Letters to the editor

Stay Strong. Stand Up. Have a Voice

Thank you for the handout included in the mailout I received, entitled Stay Strong. Stand Up. Have a Voice.

I had put forward the idea of having something like this to explain the benefits of union membership and highlighting past gains for members, on a feedback form last year. Obviously, other members suggested the same idea.

It is so important to have something like this to give to new members of staff when encouraging them to join the Union. I feel this will make a difference as it is not just me, the school Rep, espousing verbally the benefits of IEU membership.

This is an excellent publication on every level – easy to read, well set out, informative and, above all, clearly highlights what members have access to and, more importantly, highlights on the back page current rights the IEU has worked hard to achieve for members over the years. The quotes from other teachers, support staff and principals are also effective.

I look forward to giving this to non members of staff and having a conversation about it. I am also going to give it to members as well, as it is so informative and an excellent summary of the IEU.

Many thanks for taking feedback on board.

Shelley Watts IEU Rep

Editor’s note: Please share the recruitment information referred to here with your non member colleagues. You can download it from the IEU website ieu.asn.au. Click on Resources/Rep’s Resources/Recruitment and retention campaign material or click here: http://www.ieu.asn.au/media/197449/stay_strong_stand_upl_hr.pdf

Refugee march

Palm Sunday (9 April) has become a day when people around the world stand up for peace, justice and humanity.

Illawarra Refugee Action Collective (RAC) is organising a March for Refugees at Wollongong Mall, 2pm, Sunday 9 April, to show Australians will stand up to defend the world’s most vulnerable people.

RAC is inviting IEU members to attend the Palm Sunday March.

This year millions of people around the world are fleeing war and persecution. We want to show a united call from humanity demanding asylum and dignity for all.

To find out more about Refugee Action Collective Illawarra email RACIllawarra@gmail.com or visit: Refugee Action Collective Illawarra on Facebook.

Marg Perrott

RAC Illawarra

Data team

The other day I opened an email that invited me to visit four data sites where results of tests of one kind and another done by my students were available.

I was being expected to note what the data on these sites had to say about my students and use it.

Leaving aside difficulties with passwords, navigation and other mechanics arising in the process of access, actually understanding what the data is saying and even more significantly, applying it, is, at the least, demanding, certainly time consuming and possibly daunting.

I believe teachers need a lot more support in dealing with data. I suggest that this support would be best supplied in the form of data teams.

A data team in every school, with allocated resources of time and specialist personnel, could undertake the analysis of these results, lay out the implications and identify strategies that might address areas for reinforcement and/or development.

I would ask the IEU to seriously consider the idea of data teams. A pilot project or projects in schools, could establish the feasibility of this idea.

I strongly recommend it to you.

Peter Hume

McCarthy Catholic College

Emu Plains