Principalship up for review?
Since 2005 the ‘First time Principal’s course’ has been running. Not being one I only have staffroom discussion to go by, but many of the areas under consideration there are designed to enable many Principal’s to make the transition between ‘classroom teacher’ to ‘School Manager’. Though there are no formal qualifications required for a Principal the ‘career route many take through ‘syndicate leader, senior management, DP/AP surely offers many the opportunity to develop their people management skills and ‘school-wide’ perspective. I know the UK offers qualifications for those aspiring principals by way of the NPQH. Perhaps that is the line we in New Zealand need to go down. But to here of the closure of the Principal’s Development Programme Centre at such a time as this does not reflect well on the emphasis and direction the government places on School Management.
Will we really want to undergo a course qualifying us for school leadership without the guarantee of securing a Principalship prior to spending what will be a large amount of our savings?
I have heard of, and quite like, the model where a Principal – with a teaching background- is responsible for the school, as they are currently but then instead of employing that DP or second AP they employ a Vice Principal (Finance) or some other fancy title that means they take responsibility for the ‘business side’ of the school management. I know some secondary school do this already.
Could Primaries do something similar?
