Kia ora e te whānau

I recently lost a student to exclusion. It wasn’t a surprise; I could see it coming from the moment the boy enrolled. You see, his needs were so significant that I suspected we wouldn’t be able to manage him for long. He was violent and abusive. He needed therapy before we could teach him.

You do what you can in such situations. Referrals left, right and centre; meetings upon meetings upon meetings, rehearsing evacuation procedures with his class mates so that they could quickly exit their class when in harm’s way and then supporting them after evacuations had occurred, the provision of a Teacher Aide as a minder (funded by the school), the purchasing of computers to replace those damaged in rages, the pressure of expectation from parents and teachers to act, and telephone calls to the Ministry to plead for help. 

Like many principals in similar situations, I felt caught in a vice. On one side, the law, requiring schools to enrol students living within our school zone and on the other, the law, the responsibility to ensure students and staff are safe and not harmed. 

Now, can you conceive of a system where principals are placed in the crux of this challenge with no pathway forward other than being advised that suspension can be used as the ultimate sanction. 

That conception is a reality. We have that system. 

It is a reality that plays on the natural desire for principals to do their best for kids in crisis. We are naturally predisposed to go above and beyond. It is in our DNA. We are reluctant to be the one that calls time on complex challenges. And so, we are slow to get to punitive decisions such as suspension that in many instances ends in exclusion. 

But it is wrong to place principals in such an insidious position. A system that has no credible answer for violent or abusive young people fails them, it fails their families, it fails educators, and it fails the wider community. 

It is time that our Ministry answered the pleadings of principals in such situations with decisive next steps. Violence and extreme behaviour are on the rise in classrooms and the status quo cannot remain. 

I am meeting with Iona Holsted shortly and wish to share with her proactive suggestions to help support students with very high behavioural needs. 

I will let you know the Ministry’s response. 

Funding for Principal Professional Learning

Do you know that NZPF holds funds generated from past NZPF conference surpluses that are specifically targeted to principal professional learning? This funding can be used for many learning experiences but an obvious one is attendance at the NZPF/APPA Trans-Tasman conference in Melbourne in September. This will be a fantastic event!

All awards require a simple application and are due by 1 March 2020. Please apply as we are keen to support principals to access high quality professional learning.

Awards

1. Don Le Prou Award - a grant of $1000 for members from U1-3 schools to undertake professional development.  Total per award $1,000. All other expenses are the responsibility of the recipient of these awards.
2. The Tauri Morgan Memorial Award – a grant of $1000 for members from U4+ schools to attend an NZPF Conference. (Note that Principals from U1-3 schools should apply for the Don Le Prou Award).
3. PLD Grants for Principals’ Associations - To support principals’ associations with the provision of quality professional development opportunities and support for members.

Visit http://www.nzpf.ac.nz/awards.html

I will be back to you again on Friday.

Ngā manaakitanga

Perry Rush
perry@nzpf.ac.nz