Leading on leadership – NZ Teachers Council

1. Leading on leadership – NZ Teachers Council • Te Tari Puna Ora o Aotearoa Conference • 10 April 2010 • Deborah Wansbrough • Policy Adviser: ECE

2. NZ Teachers Council Te Pouherenga Kaiako o Aotearoa • The professional body for all registered teachers working in early childhood, primary, secondary, tertiary and other teaching institutions • Established under the Education Standards Act 2001

3. What’s the Teachers Council interest in ECE leadership? • Professional leadership mandate • Enhance the status of teachers • Contribute to safe and high quality teaching and learning environment • Professional leaders are specified by the Education Act • Leadership is vital for the implementation of Council’s other professional initiatives

4. Current Strategic Initiatives • Induction and Mentoring - Pilot programmes running 2009-2010 • Review of Satisfactory Teacher Dimensions Registered teacher criteria Gazetted January 2010. Staged implementation 2010-2013 • Registration policy review • Te reo proficiency project • ECE Leadership Development

5. Standards for the profession • Registered Teacher Criteria • show leadership that contributes to effective teaching and learning i. actively contribute to the professional learning community ii. undertake areas of responsibility effectively • Satisfactory Teacher Dimensions • Professional Leadership. All teachers display leadership in some aspects of their work. The context in which leadership is displayed will vary according to the position.

6. Early Childhood Education Advisory Group • Saw a policy gap – little had been done to advance the leadership strategy of Pathways to the Future: Ngā Huarahi Arataki • Some leadership programmes built into MOE projects e.g. PD contracts • Mostly work was from individuals or COI • Concern momentum for coordinated strategy could be lost

7. Policy and strategic development • Is this an example of bottom up pressure? • Is this an example of policy entrepreneurship – mobilising resources and support? • Is ECEAG the eyes and ears for the sector to promote a cohesive strategy? (Scott & Baehler, 2010)

8. Teachers Council Think Tank • Convened in February 2008 • Recommended a position paper to describe issues and themes in ECE leadership • Kate Thornton, Jeanette Clarkin-Phillips, Helen Aitken and Aroaro Tamati collaborated through Wiki to contribute to a paper

9. Available to download www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz/communication/publications/occasional.stm

10. “Conceptualising leadership in ECE in Aotearoa New Zealand” • Discussion paper was launched at Te Tari Puna Ora o Aotearoa conference July 2009 • Put a stake in the ground describing where we are currently • Suggested it is not enough to transplant what is provided for schools

11. Poorly understood and rarely addressed • “In most research on teaching and learning however, links to leadership are tenuous, as leadership functions and elements are seldom included as a factor in research designs” (Bary, Deans, Charlton, Hullett, Martin, Martin, Moana, Waugh, Jordan & Scrivens, 2008, p.141)

12. Diversity of sector • Playcentre, Kōhanga reo, home-based education, Pasifica services, Steiner, Montessori, Māori immersion services, Education and care services, kindergarten, punanga reo, community-based, sessional, all day……. • Nomenclature: Centre leader, head teacher, senior teacher, supervisor, curriculum leader, director, coordinator, president, team leader……

13. Issues • Low profile of leadership in ECE – resistance, discomfort, lack of awareness of leadership practices • Non-hierarchical structures, predominantly women • Lack of accepted definition or common understanding of leadership • Confusion between leadership and management • Newly qualified, less experienced teachers taking on leadership positions

14. Context and culture • Will leadership practices look the same in different contexts? • Will leadership practices look the same in different C/cultures • Much of the literature on leadership has been criticised as being mono-cultural and not taking into account “ethnicity, social class, location and beliefs” (Fitzgerald, 2003).

15. Slow recognition of the importance of leadership? • Schools had similar experience after introduction of Tomorrow Schools • NZEI first to help out: Principals’ Kit 1993 • Now variety of programmes to choose from and coherent Professional Leadership Plan as part of Kiwi Leadership for Principals • First time principals; aspiring principals; experienced principals. • Electronic principals’ network • Guiding framework for professional development • LeadSpace website • Education Gazette has regular section

16. So why is leadership so important? • Link to quality • ERO findings are increasingly highlighting the role of leadership • strong in high performing services • lacking in poor performing services • Link to better learning outcomes for children (school based research and so by implication ECE)

17. What has been available • Educational Leadership Project • Centres of Innovation • Teachers Refresher Courses • Blended action learning project • Options in professional development programmes • University post grad courses

18. Lessons from leadership development programmes • One-off courses are not sufficient - needs to be opportunities for reflection and self questioning • Can’t just be about learning specific skills (list approach), generic courses, decontextualised • Having only the positional leader involved with a focus on managing the service does not lead to good leadership practices

19. What works for leadership development programmes? • Distributed leadership approaches • Support and mentoring by other leaders • Opportunities to reflect on real-life experiences and scenarios • Follow-up support over a sustained period of time

20. Programme based onparticular assessed needs of individual leadersProgramme which is problem focused and specific to workplace contextCollegiality and networking opportunitiesInclusion of wider team in aspects of the programme • Ongoing leadership development programmes

21. Next step • The discussion paper provided an overview of the current situation with regard to leadership in ECE. • Next step was to begin developing a framework for leadership development in ECE • ECE Leadership Workshop Day 11 November 2009

22. Te Kopae Piripono’s 4 aspects to leadership • Sharing responsibility • Having responsibility • Taking responsibility • Being responsible • Principles of Te Whāriki work for ECE leadership development • An aspiration statement similar to Te Whāriki’s for teachers to be competent and confident leaders

23. Convening of writing group • Addressed the absence of Kohanga Reo Trust • Ensured Māori, Pasifika, academic and practitioner perspectives • Worked on vision statement and characteristics of leadership in ECE

24. A Vision for Leadership in ECE in Aotearoa/NZ Leadership in ECE in Aotearoa creates dynamic and vibrant learning communities where children and adults are strong in their identity and are confident, connected and responsible citizens of the world. Draft vision – Teachers Council Writing Group, 2010

27. MoE • Request for proposals for ECE PD • National programme for “professional leadership PD” • “intended to develop professional leadership that will ensure ongoing improvements in effective teaching and learning across the ECE sector” • “strategic approach to building leadership capability across the sector” (MOE, p.27)

28. Current policy environment • Government objectives are to increase participation and limit compliance costs • 100% target of qualified and registered teachers has gone, 2012 only 80% • Budget has hit ECE hard: • change in funding rates • review of registration support funding • Targeted initiatives in specific areas of low participation

29. So what is needed now to develop robust leadership in ECE? • Will the PD contracts be robust or comprehensive enough? • Your thoughts?

30. Bigger Vision • Perhaps these are some of yours: • Leadership centres with PD opportunities that could be part of a qualification • Leaderful centres with everyone taking, having and sharing responsibility, and being responsible • Pedagogical/instructional leadership to the fore • Research focused on leadership practices and children’s learning

31. Leadership and the Teachers Council’s vision • Ū ki te ako, tu tangata ai apōpō • Excel in teaching so our learners will excel in the future

32. Te ara kura o TāneGlittering pathway of the setting sunA potential leader sets out on a pathway to success (Trad.) • Grace, P., Grace, W., & Potton, C. (2003). Earth, sea, sky. Images and Māori proverbs from the natural world of Aotearoa New Zealand. Wellington: Huia.