Expression of Interest FAQs
We’ve put together a list of frequently asked questions which may be helpful to you in applying for Advanced Classroom Expertise Teacher (ACET) recognition.
Select a category below to be taken to questions and answers relating to that topic.
Teacher frequently asked questions - General
Certification and employment status
Classroom teaching load
Six years classroom teaching experience
Teaching roles
Permanent units
Expressions of interest
National prioritisation criteria and process
Principal frequently asked questions - General
Teacher frequently asked questions - General
There are approximately 250 allowances to be allocated in 2023.
Can I express my interest if I’m not a member of a union?
Yes. ACET recognition has been agreed in response to an NZEI Te Riu Roa claim about career pathways for teachers. As such, it is part of the Primary Teachers’ Collective Agreement 2016-2018 (PTCA). The ACET recognition process is open to all New Zealand primary teachers in a state or state-integrated school who meet the eligibility criteria and who are employed under the terms and conditions of the PTCA or applicable Individual Employment Agreement (IEA).
If I am ACET recognised, what happens if I receive a TeachNZ study award or sabbatical?
You will continue to receive the ACET allowance as part of your normal base salary.
Can more than one teacher from a single school submit an expression of interest?
Yes, there are no restrictions on how many teachers can express their interest from one school.
What if I accept a position at a different school during the process?
You will need to continue to meet the eligibility criteria and discuss this with your new principal as they will need to support your expression of interest and portfolio. You will also need to notify TeachNZ of the change by emailing ACET.Recognition@education.govt.nz.
What is required to submit an ACET portfolio?
You have 19 weeks (which includes 2 term breaks) to compile a portfolio comprising of a commentary and body of evidence. Teachers who have submitted portfolios acknowledged that a significant amount of time was required to collect evidence and complete the commentary. You can find out more information about what is required in the Portfolio Overview.
What type of evidence should I be submitting as part of my ACET portfolio?
The most effective evidence occurrs naturally as part of exemplary classroom teaching practice. It is suggested that from term 4, you start to collect evidence which shows your teaching practice is exemplary in preparation for compiling your portfolio.
In what circumstances will I become ineligible to continue with the process?
You will become ineligible to continue if:
- the Expression of Interest is not endorsed by your principal
- the Expression of Interest or Portfolio Forms are incomplete
- your circumstances change (e.g. teaching workload does not meet 0.8 FTTE criteria, your employment status changes, competency issues)
- your principal does not certify your portfolio as an accurate representation of your professional and classroom practice
- your principal does not make any recommendation on your portfolio.
Certification and employment status
Can I express my interest if my certification is subject to confirmation?
No, you must be fully certified.
Can I express my interest if I am on a fixed-term basis?
No, you must be permanently employed.
Can I express my interest if I am a long-term reliever?
No, you must be permanently employed.
Can I express my interest if I am a classroom teacher in a special school?
Yes, providing you meet all the eligibility criteria.
Can I express my interest if I am released as a reading recovery teacher?
Yes, provided you are teaching in a classroom for a minimum of 20 contact hours (on average) per week.
Classroom teaching load
What does 0.8 FTTE mean?
Full-time Teacher Equivalent (FTTE) means one full-time teaching position and this has a measure of 25 hours contact time per week (five hours per day). To be eligible for this allowance you need to be teaching in the classroom for a minimum of 20 hours per week, which is equivalent to four full days of classroom teaching.
What does teaching load mean?
Teaching load means classroom teaching load. If you are not engaged in classroom teaching for at least 20 hours (on average) per week you are not eligible for ACET recognition.
Does my Classroom Release Time count as time out of the classroom?
No. Your Classroom Release Time (CRT) should not be counted towards your time out of the classroom. It is included as part of your 20 hours per week (0.8 FTTE).
Does all my previous teaching service have to have a teaching load of 0.8 FTTE?
No. At the time you express your interest in ACET recognition you must have a classroom teaching load of at least O 8 FTTE.
Six years classroom teaching experience
Can I submit an expression of interest if I have nearly completed six years?
Yes, as long as you will have six years of service by the time you submit your portfolio.
Can I express my interest if I teach across more than one classroom in the same school?
Yes, as long as you meet the other eligibility criteria, including a classroom teaching load of at least 0.8 FTTE.
Can I count my teaching service while I was provisionally registered?
Yes, provided that you meet all of the eligibility criteria.
Can I express my interest if I have taught in a private school?
Yes, provided that you have taught in a state or state-integrated school for six years and are currently teaching in a state or state-integrated school. Any previous service in a private school does not contribute to the six years’ service.
Can I express my interest if I worked part-time within in a state or state-integrated school?
You must have six equivalent full-time years teaching experience. This does not have to be consecutive and can include part-time service. For example, two years of 0.5 FTTE can be counted as one year of service.
Teaching roles
I work for an area or secondary school, am I eligible?
Yes, but only if you are employed under the PTCA or applicable IEA and meet the eligibility criteria.
If I am a Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour, who works in primary schools, can I express my interest?
No, ACET recognition is only for primary teachers who are classroom-based teachers. You must have a classroom teaching load of at least 0.8 FTTE and meet all the other eligibility criteria.
If I am a Community of Learning Teacher (within school), can I express my interest?
Yes, teachers appointed to Community of Learning (within school) roles must maintain at minimum a 0.8 FTTE classroom teaching load.
If I am a Community of Learning Teacher (across-schools), can I express my interest?
No, teachers appointed to Community of Learning (across-schools) roles will not meet the 0.8 FTTE classroom teaching load requirement.
Permanent units
What will happen if I receive more than one permanent unit during the ACET recognition process?
You will no longer be eligible if you receive more than one permanent unit at any time. We will confirm with your principal the number of permanent units you hold in October of each year.
Expressions of interest
When will I find out the outcome of my expression of interest?
You will be notified by email in term one.
What happens with incomplete expressions of interest?
Expressions of interest will not be considered if they remain incomplete or are received after the closing date.
Who can endorse my expression of interest if my principal is away?
The acting principal is the only person who can endorse your expression of interest on behalf of your principal.
What if I get a new principal?
The new principal is required to pick up the process, working with the previous principal where practical.
Can I withdraw my expression of interest from the ACET recognition process?
You can withdraw your expression of interest from the ACET recognition process. However, once teachers have been invited to submit a portfolio, no further invitations can be issued. Please think carefully about the time commitment required to compile and submit a portfolio before you submit an expression of interest.
How do I withdraw my expression of interest from the ACET recognition process?
Withdrawal from the process requires a written notification of your withdrawal by email to ACET.Recognition@education.govt.nz.
National prioritisation criteria and process
When will the national prioritisation process be run?
If a greater number of expressions of interest than allowances available for allocation
(approximately 250) are received, a national prioritisation process will be run to reduce the teachers selected to submit a portfolio to the maximum available.
What are the national prioritisation criteria?
Information on the national prioritisation criteria and process can be found in the download section at www.TeachNZ.govt.nz/ACET.
If the national prioritisation process is used, will teachers who meet the eligibility criteria but are not selected be kept on a waiting list?
No. Any teacher who was invited to submit a portfolio at a later date would be disadvantaged as they would not have the same amount of time to compile and complete the portfolio. To ensure that the process does not rank teachers against each other at any stage, the number of teachers who are selected to submit a portfolio cannot exceed the number of allowances available.
If I hold a formalised leadership role in my school and meet all the other eligibility criteria, including 0.8 FTTE in the classroom, am I eligible to express interest?
Yes, you can express your interest if you have formalised leadership roles as this is only one of the factors considered in the national prioritisation process, should it be used.
Can I express my interest if I have any fixed-term units?
Yes, you can express your interest if you have any fixed-term units as this is only one of the factors considered in the national prioritisation process, should it be used.
Principal frequently asked questions - General
When a teacher who is eligible to express interest approaches me for endorsement, should I raise any concerns I have that their practice and portfolio may not fulfil professional criteria?
Yes. Open and honest professional conversations about professional performance will help teachers develop areas that require strengthening. Alternatively, through discussion with the teacher, you may gain additional knowledge of their practice and increased confidence that they can fulfil the professional criteria.
What if I have several teachers who wish to submit an expression of interest?
There is no restriction on the number of teachers from a school. You should endorse expressions of interest for all teachers who meet the eligibility criteria.
What if the teacher has not had a performance review in one of the three consecutive years prior to expressing their interest?
Teachers who have not had three consecutive performance reviews prior to expressing their interest are ineligible.
I am a new principal or acting principal at the school and lack knowledge of the teacher’s work. How can I endorse their expression of interest?
You should review the teacher's personnel file to find information about previous years’ performance assessments (appraisals) to determine eligibility for endorsement. Wherever practical, you should also contact the previous principal.