCEA
to challenge a system that’s failing
rate for Māori students studying NCEA for a few weeks and just teach us.
me for me. I do it for the kids I teach.
Level 2 was 74.4%. This is considerably Students - be courageous enough
I do it so they can have it better than
lower than any other ethnic group. to stand up against the system and
what I’ve had - so I can be the positive
Māori role model for them, that I never speak out about the labels forced
Number 2: For those of us who are
had. To explain to them that you can upon you. Be brave enough to fight
passing, we’re just smart enough to work
prove everyone who ever thought of for your passions while staying true to
in a system that doesn’t work for us.
yourself. Koutou mā - this is how you
you as another Māori, another dropout,
Number 3: You haven’t taught a create success! Make an effort to build
another statistic, wrong. To show them
student like me before. Know that I connections and be daring enough to
that the sweetest revenge is success.
am not every other Māori you’ve ever succeed in your image. So, there it is
met, so don’t act so surprised when Number 5: Understand that I am whānau, this smart Māori kid’s ‘10
I exceed the expectations based on fighting for something bigger than ways to teach me’.
PPTA NEWS March/April | Poutūterangi/Paengawhāwhā 2019 | 15Bringing out the best
Challenging new play has community at its core
A school and its community band together to challenge
Pasifika attitudes to mental wellness through ‘whanau theatre’.
Mount Roskill Grammar School When Joshua - who came to public wanted to find a way to get it to the
head of performing arts Emma attention with his Brown Brother community sooner rather than later.
spoken word piece in 2012 and has
Gillies has banded together with presented at PPTA’s Pasifika conference “Josh wrote the script on Google docs
former student Joshua Iosefo, - contacted his former drama teacher and sent it to me. The play is about
current students, friends and with the script for Odd Daphne, she saw making a difference. When we read it
something special. together I thought ‘we’ve got to get this
members of whanau to put to people,’ and a play was the fastest
together a play aimed at healing The play looks at alofa/love and
way of getting it out there.”
a community. its varying generational attitudes,
representation of the LGBTIQ+ The show has family and community
Odd Daphne is an original community community within a Pacific and rugby at its core. “It revolves around an idea
stage play supported by the Mental culture framework and showcases the they have coined ‘whanau theatre’
Health Foundation that challenges amalgamation of Japanese/Asian which aims to heal the community - as
traditional Pasifika attitudes towards pop culture community and Pacific well as the cast and crew, which is
mental wellness, giving insight into youth culture. made up of many whanau and friends
depression within a contemporary At first it was intended to be a film, but directly affected by the narrative of the
Pacific context. making a film is not cheap and Emma story,” Emma said.
Odd Daphne is a play about making a difference.
16 | PPTA NEWS March/April | Poutūterangi/Paengawhāwhā 2019You can also read
