The benefits of board membership

NZSTA provides a significant number of benefits to member boards, with an outline of these benefits detailed below (for an outline of the benefits of NZSTA Membership click here):

Personnel/industrial relations advisers

NZSTA employs a team of personnel/industrial advisers with offices located throughout the country and operates (under a Ministry contract) a free and confidential advisory service to all boards and principals. Our advisers are skilled and experienced in employment matters. We strongly advise to contact them early if a problem or potential problem arises.

The advisers are normally busy or “on the road”. Calling them on their mobiles or emailing are the best options for contacting them quickly. For more general industrial assistance or enquiries our helpdesk is a useful resource.

Helpdesk for “trusteeship” matters 

NZSTA, through a Ministry of Education contract, provides a helpdesk service which is free to boards of trustees. Our team of advisers in Wellington have both practical and legal backgrounds, and are well able to handle, on a confidential basis, the vast range of calls that come through 0800STAhelp (0800 782 435), fax 04 473 4706 or email helpdesk@NZSTA.org.nz on trusteeship matters (as well as the more general industrial topics).

Policy Analyst 

We have a policy analyst working on a wide range of policy matters that are affecting, or may affect, boards of trustees. 

Regional Coordinators 

NZSTA, in partnership with our NZSTA regions, currently employs NZSTA Regional Coordinators in Whangarei (part time), Auckland, Hamilton, Havelock North, Palmerston North, Lower Hutt, Nelson (part time), Christchurch, and Dunedin.

NZSTA Regional Coordinators support regional representational activity as well as ensuring that a high quality local team of facilitators/trainers/mentors is available to meet boards of trustees professional development needs.

Please contact your nearest NZSTA Regional Coordinator for all your training needs. Members booking facilitation/training/mentoring for non-MoE contract delivery attend at a discounted rate and have priority rights 

Communications

Board chairs and principals receive regular memos on current issues and important information via our email tree. NZSTA also maintains a useful and recently upgraded website (http://www.NZSTA.org.nz/). There is a member only area on the site for access to material exclusive to members. Only NZSTA members receive STAnews, our monthly publication. The NZSTA website has a login for material exclusively available to its member boards. 

Training and professional development  

NZSTA provides training and professional development and training for school trustees on a national basis.

Some training may be provided free to boards of trustees under Ministry contract in some areas, but we also provide a range of local and national cost recovery programmes for trustees, which operate independently of any Ministry contract. NZSTA's training philosophy of high quality training delivery based on nationally consistent high quality resources underpins all our professional development activities. All NZSTA's facilitators/trainers/ mentors must be accredited through the NZSTA “training for trainers” accreditation course.

The team comprises our Manager, Training and Development - Elaine Hines, and NZSTA accredited facilitators throughout the country. Cate Newton is our Training Administrator and is looking forward to taking your bookings and helping with any training queries you have.

For a copy of the latest training schedule or registration form email Cate (cnewton@NZSTA.org.nz) with “Latest Schedule” or “Registration Form” in the subject line.

Members attend NZSTA cost recovery facilitation/professional development/mentoring at a significantly discounted rate. 

Professional development for student trustees 

NZSTA has partnered with the Spirit of Adventure Trust to provide student trustees with the opportunity of a lifetime. Two Spirit of Adventure voyages subsidised by NZSTA are made available to student trustees each year. Each voyage includes up to ten hours governance training facilitated by NZSTA accredited trainers. Student trustees from member boards can apply for an NZSTA subsidised trip on the Spirit of Adventure and receive high quality governance training at the same time.

NZSTA Annual Conference  

Another successful NZSTA conference was held in Christchurchin July 2009 with 620 trustees attending. NZSTA conferences provide Boards of Trustees with a great opportunity for professional development and networking. While all trustees are welcome to attend the conference, trustees from member boards will be able to register for conference at a substantially discounted rate. Boards which wish to attend and vote at the NZSTA annual general meeting must have paid their membership fee by 31 March. The AGM is held the during conference, usually on the Saturday. Planning is now underway for the 2011 conference to be held in Auckland from 22–24 July. We hope to see all member boards represented there! Trustees from member boards can register to attend Conference at a significantly reduced rate compared to non-members.

Representational activities/advocacy NZSTA represents its membership through a strong presence on a number of groups at national and regional level, eg, Schools Consultative Committee, Operational Funding Review, REAP, Secondary Leaders Forum, Property, Principals’ Development Reference Group, School Support, Teachers Council, plus many more. Submissions and making representations on behalf of boards is another aspect of our work. Along with this we undertake research on particular matters, eg, operational funding. The President and NZSTA staff also advocate directly with the Ministry/Minister’s office on behalf of individual member boards where they are experiencing problems which cannot otherwise be resolved.

We meet regularly with key people, agencies, and groups in the sector, eg, Minister of Education, Ministry of Education, Education Review Office, Teachers Council, unions.

The representational work and advocacy is supported by a national council, a full time President, and a policy analyst. The President, NZSTA representatives, and NZSTA staff, always represent members’ interests and advocate on members’ behalf as the first priority. Consultation Education is a busy sector with boards facing any number of issues. We continually consult and work with boards and other stakeholders on such things as the primary, area, and secondary work programmes, review of the operations grant, changes to transport policy, speed around schools, legislative changes, and many more.

NZSTA CANVASSES MEMBERS’ VIEWS ON ALL IMPORTANT /POTENTIALY DIVISIVE ISSUES

Emergency Staffing Scheme (ESS) 

Since 1995 NZSTA has administered this scheme on behalf of the Ministry of Education. The ESS scheme continues to fill an important role in providing “last resort” emergency staffing cover for mainly small schools which are experiencing difficulties in replacing a principal or in attracting relieving staff to temporarily fill a vacancy.
 

Resources
We have a number of resources such as Trusteeship: A Guide for School Trustees (the grey booklet), ACC/NZSTA health and safety kit, current collective agreements, Boards Leading Change, and other NZSTA guidelines. There is also the NZSTA Trustee Handbook (the black book) available free to NZSTA members (and which is now available online). Extra copies can be purchased by contacting our office. Our website contains a number of templates for employment and related matters.

MEMBERS RECEIVE NZSTA PUBLICATIONS /RESOURCES FREE OR AT A SIGNIFICANTLY DISCOUNTED COST 

Discounts 

A practical benefit of NZSTA membership is access to discounts. For example, members are eligible for a substantial discount (from $5,000 to $2,500) on employer liability insurance excess through NZSTA's partnership with brokers Crombie Lockwood. NZSTA has arranged for boards of trustees to receive substantial discounts on purchases made through GSB Supplycorp. NZSTA MEMBERS RECEIVE A $2,500 DISCOUNT ON THEIR EMPLOYER LIABILITY INSURANCE EXCESS THROUGH THE CROMBIE LOCKWOOD SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME. Other discounts for NZSTA members are currently being investigated.

Copyright Licensing Scheme 

NZSTA provides a “One Stop Shop” copyright licensing scheme. This runs from 1 June to 30 September of each year. A five percent discount on the copyright licensing fee is available to member boards (email our Copyright Coordinator for details).
NZSTA MEMBERS RECEIVE A FIVE PERCENT DISCOUNT ON THEIR COPYRIGHT LICENSING FEE

Emergency Preparedness Network  

Since November 1998 NZSTA software has been purchased by 700 schools and colleges, with more recent changes, including an on-line version, now being available at a low annual fee. This online data is available to emergency services so they may be fully prepared in attending an emergency situation at a school. NZSTA has worked to ensure that member boards purchasing this software can do so at a significantly cheaper cost than non-member boards.

NZSTA/Crombie Lockwood Scholarships  

NZSTA members are entitled to apply for a scholarship for professional development/research as part of the $20,000 worth of scholarships provided annually by Crombie Lockwood/Vero Liability.

For further information contact Bev Dixon.