EDITOR
Principals’ Associations are such enduring entities, it is occasionally surprising little children as they strolled home from easy to overlook them. Across the country, association executives school. The story of Horton the elephant hatching eggs in a tree, have for years been beavering away, organising professional had nothing on Ernie the elephant popping his head out from learning sessions, regional events and local conferences for their the Claudelands Bush to say ‘Boo’! The ‘Roaming Giant’ café’s colleagues. Many also undertake substantial fundraising projects name is the enduring memory of those surreal times. so that principals can be subsidised to attend national events, The Waikato Principals’ Association has a representative executive overseas conferences and other activities. of nine, made up of principals from both rural and urban schools, Some would say an even more important function of the larger and smaller schools. Their agenda for this luncheon meeting principals’ association is providing opportunities for networking, had a strong focus on the up-coming NZPF conference. They were supporting each other and sharing expecting a contingent of over fifty informal advice. They elect their The WPA is a wellprincipals to travel to Queenstown and own executive groups from their own all would receive a generous subsidy members – it is an entirely democratic structured Association from the association. process. In turn the associations have supported by twenty-nine ‘Travel and accommodation to a close relationship with their national Queenstown is a huge budget item body, the New Zealand Principals’ business partnerships. for schools so by arranging group Federation (NZPF). travel and accommodation bookings The national body looks to the regional associations to and then subsidising the costs to each principal, we can get big guide them in their work. For NZPF to be a vital and relevant numbers to conference,’ said Hamish. organisation, the national executive knows it must have a clear Funds for the Waikato Principals’ Association got a substantial and comprehensive understanding of what is happening in the boost after hosting the NZPF Conference in 2014. ‘That really set regions and what support principals are calling for. It needs us up financially, to be able to do so much more for principals to know what stance the regions want to take on political and in the Waikato region,’ he said. educational issues, so it can represent principals’ views honestly, The system of regions hosting conference and sharing in fairly and with integrity. any surplus has now changed. The main reason for the change Each year, NZPF holds an annual event called the ‘Moot’, to was so that smaller regions that did not have the facilities or which all regional presidents are invited. This is an opportunity accommodation options to host conference, could also share in for the regions to bring their concerns and views to the national the proceeds. So NZPF now organises its own conferences and table and debate them. Unlike a traditional Moot, where two it is intended that the profits will be shared with a wider group teams line up against each other, one to defend the pros and the of principal associations. other the cons of a position, and where an adjudicator decides In the Waikato, principals are not just subsidised to attend the winning team based on the quality and persuasiveness of the the NZPF conference. ‘In 2014 over fifty principals travelled arguments, the NZPF Moot is not a debating competition. It is to Melbourne to look at flexible learning spaces,’ said Hamish, more like a broad discussion, a sharing of views on the pros and ‘and we plan to go back in 2018 to see how they are progressing.’ cons of a topic and an attempt to prioritise the most important Flexible Learning Spaces have become a popular topic in issues for immediate action. For NZPF, the regional presidents education and many believe they are an inspired option for are more like a reference or consultation group, brimming with young peoples’ learning. Others feel they are no different from experience and hands-on knowledge of the profession. the failed ‘experiment’ of the ‘open plan classrooms’ of the 1970s. The Waikato Principals’ Association (WPA) is a good example Perhaps a major difference between the two eras is while physical of a large Association based in the city of Hamilton. Hamish structures drove decisions in the 1970s, now it is the pedagogy Fenmore is the current president. He heads up the U5 Cambridge driving the changes. Pedagogy is the focus for Waikato principals East School, situated just outside of the city. grappling with ideas about how best to deliver learning in their I join Hamish and his executive at the ‘Roaming Giant’, a very schools for the future. pleasant café on the east side of Hamilton city. A café called the ‘This is important professional learning,’ says Hamish. ‘It is ‘Roaming Giant’ begs a story and it inevitably followed. I was much better to observe this new pedagogy in action and see its reliably told that the land on which the nearby Claudelands strengths and weaknesses before embarking on expensive and Events’ Centre now sits, was once home to many a visiting circus. transformative changes which may or may not be the best option Legend has it that from time to time giant sized animals would for us here in the Waikato, in New Zealand,’ he said. make a bid for freedom and ‘roam’ the nearby neighbourhood, This professional learning occurs through the good will of
ion (WPA)
teaching colleagues in Melbourne. ‘It is now not so easy to get access to classrooms in Melbourne schools,’ said Hamish, ‘so we use a consultant principal in Melbourne The Waikato Principals’ Association executive gathers at the ‘Roaming Giant’ to facilitate that.’ café for the lunch time executive meeting The WPA also has connections with the Victoria Education Department in Melbourne and plans to do more work which the developing brain functions best,’ he said. ‘It was so with them on teacher inquiry. enlightening to find what approaches and interventions work ‘We want strong leaders and highly successful schools in the in changing behaviour and which do not.’ Waikato,’ says Hamish, ‘so creating professional learning and The WPA runs three ‘Catch-Up’ days a year and in 2018 development opportunities is critical,’ he said. will host presentations and workshops by Hoana Pearson, the Not all Waikato principals are in a financial position to take national coordinator of the Māori Achievement Collaborations advantage of these Australian visits even when their Association is (MACs), Marcus Akuhata-Brown, on the learning needs of youth offering generous subsidies. For these principals, the WPA offers a at risk and Nigel Latta, psychologist and author, and host of the series of ‘Catch-Up’ days each year. One such example was centred television series ‘Beyond the Darklands’. around Nathan Mikaere-Wallis’ research on neuroscience. The WPA is a well-structured Association supported by ‘Nathan did a series of presentations for us to show the ideal twenty-nine business partnerships. Many of these business physical, emotional, educational and social conditions under partners are also supporters of the national body, NZPF.
9 – 10 May 2018 | Auckland
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A vision for new pathways for educating students across New Zealand
NICK PATTISON
CLAIRE AMOS
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Deputy Principal, Hobsonville Point Secondary School
PROFESSOR TIM BELL
GRAEME AITKEN
Director of Educational Department of Computer Initiatives Science & Software Engineering University of Auckland University of Canterbury
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‘We couldn’t do a fraction of what we do for principals in the Waikato without the generous support of our business partners,’ said Hamish. Whilst the cost of overseas trips runs into tens of thousands, the Association also covers the full costs of bringing in high profile speakers for the Catch-Up days. It isn’t cheap to run a big Principals’ Association and provide quality professional learning and development programmes for principals. The work of the Association is not all serious learning however, and each year there are fun social events, like a night out at the trots, organised for informal networking and just relaxing together. ‘Being a principal is no easy ride,’ says Hamish. ‘Principals deserve a fun night out occasionally,’ he grinned. Membership of the WPA runs into hundreds and the organisation operates like a well-oiled machine. There are regular communications sent out, administration functions are well managed and the membership is regularly surveyed to establish their views on events and preferred presenters for the regular ‘Catch-Up’ days. Hamish Fenmore is reluctant to take credit for the successes of WPA and is quick to acknowledge presidents who preceded him ‘ . . . who had the vision to establish a strong foundation to build on.’ These include Pat Poland, who was also a founding member of the NZPF, and more recently, John Coulam. ‘These are the ones who deserve the credit,’ he says. ‘I inherited the results of their foresight.’ It is not uncommon in the teaching profession to find this brand of humility. I don’t doubt that a decade from now it will be a new president offering respectful accolades to his or her predecessors and Hamish Fenmore will be one of those receiving the honours.