National President, New Zealand Principals’ Federation
It is hard to credit where my last two years as your national comes on top of the challenges that have been highlighted at president have gone. Northland’s troubled Whangaruru Charter School. My time in Wellington started with the complete shambles When the looseness of the charter school model with its that was the newly launched Novopay. One of my first meetings freedom to employ untrained teachers is compared against the was with Peter Hughes to convince him that the new software tightening of accountabilities implicit in the new Teachers Council was already a complete nightmare and needed to be replaced. proposed under the Education Amendment Bill No 2, one is left By March when national presidents gathered for the annual wondering what planet they are all on. The two propositions NZPF moot in Wellington, wider are so contradictory that it frustrations had crystallised. Changing the way in which the is impossible to take either One of the prominent concerns seriously. 950 submitters to principals raised was the poor Ministry related to schools the Select Committee spoke relationship between schools against aspects of the Bill, but was never going to be quick nor easy. and Ministry staff. nothing of substance has yet Peter Hughes was brought in fundamentally changed as a to mop up after Lesley Longstone’s short-lived tenure at the start result. of 2013 and he immediately set about dealing to the Novopay nightmare, but he was also made aware of the toxic legacy of previous policy implementation processes, and their impact on the connection between the Ministry and schools. Changing the way in which the Ministry related to schools was never going to be quick nor easy. The Ministry is one of the largest in the public service, with nearly 3000 employees, and 10th Annual Teachers Matter Conference while the boss might have an understanding of the need for change and even a vision for what that might look like, there was a significant amount of resistance to overcome if the sector was to believe in any brave new world. Hughes recognised that and warned that it would be five years before any transformation would be evident from every angle of view, but he has clearly set about endeavouring to win back the confidence of schools with a more sympathetic and less heavy handed approach. For many of his staff it will have been a “let’s wait and see if he really means it” approach, but I think it has become very clear that he does. I believe that Peter Hughes is a man of integrity and moral purpose, albeit a servant of government, but one who has endeavoured to do the right thing when the choice has been his to make. Up the road at the big house sit the politicians and the 2014 election result sent a fairly clear signal to the country about the Leading International Speakers • Top NZ Speakers support the current government enjoys. What does this mean Specialist Workshops • Collective Wisdom Forum for education policy? Meet the Speakers Smorgasbord Smoke signals suggest that National is still committed to its charter schools policy, as they have given Act’s only MP David 21/22 JANUARY SYDNEY 27/28 JANUARY ROTORUA Seymour the role of Under Secretary to the Minister of Education with responsibility for charter schools. This disappointing For more information: commitment to such an unwelcome policy continues to suggest www.teachersmatter.co.nz that ulterior motives and ideology drive what should be a simple or call us on 0800 37 33 77 public good – free public education. All this potential angst
Inspire, Motivate and Focus your Team for 2015
So the profession will be asked to stump up an increased registration fee to support the work of a Council whose governors are not democratically selected by its members. The PPTA has gone so far as to suggest that their teachers boycott the new body’s registration process – and that of course could be the ultimate challenge to its future. The IES has gone somewhat to ground, but will doubtless be churning its way forward to a quiet wee pilot launch in 2015, as promised, and using the early adopters who can see the money waiting to be accessed. The trouble with this muted approach is that much will now happen undercover and far from public scrutiny. Who will provide the leadership training for the principal’s role? Will all the various applicant communities fit within the proposed rules? Will they represent the full “pipeline”, from year one to thirteen? Nothing will be quite as important as getting the first cabs off the ranks in order to point to their inevitable “success” down the track. It’s a shame in many ways that any rational and transparent debate of this policy’s detail has not been possible. It is clear that a wide range of views still exists, and that the various groups with concerns are not in fact that far away from others who purport to endorse it. This policy will have more than a few hurdles to overcome in the months ahead, and it will be interesting to see how it lands in practice. We have toiled away in the background on special education and the challenges that schools face working within the current funding constraints, while battling increasingly complex parental expectations from all sides. We have been trying to bring the various players together for a face to face discussion, but it is
Resilience for Educators: Professional Development A growing body of evidence suggests that the difficult conditions in some of our work environments, the excessive demands on a teacher’s time, and the heightened job pressures too often grind these professionals down, distort their ideals of professional practice, and erode their commitment to their chosen profession; as well as taking a toll on their personal wellbeing. (Dr. Paula Barrett)
Resilience for Educators teaches skills and strategies that are evidenced based and scientifically proven to help professionals build resiliency, specifically; • Self-Reflection • Mind based strategies – Attitude & Paradigm Shifting, Positive Psychology & Mindfulness • Brain based strategies – for understanding & accessing our ability to stay calm under pressure • Body based strategies for dealing with stress – self regulation, self-soothing, movement & relaxation • Communication strategies that build relationships and enhance problem solving while respecting boundaries • Presents ideas for preventing, releasing and dealing with stress • Long term skills for staying fresh and preventing burnout
Contact us to Book your PD or for further information. Contact: Jenny Bell – p: 027 245 2749 e: jenny@jennybell.co.nz w: www.jennybell.co.nz
proving very tricky to even create a forum for that discussion. We have also won a review of the statutory intervention process, after expressing our serious concern that it is simply not fair to send in a paid consultant who then seeks to exit the principal and replace it with a newer model, before properly understanding the complex layers that have brought the school to crisis point. If only life were that easy! Tentative agreement has been reached, but the proof will only come in the future as these changes are tested in real schools. Our New Zealand system has much to commend it, but it also has some silly design features that make life harder than it needs to be. I remain deeply concerned that there is no planned professional learning pathway for experienced principals, who have, according to Brendan Spillane, the single most complex leadership role that he has seen in all his work with professional leaders. It remains critical that our profession is seen as rewarding, exciting, and worthwhile. We need now as never before, ethical leaders with strong moral purpose, direction, and courage. It is only such people who can ensure that what truly matters within a school continues to matter. It is only such wise people who can resist the reversion to the mean, to the national standard, to the league table, and the test. These are the leaders who can ensure that what is best for children is what guides their every decision.
Discover how Stuff NiE can help students and teachers in 2015! Your 2015 NiE teacher guide is filled with information about the exciting new topics we have in store for 2015! If you haven’t already received your free copy of our 2015 teacher guide call us and we’ll send one out to you. Alternatively, visit the teacherzone section of our website and download a digital copy.
2015NiE
TEACHER GUIDE AVAILABLE NOW!
To learn more call us on 0800 849 971 email nie@fairfaxmedia.co.nz or visit www.fairfaxnie.co.nz to order online.
Are your school records Safe? Where do you store your student records? If a flood, fire or other disaster struck could you recover them? Konica Minolta can help. We can provide you with a document management solution to capture and store all of your records electronically in a safe and secure system. Documents can be intelligently scanned and filed directly from your MFPs into electronic storage systems and retrieved within seconds whenever you need them. Save Space, Save Time and Save Money with Konica Minolta. Call 0800 933 008 today to talk to your local Education Specialist and find out how much we can save you.
konicaminolta.co.nz