Specialist teacher and specialist classroom teacher allowance

Learn about the allowances for specialist teachers and specialist classroom teachers. This allowance is paid to area school specialist teachers and secondary school specialist classroom teachers who provide professional development, guidance, mentoring and induction to other staff.

Level of compliance Main audience Other

Inform

  • Teachers and Kaiako
  • Boards
  • Principals and Tumuaki

Area school specialist teacher

If you are appointed as an area school specialist teacher you will be paid an allowance and allocated a certain number of hours per week for your duties.

Details are set out in clause 2.15 of your collective agreement.

Clause 2.15 – Area School Teachers’ Collective Agreement

Specialist teacher requirements

To be appointed as a specialist teacher you must:

  • be a permanently appointed, registered teacher, full or part time, with a significant classroom teaching load
  • have at least 6 years’ teaching experience (in New Zealand or overseas)
  • have achieved the experienced classroom teacher standards, or overseas equivalent, for at least the last 3 years.

If you do not meet the criteria in your employment agreement you can still be appointed as a specialist teacher. Your school would need to get official agreement (concurrence) from the Ministry of Education.

For more information email: employment.relations@education.govt.nz.        

Specialist teacher payments and allowances

If you are appointed as a specialist teacher, you are eligible for:

  • an allowance of $5,000 per annum from 28 January 2020 in a school with up to 100 students. To ensure you receive this allowance your school must complete the specialist classroom teacher and specialist teacher application form below
  • an allowance of $10,000 per annum from 28 January 2020 in a school with more than 100 students. To ensure you receive this allowance your school must complete the specialist classroom teacher and specialist teacher application form below
  • reimbursement of study fees of up to $1,000 a year for 2 years, for study towards relevant post-graduate qualifications when you’re first appointed as a specialist teacher. You need to apply for this reimbursement using the reimbursement form below.

You can not have permanent units added to your salary as well, but you can keep 1 fixed-term unit if you are continuing with a specific responsibility.

Specialist teacher allocation of hours per week

You will be allocated a certain number of hours each week for your duties.

  • A school with up to 100 students has 2 hours a week of specialist teacher time.
  • A school with more than 100 students has 4 hours a week of specialist teacher time.

This time is in addition to your usual non-contact time.

Secondary school specialist classroom teacher

If you are appointed as a secondary school specialist classroom teacher, you will be paid an allowance and allocated a certain number of hours per week for your duties.

Details are set out in clause 3.8B of your collective agreement.

Clause 3.8B – Secondary Teachers’ Collective Agreement

Specialist classroom teacher requirements

To be appointed as a specialist classroom teacher you must:

  • be a permanently appointed, registered teacher, full or part time, with a significant classroom teaching load
  • have at least 6 years’ teaching experience (in New Zealand or overseas)
  • have achieved the experienced classroom teacher standards, or overseas equivalent, for at least the last 3 years.

If you don’t meet the criteria in your employment agreement, you can still be appointed as a specialist classroom teacher. Your school would need to get official agreement (concurrence) from the Ministry of Education.

For more information email: employment.relations@education.govt.nz.

Specialist classroom teacher payments and allowances

If you are appointed as a specialist classroom teacher you are eligible for:

  • an allowance of $10,000 per annum from 28 January 2020. To ensure you receive this allowance your school must complete the Specialist Classroom Teacher and Specialist Teacher application form below.
  • reimbursement of study fees of up to $1,000 a year for 2 years, for study towards relevant postgraduate qualifications when you’re first appointed as a specialist classroom teacher. You need to apply for this reimbursement using the reimbursement form below.

You can not have permanent units added to your salary as well, but you can keep 1 fixed-term unit if you are continuing with a specific responsibility.

Specialist classroom teacher allocation of hours per week

You will be allocated a certain number of hours per week for your duties.

  • A school with up to 1,200 students has 4 hours a week of specialist classroom teacher time.
  • A school with more than 1,200 students has 8 hours a week of specialist classroom teacher time.

This time is in addition to your usual non-contact time.

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