When the Post-Primary Teachers' Association marked the roll at its annual conference in Christchurch on Tuesday, there was a notable absentee - Minister of Education Erica Stanford.
Association president Chris Abercrombie opened the conference by calling out her absence and an excuse he did not think carried water.
Minister Stanford was scheduled to give this conference's keynote address, an appointment in her diary since April, Abercrombie told the crowd, before an abrupt change of heart in recent days.
Abercrombie said the minister's office initially told the union she had an unavoidable clash, but later, in response to media questions, said she had been advised by the ministry not to attend because of ongoing collective bargaining and associated industrial action.
"She doesn't seem to be aware that countless education ministers, both Labour and National, have come to the conference in the midst of difficult industrial times.
"It is hugely disappointing and very poor form," Abercrombie told attendees.
Then there is the war of words with ministers and officials.
To cries of "shame" from the crowd, Abercrombie called remarks by public services minister Judith Collins about teachers' incomes "blatant lies". (The minister would later walk the claims back saying she had "mixed up her message.")
And he accused public service commissioner Sir Brian Roche of spreading "disturbing misinformation" by disputing the existence of a teacher shortage, and saying pay offers matched inflation.
The comments were disappointing because "they do not help us move forward," Abercrombie said.
"At the end of the day, teachers want a settlement - they don't want disruption, they want to be in their classroom teaching, they want their students in front of them, that's what we all want."
Abercrombie's speech canvassed the NCEA overhaul, curriculum changes, week's rolling strikes, the union's legal action in response to the government's quashing of pay equity claims, and its Waitangi Tribunal claims over treaty breaches, such as the diversion of resources from Te Reo Māori.
"The minister wants to give students the best education they can have with the best qualifications, and we want to help do that - that's why we're here. But to do that, we need to be well resourced, we need a qualification that is developed carefully and slowly, and takes all things into consideration."
He said the job was too important, and a great teacher had the ability to change a life.
"Mine was Mrs Kelly. She was my history teacher in Blue Mountain College in Tapanui, an amazing history teacher who made me want to become a history teacher."
Erica Stanford's office was contacted for comment.
Art teacher and union representative Paul Stevens said the government ran the risk of further widespread industrial action if more public sector workers rejected pay offers.
"I think more and more people are going to be standing up, and we're seeing that with the increasing number of people who are striking, including primary teachers.
The coalition was putting itself in a difficult position "if they're basically giving a middle finger to workers, because workers know historically how to respond to that kind of attitude from a government", Stevens said.
Teaching was and remained "really rewarding", but had become increasingly challenging, he said.
"In the current context it feels like our role has been politicised, and that's really frustrating, because when [the government] is asking for the changes they are - not just in NCEA, but in the curriculum and beyond, and when they're asking us to do more for less, which they are in the current pay negotiations, it really doesn't feel like we're valued."
Greymouth teacher Kate Halls said she understood the lure of better pay in Australia, but had already moved from England to New Zealand because she believed it was a great place to teach.
"Unfortunately, in the eight years I've been here, the cost of every single one of my outgoings have risen and risen, but my salary has not kept up. I work as an exam marker as well as a teacher, and if I didn't do that, I wouldn't be able to keep up with my outgoings."
All the upheaval had left her considering her options.
"I'd be lying if I said I hadn't considered my long term future in teaching, because it feels like every time I get my feet on the ground and I feel like I know which direction I'm going and what the government and NZQA want from me, it all gets tossed in the air.
"There's only so many times you can go through that without feeling demoralised."
