The latest education news for the principal and parent leaders

June message from the Chair
New studies on funding disadvantaged schools
Tax and super competition for students
USQ looks for recently divorced families
Period talk resources
Mission Australia Youth Survey 2019
Caught you being great!
Generation Next seminars
ACSSO Life Member Joan Brown AM
MyFutures free resources

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Read our Chair's message

There can be no substantive family engagement, no addressing the key domains and issues, without what I choose to call an “equity alliance” of those with similar and strongly held values that every child in our nation deserves every chance.

A message from Kevan Goodworth

ACSSO President and Chair

Advocacy and equity

For many years we have been proud to be an advocacy group in all matters relating to public education, the essential equity that it provides, or should provide, and the benefits that flow to families and thence to the community at large.

The field of advocacy is huge, and the issues are many of course, and we are an entity largely comprised of volunteers and often occupied with matters in our own jurisdictions where we also contribute.

While funding is always significant to what we can meaningfully achieve, and to what we can adequately research and provide meaningful advice around, it is nevertheless imperative that ACSSO develops and refines policies around the key educational domains.

What's our why?

I constantly remind myself of the Simon Sinek model of placing our why at the centre of what we do.

I would strongly suggest that the answer to the question of ACSSO’s reason for existence is to provide a national voice to the imperative of family engagement in our children’s education. Where family engagement is understood, valued, and practised, children’s potential has a far greater chance of realisation.

If the pursuit of equity for all the nation’s children is a core value, then family engagement, to follow Sinek’s model, needs to become a how? To quote the adage, A vision without a plan is merely a dream.

Reference groups

ACSSO’s board has put a great deal of thought and effort into developing a model whereby we determine some of the key areas of educational practice and invite interested persons from around the nation to contribute to the conversation.

To date these include the development of reference groups around:

· Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education

· Funding for our schools

· Rural, Regional and Remote Education

· Additional educational needs

· Early Childhood

· Student Wellbeing

· Information Communication Technology.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it certainly provides us with a meaningful beginning.

Just as importantly for me, it provides the opportunity for real and distributed leadership, where we can glean thoughtful advice and perspectives from individuals with knowledge and informed perspectives around key themes.

Rich conversations

The results of rich conversations around substantive issues always lead to the development of position statements and arguments for informed advocacy that are mature and informed. These can be taken to government with confidence. Nor are we alone in this enterprise.

I continue to have conversations with numerous agencies, and professional associations who are keen to share the enterprise, and these certainly include principals’ associations and unions.

There can be no substantive family engagement, no addressing the key domains and issues, without what I choose to call an “equity alliance” of those with similar and strongly held values that every child in our nation deserves every chance.

This is the reason that we will continue to seek a broad alliance of all those kindred associations and agencies with a passion for the merits of public education system.

Kevan Goodworth
President and Chair
Australian Council of State School Organisations
June 2019

Read more messages and views here

Save our Schools Research Brief

More studies show that money really does matter in education

Three new US studies have found that increasing funding for disadvantaged students increases school results. There are now more than 20 studies published in the last five years showing that funding increases targeted at disadvantaged students improves achievement.

This is a remarkable degree of unanimity amongst education economists. Even notorious sceptics of the worth of increasing school spending such as Professor Eric Hanushek from Stanford University (USA) and The Economist magazine have been forced to concede that money matters for disadvantaged students.

A study published in the academic journal Education Finance and Policy in January found strong evidence that court-ordered finance reforms in the US between 1989 and 2010 increased revenues and graduation rates in high-poverty school districts.

It found that high-poverty districts in states that had their finance regimes changed by court order increased real per-student revenues by 11.5 to 12.1% and increased graduation rates of six to twelve percentage points in seven years following reform.

High-poverty districts in states undergoing reform increased revenues and graduation rates relative to high-poverty districts not subject to school finance reforms.

There were no achievement gains in wealthier school districts.

Read the full research brief here.

The Australian Taxation Office invites high school students to enter the 2019 Tax, Super + You competition for a chance to win from a total cash prize pool of over $6,000.

Entries close on 23 August - learn more about how to enter here.

USQ looks for recently divorced families

If you are a parent of school-aged children, and have experienced separation or divorce over 12 months ago, we would like to invite you to participate in our research project.

What is the research project about?

Family separation and divorce present many challenges for families, and schools can play an important role in working with parents to support children’s learning and wellbeing during these situations.

Parent-school engagement can be particularly complex during such times, however, and our study is interested in parents’ experiences of interacting with their child’s school during separation or divorce. Findings from the study will be used to help schools improve their support for children and families going through similar circumstances.

What will I be asked to do?

Take part in a telephone interview that will take approximately 60 minutes.

How can I find out more?

Click the link to view the Participation Information Sheet and then add your contact information if decide you would like to participate. Participation is voluntary and all information will be treated confidentially. You can contact Professor Sue Saltmarsh (Sue.Saltmarsh@usq.edu.au; Telephone 07 3470 4616) with any questions or requests for further information.

Period Talk

‘Educating our kids, normalising the conversation and smashing the shame and taboo around periods, one home and classroom at a time’.

Visit the website for great tips, videos and teaching resources - open the discussion!

Join the 2019 Youth Survey

We warmly invite you to support the 2019 Mission Australia Youth Survey.

The Youth Survey is turning 18 this year and they want to hear from as many young people across the country as we can about what it is like growing up in Australia!

What?

The Youth Survey is Australia’s largest annual survey of young people in Australia. The online survey is open to young people between the ages of 15 and 19, and takes 15 minutes to complete.

Why?

The Youth Survey is a key evidence and policy platform used by governments, NGOs, schools and community organisations around the country. Taking part will help us and other organisations advocate for policies and programs that support young people.

When?

The Youth Survey is now open and will close on the 31st of July 2019.

How?

You can find out more in the Youth Survey ‘toolkit’ for organisations.

Please help to encourage young people to take part online - yes, including on their smartphones!

Or help spread the word through your youth networks or on social media via Facebook, Twitter (@MissionAust), Instagram (@mission_aust) or LinkedIn.

Where?

Young people can join the survey here or use the full link below for easy copy and paste.

https://www.missionaustralia.com.au/what-we-do/research-impact-policy-advocacy/youth-survey

Caught You Being Great - CYBG

Above: Charlotte features in CYBG this month

Yandelora School (SSP, K-12) in Narellan NSW opened at the beginning of this year, they have established an active P&C and have built an open welcoming vibe, with great ties within the local community.

Our CEO Di Giblin and Kim Pick (Communications) visited this great school to follow up the wonderful parent engagement Yandelora is experiencing.

Principal Jacquie Lockyer Is very dynamic and walked us through the school openly proud of her school and the work they do with their students. It was so heartening to see students engaged In real learning in lovely colourful purpose built spaces with dedicated staff enjoying their roles.

The school values, embraces and actively seeks family engagement and has received a fantastic response from families and the community in many different aspects, importantly they are building foundations to maintain these relationships for the duration of the students time at school.

Every family was invited to the school and each given a personal tour of the whole school by a teacher, this created a terrific bond between family and school.

Yandelora is also building valuable relationships with neighbouring schools, sharing resources with both pre-school and high school, students gain experiences such as art classes and before and after childcare, thus ensuring they feel part of their wider community. What a great school.

Kim Pick

Above: ACSSO CEO Dianne Giblin with Charlotte's principal Jacquie Lockyer

If you have a story of our school community doing great things, we would love to consider them for our weekly edition of CYBG on the ACSSO Facebook page.

2019 MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING OF YOUNG PEOPLE Seminar

Our friends at Generation Next are hosting seminars across the country with presentations from nine experts offering practical advice and strategies to improve the lives of young Australians.

The single-day seminars is recommended for professionals, parents and anyone who supports young people. Seminars start in May and continue through to the end of August.

For information and bookings in your state, please head to Generation Next.

MyFuture news

Let your colleagues, parents and carers know that myfuture, Australia’s National Career Information Service, has a feature page dedicated to helping parents and carers begin the conversation with their child about the world of work.

The earliest and often the most powerful learning about careers is shaped by the adults in a child's life. The Assist your child feature page contains information to support and encourage young people with their career making decisions.

ACSSO Life Member, Joan Brown

Joan Brown was a ACSSO President from 1977-1981 and was named a Life Member in recognition of her service. In our June newsletter there was an editorial error adding 'new' to the headline, however Joan has been a life member for many years and remains a wonderful supporter of public education!

Find out more about this wonderful ACSSO Life Member Joan Brown AM in this story.

Tell us your thoughts about education in Australia

Help us to help you!

Head over to http://www.acsso.org.au/have-say/3-messages-feedback/ and share your opinion on current education policies so we can present the widest possible views to decision makers.