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Our campaigns:

  • Primary
    • Wāwāhi Tahā – Time For Tamariki
    • Te Ao Kei Tua – Our Schools, Our Communities, Our Future
  • Pay equity
    • Pay equity for Kaiārahi i te Reo
    • Pay equity for school administration staff
    • Pay equity for teacher aides
  • Support staff
    • Pay equity for school administration staff
    • The road to pay equity for teacher aides
  • Early childhood
    • Shaping our future: A ten-year plan for ECE
    • Pay equity for ECE
    • Have a Heart pledge
  • Inclusive education
    • Inclusive Communities through Education Summit
    • Education for All
  • All campaigns

Pages

  • A Better Plan/Joint Initiative
    • Joint Initiative: What we’ve learned so far
  • Admin Pay Equity Typeform
  • Better Funding, Better Learning
    • Better Funding Paid Union Meetings, 2016
    • Better Funding Roadshow 2016
    • The Better Funding Heartland tour, 2017
  • Change Membership Information
  • COVID-19 information for members
    • Health and Safety
    • Life at Red | Guidance for Primary Teachers
    • Life at Red | Guidance for ECE Teachers
    • Life at Red | Guidance for Principals
    • Testing Guidelines
    • Vaccination Guidelines
  • Election 2020
  • Every child is worth it
    • Every Child Is Worth it launch
    • Get the government to keep their promise on ECE – Sign the Petition
    • Have a Heart pledge
    • July 2019 proposed settlement to kindergarten teachers
    • Shaping our future: A ten-year plan for ECE
    • Thanks for signing our ECE petition
    • Unions and ECE
  • Get Goodies
  • Get Help
  • Get Involved
  • Global Custom Fields
  • Home
    • Learning Support Workers Strike Dates
  • Inclusive education
    • Inclusive education: Education for All activities, September 2016
    • Inclusive education: Inclusive Communities through Education Summit, May 2017
  • Initial Teacher Education (ITE) 2040
  • It’s time—Kua tae te wā
    • August 2019 settlement to primary principals
    • Budget 2018
      • Thanks!
    • Campaign plan and claims—Kua tae te wā
    • Campaign resources
      • Area School paid union meetings – March 2019
      • Area School Teachers Collective Agreement – Our Claim
      • Contact your local MP
      • Frequently asked questions
      • November rolling strikes – events and rallies
      • Paid union meetings – May 2019
      • Paid union meetings map – May 2019
      • Primary Principal and Teacher Negotiation FAQs
      • Primary school paid union meetings schedule – May 2019
      • Support Staff, Boards and Strikes
      • Understanding strikes
      • Understanding strikes
    • Check your school’s strike day
    • First offer to principals and teachers
    • It’s the end of term! Send your favourite teacher a postcard
      • Thank you for sending your postcard
    • It’s Time: Community action planning
    • June 2019 proposed settlement to primary principals
    • June 2019 settlement to primary teachers
    • March 2019 offers to principals and teachers
    • Meetings and information for MoE Support Workers
    • November offer to principals and teachers
    • Petition: Supporting primary teachers and principals
    • Postcard to Grant Robertson
    • Postcard to the Secretary of Education
    • Primary principal paid union meetings August 2019
    • Primary teachers and principals Accord
    • Principals’ survey: Intentions for 2017
    • Principals’ survey: intentions for 2018
    • Principals’ wellbeing
      • Principal wellbeing report
      • Your report is on the way
    • Second offer to principals and teachers
    • Sign on to support our principals
    • Strike Action Ideas
    • Strike Day Deductions
    • The terms of settlement for Ministry of Education Support Workers
    • Update following talks with the Minister of Education
    • Voting on the new offers – electronic ballot
    • We’ll miss them when they’re gone
    • What’s next for principals
    • Workload Caseload Review
  • Join NZEI Te Riu Roa
  • Join NZEI Te Riu Roa
  • Kindergarten paid union meetings
  • Kindergarten paid union meetings map
  • Kindergarten paid union meetings schedule
  • KTCA Stories
  • Learning Support Members – Strike Ballot FAQs
  • Member Induction
  • NEN Hui 2020
  • Next steps for teachers – Contact your local MP
  • Paid Union Meetings for primary and area school teacher worksite representatives
  • Pay equity
    • Fair’s fair – Mana Taurite: Getting involved
    • One year of negotiations for support workers: send a postcard
      • Thank you for sending your postcard
    • Pay Equity Amendment Act
    • Pay equity for Kaiārahi i te Reo
    • Pay equity for school administration staff
    • Pay equity for support workers settlement
    • Pay equity now—join the movement for fair pay for ECE
    • Pay equity pledge for early childhood and schools
    • Pay Equity Work Assessment
    • Suffrage day 2019
    • Support Staff Pay Equity Quiz
    • Teacher aide paid union meetings
    • Teacher aide pay equity – information for principals, EOs and SENCOs
    • Teacher aide pay equity – invite a teacher aide to receive updates
    • Teacher aide pay equity – register for a Zoom hui
    • Teacher aide pay equity settlement
    • The pay equity pledge – Pay equity
    • The road to pay equity for teacher aides
  • Pay Equity – Pledge Map
  • Pay equity DRAFT
  • Principals Hauora Survey
  • Principals Kit
  • Principals’ and teachers’ wellbeing survey
  • Pūaotanga Report
  • Public Sector Pay Initiative
  • School Report Card
  • Special Screening: Wāwāhi Tahā – Time for Tamariki
  • Suffrage Day
  • Support our campaign
  • Support staff
    • Letter to Iona Holsted from annualised support staff
    • Making it Possible: Support Staff Day 2018
    • Support Staff – Contact your local MP
    • Support Staff – Paid union meetings
    • Support Staff – Paid union meetings October 2019
    • Support staff – share your story
    • Support staff – sign on to make a difference
    • Support Staff Day 2019 – Making a Difference
    • Support staff need fair pay! Sign the open letter to the Education Minister
    • Support staff proposed terms of settlement 2019
    • Support Staff Resources
    • Support Staff Week 2020 – Celebrating the wins
    • Support Staff Week 2021 – Building the Future
    • Support staff: 101 reasons why
    • Teacher aide PLD
    • Thank you for sharing your story
    • Thank you for signing on to make a difference
    • Thanks for signing the open letter to Minister Hipkins
    • Walking in the shoes of support staff
  • Support Staff – Paid union meetings October 2019 schedule
  • Support Workers Pay Equity Ratification Meetings
  • Te Ake Rautangi
  • Te Ao Kei Tua – Our Schools, Our Communities, Our Future
  • Teacher Time Diaries
  • Teachers Time Diaries – Thank you!
  • Teachers Time Diaries Results
  • Test – Staffing Calc Page
  • Test page
  • Test Petition Embed Page
  • Tomorrow’s Schools Submission
  • Tomorrow’s Schools Submission – Thank you
  • Vote for Me: —our campaign for Election 2017
  • Wāwāhi Tahā – Time For Tamariki
    • Wāwāhi Tahā Community Launch Sign up form
  • It’s time to update your contact details
  • Thank you for updating your contact details
  • Mana Taurite – ECE employers
  • Pay equity for ECE – Information for employers and governance boards
  • Pay equity for ECE – Work Assessment: Information for interested participants
  • The road to pay equity for ECE
NZEI it's time campaign, primary teachers and principals. Kua Tae Te Wa

About the campaign | Plan and claims | Resources

Community action planning


Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini. • Our strength is not that of a single warrior but that of many.


Success is up to all of us

This campaign will not be won by the bargaining team. It will be won by many teachers and principals joining with their communities and showing the strength of support for the issues.

Kua Tae Te Wa will be as successful as we make it - the more you do, the more we will win. For too long education has been neglected. You and your students have born the brunt of that neglect.

This can change. We have public support, and for the first time in a long time, we have a Government that is listening. We know Governments act on public concern. The louder the concern the more politicians will act.

You know your school community. They are voters and potential allies for the campaign. What can you do right now to get support in your school community?

Why get in behind the campaign?

New Zealand has a problem. Enrolments in teacher training have dropped 40% between 2010 and 2016 while there are growing school rolls. In term three, over half of schools reported they didn't have enough teachers.

Since the early 2000s teacher salaries have dropped significantly relative to the median NZ salary from 1.8 times the median (for experienced teachers on the top of the pay scale) to just over 1.5. In effect, this means jobs that used to earn less than teachers now earn more.

What is the Government saying?

The Government has acknowledged there is a teacher shortage.

But they are asking us to wait and give them time.

We know there is no more time, that you are under increasing stress and pressure and children's learning is already being disrupted by the shortage.

Teacher-led community actions

Here are two current examples from the campaign:

In Howick, Robyn wanted to do something simple that would get her school colleagues activated and at the same time target decision makers. She wrote a letter explaining the issues schools are facing in her community and calling for support.

The letter could equally be sent to the local MPs, the Minister, or the Secretary of Education.

“It was my letter, but I asked all of my colleagues to sign it too,” says Robyn. “That led to lots of signatures, but also plenty of conversations around our issues.”

Most signed, but some were motivated to write their own versions based on Robyn’s template.

In South Auckland, Tracey and her colleagues are keen to inform families about the campaign and bring them on board.

As a first step the team are designing a survey that will ask parents to identify what they value and expect from their children’s schooling experience.

As a follow-up a hui for families is planned. There the survey results will be shared and discussed over food and linked to the Kua Tae te Wā campaign.

“It was my letter, but I asked all of my colleagues to sign it too. That led to lots of signatures, but also plenty of conversations around our issues.”

Community mapping

Community mapping is a technique you can use to identify who in your community could be a part of this campaign.

Think about anyone—people, groups, social media pages, clubs, or local media—with influence in the community.

  • Which ones have a connection to the school or an interest in kids' wellbeing?
  • Why would they support us?
  • What upcoming events may be useful?
  • Who has an existing relationship with them?
  • Or who can offer me support/help?
  • What could we ask them to do to show support?

Action ideas

Actions that raise visibility of the campaign and/ or build community support and/or get members involved in campaign activities will help us to win. Some ideas include:

  • Posting on your community Facebook page
  • Getting all your colleagues involved in planning activities to promote the campaign
  • Writing a letter to the editor
  • Talking to local media and inviting them to come and see how the issues are impacting your school (eg. split classes because of a lack of relievers)
  • Sharing Facebook material from NZEI
  • Speaking to your Board of Trustees
  • Organising an event at your school to promote the campaign
  • Sharing information in your school newsletter about the campaign and how the issues relate to your school
  • Lobbying your local MP to talk about the campaign issues and how they can be addressed
  • Having a stall at local markets to share campaign information
  • Telling stories about issues (and solutions) at relevant public meetings and events
  • Talking with friends and family members about the campaign
  • Setting up a staff notice board with campaign information and updates (showing local activities)
  • Setting up displays in your school to share information about the campaign

The actions you'll take

Make a note of each action you'll take, and the help and resources you'll need.

  • One thing I/we will do to build community support for Kua Tae Te Wā is...
  • I/we will do this by this date:
  • In order to make this happen, we need...
  • Who I can ask for help:

Grab the handout

Download this kit as a printable handout and use it to help plan out your actions.

Get the kit (355 KB PDF)

Pages

  • A Better Plan/Joint Initiative
    • Joint Initiative: What we’ve learned so far
  • Admin Pay Equity Typeform
  • Better Funding, Better Learning
    • Better Funding Paid Union Meetings, 2016
    • Better Funding Roadshow 2016
    • The Better Funding Heartland tour, 2017
  • Change Membership Information
  • COVID-19 information for members
    • Health and Safety
    • Life at Red | Guidance for Primary Teachers
    • Life at Red | Guidance for ECE Teachers
    • Life at Red | Guidance for Principals
    • Testing Guidelines
    • Vaccination Guidelines
  • Election 2020
  • Every child is worth it
    • Every Child Is Worth it launch
    • Get the government to keep their promise on ECE – Sign the Petition
    • Have a Heart pledge
    • July 2019 proposed settlement to kindergarten teachers
    • Shaping our future: A ten-year plan for ECE
    • Thanks for signing our ECE petition
    • Unions and ECE
  • Get Goodies
  • Get Help
  • Get Involved
  • Global Custom Fields
  • Home
    • Learning Support Workers Strike Dates
  • Inclusive education
    • Inclusive education: Education for All activities, September 2016
    • Inclusive education: Inclusive Communities through Education Summit, May 2017
  • Initial Teacher Education (ITE) 2040
  • It’s time—Kua tae te wā
    • August 2019 settlement to primary principals
    • Budget 2018
      • Thanks!
    • Campaign plan and claims—Kua tae te wā
    • Campaign resources
      • Area School paid union meetings – March 2019
      • Area School Teachers Collective Agreement – Our Claim
      • Contact your local MP
      • Frequently asked questions
      • November rolling strikes – events and rallies
      • Paid union meetings – May 2019
      • Paid union meetings map – May 2019
      • Primary Principal and Teacher Negotiation FAQs
      • Primary school paid union meetings schedule – May 2019
      • Support Staff, Boards and Strikes
      • Understanding strikes
      • Understanding strikes
    • Check your school’s strike day
    • First offer to principals and teachers
    • It’s the end of term! Send your favourite teacher a postcard
      • Thank you for sending your postcard
    • It’s Time: Community action planning
    • June 2019 proposed settlement to primary principals
    • June 2019 settlement to primary teachers
    • March 2019 offers to principals and teachers
    • Meetings and information for MoE Support Workers
    • November offer to principals and teachers
    • Petition: Supporting primary teachers and principals
    • Postcard to Grant Robertson
    • Postcard to the Secretary of Education
    • Primary principal paid union meetings August 2019
    • Primary teachers and principals Accord
    • Principals’ survey: Intentions for 2017
    • Principals’ survey: intentions for 2018
    • Principals’ wellbeing
      • Principal wellbeing report
      • Your report is on the way
    • Second offer to principals and teachers
    • Sign on to support our principals
    • Strike Action Ideas
    • Strike Day Deductions
    • The terms of settlement for Ministry of Education Support Workers
    • Update following talks with the Minister of Education
    • Voting on the new offers – electronic ballot
    • We’ll miss them when they’re gone
    • What’s next for principals
    • Workload Caseload Review
  • Join NZEI Te Riu Roa
  • Join NZEI Te Riu Roa
  • Kindergarten paid union meetings
  • Kindergarten paid union meetings map
  • Kindergarten paid union meetings schedule
  • KTCA Stories
  • Learning Support Members – Strike Ballot FAQs
  • Member Induction
  • NEN Hui 2020
  • Next steps for teachers – Contact your local MP
  • Paid Union Meetings for primary and area school teacher worksite representatives
  • Pay equity
    • Fair’s fair – Mana Taurite: Getting involved
    • One year of negotiations for support workers: send a postcard
      • Thank you for sending your postcard
    • Pay Equity Amendment Act
    • Pay equity for Kaiārahi i te Reo
    • Pay equity for school administration staff
    • Pay equity for support workers settlement
    • Pay equity now—join the movement for fair pay for ECE
    • Pay equity pledge for early childhood and schools
    • Pay Equity Work Assessment
    • Suffrage day 2019
    • Support Staff Pay Equity Quiz
    • Teacher aide paid union meetings
    • Teacher aide pay equity – information for principals, EOs and SENCOs
    • Teacher aide pay equity – invite a teacher aide to receive updates
    • Teacher aide pay equity – register for a Zoom hui
    • Teacher aide pay equity settlement
    • The pay equity pledge – Pay equity
    • The road to pay equity for teacher aides
  • Pay Equity – Pledge Map
  • Pay equity DRAFT
  • Principals Hauora Survey
  • Principals Kit
  • Principals’ and teachers’ wellbeing survey
  • Pūaotanga Report
  • Public Sector Pay Initiative
  • School Report Card
  • Special Screening: Wāwāhi Tahā – Time for Tamariki
  • Suffrage Day
  • Support our campaign
  • Support staff
    • Letter to Iona Holsted from annualised support staff
    • Making it Possible: Support Staff Day 2018
    • Support Staff – Contact your local MP
    • Support Staff – Paid union meetings
    • Support Staff – Paid union meetings October 2019
    • Support staff – share your story
    • Support staff – sign on to make a difference
    • Support Staff Day 2019 – Making a Difference
    • Support staff need fair pay! Sign the open letter to the Education Minister
    • Support staff proposed terms of settlement 2019
    • Support Staff Resources
    • Support Staff Week 2020 – Celebrating the wins
    • Support Staff Week 2021 – Building the Future
    • Support staff: 101 reasons why
    • Teacher aide PLD
    • Thank you for sharing your story
    • Thank you for signing on to make a difference
    • Thanks for signing the open letter to Minister Hipkins
    • Walking in the shoes of support staff
  • Support Staff – Paid union meetings October 2019 schedule
  • Support Workers Pay Equity Ratification Meetings
  • Te Ake Rautangi
  • Te Ao Kei Tua – Our Schools, Our Communities, Our Future
  • Teacher Time Diaries
  • Teachers Time Diaries – Thank you!
  • Teachers Time Diaries Results
  • Test – Staffing Calc Page
  • Test page
  • Test Petition Embed Page
  • Tomorrow’s Schools Submission
  • Tomorrow’s Schools Submission – Thank you
  • Vote for Me: —our campaign for Election 2017
  • Wāwāhi Tahā – Time For Tamariki
    • Wāwāhi Tahā Community Launch Sign up form
  • It’s time to update your contact details
  • Thank you for updating your contact details
  • Mana Taurite – ECE employers
  • Pay equity for ECE – Information for employers and governance boards
  • Pay equity for ECE – Work Assessment: Information for interested participants
  • The road to pay equity for ECE
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NZEI Te Riu Roa
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