Apple for Teacher campaign launched

The AEU has launched its new appleforteacher.com.au website. Click here to check it out. While you're there, make sure you sign the petition and send an "e-apple" to the State Government requesting them to settle the education funding dispute now. This blog will no longer be active. All information on the education funding dispute will be posted to the appleforteacher site.

Bookmark appleforteacher.com.au and return regularly for campaign updates and video testimonials from parents, children and teachers. For AEU members, there are resources to view and download, including campaign logos, wallpapers, fact sheets, flyers and more. Sub-branch secretaries should also download the merchandise order form so we can send out pens, visors, bumper stickers etc.

Below is a flash version of one of three advertisements we will be running on local commercial radio stations during the campaign.

School leaders need time Mr Rann

School leaders to take message to Parliament today

After being completely overlooked by the State Government’s EB offers in 2008, South Australian School Principals, Deputy Principals and Assistant Principals will take their concerns to the steps of Parliament today.

AEU Vice President Marcus Knill says that today’s message to the State Government is quite simply “schools need leaders and leaders need time”.

To demonstrate the huge workload that state school leaders experience, AEU members will display a large clock representing the hours that are worked over and above the 38 hour week.

Stay tuned for protest video.

AEU members ask Premier Rann for some Christmas cheer

AEU members to deliver Christmas Wish List to premier

AEU members will be at Victoria Square outside the State Admin Centre this morning to deliver a Christmas wish list to Mike Rann.

Reports later.

TAFE members take action

Fix it Mike, it's not too late

Public Meeting at Pasadena High School

Governing Council members, education workers, parents and community members attended a public meeting addressing the contentious funding model proposed by the State Government.

Representing DECS and speaking in favour of the model was Trevor Rogers from Maitland Area School.

Trevor argued that the DECS model is an improvement on the current Staffing Allocation Document but failed to mention that there is a total lack of industrial protection for staff and absolutely no base funding guarantee in their model.

Correna Haythorpe, President of the AEU, spoke about the realities of the proposed model. Her presentation was in stark contrast to that delivered by the DECS representative. She spoke of a model that among other things will see larger class sizes, loss of hours for School Services Officers, lack of workload protections and a reduction of leadership time.

Stay tuned for more.

AEU members protest at Parliament

Last Friday, the day after the AEU was ordered to call off stop-work action, around 3000 AEU members gathered on the steps of Parliament House to protest the government's successful application for orders in the Industrial Relations Commission late the night before.

A visit to Paul Caica