Who
We Are

LSTAQ (Learning Support Teachers’ Association of Queensland Incorporated)

LSTAQ is the amalgamation of the former RTAQ (Remedial Teachers’ Association of Queensland Incorporated) and STAQ (Support Teachers’ Association of Queensland). RTAQ served teachers, students and parents for 33 years. STAQ originated as the Secondary Resource Teacher’s Association in 1978 and underwent the subsequent name change to reflect changed role titles in the workplace. The amalgamation as RSTAQ (Remedial and Support Teachers’ Association of Queensland Incorporated) in 2001 of the two associations, recognises the current educational context as one of change, challenge and opportunity. RSTAQ association name was changed to LSTAQ in 2009. LSTAQ represents a spirit of engagement to celebrate diversity and to be at the forefront of collegial conversations addressing identity and difference.

who-we-are

  • To promote the professional role of the learning support teacher working alongside teachers to enable students with diverse learning needs to participate in common educational experiences.
  • To provide a forum for communication and professional development among learning support teachers.
  • To advocate that learning support teachers have a mediating position in schools, as trained specialists, to remove barriers for students experiencing a range of learning difficulties.

Vision

Educational leaders problem-solving to create classrooms that accept and respect that each student has the opportunity to learn and grow within a school community.

Activities

  • Organise meetings, seminars, workshops, conferences for professional development and networking;
  • Maintain a website for the professional community;
  • Disseminate, through a variety of mechanisms, current research and theory in the professional field;
  • Liaise with and establish professional partnerships with other professional bodies with similar advocacy roles within Australia and internationally;

  • Liaise and collaborate with educational training institutions and accreditation bodies;
  • Negotiate professional standards and qualifications;
  • Advocate for learning support roles with employing bodies;
  • Negotiate and liaise with employer bodies and industrial unions who cover support teachers in Queensland.

Meet The Committee

Kerrie Ridings

Kerrie has worked for 30 years with Education Queensland in various roles including Early Childhood Teaching,  Learning Support and Special Education.

Robyn Davey

Robyn has been a committee member since 2007. Robyn began her teaching career as an early childhood educator working in Queensland State Pre-school centres. While raising her young family Robyn completed a Grad Dip in Resource Teaching at QUT.

Helen Little

  Helen joined the RTAQ in rural Queensland as a form of networking with like-minded professionals. On her transfer to Brisbane she joined the committee at the time of the merger with the Secondary Resource Teachers Association. She has been an active committee member since 2003. Helen has undertaken the role of President, Secretary and …

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Lesley Brown

Lesley joined the committee a year after becoming a member in 2008.

Jennie Lawless

Jennie Lawless helped to form Secondary Resource Teachers Association in 1977 having completed the Graduate Diploma in Secondary Resource Teaching 1975-1976. Jennie became the first President of the Association. She was involved as a committee member until 1990 and remained a member of that Association.

Testimonials

As a member of LSTAQ for many years, I have found it a valuable source of collegial support, professional development and ideas sharing. As you’d be aware, the staff doing the Learning Support role in many schools is often in a small minority, so the chance to talk over issues that arise is not found in every staffroom. However, the LSTAQ does provide such an opportunity, in my experience.

In conjunction with SPELD QLD and Learning Difficulties Australia, LSTAQ organises and conducts a two-day biennial conference which is of great interest and relevance to teachers working with students experiencing learning difficulties and learning disabilities. Keynote speakers and workshop presenters are of national and international importance in their teaching and research fields, so the conference can take credit for informing teachers of current developments in the area of learning support and disability education.

As member of LSTAQ over the past ten years, I have been impressed by the level of professionalism, currency of research shared pertinent to the changing roles within learning support, and the warm collegiality extended to all members. Members are encouraged to network and keep abreast of latest educational pedagogical practices through the website and professional conferences held every two years in conjunction with LDA and SPELD. The Association provides a welcome voice and forum for all Learning Support teachers and is a strong advocate of the learning support role within schools and supporting all students with diverse learning needs in education.

I have two thoughts to be shared about the work of LSTAQ.

First, I know that LSTAQ is recognised for their continued advocacy of teachers working in the challenging area of learning support.

Second, as a professional teacher association LSTAQ shares ideas, interventions and resources used in school based programs to promote student learning.

Hi Everyone,

My name is Emily Jones.  I joined the association almost ten years ago.  After beginning my teaching career, I quickly become involved with students with learning difficulties.   My teaching qualifications include my Graduate Diploma of Education (Resource) and Masters of Education (Career Development), into which I included some subjects related to working with students with learning difficulties.  I am currently employed full time with the Department of Education and Training, Queensland as a Support Teacher – Literacy and Numeracy (ST-LaN).

Working with students with learning difficulties, disabilities, special needs and the myriad of other titles for these students, has given me an appreciation of my relatively easy journey through the education system.  One essential element of being a ST-LaN is knowing the learners and how they learn.  When working with students, I focus on the creation of a learning environment that provides skill-based focused teaching, engaged learning and high (realistic) expectations.