Leadership Matters: listening to First-time Principals
by Marg Lees
- Comments (0)
- Comment on this article
Overview
Marg Lees is Leadership and Management adviser from a UC Plus in Christchurch, who has worked with aspiring principals on the UC Plus Aspiring Principals programme. This article records her follow-up with seven first-time primary principals who undertook the programme.
She sets the context for prospective principalship as:
- urgent – a large number of principal retirements will be occurring in New Zealand in the next 5 to 15 years
- challenging – expectations of schools and New Zealand principals being responsible for self-governing schools
- rewarding – making a difference in students’ lives, and working in strong professional partnerships.
She uses a key and clear diagram to set out three important requirements in the preparation of aspiring principals. They are consideration of:
- myself as a leader
- educational leadership
- supportive partnerships.
Interviews with the seven First-time Principals indicate how important these three aspects have been in their transition from aspiring to First-time Principal positions.
This easy-to-read report will be useful to the following audiences:
- experienced principals and tumuaki, to remind them of the importance of their roles as mentors and critical friends to aspiring and first-timers
- principals who are looking to work with potential leaders within their own school. Lee's findings provide the basis for professional development programmes with teachers and middle and senior leaders who are thinking about principalship
- aspiring leaders who are interested in the skills, knowledge, and qualities they need to work on as their careers progress.
The article makes helpful connections to the aspects of leadership set out in Kiwi Leadership for Principals. While Lees acknowledges the diversity and stresses involved in being a school principal, she also emphasises the rewards of being an educational leader in a school.
Reflective questions
These reflective questions might guide you in your reading of this article:
- Work with your senior leadership team to plan a programme that will prepare potential leaders in your school to become involved with an aspiring principals’ project. What are the main barriers you will have to overcome to get people interested in educational leadership?
- What mechanisms help you sustain your professional learning in managing yourself, leading learning, and developing supportive partnerships?
- What strategies could you put in place to further develop the partnership with your board of trustees? Lees suggests working with them on a professional appointments process. Is this something you could work on, or would something else be a helpful focus?
Further reading
Ministry of Education (2008). Kiwi Leadership for Principals. Wellington.
Readers' comments
There are no comments.
Post a comment
Not registered? Register now to comment.
