Kia ora e te whānau

Sixteen months ago, you had the courage to voice your concerns about the urgent need for principals to be better supported.

The 2020 NZPF Road Trip generated the following expectations of the Accord to better support principals in the workplace:

• Match primary management staffing entitlement, units and allowance to secondary.
• Provision of student counsellors at a 1:400 ratio in secondary schools and made available to schools south of Year 9 to deal with the significant youth pastoral, mental health, and wellbeing challenges in our schools.
• Dealing with the isolation and vulnerability of principals in their employment construct.
• Delivery of Learning Support Coordinators to all schools.
• Review Kāhui Ako, enable greater freedom to localise achievement challenges, and target funding away from staffing to professional learning.
• Address the workload of teaching principals
• Delivery of greater learning support funding to schools rather than agencies
• Provision of sabbaticals as a matter of right
• Provision of professional supervision
• Secondment opportunities and end of career opportunities

Many of these expectations are common to the collective bargaining claims of PPCB and NZEI. This bodes well for Collective Bargaining in 2022. I know Denise and the PPCB team are finalising numerous new claims that represent bold, fresh thinking. You should be excited because there will be no shortage of focused energy in next year’s collective bargaining and deservedly so!

When you are vocal about change and prepared to back rhetoric with collective action, principals are unstoppable. The clear establishment of powerful principal voice over the past few years is the foundation of significant change that lies ahead. While, in our current state, we can barely imagine 2022, it will be a watershed year for principals.

The consequence of making your expectations known is that the Government can recognise and respond to the challenges you have raised.

This past week Minister Tinetti announced the provision of in-school counsellors for 141 primary, intermediate, area and small secondary schools throughout Aotearoa. This initiative invests $44 million, over four years, as part of the $200 million package announced last year to improve the wellbeing of learners and educators.

This resource is additional to the rollout of Mana Ake Counselling Services in Northland, Counties Manukau, Bay of Plenty, Lakes, and West Coast District Health Board regions to add to the established service in Canterbury.

Yes, we would like full provision of Learning Support Coordinators for every school, but we won’t quibble with news of in-school counsellors except to say to Government, “Don’t stop there! The mental health and wellbeing needs of our young people require even more investment so that every young person can access expert therapeutic help as required”.

I am confident that there is a laser like focus on continuing to deliver on your aspirations for a better supported workplace. Keep being noisy, keep telling your stories of practice, and keep believing. Despite the stratospheric stress and challenge of our current COVID responsibilities, better days lie ahead.

Te Rito Toi Webinar - Returning to school through love and care

As our Level 3 communities return to school next week, the Te Rito Toi whānau have made available this stunning webinar to focus schools on carefully managing the transition back to school. I encourage you to follow the link and sign up.

4.00pm – 5.00pm

Wednesday 17^th November 2021

Hosted by NZEI Te Riu Roa

When classrooms and schools physically reopen, teachers will need to help children understand how the world has changed over the last few months. The webinar provides practical advice on how to manage the return to school and how to centre that on pedagogies of love and care, ensuring the emotional and mental wellbeing of children and teachers.

This webinar is for all educators, to support them with their transition back into schools. The Panelists include The University of Auckland’s Professor Carol Mutch and Professor Peter O’Connor; Lynda Stuart, the Principal of May Road School; and Marie Gallichan, a classroom teacher at Newton Central School.

REGISTER HERE

Acknowledging Your Mahi

I want to acknowledge the significant stress and challenge principals are currently experiencing. I have heard from many of you over the past few weeks. Continuous and complex change is taking its toll, yet you continue to be optimistic and connected to one another.

I met with Minister Hipkins yesterday and he made a point of recognising the pivotal work you are doing in your schools. He commented that he was aware of how demanding that work is and was appreciative of the continuing strength and courage of principals.

Kia kaha. Kia ihi, kia maru.

Ngā manaakitanga

Perry Rush
perry@nzpf.ac.nz