Specialist classroom teacher / Specialist teacher allowance

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for appointment as an SCT/ST, a teacher must:

• be a permanently appointed registered teacher
• have at least six years total teaching experience (either in New Zealand or overseas)
• have had three successive successful attestations against the experienced standards in the relevant Teachers Collective Agreement or overseas equivalent
• be a full time teacher, or part time with a significant classroom teaching load (as a guide, at least 12 hours per week) at the time of application
• meet other criteria in the agreed guidelines.

Note: In order to maintain credibility as an effective classroom teacher, all SCTs/STs would be expected to retain a substantial classroom teaching role; a minimum of 12 hours per week is recommended.

Smaller area schools (U5 and below) may require more flexibility in order to be able to appoint a suitable person to the role. Concurrence should be sought from the Ministry’s Industrial Relations unit if such an appointment is contemplated and before making an appointment. Note that U1-U4 area schools may not need to apply for concurrence from certain criteria in certain circumstances – please refer to the guidelines at www.minedu.govt.nz/employmentagreements.

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Relinquishment of salary units

Schools are asked to minimise the other responsibilities of SCTs/STs in order to allow them to focus on their new role.

Therefore:

Secondary SCTs and Area STs in U6 and above schools:

• Appointees must relinquish all salary units, for the period of appointment, but may hold one fixed term unit where the school requires continuation of a specific responsibility, or chooses to extend the role and functions of the SCT/ST position and provide further recognition.
• Appointees to fixed term positions are entitled to protection of their current position (and unit(s) allocated to it) and can return to it at the end of their period of appointment as SCT/ST.

Area STs in U5 schools:

• Upon application to the Industrial Relations Unit, a U5 area school may be able to have some flexibility in making their appointment in relation to the limit of holding one fixed term unit. To gain exemption from this criterion, the school must demonstrate its inability to make an appropriate appointment from current permanent teaching staff without being able to waiver these requirements.

Area STs in U1-U4 schools:

• Appointees can hold no more than two permanent units and no more than one fixed term unit in conjunction with the ST allowance.
• U1 to U4 schools should attempt to meet the eligibility requirements outlined in the ASTCA. If the school is unable to achieve this, note that U1-U4 area schools may not need to apply for concurrence from certain criteria in certain circumstances – please refer to the guidelines at www.minedu.govt.nz/employmentagreements.

Note: This does not restrict boards from allocation of MMAs and RRR payments in the normal way.

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Appointment

Where the board of trustees is confident that an applicant will clearly meet eligibility requirements, role description and criteria, the board of trustees is able to offer a permanent appointment. For further detail please refer to the relevant Guidelines for the appointment of Specialist Classroom Teachers in secondary schools or Specialist Teachers in area schools published on the Ministry of Education website: www.minedu.govt.nz/employmentagreements.

Where a permanent appointment is not made, the board may:

• offer a fixed-term appointment; or
• advertise externally if the school has an actual teaching vacancy; or
• make no appointment.

Note: a fixed-term appointment may not be made in order to establish the suitability of an employee for permanent appointment.

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Allowance

Once an SCT/ST application has been approved by the Ministry the following resources will be allocated:

• Secondary Schools Time Allowance
• Area Schools Time Allowance
• Appointees Allowance.

These allowances are detailed below.

Secondary schools time allowance

Secondary schools with a roll of more than 1200 students receive an allowance of 0.32 full-time teacher equivalent (FTTE) to resource the position (equivalent to eight hours per week). Boards with a roll of fewer than 1200 will be allocated an allowance of 0.16 FTTE (equivalent to four hours per week) to resource the position. This time allowance must be dedicated to the person in the SCT role to fulfil their SCT duties and is in addition to their non-contact entitlement.

Area achools time allowance

Area schools with a roll of fewer than 100 students will be allocated an allowance of 0.08 FTTE (equivalent of two hours per week) to resource the position. Area school boards with a roll of 100 or more students will be allocated an allowance of 0.16 FTTE (equivalent of four hours per week) to resource the position. Area school boards with rolls of fewer than 100 students may opt, by mutual agreement with another school board, to engage a teacher employed at that other school to perform this role. In such circumstances the staffing will be transferred to the employing board of that teacher.

In both instances this time allowance must be dedicated to the person in the ST role to fulfil their ST duties.

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Appointees allowance

Teachers appointed to the ST position in an area school with fewer than 100 students are entitled to an allowance of $4000 per annum; in an area school with more than 100 students, are entitled to an allowance of $8000 per annum. Teachers appointed to the SCT position in a secondary school are entitled to an allowance equivalent in value to two units per annum.

Each secondary and area schools teacher, upon their first appointment as an SCT/ST, shall have an entitlement to a reimbursement of fees for study toward relevant post graduate qualifications up to maximum of $1000 for each of two years (these years do not have to be consecutive provided that the teacher remains appointed as a SCT/ST).

Application process

Principals should apply to the Ministry of Education for the SCT/ST allowance by filling out a Specialist Classroom Teacher Time Allowance Application Form or Specialist Teacher Time Allowance Form, available from www.minedu.govt.nz/resourcingforms.

If the SCT/ST has been appointed to a permanent position, there is no need to reapply in subsequent years. But where a position is a fixed term appointment or a replacement appointment needs to be made, the principal should submit a Specialist Classroom Teacher Time Allowance Application Form or Specialist Teacher Time Allowance Form as early as possible before the beginning of the school year.

Period of allowance

For SCTs/STs appointed to permanent positions salary allowances will continue until the Ministry is notified that the appointee has vacated the position or until the Principal advises that a replacement SCT/ST has been appointed. For fixed term appointments, the allowance approval is valid until the end of the term of appointment, and schools will need to submit a new application form for any new fixed term appointment.