MEMBER for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall has welcomed the launch yesterday of a major new investment which will enable some of the best local public primary school teachers to mentor and coach other teachers, improving the results of students throughout the region.
Mr Marshall said the $224 million Quality Teaching, Successful Students package would begin this term and would benefit 26 schools across the Northern Tablelands.
“It’s great to see many of our local schools benefit from this key commitment given by the Minister during the recent election,” Mr Marshall said.
“Improving the skills of our local teachers will help students achieve better results and reach their full potential.”
The program will enable selected teachers at the schools to mentor and coach other teachers, observe teachers in their classrooms and demonstrate effective teaching strategies, monitor student performance data across the school to ensure teachers are focused on areas of need and collaborate within their school and with colleagues in other schools.
Mr Marshall said a recent three-year study of 6,000 NSW public school teachers found that collaborating with colleagues was the most significant professional learning practice for primary teachers.
“This initiative, made possible by NSW signing up to the Gonski agreement, gives schools an opportunity they have been seeking for years – to use their best, most experienced teachers to improve teaching and learning in every classroom,” Mr Marshall said.
“In line with the Local Schools, Local Decisions education reform, principals – who are best placed to make decisions about their schools – will determine how to use this new staffing resource.”
Schools in the Northern Tablelands receiving support under the new initiative are:
- Armidale City Public School
- Bald Blair Public School
- Black Mountain Public School
- Boomi Public School
- Delungra Public School
- Drummond Memorial Public School
- Gilgai Public School
- Glen Innes Public School
- Gravesend Public School
- Gum Flat Public School
- Inverell Public School
- Kellys Plains Public School
- Kingstown Public School
- Martins Gully Public School
- Moree East Public School
- Newling Public School
- North Star Public School
- Pallamallawa Public School
- Red Range Public School
- Rocky River Public School
- Sandon Public School
- Tingha Public School
- Toomelah Public School
- Warialda Public School
- Yetman Public School