Staff were happy to be consulted and able to have an input into the plan. They felt this was a first, and buy in and input was valuable and constructive. Overall the plan was perceived as a good starting point. Staff wanted to go deeper into the statements. As a Senior SSP, staff felt that the students were not well represented and some had empathy for remote areas, feeling that they might not be represented as well as possible.
- School group submission

There are quality statements that will be beneficial to students and staff, however, there is no mention of after and before school care initiatives. There is a benefit in supplying more services in regional and remote areas so all children have safe and comprehensive care.
- Support office staff member (formerly school admin staff)

Hope that they really do lift the status of teachers.
- School staff member

Would like to see some bolder brave moves for education transformation. Entrenched issues that feed inequity in the system require significant shifts. Collaboration and growing collective capability and responsibility are key opportunities.
- Community member

Happy but only somewhat. The plan focusses on the right areas for our schools. But people are fundamental to the success of this plan, yet the people focus excludes education support teams. What is the plan to ensure the wellbeing of education support? What is the plan to ensure we have the right systems?What about infrastructure?
- Support office staff member

It is inclusive and promotes equity and addresses the needs of students schools and teachers. I like the reference to comprehensive wrap-around services and embedding the voice of teachers, students and families in decision-making. I am not sure how the DoE is going to measure how students achieve their learning potential. I applaud the focus on teacher trust and pride, including recruitment.
- Retiring teacher

I would feel better if it actually included something substantial that would ACTUALLY help - eg Improve student outcomes by reducing class sizes to no more than 20 students- THAT might help. Give each school a non- teaching AP who can work for their stages off class to reduce load on the AP's who are full time AP's and also full time classroom teachers.
- School staff member

The plan looks good and seeks to address some key areas of concern. Recognising and respecting teachers is vital to attracting more people into the profession. Without a full staff a school struggles to achieve its aims... Student well-being is more and more vital. Access to high quality school counselling needs to be guaranteed.
- School staff member

Change the measure "Increasing the proportion of NSW public school leavers completing year 12. This could be "Increasing the proportion of NSW public school leavers who transition to a trade/apprenticeship, pursue other education pathways or complete year 12. It is important to note that not every learner is textbook and the curriculum is one factor but the social value is another, if a student does not fit into the school environment but leaves to pursue another pathway prior to year 12, it does not make them or the school a failure. This measure encourages schools to promote students to go to year 12, however, schools should be rewarded for paying so much attention to their learners that they realise a different pathway is a better option for certain individual learners.
- Parent/carer

I feel that while it does provide an effective summary and outline of the Department's objective over the next few years, I do think there are some further improvements that could be made. For example, it could be more ambitious with more new policies to tackle major problems facing students, including plummeting school attendance and slipping results.
- Student

In a way, i want to say that a student needs a bullying plan to stop more and more student feeling upset and don’t feel sad and unhappy to come to school
- Student

Really love that equity continues to be high priority and that wellbeing is also encompassed.
- School staff member

It’s easy to read, it seems like the plan is going in the right direction. Would like to know what support and what funding is available to implement the plan
- School staff member

It seems to be looking at flexible and individualised learning pathways for students as needed. However there also needs to be a mechanism for measuring literacy and numeracy for students with disabilities, not just measuring belonging
- Parent/carer

To deliver equitable outcomes will require a lot more in school support. For instance, increased funding for more students to have access to SLSO, smaller class sizes so students can receive more one on one.
- School staff member

Ensuring fit for purpose teacher training is the key to the success of NSW Public Education.
- School staff member

Equity is the most important outcome. We can't expect everyone to be getting the best results but we can at least provide everyone with the chance to get their best results. We need to make sure we are truly talking about EQUITY and not EQUALITY.
- Support office staff member

Rebuilding trust and pride in the teaching profession has been a strong focus in the past 18 months in our school and we are seeing the benefits now with improved staff wellbeing and capacity.
- School staff member

It appears that the government has finally listened and is on the path towards equity.
- School staff member

We think that focusing on staff wellbeing is important in improving school environments and student outcomes.
- School staff group submission

I think the context and way in which it has been presented is great however these are very large and ambitious goals which are not going to be achieved quickly - so perhaps a priority list would be nice to see.
- Support office staff member

As a upper primary teacher, I like that there will be better transitions between primary and secondary schools but am curious about how this will happen?
- School staff member

I want the issues of behaviour in the plan so that the teachers feel supported and have direction and ways of improving behaviour in our schools. Many schools do not have the staff and resources to properly deal with the various student issues.
- School staff member

I have 2 children of which we could not get 1 into preschool at age 3. More preschools required. So building 100 preschools is great. More focus should be on staff - without staff there is no education.
- Parent/carer

I would like to see some draft timelines on how to achieve results for each of the priorities. Without drafted timelines there is a risk that our focus will diverge in attempting to achieve everything at the same time.
- School staff member

There is a lot to like about this plan. For me personally, the focus on equity is what makes me happy, as well as a focus on supporting our teachers.
- Parent/Carer

Not enough resources for some children with complex needs. We are trying, but some still miss out on programs/support.
- School staff group submission

The principles for the plan seem very positive. We particularly like the focus on students. Still wanting to see more and know more about the plan.
- School staff group submission

I love the title - transforming lives! This is what we do - the focus should be on our students and setting high expectations for teaching and learning.
- School staff member

Workload reduction is a must to prevent further burnout and people walking away from this profession. I also like the enhanced emphasis on Staff wellbeing.
- School staff member

The overall ideas identified in the plan are great- however the plan has little substance in terms of how these plans will be achieved. A two page plan tells us very little about how anything will actually be achieved or will change.
- School staff member

This plan is clear and aspirational. It includes language of thoughtfulness and inclusion. It is positive and looks to improve our situation in a way that includes us.
- School staff member

The draft shows that you are listening, more than has been in the past. It's very broad and it is more aligned to where we need to be heading as a department but we need to see action that relates to it for that trust in it to build.
- School staff member

There are many positive aspects of the draft plan with a focus on teacher and student wellbeing. It would be helpful to understand how these ideas will be actioned in the school setting.
- School staff member

We've heard a lot of promises in the past about reduced workload or improved wellbeing, and while I appreciate that being specific is beyond the purview of this document, I am still waiting to see what this looks like in terms of my own experience as a teacher.
- School staff member

It is a well presented draft plan. It has been broken down well into working on a plan that includes, everyone, early learners, school students and staff.
- School staff group submission