Kia ora e te whānau

Intuition is a critical faculty in the toolkit of any professional. It is defined as the ability to understand something instinctively, without the need for conscious reasoning. Principals regularly bring intuition to their every-day work.

Intuition is strengthened by experience. Experience allows principals to draw on a catalogue of similar past events that builds an inner confidence, enabling instinctive, in-the-moment decision-making.

All professionals have a well of intuition and it is particularly true of principals. Professional intuition combined with deep professional knowledge is the x-factor principals bring to their work. It is brought to bear daily, in multiple, complex situations. 

But no principal is an island, all principals need to be part of a community of practice - to share with a group of colleagues who understand the nature of the job and can provide the collegiality necessary to function effectively. In this respect, the principal and the principal communities they participate in, are fundamental to the success of schooling. 

Bali Haque’s Tomorrow’s Schools Review Report recognised the important role that principals play, “Effective school leaders are critical to the quality of teaching and learning in schools and therefore to learner belonging, wellbeing, and success. They ensure that key decisions are underpinned by effective pedagogy, and are able to analyse and solve complex problems, build relational trust with others, including whānau, and engage in conversations that lead to ongoing learning.”

Despite the many excellent recommendations in the Tomorrow’s Schools Review Report, some principals are not aware that only some of the recommendations were approved by Minister Hipkins.

The final decisions supported by the Minister can be found here.

In responding to the recommendations to better support principals, the final report states that, “The Tomorrow’s Schools approach has had a heavy focus on school governance. In practice, however, effective and enabled leadership, particularly by principals, is often more important to a school’s success.”

The report goes on to confirm the three significant actions that will better enable principals to be effective professional leaders of their schools and the wider education system:

1. Inviting the Teaching Council to develop a Leadership Centre.
2. Establishing Leadership Advisors (former principals) in the Education Service Agency (ESA) to support school leadership.
3. Developing and operationalising eligibility criteria for principal appointment, including associated training.

It is vital that you understand the changes that are pending. A close review of the Tomorrow’s Schools Review Final Report will reveal other significant mandated changes, many of which are now under development.

The Ministry of Education is acting on the Minister’s final decisions to redesign the central Ministry of Education to include a Curriculum Centre and to establish Education Service Agencies (ESAs).  These will be located in the regional Ministry of Education centres with a more joined-up mandate to better support and service schools.

The work to establish ESAs has started with the design and planning for their role and function, and work has been initiated to establish eligibility criteria for principalship.

NZPF has been working closely with the Teaching Council and other Principal Peak bodies on the Leadership Centre. An announcement regarding this work is pending.

It is an exciting period of change. Our expectation as principals is to co-partner in the work that has a direct impact on us, our staff, and the young people in our schools.

I am pleased that the Tomorrow’s Schools Review Final Report highlights the lack of trust in the system. We must reject the notion of the principal as an island and become much more connected, better supported, and enabled. We also support a culture and attitude change in the Ministry of Education so that a true partnership can be established between the profession and Ministry.  In this way, we can work together to resolve the issues in front of us.

NZEI/PPTA/MINISTRY ACCORD

Frustratingly, it appears that principals’ workload and wellbeing claim on the ACCORD to match primary management staffing entitlement to secondary has run aground. I note that work on staffing entitlements in the ACCORD is not proceeding because of disagreement between the ACCORD parties. This is a shame given that the intent of the ACCORD is for the parties to work in partnership on issues that require urgent action. Given that we are fast approaching 2 years since the ACCORD was established and with few tangible wins, I strongly suggest the ACCORD concludes and is disestablished.

Pūaotanga: An independent review of primary school staffing

This independent review is an important opportunity to shape primary school staffing. Last year on the NZPF road trip, principals were vocal about their desire to see significant change in staffing not least the difference between primary and secondary management staffing entitlement, the inequity and unfairness of the uneven rollout of Learner Support Coordinators, the inconsistencies of provision and huge cost of Kāhui Ako staffing, and concern about the efficacy and value of the RTLB service. Added to this was a cry for in-school student counselling staffing and more learning support staffing to cope with the rising tide of mental health, wellbeing, and learning challenges.

A consistent message was the call to bring more resources in-school. Principals are increasingly frustrated by huge needs with insufficient resource to match.

Please do take the time to make a submission. Please visit www.puaotanga.org.nz for the submission form. Submissions are open until 12 April.

Ngā manaakitanga

Perry Rush
perry@nzpf.ac.nz