Friday 24 February 2017

New South Wales gets tough on high school graduation

I note that NSW is going to require demonstration of the ability to compose effective writing before they will issue the school graduation certificate.  Good on them as I predict that it will help these students in the big wide world beyond school.  One serious rider is consideration for those with complex language learning difficulties like dyslexia.

This toughening up will also affect science, mathematics and ancient history.  A bout of rigour has broken out.  Are we seeing one of those all too regular full circle manoeuvres from the NSW Ed Dept?  I hope the change innovators have thought it through and will implement it using a change process that teachers can identify with.  Over my years as an educator I have witnessed so much waste of resources fiscal and human in ill-conceived educational change.

May the Force be with you!


GD

Sunday 5 February 2017

Principal : educational leader

With Aussie schools now settling into routine you my colleague Principals are busy : an understatement.

If you lead a very large school, especially a secondary school or a K-12 school your administrative duties are legion.  I'm sure you have suitably delegated so that you have time each week to focus on the teaching and student learning programs and on the wellbeing of your staff and students.  Another vital weekly focus is to be on top of communications with the parents and/or guardians of your students. Even though you may have the good fortune to have a Curriculum Coordinator and Heads of Subject Departments, in the final analysis the buck stops with you if the students are not learning.

If you are Principal of a large primary school you will have deputies to help with the administrative load and to assist with curriculum co-ordination.  To have this latter role makes a Deputy's job really worthwhile.

You may be a Principal of a medium sized primary school or a small primary school where you also have some teaching to do.  These roles are some of the hardest in the Principal game.  Members of your staff team can rise to the occasion and provide leadership support in their particular areas of expertise.  Your admin clerical staff are vital for you to keep things running smoothly.

In very large complex schools it is easy for the Principal to become too far removed from the teaching and learning programs.  The most effective Principals in this situation know how to strike a balance such that they are successful delegators with an expectation that those to whom roles are delegated are clear on what is required and accept the responsibility to perform.  These Principals develop effective reporting back channels so that they are aware of how well each delegated person is performing, but they are not tempted to be too hands on and interfere with the role that has been delegated.

I am now a retired Principal and Superintendent of Schools and have time to reflect on this matter of delegation.  I say modestly that others have judged my roles as Principal and Superintendent to be pretty successful, but I know several areas where I could have done better and conserved energy to focus in a balanced way across my role.  I had a constant internal battle to not be too hands on and at times I failed in this respect.

There are three very small books that you might find helpful.  Don't be put off that they were published in the 1980s as they are still relevant if you find delegation difficult.   These works are:


  • Blanchard K & Johnson S, The One Minute Manager, Harper Collins, 1983.
  • Blanchard K & Lorber R, Putting The One Minute Manager to Work, Willow Books, 1984.
  • Blanchard K, Oncken Jr W & Burrows H, The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey, Fontana Collins, 1990.


A reasonably fast reader would bowl them over in a night.


May there Force be with you.


GD