Staff+duties+and+responsibilities+academic+rationale

__**Academic rationale**__

All staff share the responsibility for consistent implementation of policies and processes that maintain the successful achievement of outcomes for students (DEECD, 2009c). In order for this to be achieved, Aim High believes it is the responsibility for the school to provide transparent access to duties and responsibilities that staff members will be expected to fulfill, and for staff members to learn their duties and responsibilities and then to do them.

The purpose for schooling is to achieve the outcomes for which schools were created. The primary outcome is to help young people become educated in critical thinking and other skills and knowledge so they are able to contribute to society and their own lives in a measured and constructive way once schooling is complete (DEECD, 2009f). To achieve this outcome the staff, or a secondary outcome of schools (being to employ members of the community), must assist students in achieving the primary outcome - of learning. In order to do so staff members are allocated responsibilities and duties to perform. In a government school there are number of staffing roles that have been created to achieve the purpose of the school in an efficient, structured and clear manner (DEECD, 2009c; DEECD, 2009e; Holmes, 1993). Such roles include but are not limited to: principal, assistant principal, leading teachers, classroom teachers, administrative staff, student welfare coordinators, librarians, etc. To maintain order and efficiency of purpose in running and maintaining the school, each role has specific duties and responsibilities to perform. Each duty performed is aimed at achieving the primary outcome of helping young people become educated (DEECD, 2009c).

A 'staff duties and responsibilities policy' aims to clearly translate into simple terms the main duties and responsibilities of each role within the school. The duties help staff members achieve the outcome of student learning and also assist the school to achieve its individualised aims, values, philosophy of teaching and the atmosphere in which the school aims to create in which to achieve such outcomes.

To assist with defining the roles and the associated responsibilities, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) has a number of resources available that outline and specify the duties of staff members in government schools (see for example, DEECD, 2009a; DEECD, 2009b; DEECD, 2009c; DEECD, 2009d; DEECD, 2009e). In order to incorporate the DEECD's requirements with Aim High's own policies and procedures, the duties and responsibilities have been listed and referenced in the policy under four main headings. It is hoped that doing so will allow for ease of the relevant staff member or interested parties. The four headings are: 1) Leadership; 2) teaching and learning; 3) community; and 4) other.

For the purposes of this wiki creation and the outcome of the secondary teacher education course, the first three headings of the policy involve mainly teaching staff and their associated duties and responsibilities. The 'other' heading is intended to incorporate other types of employment within the school, such as cleaners, canteen attendants, administrative staff, etc.