Teach First teachers outstanding

The Herald reports:

A Northland principal says a fast-track training scheme found to be breaking employment laws has provided his school with “outstanding” teachers.

Jim Luders, of Northland College in Kaikohe, is calling for the Teach First debacle to be resolved before the new school year begins so schools and teachers are not left in limbo.

Teach First puts high-achieving university graduates into an eight-week intensive training programme then bonds them for two years to a low-decile school. But the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) has ruled the scheme is illegal because it puts trainee teachers into jobs without the positions being advertised.

Those already in the scheme aren’t affected but the ERA ruling casts doubt on the next batch of Teach First appointments due to start in 2016. The case was taken to the ERA by the Post-Primary Teachers Association (PPTA), the union representing secondary school teachers.

Mr Luders said Northland College had so far had three Teach First trainees – one had finished her two-year stint, two more were halfway though – and found them to be “outstanding”.

So the outcome of the court action is schools are losing outstanding teachers that were making a difference. Great outcome.