Kia ora e te whānau

Primary Principals who are members of PPCB have now submitted their wish-list to establish draft claims for Collective Bargaining in 2022.  

Last week, the PPCB rōpū ran focus groups in Christchurch, Western Bay of Plenty and Tai Tokerau to test these claims. They received fabulous feedback and 16 draft claims were established.

A draft claims survey has been sent to members via membership email and must be returned by Friday 3 December. If you are in receipt of the survey, then please tell the PPCB rōpū if you agree or disagree with the draft claims. Tell them what you want to prioritise and if they have missed anything.

The draft claims are built out of principals’ stories. Five key themes emerged:

• Respect Principals – Manaaki
• Re-energise Principals – Whakahohe
• Redesign Principalship – Whakaahua
• Reward Principals – Momoho
• Retain Principals – Puritanga

Each theme and the associated claims have real significance for principals and their work.

One of the most important claims is the call to redesign the principal pay structure. This isn’t a small change - it is a wholesale call for a fundamentally different way of structuring principals’ pay.

It is brave and bold and necessary.

It is time we stopped tinkering with primary principals' pay and addressed the real issue which is that principals’ pay is closely associated with roll size.

The current pay scale is complex with too many add-ons. It does not deliver parity and fair entitlement with secondary schools. Over time the addition of multiple allowances has undermined the notion of parity.

The structure of primary principals’ pay incentivises roll size.  As their experience and knowledge grows, principals must increasingly move on to larger and larger schools to win improvements in pay. This is a disincentive for experienced principals to lead smaller schools. These schools are no less deserving of an experienced principal than any others.

Similarly, linking remuneration to size of school is a disincentive for beginning principals.  Having cut their leadership teeth in a small school, they too move on to larger schools to win salary improvements.

A principal salary model that is built on U grades alone is blunt and emphasis should be given to experience as well.

PPCB is proposing a salary model that is a better balance between experience and roll size. This would increase principal salary across the board and recognise 'experience' is a key factor in remuneration. Roll size is still a factor but introducing an experience weighting would have a profound effect on the mobility of principals across different types of schools and significantly strengthen the consistency of leadership and spread of capability and experience.

It would deliver a pay jolt for all principals and resolve the problem of principals pay in U1/2 schools being outstripped by middle leaders and unit holders.

The PPCB staff and researchers are working to establish the new pay model.

The associated claim calls for a commitment to redesign and simplify the current remuneration scale with recognition for experience being a key factor. The establishment of a work programme and timeframe for delivery is sought.

There are many other important draft claims. Next week, they will be published on the PPCB website for all principals to view.

The PPCB rōpū has been immersed in negotiation facilitation training in Wellington this past week. They are looking forward to firmly establishing your claims and carrying these forward to the Collective Bargaining process next year. PPCB is committed to a bargaining round of significant change for principals. 

One thing is for certain. After a decent rest and recharge over summer, there will be no shortage of energetic focus on doing better for principals in 2022.

Join https://ppcb.nz/

Ngā manaakitanga

Perry Rush
perry@nzpf.ac.nz