Salary assessment for new and beginning teachers
PPTA Te Wehengarua advice to members about the salary assessment process for new teachers.
Fill out salary assessment form NOVO7t
Teachers should complete the salary assessment form NOVO7t. The form is available from your school's executive officer/bursar or you can download it from the Novopay website.
Download the form NOVO7t Salary Assessment for teachers
Link to the Novopay webpage for Salary Assessment
Attach certified copies of your evidence of qualifications, training and experience to your completed salary assessment form.
A certified copy is the copy of a document that is stamped and signed as a true copy of the original by a person who is allowed to take declarations.
A photocopy of the certified copy is not a certified copy.
School principals can certify true copies.
Teacher salaries are determined by qualifications, training and experience
Evidence of each of these must be presented to the Salary Assessment Unit (SAU) in the form of certified copies.
If you are claiming relevant work experience, this must be documented by the employer stating the nature of the work, the dates you were employed (start and finish dates) and whether it was full time or part-time.
Secondary Teachers' Collective Agreement (STCA) Appendix A
Area School Teachers' Collective Agreement (ASTCA) Appendix 7
Often this evidence is diffïcult to gather, businesses have closed, the work may be freelance, or documents need translation.
We recommend submitting qualifications and training evidence even if the work experience documents are pending. At least this will get you off the untrained, unqualified step.
Once payroll receives all documentation they will do the assessment, it will take no longer than 15 working days.
Teachers are likely to receive a lower rate of pay than that to which they are entitled until payroll has assessed their salary.
Delays in the salary assessment process
Sometimes there can be delays and these can occur at any step in the process. The most frequent delay is when teachers have not completed the form correctly or have failed to provide the necessary documentation to the salary assessment unit.
First pay - what to watch for
Teachers' pay starts from 28 January, or a date when the principal requires new teachers to be at school. This is often a day prior to the students returning. That is the date you will be paid from. So the first pay is typically for 10 days rather than the 14 many are expecting.
You may want to be at school earlier than the formal start date which is a matter of goodwill.
However, if you are required to be there and participate in meetings or professional development then you should be paid.
The Secondary Teachers' Collective Agreement (STCA) and Area School Teachers' Collective Agreement ( ASTCA) provide detail on the application of salary rates.
If you are not paid accurately on your first pay, or have queries about your pay, contact your branch (school) PPTA chairperson and then your PPTA field officer.
Many schools will advance teachers funds if there is an issue with pay.
Contact your PPTA field officer