How will the new opt-in funding impact teachers’ pay?

No. While we now have the 11 steps all other teachers have, we do not have the same rates yet for our most experienced kaiako.

The extended scale gives parity with the Kindergarten Teachers’ Collective Agreement scale to teachers on Steps 1 to 6, however steps 7 to 11 are ‘partial steps’.

This means experienced teachers working in Education and Care services will receive between $2,000 and $10,500 less than their colleagues teaching in Kindergarten.

This is the spreadsheet (linked) where you can find your centre and which level of pay parity your employer has opted into as at November 2024.

It's not very easy to open on your phone unfortunately and an Excel spreadsheet will be downloaded!

Q1, Q2 and Q3 for teachers who hold a current practising certificate issued by the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand but no subject or specialist qualification at level 7 or above on the NZQF, or equivalent overseas teaching qualifications recognised by the NZQA.

This group includes teachers who have obtained their practising certificate via the Teaching Council’s discretionary pathway process, provided they have received an ECE or Primary endorsement from the Council.

Q3+ for teachers who hold a current practising certificate issued by the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand and:

• a subject or specialist level 7 qualification on the NZQF (i.e. not an initial teacher education qualification) which can be a Diploma (excluding a National Diploma), Graduate Diploma or Degree; or

• an honours degree of teaching

• equivalent overseas qualifications assessed by the NZQA or an overseas qualification where NZQA has assessed that the qualification has level 7 (graduate) study in a subject or specialist area(s) i.e. any area of study that is not initial teacher education.

Q4 for teachers who hold a current practising certificate issued by the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand and:

• a subject or specialist level 8 qualification on the NZQF which can be an honours degree or a Post Graduate Diploma; or

• two subject or specialist level 7 qualifications on the NZQF (as listed above); or

• a masters degree of teaching; or equivalent overseas qualifications assessed by the NZQA.

Q5 for teachers who hold a current practising certificate issued by the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand and:

• a subject or specialist level 9 qualification on the NZQF - masters or doctorate; or

• equivalent overseas qualifications assessed by the NZQA.

You might think of service as all your experience in early childhood, but it’s important to distinguish between the experience you have before and after becoming a qualified certified teacher. Both impact your start point on the steps in different ways

There are two types of experience which count toward your place on the scale. They are:

1) Years of “service” which refers to your years working as a qualified certified teacher

2) Your “previous relevant work experience”

In the calculator we ask your years of service as a qualified and certified teacher. However, it is worthwhile checking how your previous relevant experience can also contribute toward your place on scale.

When determining your initial salary step recognised service means service within New Zealand as a:

- A trained early childhood teacher in a teaching capacity in a licensed early childhood centre or the Early Childhood Service of Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (The Correspondence School)

- A Head or Senior Teacher in a kindergarten

- A qualified certificated teacher employed in a teaching position within a New Zealand state or state integrated school (including Kaupapa Māori education)

- A qualified certificated relieving teachers employed continuously for six weeks or more in a New Zealand licensed early childhood centre or a state or state integrated school (including Kaupapa Māori).

Any service should be recognised in full when determining your initial salary step.

When determining your initial salary step previous relevant paid work experience means employment using knowledge of the education service, and/or teaching skills including:

- Untrained employees in teaching positions in licensed early childhood education centres including kindergartens and nga kōhanga reo

- Voluntary Service Abroad - providing service was in a teaching position while the teacher held a teaching certificate

- Teacher education lecturers and community education tutors - providing service in a teaching position while the teacher held a teaching certificate

- Kaiarahi i te Reo

- Teacher Aides / Kaiawhina

- Public sector employment with education focus, e.g., Ministry of Education, Early Childhood Development or other Crown Education Agencies

- Education officer in Government and non-Government organisations

- Special Education

- Social worker employed by DSW or Board of Trustees

- Professional officer of NZEI Te Riu Roa/PPTA/TTANZ

- Librarian

- Museum, Art Gallery, Zoo education officers

- Family day care co-ordinators in licensed home based early childhood education services.

Any previous relevant work experience that has occurred within the past 10 years should be credited as half-service up to a maximum of two steps.

Any previous relevant work experience that has occurred more than 10 years ago should not be credited towards a teacher’s initial salary step.

Half-credit means that each hour worked in the relevant role should be counted as half an hour of work for salary purposes.

All paid leave, like annual and sick leave, counts towards your service/hours.

Unpaid leave, like leave without pay or sick leave without pay, does not count towards your service/hours.

Every step equals 2080 hours - so keep track of the hours you've worked!

In other words, once you have worked 2080 hours (and this includes annual and sick leave), you should move to the next step on the pay scale.