Principals

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Principals and the AEU

Principals and assistant principals are a vital part of the AEU. Working together as a profession, we have already achieved great things.

Recent gains include:

• Salary increases for principal class members plus structural changes worth 7.55% for principals and 2.43% for APs, backdated to 24 December 2021
• Long-requested reforms to superannuation arrangements - removing TRP, while protecting the interests of defined benefit scheme members
• The creation of two separate scales – one for principals and one for assistant principals – with a promotion gap of 5%
• $11.988 million to reduce administrative burdens, so PCA members can focus more on their core role of educational leadership
• Expressed permission for part-time employment, allowing for greater flexibility 
• A commitment from DET to work towards a promotion profile of at least 20% for every school by 2025
• Industrial consultation and workload assessment must occur prior to the introduction of any DET plans that may affect the workload of principals.

Previous wins include:

• Adjustment of the principal classification budget barriers to reset the work value for principal positions, providing access to a higher remuneration range for positions at the top of the existing budget barriers
• Principals to be employed at Range 2 or above 
• $10,000 payment to recognise workload of Principal Network Chairs
• Additional resources for learning and teaching through the introduction of a new promotion position of learning specialists
• Defeat of performance pay with no quotas, no lump sum payments for performance and commitment to using aggregate, not individual, data
• Increased regional resources, resulting in 150 extra DET staff to support schools
• A single agreement for all school staff. 

These successes were not won easily. The collective strength of principals, teachers, and support staff is critical for improving the learning outcomes of all students and the working lives of all staff.

Your representative voice

The AEU is run by members, for members. We are the only union with the knowledge, experience, and resources to support Victorian principals to get the best outcomes for their students, their staff, and themselves.

The AEU understands the challenges facing principals. We provide one-on-one guidance and support, and also work on a bigger picture level to bring about real and lasting change. Our current focus is on addressing workload and stress, the need for increased support at the administrative and the regional level, and the need for better funding of schools overall.

Together with the AEU’s elected leadership, principal members meet regularly with Department of Education and Training officials, as well as state and federal politicians.

Principals are represented in the AEU through the Principal Class Association (PCA). All principals who are AEU members are automatically included in the PCA. Through the PCA, our principal members have the opportunity to inform AEU policy and positions on key educational, professional and industrial matters. The PCA Executive and Advisory Committee is your forum to raise issues and to influence the actions and decisions of the AEU.

The AEU is committed to supporting principal class members when tensions arise within a school and a community. When there is a dispute involving a PCA member and another AEU member, the principal will have their own designated officer who can advocate on their behalf, offering independent, confidential advice.