Leading to Learn

Background Current context - Operating within a traditional NZ school model (single-cell classrooms, mainly teacher planned and directed, desks / tables, book work, well-organised and routine-based, subject-based teaching and learning, traditional forms of assessment, traditional 'balanced' timetables, etc). Traditional = the same as in 1990, when I began teaching. However, many of these traditions have remained relatively unchanged since my memory of primary schooling in the 1970s - 1980s. Since this time, there have been three significant changes to education in NZ -  the introduction of self-managed schools (1989), the implementation of the New Zealand Curriculum, which changed dramatically in 2007.  The introduction of National Standards in 2010. Some questions I've had: Are we really embracing the changes that we were introduced to in 1989 and 2007? Has our professional learning focus on 'assessment for learning',  'effective pedagogy', '

Key Learning from the workshop: Nothing new in a sense - except that accountability shared across organisation from Board to employees Accountability also shared between PCBUs (eg ADW, Courier firm, builders, EOTC providers etc) There are holes in the legislation as hasn't been tested properly yet - many grey areas When someone is doing work - becomes a workplace (including after hours) - plant and equipment needs to be up to spec so that a teacher working at school in the weekend does not fall through a floor, etc) Board of Trustees as a group acts as the PCBU (Person Conducting a Business of Undertaking) Individual trustees appointed or e lected under the Education Act are not accountable because they are volunteers Principal can be found individually liable for harm caused Individual employees can be liable for harm caused by failure of duty of care. If a teacher fails to deal with (by fixing /isolating/ reporting) a hazard, and a harm is caused - that teacher can be

The Principal: three Keys to Maximizing Impact Michael Fullan Criticises over emphasis on Principals leading the learning Importance of building capacity, rather than micro-managing Refers to researchers who conclude that Principals as having an indirect, yet important influence on student learning: Viviane Robinson - BES (leading teacher learning and development), with principals learning alongside and from Helen Timperley - "Who is my class?" Ken Leithwood - focus on instruction and ensuring collaborative working conditions, such as time for collaboration Tony Bryke - professional capacity (individually and collectively), school climate (ensuring safety and orderliness in the aid of learning),parent and community ties  and instructional practices that engage students in relation to key learning goals. Hire teachers who have at least four core qualities; High moral commitment relative to the learning of ALL students - regardless of background strong instruct

Book recommended at the NZPF Conference in 2015, by Michael Fullan. Not written from an educational leadership perspective, but from a business leadership perspective. Scientific analysis of companies who, at some point in their history, made sudden and continued gains in income - with similar companies who did not grow, but carried on as is, or died. What did the successful companies do that made the difference? What can cross over to Educational Leadership? Level 5 leaders - Not out for personal gain, but what is best for the company. Fanatically driven, with an incurable desire for results. More plow-horse than show pony. Humility + will = Level 5. More often found within the company, than brought in from outside.  In education, leaders who are fanatically driven to focus on what is best for the children. Passionate about education, but disinterested in personal gain. or kudos.  First Who, then what - The importance of finding the right people, who are passionate about w

Finances Naomi Chantler – Team Leader: School Finance DDI 044638797 Naomi.chantler@minedu.govt.nz   ·          Financial management role with principal & BOT needs to keep track of decisions made ·          Key Documents = good practice for management: o    Commentary of variances (budget vs actual) o    Summary and detailed monthly accounts o    Banking staffing reports o    Payroll reports o    Cashflow forecasting o    Once 6 mths – updated forecast ·          Key Documents = good practice for governance: o    Commentary of variances (budget vs actual) o    Summary and detailed monthly accounts o    Cashflow forecasting o    Banking staffing and SUE reports ·          Financial decision-making o    All funds public funds = probity o    Sensitive expenditure – 6pm news / Dom post test (if all going well and you are giving a couple of bottles of wine = OK;   if finances / issues tense = not a good idea) o    Confli

Words of Warning form the U.S. Global Education Reform Movement (GERM) - about privatisation, not education Messages: schools are failing need to take steps public schools are no good charter schools, no unions, are the solution Testing industry profitable - Pearson Conferences about how to make money in education Strong push to profit from Education High Stakes testing (pearson test) 'Opt Out' Movement - parents refusing to allow their children to be tested, so that the scores cannot be used to evaluate schools and teachers

http://www.nzpf.ac.nz/sites/default/files/01_Professor_Alma_Harris.pdf Questioning 'High Performance' Context - Change - Connections Context High performance = success of every child in every setting? High Performance is relative - it depends Caution about attribution on any particular country Distortions in Policy making (PISA) Decontextualized policy borrowing = outcome of PISA Contradiction - Asians want to go to university elsewhere (including NZ) - why? Using one measure to rank a system is ludicrous Is a measure so important that we want to distort what we do? Is this what we want for our children? "The more we standardise education systems, the more they look the same" Do we want that? Look beyond the data and seek deeper explanations Change importance of Leadership quality + teaching quality True leaders don't create followers, they create leaders It is easy to improve schools, but difficult to sustain improvement Collective Re

http://www.nzpf.ac.nz/sites/default/files/02_Professor_Meg_Maguire.pdf At the Centre of the Storm "have faith in yourself, have faith in your school, have faith in your professionalism and don't be budged from it" How not to do it - UK system Competitive behaviour has been incentivised (Peter Mortimore, 2013 p157) Reforms: baseline testing in schools introduced failure of tests = re-do again and again Fear and oppression = schools required to meet benchmarks or be taken over Business jargon = standards, benchmarks, performance

http://www.nzpf.ac.nz/sites/default/files/03_Professor_Michael_Fullan.pdf Convergence for Moving Forward External Pressure of Targets doesn't work - as has short shelf life Emphasise CAPICITY BUILDING Networks are not the answer per se - the network needs to be led effectively, or could be blind leading the blind "If you want to change the group, use the group to change the group" Best indicator of success = people talking the walk What is my role in Transforming the System? NZ as a family - don't wasn't to compete within our own family (school to school, etc) New Zealand led the world in 1989, and can do the same now. School Autonomy - leadership from the middle Top-Down doesn't work Bottom-up doesn't work "Symplexity" - working through the simple to solve the complex issues System change... Each part of middle gets better internally Get better laterally - helping those in the network Become better partners upward to th

http://www.nzpf.ac.nz/sites/default/files/07_Peter_Cammock.pdf The Dance of Leadership Choose the emergent good and possibility positivity choose openness Are we going to perpetuate the pattern of the past or speak to the possibilities of the future that is about to emerge? leaders - invite people to be part of the big "why" - The listen, engage, inspire, invigorate Managers - command and control 1. Self responsibility: Wake up (mindfulness) - Stand-up (courageous conversations)  "no one is coming" - who will deal with it? Making choices - choose happiness (3:1), choose meaning Self-acceptance the foundation Give up the victim mode and look life in the face 2. Choosing Meaning (meaning and calling) Meaning - as product of passion and purpose and emergence = Calling

http://www.nzpf.ac.nz/?q=list//NZPF%20Conference%202015 Difficult to be forward thinking in a system that doesn't allow you to do that. However, we have the potential NZ Curriculum is the Tool - effective teaching, evidence, formative assessment, future-proofing Ways of seeing - what we know and believe from what we see - ideology...what's your preferred style?... 1. Passing on accumulated knowledge... content and instruction assumes an ordered world Plato ...however, we live amongst complexity and disorder ...not getting slower - getting faster Who will thrive? Critical thinkers, etc (see NZ Curriculum) 2. Creating and Applying knowledge constructing competences assumes a complex disordered world Castalls, Lyotard, Robinson - The contest = instruction v/s construction 3. Personalised learning (not individualised) students are active, informed participants in their own learn learner contributes to decisions about why, how, and what they learn

http://www.nzpf.ac.nz/sites/default/files/08_Chris_Jansen.pdf While in education we are brilliant at: co-construction collaboration partnership collective impact ... is this really the goal?? Rationale? efficiency? innovation? Incentivise collaboration Collective Vision https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRDSj62tlvQ

http://www.nzpf.ac.nz/sites/default/files/06_Cathy_Wylie.pdf Self-Managing Schools Current Strengths: school framed as a community Particularity is respected (principals and teachers not assigned by seniority or cost) fertile ground to take the initiative understanding that change will not come unless a school values it Challenges: insularity isolation re-invention of wheels expecting availability of capability expecting individuals to solve issues alone Coherence: Policy focussed on learning coherent leadership development NZ Curriculum can strengthen our system Question - What are the measures we could have to measure our progress? Can't just fall back on literacy and Numeracy because these have measures  In School We have Control of: Time Alocation Inquiry to improve Openness Valued Across Schools we have control of: shared purpose openness inquiry identification of students power of collaboration  

http://www.nzpf.ac.nz/sites/default/files/04_Professor_Angus_MacFarlane.pdf The story of Māori in NZ Education Take note of Māori knowledge                     (McRae, Macfarlane - new writing) Things have changed since we trained - children can witness wars on TV, etc Pearce, C. (1994). The importance of classroom climate for at-risk learners. SET Special, Item 10, Wgtn NZCER (The Magic of Mary Morgan). Ngā Pūmanawa e Waru o Te Arawa The Qualities of High Achieving Māori students: Identity...Relationships...Well-being...Humility --------------------------------------------------------- Diligence...Innovation...Scholarship...Values

Key Ideas: Importance of linking all three parts of accountable of principals: Collective, Professional Standards, Registered Teacher Criteria Beware of SLOTH Goals - Somewhat vague, lack commitment, open ended, timid, hard to achieve. ISMART Goals - Inspiring, Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Results driven time-bound

Richard Malta, Restorative Schools

Jan Robertson Educators - being a designer of learning. If someone visited the school, would they see the design? Can teachers talk about the design? Why they are doing what they are doing, reflecting on their practice? What are they doing differently this year? T eachers are often trying to do more of the same, harder? Adult learning theory - importance of good observation about our practice and coming up with new ideas about what this means to me. Unless coaching comes into the process, teachers will focus on the what and how, but not the why? We get focused on the doing and the outcome - we are in our blinkers. Taking people to a metacognitive level - why am I thinking in that way. Where do you start? With self...if you want to lead coaching with staff, need to be coached self.   Consider times when said things like: “Maori parents not coming to the meetings...tried all sorts of things...so... Why are we having those meetings?   Start to ask questio