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A Regular update from the
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No 1, 2005. Published 7th Feb, 2005 |
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I hope that everybody has had a good start to the year. No doubt you have been juggling numbers and staffing and dealing with all of the start of the year things, but I hope you have the time to read through this first edition of What’s Hot for 2005. Our thoughts were with John McMillan and the staff, children and parents at Denistone East this week when they lost the roof of new school buildings. Our best wishes also go to Ulladulla Public School where eight children were injured when a tree fell on a demountable. No doubt we were all moved as well by the tragic death of a young woman from Queenwood at a school camp in the Southern Highlands. It just goes to show that there will always be things which can happen despite all of our planning and best intent. Let’s hope that the rest of the year is as incident free as possible. The work that Principals do in managing some extraordinary events and happenings is quite often “awesome.” Class Size Reduction Program As you are all aware, this program is now a reality across NSW schools. Everybody would remember the lobbying that went on a few years ago and also following the release of the Vinson Review to focus on the positive outcomes which come from reduced class sizes in the early years. In 2005, staffing has been provided to enable the target of a statewide average of 20 for Kindergarten classes to be achieved. As we are all aware, enrolments don’t always co-operate by falling into neat multiples, and it is understood that there may be some small variations. 20 is not to be seen as a maximum class size but is a ‘target to be approximated.’ The most consistent message across regions seems to be that classes should be as close as possible to the target number of 20 and that any variation to this beyond 1 or 2 needs to be discussed with your School Education Director. In support of the lobbying we did to gain this staffing, it makes sense that Principals will try to get as close to the target as possible. The additional staffing was always targetted at early years and was not intended to provide the option for smaller class sizes in other years. There is good information about this in the Powerpoint which was sent out last year. We are lucky in that our Executive Officer, Mark Hagan, has been heavily involved as a PPA representative in this program and he is happy to answer queries. Having said this, it is also intended that Principals will be able to work with their School Education Director to get the best mix between the spirit and intent of the Class Size Reduction Program and the realities which exist at school level. In response to concerns raised in some areas, I was able to gain reassurance that 20 is NOT a maximum number, and that some flexibility ought to be possible in realistic situations which are still within the spirit and intent of the program. NSW PPA Office The last week has been spent in the new PPA ‘Offices,’ based at Bourke Street Public School in Surry Hills. Many thanks are due to Principal Bill O’Connor and his staff for the way they have been so welcoming toward a stranger moving in to a vacant classroom on site. It is hoped that prior to the end of Term 1 the ‘office’ will be moved into a block currently occupied by the Federation of P&C’s. This will mean that the PPA has a permanent home with all of the possibilities this raises in terms of meeting space, keeping records, storage etc etc. There will be updates of progress in this area as the term goes on. I have relinquished my position as Principal at Waitara Public School and will be working doing a combination of work to support the DET Leadership Strategy and the operation of the PPA. There are many synergies in this work and I look forward to seeing many of you across the state at various presentations and meetings. New Minister, Carmel Tebbutt Members of the PPA Executive met with the new Minister, Carmel Tebbutt, last week at her offices in Castlereagh Street. Our meeting was cut short as the Minister was on her way to inspect the storm damage at Denistone East. We were able, though, to very clearly state that we are an organisation which represents over 1800 Primary Principals, that these Principals operate within a hugely diverse set of locations and, as such, provide the most extensive network of government service delivery. The commitment that Principals have toward providing the best education possible for the children within all of these local communities was highlighted. The point was made that appreciated and well supported Principals recreate that context in their schools...in all communities within NSW. It makes sense to listen and to use such a resource for the good of all, and especially for the young of NSW. We gained a commitment that the Minister would meet with us on a regular basis. Executive Meeting coming up Our first full PPA Executive Meeting for 2005 will be held on the 16th and 17th of February at Bridge Street. This meeting gives us a chance to meet with a number of the Senior Officers from DET and will also be an important time for planning and discussion of key priorities for 2005. PPA Structure The Term 1 State Council meeting on 31st March will be a very important meeting as we will need to make a decision regarding the way that our Association is structured. Late last year, most of our Principals were saying that they would pefer to stay arranged in Area Council groupings of 43 across the state. It was felt that the existing groups had provided great opportunities for collegiality and professional support and learning and that we should retain these groups. The proposal is, then, that the PPA retain local groupings based on the 2004 Area Councils and that these groupings continue to provide a forum for discussion of issues, collegial development and support and so on. Each Area Council would then provide 2 representatives to be part of a Regional Advisory Group which would meet with the Regional Director in each region and which would be involved in representing issues and planning for Principals at that level. Each Area Council would still provide a delegate to attend State Council. With some movement of people, we will need to look at our Reference Group structure and especially evaluate the best way of relating to the offices of the two General Managers. There will be discussion and consultation around all of these matters prior to Term 1 State Council and it is suggested that everybody get along to their local meetings in Term One and provide the chance for as many ideas as possible to be looked at by your local Presidents and Delegates who will all be attending the Term 1 State Council meeting. The PPA is YOUR Association and will work best when we have as much geneal agreement about role, structure and purpose as possible. Institute of Teachers Don’t forget that if you have newly appointed teachers this year that they will be working under the ‘New Scheme.’ There will be information going out to these teachers from the Institute and we will also be involved in discussions to provide you with as much information as possible to support this process. Planning Ahead – Dates for 2005 Please remember to let us know if you are planning meetings at Area or Regional level, and you would like members of the NSW PPA Executive to come along. We have already booked in a number of visits and would like to be able to meet with as many of you as possible. We are a diverse lot, spread across a huge range of locations, but we would like to be able to meet with you and share concerns and ideas. A simple email is the easiest way to do this. roger@nswppa.org.au When we have dates etc, we can work out with the Executive who is able to attend which conference. Leadership Collective Sue Ingram and Neil Trenear joined Roger at a meeting with Trevor Fletcher during the holidays. Sue and Neil were able to demonstrate the passion they have for the continued professional development of Principals, and the way that the Leadership Collective could facilitate this. It is especially pleasing that the direction of the Collective, which has the support of Michael Fullan, and Professor Geoff Scott has a high level of congruence with plans underway for some exciting work in the Leadership area this year throughout DET. There will be much more information about these processes as the year goes on. I know that many of you are involved in a range of activities at local levels supporting colleagues and aspiring leaders. Don’t forget that the PPA is also a great resource in assisting you with any of these programs. Look out for more information throughout the year about a range of programs in the Leadership area. My primary colleague Darelle Duncan is in the process of planning a Leadership seminar to be held later this term, and there will be more information about this as the term goes on. Glenfield Conference As mentioned in my “welcome back” email, the Glenfield Conference this year was a great success and saw a good mixture of Principals and aspiring leaders in attendance. A long term friend and supporter of Glenfield in Alan Laughlin was thanked for his support, and new DDG Schools, Trevor Fletcher, was on hand to give a thoughful and optimistic presentation about some of the possibilities in store for this year. Once again, the organisers did a great job in striking a balance between a ‘full-on’ conference and a professional learning activity taking place within a vacation period. Several retired FOGS (Friends of Glenfield) were in attendance and their presence was all the more poignant as it was recognised that this was the fortieth year for the conference. School Education Directors’ Induction President of the Secondary Principals’ Council, Chris Bonnor, and myself were invited guests at the SED Induction conference held at the Novotel Brighton in January. This was a great opportunity to meet and mix with SED’s and Regional Directors and to discuss the year ahead. Trevor Fletcher made it very clear that we ought to be looking at an interdependency in the way that we work together. It is hoped that Principals and SED’s will be able to work together to create the best schools possible. This will no doubt be a process which will see varied results across areas, but we hope that by being able to meet and discuss issues as they arise, that we may be able to sustain a culture of continuous improvement. The Executive look forward to hearing how you are getting along. It will take a little time for us to arrive at the best ways of working together. Please keep the lines of communication open so that we can represent you in the best way possible. The Easter Conference 2005. Some funded places remain available for The Easter Conference 2005. The conference, as in the past, will support the work of principals in schools with large Aboriginal populations. Sessions will deal with changing provisions for schools, the intended individual program-planning for Aboriginal students, initiatives of Dare to Lead and the Commonwealth department, and the like. Funded participants will have costs met for accommodation at The Holiday Inn, Potts Point for the conference duration (April 11 - 13 2005), and all conference and meal costs. Those who have already expressed interest in attendance soon will receive their invitations and need not reapply. If possible, room will be found for some executive staff aspiring to the principal position in schools meeting the needs of Aboriginal students The Minister has announced very significant developments in the expectations on schools supporting the education of Aborigines. This fact, with the new accountability expectations on principals to operate from the start of next year perhaps makes the support offered by The Easter Conference even more valuable than in the past. Those wishing to express interest should write to the conference executive officer, Noel Beddoe, at P.O. Box 3013 Minnamurra, 2533. Annual Schools Web Design Awards Details of the 2005 Annual Schools Web Design Awards are up on the DET web site at http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/events/statecompetitions/webawards/index.php The theme for 2005 is “Reflections”. Posters will be coming to every DET school shortly. Registrations are now open. We also have a Professional Learning Community on the TaLE site specifically for those wanting to participate in the Awards, the forum will cover issues like classroom management, accessibility, web design and general help. Please join the discussion. It can be access through TaLE at http://www.tale.edu.au then click into Professional Learning and go to the Professional Learning Communities button on the left of the screen. You will need you DET login details to access this site. Registrations close on Friday 17 June, 2005. Your Web site must be uploaded no later than Wednesday 29 June, 2005. For further information, please contact Sally.Blackwell@det.nsw.edu.au The organisers would love to see as many student teams as possible enter and would appreciate you spreading the word to your colleagues at school. Term One State Council All Area Presidents and Delegates are reminded that State Council will be held at Bridge Street on 31st March and 1st April. You will receive information closer to the time about travel and accomodation, but your input on behalf of your Area Council will be critical in us arriving at the best possible way forward for the PPA. Principal Support Joan is still on deck and a great resource. Don’t forget that Joan is still fully operational providing support for Principals. You can reach Joan by using the Principals’ Support Hotline number which appears at the end of this What’s Hot. Principal Support Hotline
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