Only great teachers need apply
Inspired and inspiring staff are wanted for our public schools, says Jeremy Rockliff
TEACHERS have a huge impact on our young people’s lives. Hobart College student Emily Doi wrote in her piece for the What Matters writing competition: “As the world evolves, teachers are vital in guiding students and preparing them for the future. The power that a teacher has to unlock confidence and hope in a student is life-changing.”
The Tasmanian Liberal government has taken an innovative approach to building a workforce of talented professionals who are capable of doing just what Emily so articulately describes. It is important we continue to increase the number of teachers, but also that we focus on quality of teachers.
By developing the education workforce we are investing in the future of Tasmania as a whole. This is not a job the government can do alone. Working with the University of Tasmania, Teachers Registration Board, Tasmanian Principals Association, Australian Education Union and Peter Underwood Centre is critical to understanding and responding to workforce needs. This group of expert education leaders forms the Education Workforce Roundtable to advise and partner with the Department of Education on strategies to build a skilled workforce.
A key output of the Roundtable established in 2018 is the More Teachers, Quality Teaching Action Plan. It focuses on a strong foundation and future-ready workforce, attracting dedicated educators, designing support for those early in their career, developing effective recruitment and tailored professional learning.
We have just launched our 2021 recruitment campaign, aiming to attract the most talented teachers to our state, with a focus on recruiting staff to public schools in regional, rural and high-priority locations. We have improved how we assess for teaching attributes as we deliver on our commitment to employ 250 more teachers by 2023-2024.
The roundtable is also raising awareness of the great work of our teachers and celebrating the lifestyle that being a teacher in Tasmania can offer. In 2019, we launched the Teach Tasmania campaign to highlight the benefits of being a teacher in a Tasmanian public school. In May we released the Teach, Learn, Live podcast to celebrate quality teaching, inspirational leadership and community partnerships. As we engage our thousands of staff in world-class professional learning we continue to build a workforce with strong leadership skills and teaching practice.
We support our leading educators through the Hardie Fellowships. These encourage our teachers to learn from the best in the world, and bring contemporary teaching practices to Tasmania.
Each school has its own School Improvement Plan, with professional learning and the upskilling of teachers in priority areas helping to meet the needs of each school.
The department uses available information about qualifications and experience in specialist areas to support allocation of teachers, ensuring investment in subject areas that need it most.
Building the workforce of the future takes commitment, collaboration and willingness to try new things. Our government is committed to the work we started with the Education Workforce Roundtable. I am excited by what the future holds for public education in Tasmania.
We are in a time of rapid change and opportunity. Our understanding of great teaching and learning is continually growing, making the future even more promising for our learners to flourish into curious, connected and creative thinkers.
WE HAVE A FOCUS ON RECRUITING STAFF TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN REGIONAL, RURAL AND HIGH-PRIORITY LOCATIONS