Education (Queensland College of Teachers) Amendment Bill 2019

Strongly supports the bill as it provides meaningful career pathways for teachers, helping retain experienced educators in the classroom. Emphasised the importance of valuing teachers and the significant impact they have on student achievement.

“This bill is a good bill. It is a good bill that will help teachers. It will provide support to teachers and provide a great career pathway for teachers.”— 2019-04-30View Hansard

Supports the bill as a good idea to retain high-quality teachers in the profession by providing career advancement without moving to administration. Raised concerns about ensuring fair pay for deputy principals and principals given their additional workload.

“This is a good idea in that we need to ensure that we keep good, high-quality teachers in the profession.”— 2019-04-30View Hansard

Supports the bill as it provides a pathway for passionate teachers to remain in the classroom while being appropriately recognised. Drew on personal experience as a qualified teacher and her sister's teaching career to illustrate the value of keeping excellent teachers in classrooms.

“This bill provides a pathway, an opportunity for teachers who display quality teaching skills, who have committed many years to, and have a great passion for, the profession.”— 2019-04-30View Hansard

Strongly supports the bill as it allows career advancement without teachers leaving the classroom, respecting their calling to teach. Praised principals in his electorate and emphasised the bill gives teachers the best of both worlds.

“This bill gives those teachers the ability to have the best of both worlds.”— 2019-04-30View Hansard

Supports the bill as it creates a nationally consistent certification framework recognising high-performing teachers. Emphasised the comprehensive and stringent certification process and the importance of a national approach for teacher mobility.

“It is very, very important that we provide an environment to support our teachers, to recognise their abilities and also to support them to provide the best possible learning environment for all the students in this state.”— 2019-04-30View Hansard

Supports the bill as it allows best teachers to earn similar amounts to leadership roles while staying in the classroom. Praised local schools and teachers, noting the importance of keeping experienced educators teaching for the benefit of students and graduate teachers.

“Good teachers should be able to stay in the classroom without having to try to get a higher position to be paid more. We need to help them to do what they do best.”— 2019-04-30View Hansard

Supports the bill as fundamental to a meritorious and equitable education system. Emphasised the need to invest in and retain teachers, and praised the strong collaboration with the Queensland College of Teachers and Queensland Teachers Union.

“We have to invest in our teachers. We have to retain them and give them every capacity to stay within the classroom if that is what they seek to do.”— 2019-04-30View Hansard

Supports the bill as a continuation of national work he participated in as former Education Minister. Emphasised the importance of career paths for teachers who want to stay in the classroom rather than move into administration.

“We did not want people just to say, 'Well, you are a graduate,' and then seven years later, 'You are a senior but you will just stay in that role unless you want to go into administration.'”— 2019-04-30View Hansard

Supports the bill as a committee member who investigated it thoroughly. Praised the rigorous certification criteria and endorsed the Queensland College of Teachers as the appropriate certifying authority.

“What Queenslander wouldn't back the idea of creating an environment where we retain some of our best teachers in the classroom?”— 2019-04-30View Hansard

Supports the bill which establishes a framework recognising high-performing teachers. Emphasised the critical role teachers play in developing future generations and the importance of acknowledging the best teachers.

“When you consider some occupations that are lauded as being role models, you wonder why teachers are not seen more in that vein. Their work is significant, their work is deep and their work is long-lasting.”— 2019-04-30View Hansard

As Minister for Education, delivered the reply speech strongly supporting the bill. Emphasised the Palaszczuk government's commitment to elevating teaching as a valued profession and providing appropriate recognition and remuneration for exceptional teachers.

“This government firmly believes that the world-class education being delivered in Queensland creates opportunities for every young person from every background and in every community across the state.”— 2019-04-30View Hansard