PPTA: No secondhand car purchase.

The PPTA are close to reaching a settlement with the Ministry of Education. Is this really still dragging on? I am clearly not one to speak to delicate negotiations, I am more of the "How much do you want for your car? How MUCH? I'll give you half that. Three Quarters? Done!".

"With the situation the country is in at present, it would be good to achieve a settlement and return to some sense of normality" PPTA president Robin Duff said.

You think?
The time for fighting is over and the time has now come to lay side petty, see the big picture... be the better person and agree to a settlement before the whole economic situation changes and negotiations begin for a new pay deal for 2012.
I just hope that the ratification process is merely a formality and we can all return to the business of educating the next generation.
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ECE options zero: Suck it up

Many childhood centres are already proposing fee hikes with the Early Childhood Education revenue cuts, announced in last year’s Government Budget becoming effective at the beginning of next week.
Many have risen there prices already, grabbing a few grand with the overlap. But that is far from lasting them any time at all.
But then what choice is there for us as parents. We’re in full time employment, can;t afford to give it up, our kid is settled and most if not all centres in our area are also raising costs. There is no other option than to ‘suck it up’.
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Death of the Senior Management

Schools could experience a senior management shortage if star teachers continue to be poached by wealthy overseas countries and high workloads persist, teachers say.
Gone are the days when teaching is classified as a vocation over a career. Now is the time were career progression is not merely limited to curriculum co-ordinator>> senior teacher>> AP>>DP>> Principal. Now the options are beyond the classroom, the school. Even options extend into the private sector with training and HR posts. There are now many opportunities overseas too, especially for the most gifted and talented of teachers.
The position of a senior management role is becoming less and less desireable and income increases do not put more time into a 24 hour period. Who would want to run a school if you were offered a higher paid, less stressful position in sunnier climes.
This is the end of the road classroom career. Is this going to mean the end of quality senior management too?
So much of the Principal role is HR and budgets its crazy. They should forgo a DP role and employ a Business manager or Office Manager that can take those Admin tasks away and leave the Principal to LEAD the school.
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