In this bulletin:
- New Territory Educator out now – updates on principal pay freeze, Katherine teacher housing subsidy and more
- AEU NT elections update
- National New Educators Conference, Sydney – opportunity for early career educators
- Arthur Hamilton Award – recognising excellence in Indigenous education
- New member database – easier to join online and log cases
Term 3 Territory Educator out now – updates on principal pay freeze, Katherine teacher housing subsidy and more
The latest edition of the Territory Educator magazine has been published and will shortly be on its way to all members. You can read the full edition here.
This issue leads with the latest on the pay freeze for principals and the response. We are proud to announce the AEU NT, in conjunction with the NT Principals Association, will shortly be launching a campaign for permanency for executive principals.
Our principals are the only school leaders in the country forced to surrender job security to take on a principal role. We believe principals should have the same right to permanency as other teaching staff. Just as we’ve campaigned for more permanent positions for classroom teachers, we will be doing the same for principals. We ask all members to support this campaign.
The Territory Educator also contains an update on the latest proposal from the Department for teachers in Katherine receiving a housing subsidy. Thanks to a strong campaign from teaching staff, the community and the AEU, the Department is now proposing to grandfather the scheme, meaning all current employees receiving the subsidy will continue to do so, with moderate rent increases. The AEU NT is concerned about the proposed elimination of the subsidy for new recruits and how this will affect Katherine’s ability to attract and retain teaching staff.
AEU NT elections update
Nominations for AEU NT Branch Executive and federal positions closed in late August. Several positions are contested, including Branch Secretary, meaning three postal ballot elections will be conducted.
The ballot for Branch Executive positions will open on Friday 13 September and Thursday 19 September for the federal position. A full list of contested and uncontested positions is available here.
All eligible members are encouraged to vote in the elections. Candidate statements will be distributed electronically to members next week.
If you do not receive your ballot papers within a week of the ballot opening or are unsure if you’re on the electoral roll, contact the office or the Returning Officer immediately.
National New Educators Conference, Sydney – opportunity for early career educators
Are you an early career educator and AEU member who would like to develop your communication and advocacy skills and play a bigger role within our union?
The AEU NT Branch is supporting three members to participate in the national AEU New Educators Conference 2019. This is an opportunity for teachers and educators in the first five years of your career to network with other early career educators from around Australia and discuss professional issues and union matters.
The New Educators’ Conference will be held on Saturday 9 November and Sunday 10 November in Sydney at the offices of the AEU New South Wales Teachers Federation Branch. For more information on how to apply, click here.
Arthur Hamilton Award recognising excellence in Indigenous education
Many of our members in the NT are doing outstanding work in providing educational opportunities to Indigenous students. If you – or a colleague – are one of those people, have you considered nominating for the Arthur Hamilton Award?
Nominations are now open for the 2019 Arthur Hamilton Award for Outstanding Contribution to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education. This Award commemorates the work of Arthur Hamilton who was active in promoting cross-cultural awareness, recognition of Indigenous peoples and the elimination of racism within the Australian Education Union and in schools.
The winner will receive a $1500 prize and will be flown to Melbourne in February to accept the award at the 2020 AEU Federal Conference. All nominees will receive a certificate from the AEU.
New member database – easier to join online and log cases
We have just launched a new membership database. What does it mean for you?
It’s easier than ever for new members to sign up online at join.aeunt.org.au. No more paperwork!
You probably have a colleague who has been meaning to join but never gets around to filling out the form… That’s no longer an excuse! A quick and easy process enables new members to sign up in five minutes from their computer, tablet or phone.
Secondly, there is now a facility for new and existing members to lodge an enquiry with the union office at aeunt.org.au/contact. If you need advice on an issue or to update your details, lodge your matter here and it will be logged in our database and assigned a case number.
Our office does our best to respond to every member query within one day. We’re proud of our quick responses but we want to do even better – that’s why we’ve introduced the new system.
You can of course still phone the office between 8.30am and 4.30pm, Monday to Friday, on 8948 5399 and ask for assistance on any matter.
Further information
Download this bulletin in PDF format