Michael Hewitson: January 2014

Best Seller

Bestsellers

" A riveting read.... a page turner......a most important book......for us all"

How Will Our Children Learn? - Michael Hewitson - Click Image to Close

This story of A principal and teacher affects us all. It is a "riveting read" about choosing a better school for our children in every postcode throughout a Australia. If you have an interest in the education of a child then this book is for you.

HOW WILL OUR CHILDREN LEARN asks the big questions of what life is about. How will our children know what is important? How will we know that our children have at least learnt the basics? How did one State School for a decade become the property of the unionised staff room? Why did parents choose a new school in a dusty paddock – a school without tradition, money or resources?

This is also a book about Public Education, its importance and how to better provide it. Public education fails in the lower socioeconomic areas of Australia: this story reveals what we need to know in order to provide effective schools, and what parents need to know to choose an effective school.

The author is a teacher, past Director of the Salisbury Education Centre, founding Principal of the largest school in Australia, a Fellow of the Australian College of Education, and, in the past decade, a practising Maths and Science teacher.

How to buy:

selling in book shops across Australia and available online

HOW WILL OUR CHILDREN LEARN asks the big questions of what life is about. How will our children know what is important? How will we know that our children have at least learnt the basics? How did one State School for a decade become the property of the unionised staff room? Why did parents choose a new school in a dusty paddock – a school without tradition, money or resources?

This story of a teacher and principal affects us all. It is about choosing a better school for our children in every postcode across Australia.

This is a book about Public Education, its importance and how to better provide it. Public education fails in the lower socioeconomic areas of Australia: this story reveals what we need to know in order to provide effective schools, and what parents need to know to choose an effective school.

The author is a teacher, past Director of the Salisbury Education Centre, founding Principal of the largest school in Australia, a Fellow of the Australian College of Education, and, in the past decade, a practising Maths and Science teacher. In2014 made a Member of the Order of Australia. AM.

available from the publisher posted to you home inclusive of price.

http://www.connorcourt.com/catalog1/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=264#.UnGJIPlHLTo

or from Amazon in either book or Kindle format from;

http://www.amazon.com/Children-Learn-Choosing-Better-Schools/dp/1922168785

Reviews

School lessons worth learning | The Australian

www.theaustralian.com.au/national.../story-fn59nlz9-1226742745020

Oct 19, 2013 - How Will Our Children Learn? Choosing Better Schools: Educational Excellence in Every Postcode, by Michael Hewitson

Targeting school spending | The Australian

www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/.../story-e6frg71x-1226744804166

Oct 23, 2013 - The findings supported the observations of Michael Hewitson, founding principal ... As Mr Hewitson explained in How Will Our Children Learn

Australian Editorials

Saturday 20/09/2013 “learning the hard lessons”

Wednesday 23/09/2013

Order of Australia Award to Michael Hewitson AM

MEMBER (AM) IN THE GENERAL DIVISION OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA
The following award was published by the Governor General of Australia.

Mr Michael Gordon HEWITSON, PO Box 3078, Unley SA 5061
For significant service to education, to the Anglican Church in Australia, and to the community of Unley.

Chief Executive Officer, South Australian Anglican Schools System, 1988-2003; part of Anglican Schools Australia; formerly known as the Australian Anglican Schools Network. Chair, South Australian Anglican Schools Commission. Founding Secretary 1983-1988; Co-established the Commission.
Instrumental in establishing the first Catholic/Anglican School, St Columbia College.
Foundation Principal and Chief Executive Officer, Trinity College Gawler, 1984-2001. Oversaw the purchase of five separate campuses and the construction of facilities. Established volunteer program.

Instrumental in the establishment of the STARPlex sporting and arts facility which is used by both the College and the community, 2000.

Convenor and Co-Author, Anglican Needs in Education Enquiry, 1982; instrumental in establishing low fee Anglican Schools.

Honorary Principal, Hills Christian Community Primary School, Verdun, 1982.
Employee, South Australian Department of Education, 1969-1984. Senior Master, Daws Road High School, 1982-1984.

Member, Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration; South Australian Representative, National Development Conference, 1977.
Director, Salisbury Education Centre, 1975-1981.
Senior Science Master, Stuart High School, 1974.
School Representative, In-service Conference Planning, Coordinating and Advisory Committee.
International Consultant, for experimental sciences, International Baccalaureate Inc, appointed 1992.
Chairman, Western Region, South Australian Science Teachers Association, 1970s.

Councillor, Unley Ward, City of Unley, since 2006; Presiding Officer; Member of a range of committees including the Development Strategy and Policy; Audit; Road Safety; and the City Strategy and Policy Committees.

Founding Convenor, PEKA 10-9 Computer Association, 1981.
Founding Chairman, 5PBA FM Radio Station.
Adviser, Minister for Funding Public Radio, 1980-1987.
District Commissioner, Church of England Boys Society, in the 1970s. Instrumental in establishing the Natural Science Society, Eyre, in the 1970s.

Fellow, Australian College of Education, 1998.

Unlimited money ..... our rate rises

Unlimited Money

How would your spending go with unlimited money? Would you then review your current spending to ensure it was needed and was the best value?

Unley Council works out what we want to spend and then charges the rate payers to cover the cost! The staff and Councillors have produced their wish lists, and then we total the list up and haggle over the last 1% of the budget, and in the past have failed to review the total budget.

As your elected Councillor, I moved a motion to reverse the way we set our rates. I was happy with the debate, and real progress has been made. Most spoke in favour of setting the rate first…..talk is cheap……no-one queried my maths or figures… from $731.87 2001 up to $1,469.26 today for the average residential rate. Indeed 40% above inflation.

Talk is Cheap

A motion to set a fair target rate first lost. Fullerton Ward Councillor Peter Hughes seconded the motion

"That in framing the 2014/15 Budget, Council requests the Administration to provide options and their implications within the target rate range of a 3.3 – 4.0 percent increase in rates.

OFFICER’S COMMENTS

If the Council accepts this motion, the Administration will provide a range of rate increases from 3.3 – 4.0%, for Council’s consideration.

Cr John Koumi Parkside ward and Cr Peter Hughes Fullerton Ward supported the motion.

The Arguments

1. 4% above inflation is only a cup of coffee a week ANS:$640.00 is more like one every day and for some it is not trivial but difficult. The graph shows how over time such a rate rise is unsustainable.

2. To cut rates is to cut sevices: Over the past two years staff found savings of $1,450,000 with no cuts to services. We spent the lot with continuing rate rises as well! To reduce spending does not always mean a cut to services. The 3.3% rate proposed in fact should mean all existing services could be maintained even without the 1.2% savings or about $350,000 staff have said they will find this year as this 3.3% is the expected rise in the cost of council goods and services for 2014 based on the average of the previous three years. Even in schools across Australia we doubled the expenditure above CPI over the decade with reduced results!

3. Nominate what you want to cut from the wish list: This is a pointless exercise because with unlimited money the cuts may be made and your elected members will spend the lot! This happened in 2010 when I did suggest we cut the underwater street tree tank program to reduce rates! We did build the recycling water program but the savings did not reduce rates…. (See Ans... 2). I do have concerns about funding extra Fringe tack ons. I found the Fringe program packed full with so much choice but I am sure the free coffee tasting in the Memorial Gardens paid for with $20K from ratepayers will be good.

4. Our rates are no higher than other councils: Unley Council residential rate for a house of the same value are 10% higher than Burnside. Business differential is 50% higher in Unley….. Hence the Tour Down Under Party to highlight King William Road supporting our local shops is a fair $200,000.00 expense.

5. You’re just election grand standing: For the past six years I have suggested cuts and savings and sometimes council has compromised. I believe our rate would be 6% higher if I had not been elected. Whilst I am pleased with our teamwork as councillors, I find it irresponsible not to SET A TARGET RATE FIRST AND THEN CUT OUR CLOTH TO FIT. We do have big future costs to prevent flooding in Unley. Even if I were not running for re-election I would be still be pushing to set a target rate in Council, and then cut our cloth to fit…. Or explain to those paying rates why we have changed.

6. It is not legal to set the rate first and then budget against this: This has a basis of truth. But it is false because I have always sought to set a target rate to do the budget against. Unexpected things can happen or be created to challenge the target. We need to ensure the result is sustainable long term. However it seems that those with a vested interest in secret rate setting and high spending will try this on!

7. This is just popularism…why not cut rates below CPI say to 1%? I want our local government to provide good services, with parks, good transport for cars, bikes and PEDESTRIANS…etc….. If my notice of motion is to set the rate below the 3.3% expected rise in the costs of Council goods and services I will argue that we need to reduce our high long term debt while interest rates are low and we need to maintain our existing assets. Rates are a balance…. But setting rates with unlimited money to fund every wish list is equally unacceptable. I remember the Boston Common…. A very large Victoria Square in the USA city of Boston was weedy with broken down playgrounds. We need strong but accountable Local Government.

8. Wages

Rates over the past 10 years have increased above wage increases by 16.2% above the wage price index for South Australia.

Wednesday, 29 January 2014