I first became involved with ClassCover about 8 months back because of mutual aims and goals we share in my role as a CRT Network Coordinator. I am always on the hunt for sources of accessible PD for Victorian CRTs that is quality assured in some way. While I have been explaining "what is PD" for a number of years to allow CRTs to access affordable PD for registration purposes, it has weighed heavily that this is sort of a "trap door" to escape registration woes which is not what PD is about.
PD is about accessing knowledge that allows us to become better teachers and most of the PD out there aimed directly at CRTs is on 2 topics: Engagement and Behaviour Management. These, of course, are incredibly important to us as CRTs forming 2 skills we need to excel at what it is we do. When we move outside of these two areas there are few PDs out there targeted at teaching in the CRT context outside of Networks and AEU/IEU supplied offerings.
This leaves many regional CRTs out in the cold or having large travel (and possibly accommodation) costs to afford on a casual income as well.
When looking at ways to shortcut a couple of our long-term goals we ended up looking at ClassCover's Relief Teacher Association (which until recently was called "the casual teacher network"). The reasons for this is that firstly they were producing affordable, online Professional Development for CRTs. Upon further inspection they are are dedicated to CRTs no only through their business model but through their ethics and lastly they are BOSTES accredited PD providers. While BOSTES accreditation means little to us in an official capacity in Victoria (it's a NSW specific accreditation for NSW PD), those of you who have attended our PD opportunities in the past will know, quality experiences that are aimed at the CRT context across all curriculum areas are very important to us.
BOSTES accreditation in NSW makes sure there is a watchdog overseeing the PD quality which still benefits us enormously. We can be confident in the quality of the PD the same way that Pdi allowed us to be confident of quality in PD in Victoria's past.
This relationship has ended up breaking our neutrality a little which is something we weren't in a hurry to do and didn't set out to do either. It is important that we are able to provide open and honest information for all CRTs who access our services. This made it vital that if we chose to break our absolute neutrality it had to be with a person or organization in a position to give back to CRTs, in a quality way, in return. Not just CRTs generally but give back directly to members of the Wodonga and Shepparton CRT Support Networks.
While ClassCover itself is worth looking at now that they are operating in numerous states in Australia, ClassCover is not our focus in this relationship. It is, and remains, the supply of PD through their Relief Teacher Association that was of interest. Initially this was only to seek affordable and quality PD experiences for Victorian CRTs as some of our members had begun mentioning them in collegial meetings. This has resulted in an offer from ClassCover's RTA to produce online PD workshops for them.
This offer was made by the RTA in a genuine effort to support our Network members in a mutually beneficial way. We have no intention of compromising our integrity as being "by CRTs, for CRTs" in any way!
As many are now aware, we have just scheduled our first PD for 2015 (The Singing Classroom in Term 2). This is where some of the money has come from in order to provide this PD to local CRTs at the heavily subsidised price we are able to offer, we are already reaping the benefits of this arrangement. Helping assure the success of RTAs online courses will help us to make this a sustainable income to keep providing the opportunities we have been at affordable prices into the future (while providing PD online at affordable prices no less!).
We have not taken the decision to move away from our concrete impartiality lightly but consider that in doing so we have generated a win for us all.
Regards,
Mel.
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