National President, New Zealand Principals’ Federation
What is the difference between a manager of people and a leader? I think on this question constantly as I ponder what is required to carry teaching and learning forward in our country. Perhaps it is that managers concern themselves with organising the minutiae of work whereas a leader aspires to ideals that have meaning and value and is effective in growing commitment to a vision. I often ask myself to think about leaders that truly embody these qualities; Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Dame Whina Cooper and in our own educational backyard, giants such as Jack Shallcrass, Elwyn Richardson and Dame Marie Clay. Thinking about each of these leaders and what is common about their leadership, I am struck not by their adherence to rules and expectations but rather their challenge to the status quo and their capacity to act on what they know is right. Each of them acted with courage, challenging orthodoxies that were commonly accepted. In many ways they spoke truth to power. Great leaders are not timid, nor do they seek permission to act. They do so because they know, deep down, that they act on beliefs that they care about and that have meaning. Therein lies a road map for our work in school leadership. Thirteen years ago, in 2007, we took receipt of a brand-new curriculum. It was at the time and still is, an outstanding curriculum. It set in place the expectation that each school community localise the curriculum by giving it effect in ways that reflect that community’s aspiration. It was designed to be generic in nature so that specificity could be awarded through this localisation process. Sadly, the advent of the National Standards dealt a blow to this fledging curriculum and it never recovered to realise the full extent of its intended design. Over the years, the compliance mentality encouraged by National Standards and the lack of a coherent national education vision had the effect of stultifying the educational leadership needed to fully actualise it. However, the opportunity exists right now to revitalise our work with the New Zealand Curriculum and to more effectively deploy the courageous leadership required to enable it. Over my past 20 years of principalship, I have sought as often as I can to exercise what I believe. I do not ask for permission to act when I know my decision-making places the wellbeing of students at the heart of my work. I trust the integrity of action that is based on what I know in my gut is right for young people. The true power of New Zealand schooling is that principals and teachers in their own local context know their students.
At the outset of the year, I want to encourage you to nurture beliefs about learning that are built on powerful educational ideas. Run a ruler over your school and challenge practices that don’t align with your beliefs. Don’t be concerned if it challenges convention. Be prepared as every professional should be, to justify your beliefs and be confident that you exercise strong leadership when you enable vision. The capacity of leaders to do this well occurs when we understand that such leadership is an art. It does not arise from a formula that can be learnt and deployed in a consistent manner. It arises from what Dr Elliot Eisner (2002) calls the ‘rightness of fit’. This is the exercise of judgement in the absence of rule. It is what a painter experiences when juggling the elements of their art—colour, texture, space, form, shape and line to communicate
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an idea. It is ‘right’ when the painter judges in themselves that these attributes work in unison to express an idea. We need to trust the genesis of such decision-making as school leaders. The attributes of our practice exist in unique ways in every school community. How you experience them and how you respond to them is framed by your knowledge of your students and your community. Only by having the confidence to exercise this sort of leadership will we get close to seeing our National Curriculum flourish. Localisation encourages schools to be unique and personal, colouring the curriculum in distinctly unique ways. The true advantage of a national school system that embraces localisation lies in the capacity for principals to pay attention to the diversity of practice in other schools. Over time this enables the most effective practice to be identified and implemented. It is an approach that encourages new thinking and innovation. Of course, the reverse is also true. Localisation is weak in a system where schools are isolated and disconnected from one another and where they are pitted against each other in a culture of competition. So, as a new school year begins, let’s be brave in our leadership. Let’s push onwards and breathe further life into our National Curriculum. Let’s enact powerful educational ideas in ways that are personal and local. Let’s embrace the differences between us and let’s work to be more open and connected to each other. He rangi tā matawhāti, he rangi tā matawhānui.
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2020 ARE YOU ready? Digital Technologies & Hangarau Matihiko learning should now be part of your curriculum. We’re on this journey together – for all learners of Aotearoa.
Support is here
Find information and curriculum support resources for understanding and implementing Hangarau Matihiko as part of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa: Kauwhata Reo Hangarau Matihiko
The Digital Technologies Implementation support tool has now launched! This tool supports school and curriculum leaders to manage the change at their school. Find the tool, along with the full kete of support, information and resources on Technology Online: Digital Technologies Implementation Support Tool
technology.tki.org.nz
kauwhatareo.govt.nz
education.govt.nz/digitech
hangaraumatihiko.tki.org.nz
digi.tech@education.govt.nz
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