Editor
Schools never cease to surprise with innovative ideas principals to form more clusters and this initiative can only and approaches. I recently visited Wakefield School in Nelson look to expand. (see p.18) and discovered a curriculum based on democratic These are just two examples of the way in which the New principles where children lead their own learning and make Zealand teaching profession is constantly responding to decisions about their daily school affairs through a voting contemporary challenges. Their courage is seemingly endless process. Everyone gets a say and the majority vote decides the as they repeatedly stride out into unknown territory to try outcome. something new. It’s a system that is bedding in very successfully as step by step It is a great privilege to bring some of these stories to you the children grow in confidence and teachers take on new roles; through this magazine. It is also important that the magazine not of leading so much as participating alongside the learners, provides the balance you want and that the contents are always asking probing questions, empowering the children to take relevant. At the end of last year we sent out a readership survey ownership of their learning and I want to thank all 515 of and monitoring their progress. I have no doubt that 2015 will reveal you who responded. The children in this It was greatly encouraging d e m o c r a t i c m i l i e u a r e just as many interesting leadership to find that 93.8 per cent of optimistic, cooperative, feel and school innovations as I have you read NZ Principal, 90 per valued and have a strong sense cent find the editorials and of what is fair and just. They found from visiting schools in the past. president’s column relevant may not always get what they and 75 per cent find the balance voted for but they do respect that in a democracy, the majority between research articles, stories of good school practice, rules. They accept the decision without complaint as if it was a information and human interest is almost always about right. consensus. Compared to other publications that schools commonly The democratic approach lends itself to the modern learning subscribe to, you rated NZ Principal as either better or of equal environment where two or more classes share a large space with quality. two or more teachers. This environment easily accommodates Of special importance was the feedback you gave on ideas children operating in large or small groups or alone depending for future topics and features for the magazine. I will take on the particular activity. It also lends itself to children learning your suggestions on board and certainly follow up with stories at different paces for different subjects – thus further empowering reporting on international conferences, MLEs and special them to own and control their learning. It also means that education. And I got the message loud and clear that cross-words teachers are constantly observing each other’s practice, sharing and cartoons are not required or desired by the majority of you. ideas and learning from each other. Thank you also for your encouraging comments about the It’s an exciting era for Wakefield School but Wakefield is not school profile stories. They will continue and keep an eye out the only school taking huge leaps with innovative approaches for the second issue this year which will feature Stewart Island to teaching and learning. School. The profession has also responded to the call to lift the I have no doubt that 2015 will reveal just as many interesting achievement of Māori children. Through professional discussions leadership and school innovations as I have found from visiting within the NZPF executive, led by the three Māori executive schools in the past and I look forward to continuing to share members, a professional development model emerged. NZPF these with you through the columns of NZ Principal reached out to Te Akatea, the Māori principals’ organisation, and to the Ministry to launch the Māori Achievement Collaboratives. These are clusters of school principals each led by a facilitator who supports them to develop a deeper and richer understanding of Māori tikanga and to make the necessary cultural changes to better connect with and engage the Māori students in their schools. An independent evaluation of the clusters already indicates encouraging progress. There is high demand from