UNLEASH

ED

Tag: change

  • A New Direction

    Hi All,

    After several personal attacks, I’ve come to realise two things:

    1. People are happy to dish things out but can’t take it (myself included)
    2. I’ve become far to critical, cynical, and political in my posts.

    Because of this I’m re-focussing my efforts as to what Unleash Education is about.

    I realise that there are a number of people who agree with my posts and political views, and with that, there are probably a few who disagree as well. In addition to that, I have been encouraged in the past to keep going, because those that follow my posts generally support the posts and are following for that reason.

    However, the reason behind setting up Unleash Education was for a completely different reason than for what it has become.

    Ultimately, it was to engage and encourage people in becoming better teachers through providing thoughts, ideas, pedagogy and resources. This also included being a part of the Twitter PLN that I’ve come to know and love and receive ongoing support and encourage from myself.

    Lately I have been posting solely on the political landscape that Education in this country has become, and the negativity that can happen when you begin to complain about all the things that don’t go your way.

    Instead, what I’ve come to realise is that what I should be doing instead is changing it from within; showing the positivity that can be a career in teaching, helpful pointers and suggestions from my own classroom experience, and encouragement to all teachers to be the best. I should be sharing the things that have worked for me, the resources I’ve made to engage and inspire students, and begin to be something to strive for, rather than as a vehicle for slander and criticism.

    To those I’ve offended, I apologise.

    To those that have found my political views great and have followed me because of it, I hope that you’ll continue to follow and support me as I shift the direction of it all.

  • Five Year Limit – Enough time to make a difference?

    It could be a seismic shift in education, tearing apart the model schools have operated on for more than 30 years.

    School leaders are “cautiously optimistic” about radical reforms recommended by an independent taskforce last week, which said there was no evidence self-governance had helped schools improve equity or lift student achievement.

    Its proposals are open for public consultation until April 7, when Education Minister Chris Hipkins will consider what changes to pursue.

    The taskforce’s main recommendation is that New Zealand establish 20 ‘Education Hubs’ to act as the middlemen between the Government and individual schools.

    The hubs would take over many of school boards of trustees’ business and governance responsibilities, leaving them to focus on student achievement, strategic planning, community engagement and local fundraising.

    The idea has caused some uneasiness in the education sector, partly because it is not known exactly who or how many people would act as minister-appointed directors of these Crown entities.

    But the main cause of angst has been the hubs’ potentially wide-reaching powers over property, employment, advisory services, professional development, and funding for up to 125 schools each.

    “The one thing I do like is the personalisation and communication to communities that we currently have; I would hate to lose that,” Canterbury West Coast Principals’ Association president and Burnside High School principal Phil Holstein said.

    “It’s another layer of administration and I’m not sure how that would look.”

    Beyond a massive restructure of school governance, the independent taskforce has made several other game-changing recommendations.

    …

    The taskforce has proposed principals spend only five years at a school before they are moved elsewhere.

    The proposal came as a surprise to New Zealand Principals’ Federation president and Bathgate Park School principal Whetu Cormick.

    ​”We would all be thinking, what does this mean for ourselves? I would expect we would still have a permanent position within the hub arrangement,” he said.

    “The idea of us moving across and sharing knowledge in schools … is an idea we haven’t had for a very, very long time.”

    Under the taskforce’s plan, principals would be appointed by the hubs rather than by boards of trustees.

    Several principals welcomed these ideas as a way to keep them accountable – even if they lost some job stability.

    But it could take five years just to become established in a school community and “white knights” were rarely well received, they said.

    Read the entire article here.

  • Teachers commit to action, if needed, to free teachers to teach

    Primary teachers and principals have committed to taking action next year in order to give every child more teacher time, and attract more people to teaching.

    At their annual conference in Rotorua today, members of NZEI Te Riu Roa committed to fighting for pay and workload changes that will help retain and recruit teachers, and free teachers to teach.

    Collective agreements for primary principals and teachers are up for negotiation in the middle of next year.

    “Children go to school to learn the critical skills and abilities they’ll need when they grow up, and for that they need teachers to have time to teach,” said NZEI president Lynda Stuart.

    “Right now, children are missing out on some opportunities to learn because their teachers are bogged down in administration and testing, or are struggling to get support for children with additional needs.

    “To make matters worse, children are increasingly in doubled up classes because their school can’t find enough teachers.

    “Teachers and principals are fed up with seeing children miss out on the education they deserve and we’re tired of trying to hold the system together when it’s broken.

    “It’s time to get serious about giving our children the best education in the world and to focus on what’s really going to make a difference.

    Source: Teachers commit to action, if needed, to free teachers to teach