E-scéal 159: Improving School Leadership in Ireland - Recommendations from OECD
- Published: 28 April 2008
The National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) and the Irish Primary Principals' Network (IPPN), representing school leaders at post-primary and primary level in Ireland, welcome the findings of this research. This international report corroborates the evidence already highlighted to government by both principals' associations in recent years about the evolving crisis in recruiting and retaining school leaders.
The report also shows that potential applicants see the role of principal as financially unrewarding. Significantly for Ireland, the OECD recommends that principals should be placed on a separate salary scale as an essential strategy to attract the highest calibre leaders to our schools.
"This report, from a leading world authority, vindicates and corroborates what principals in Ireland have been saying for years. Not only this, but it throws down a very real challenge to government about what is urgently needed for a meaningful school improvement agenda." stated Clive Byrne, Director of NAPD.
"All the international research shows that to achieve meaningful school improvement and improved learning outcomes for children, governments must provide principals with high quality supports to enable them prioritise their role as leaders of learning in their schools. Increased investment in social inclusion, class size reduction and special education needs will not achieve the desired results without high caliber, enthusiastic vibrant principals." said Sean Cottrell, Director, IPPN.
Improving School Leadership is based on a study of school leadership policies and practices throughout OECD countries. Offering a valuable trans-national perspective, it identifies a range of policy options designed to help member governments improve school leadership now and ensure sustainable leadership for the future.
In particular policy makers and practitioners need to ensure that the core focus of the principal is on improved learning outcomes and must not be distracted by burgeoning administration.
The OECD report identifies four main policy levers which, taken together, can improve school leadership:
1. (Re)define school leadership responsibilities:
a) Provide a higher degree of autonomy with appropriate support
b) Redefine school leadership responsibilities for improved learning
c) Develop school leadership frameworks for improved policy and practice
2. Distribute school leadership:
a) Encourage leadership distribution
b) Support leadership distribution
c) Support school boards in their tasks
3. Develop skills for effective school leadership
a) Leadership development must be seen as a continuum
b) Ensure consistency of provision by different institutions
c) Ensure appropriate variety for effective training
4. Make school leadership an attractive profession:
a) Professionalise recruitment
b) Focus on the relative attractiveness of school leaders' salaries
c) Acknowledge the supportive role of professional associations in developing effective leaders
d) Provide options and support for career development
E-Scéal 158: Deputy Principals Conference 2008
- Published: 17 April 2008
Since 2002, over 400 Deputy Principals have attended Deputy Principals' Conferences and openly shared best practice based on their own direct experience. Responding to their request for opportunities to jointly attend leadership-focused professional development events with their Principals, IPPN will host the fifth IPPN Conference for Deputy Principals on the evening of Monday 19th and all day Tuesday, 20th May 2008 at the Carlton Shearwater Hotel, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.
All Deputy Principals who are IPPN members are invited to attend. Principals are invited to attend provided their Deputy Principal is also attending.
Note: Sub-cover is available for Deputy Principals to attend this event. Conference fee and travel expenses can be recouped from your Board of Management. Sub-cover is not provided for Principals.
The event will include seminars on
Special Education Needs
Getting the Work / Life Balance right
Effective Whole School Communication
Developing Professional Relationships
Application forms will be sent to schools early next week. They are also available to download from www.ippn.ie. Follow this link to access, download and print the form -> http://tinyurl.com/68dhrp. The deadline for receipt of applications is Wednesday 30th April 2008.
Is sinne le meas
Seán Cottrell, Virginia O'Mahony & Larry Fleming
E-Scéal 157: Conference 2009 - Diary Dates
- Published: 11 April 2008
IPPN Conference 2009
Believe it or not, plans for Conference 2009 are already well underway. Our two last conferences were in Killarney. We are fully aware that Killarney is an extremely long distance for Principals in the Northern half of the country wishing to attend Conference. All things being equal we would really like to hold Conference 2009 someplace in the Midlands, the West of the Northwest. In choosing a conference location, we have to make sure that the venue can adequately cater for the following criteria:
1. Expected attendance of 850 - 900. The number of Principals attending continues to grow steadily each year, regardless of location.
2. Conference Hall / Auditorium capacity for 950 - 1000 to include guests and others.
3. A minimum of 12 - 15 separate Workshop Rooms with a combined capacity of 850
4. Restaurant capacity to provide lunch for 950 - 1000
5. Banquet Hall to provide Gala Dinner for 950 - 1000 with entertainment facilities
6. Enough space for 80 - 100 Trade Exhibit Stands
7. Sufficient accommodation for all attendees within a reasonable distance
Having carried out an exhaustive search of hotel and conference venues throughout the country, the Irish National Events Centre (INEC) at the Gleneagle & Brehon Hotel complex in Killarney, remains the best option for Conference 2009.
There are a number of new conference facilities being built in Ireland which will hopefully expand the number of options available in future years. Meanwhile, please note the following dates for your 2009 diary:
IPPN Conference 2009 - Thursday, January 29th - Saturday, January 31st - INEC, Killarney
Accommodation can be reserved at the Gleneagle Hotel, Brehon Hotel & Riverside Apartments by contacting 064 71550.
Please quote IPPN Conference 2009 to avail of the rates below.
GLENEAGLE HOTEL:
Single Occupancy - €119.00 per room per night B&B
Double Occupancy - €150.00 per room per night B&B
BREHON HOTEL:
Single Occupancy - €139.00 per room per night B&B
Double Occupancy - €170.00 per room per night B&B
GLENEAGLE RIVERSIDE APARTMENTS:
€220.00 per night 1- 4 pax
Feedback from our last conference was tremendously positive on all fronts. We would be delighted to receive any suggestions you may have for next year in relation to Keynote Speakers, Facilitators, Workshop Topics, Entertainment etc. Please send your suggestions to info@ippn.ie
Is sinne le meas
Seán Cottrell & Angela Lynch
E-Scéal 156: IBS - IPPN Preferred Supplier
- Published: 08 April 2008
IPPN is delighted to introduce IBS as its preferred supplier for printing, copying and fax facilities and acknowledge their support of IPPN as a Gold Sponsor.
IBS is the Sole Distributor in Ireland for the Konica Minolta range of products which includes printer, fax and photocopying machines and multi-functioning devices which incorporate all three products into one machine. Konica Minolta holds the number one position in the Multi-functioning device market in Ireland and their products have been voted the most reliable colour and multi-functional products in the world. IBS is an ISO 9001:2000 Quality Assured Company with offices in Cork, Dublin, Belfast, Derry, Galway, Sligo, Portlaoise and Limerick.
IBS is a company whose excellence of product and service is matched by a reputation for a friendly, attentive and extremely professional approach to every customer need. They are a service and sales organisation that prides themselves on having a very high level of customer satisfaction throughout the country. All service and repairs are carried out by their 65 fully-qualified Engineers who are strategically located throughout the country to ensure that wherever you are, IBS is only 30 minutes away.
As a Gold Partner and preferred supplier of IPPN, we would ask you to include IBS in the tendering process when you are considering your next purchase.
Is sinne le meas
Seán Cottrell & Larry Fleming
E-Scéal 155: Summer Works Scheme Survey
- Published: 08 April 2008
The Department has asked IPPN to assist them in gathering this information from Principals so that learning and lessons can be included in the review. To this end, we have made a survey available here on www.educationopinion.ie with links available through www.ippn.ie.
IPPN is hopeful that the benefits of the Summer Works Scheme to schools will be obvious to the DES and that the Scheme would be reinstated as soon as possible.
To access the survey, please click on www.educationopinion.ie and then click on the survey titled 'Summer Works Scheme', which should take no more than 6-8 minutes to complete.
Is sinne le meas
Seán Cottrell & Larry Fleming
