IPPN

E-Scéal 41: Communication Professionally

Published: 20 June 2004

Communicating Professionally

Telephone calls from the DES to schools in recent weeks relating to SEN issues have raised serious concerns among principals. The key issues are:

The timing of calls:
Given the importance of special education needs, it seems very unprofessional that principals are telephoned in such a casual manner. Such important business should be conducted through normal correspondence or by a pre-arranged visit to the school. Even if this cannot be done, a telephone discussion should be arranged by appointment, particularly for teaching principals as they are engaged in fulltime class teaching. Callers have demanded detailed information requiring access to files and time for consultation with other staff members, hence the need for preparation.
The nature of the information sought:
Most, if not all, of the information requested has already been provided in written form to the DES and is a matter of record. Many principals are now giving the same information for the third time.

Professional Guidance

Where sensitive information about children or staff is sought by the DES, Health Boards or other third parties:

Insist on the caller / visitor to verify their identity to your satisfaction and provide appropriate contact details.
Establish the purpose of the call.
Request the nature and scope of the information sought and implications thereof. You are entitled to request the purpose(s) for which the information sought will be used.
Return the call or make an appointment for a mutually appropriate time.
Consider if the information being requested is privileged i.e. - do you have the right to pass it on without written permission? If a third party seeks a copy of a report which you have received on behalf of a child, written permission to release such a report should be sought form the parent / guardian.
Consider if any of the information requested is outside your area of professional competence i.e. are you being asked for a legal, medical or a psychological opinion?
Consider the wisdom of confining discussion, information and opinions within the scope of your professional expertise in educational matters. Stick to facts and professional opinions which you can stand over.
Keep a written record of any information which you have passed on verbally and copies of any letters, forms etc.
Unfortunately, principals have discovered in the past that 'informal telephone conversations' have been recorded in detail by health board officials etc. and subsequently relayed to others causing considerable stress to the obliging principal.

This professional guidance should be considered in all situations where you are engaged in a telephone conversation or a face to face meeting with a third party seeking any information that might be considered sensitive.

Is Mise Le Meas,

Seán Cottrell
Director

E-Scéal 40: Criteria for Appointments of Teachers and Principals

Published: 15 June 2004

Criteria for Appointments of Teachers and Principals

You will have noticed from the new BoM Handbook 2004, page 46 and SOLAS (April 2004) that new regulations apply to the appointment procedures for teachers. Each applicant called for interview shall be supplied with the details of the established criteria for the post by the Interview Board / Selection Panel. As you well know, we are now at the beginning of peak 'recruitment season'. Several Principals have been in contact looking for sample criteria re vacancies arising both in their own schools and in other schools where they have been requested to chair / participate in selection boards. In response to such requests, IPPN has uploaded two files to the 'Management Resources' section of our website. These files contain sample criteria along with a matrix which can be used as a scoring sheet forming an essential record of the interview / selection process. The criteria offered are only a guide and should be amended or supplemented to reflect the ethos and educational needs of the school. The chosen criteria must be sent in advance to the candidates called for interview by the Chairperson of the Selection Board. If you wish to access the sample criteria for the positions of Teacher or Principal please check: http://www.ippn.ie/resmgmt.php

Whole School Evaluation - WSE

You will be familiar with recent media reports concerning the high court decision which ruled in favour of the Information Commissioner's decision that the DES should release a particular school's Tuarisc Scoile which had been requested under the Freedom of Information Act. You will also be aware that the DES has been piloting WSE as a replacement of its Tuarisc Scoile predecessor. Recently a representative of the inspectorate has written to IPPN inviting a submission to the DES regarding the WSE process. In order to make an appropriate submission I would like to establish a working group of principals who have been involved in the WSE pilot project or who have a good knowledge of the WSE process. This is an important opportunity for IPPN to make its views known to the DES. I would appreciate if you would contact our support office at info@ippn.ie or 1890 21 22 23 if you are willing to help with preparing the submission. It is very important for schools and in particular for principals that this opportunity to influence WSE is undertaken.

Is Mise Le Meas,

Seán Cottrell
Director

E-Scéal 39: Correspondence from NEWB

Published: 14 June 2004

Correspondence from NEWB

This week, you received correspondence from NEWB. The IPPN support office has received numerous e-mails and telephone calls from principals who are dismayed that the NEWB document includes an official deadline of July 16th for the return of data. You will have noticed that they referred to consultation with school management, principals,teachers and parents, I would like to provide some background and clarity to the situation that has unfolded:

1. Last July, the NEWB invited IPPN to nominate a representative to the "Schools Implementation Committee". This committee was constituted to work out the practical details as to how NEWB's services would interact with individual schools. A few weeks later the NEWB notified IPPN that we were not to have a representative on this committee after all!

2. When IPPN queried the withdrawal of the invitation, we were told that the INTO objected to IPPN's inclusion as they (INTO) already represented Principals. The NEWB acceded to the INTO's view.

3. IPPN subsequently sought a meeting with the NEWB. Kevin O'Meara, Darndale SNS, IPPN Dublin and I raised a considerable number of professional issues with the NEWB pertaining to their intentions vis-a-vis interacting with schools. We also pointed out that it was quite bizarre to set a deadline for returning data to the NEWB in the middle of official school holidays! We indicated that this was likely to be counter productive for the NEWB in their efforts to build professional relationships with school principals and their deputies. Let me clarify that whichever "Principals" the NEWB consulted with in drawing up guidelines which result in a deadline of July 16th for data returns, it was not Principals represented professionally by IPPN. The NEWB asked IPPN to "support" the July 16th date both during and subsequent to our meeting. IPPN refused to "support" the date for several obvious reasons and cannot understand how the "Schools Implementation Committee" decided on it given that committee included the INTO.

May I respectfully suggest that Principal teachers who are alarmed at this development, should communicate their views directly to the INTO. IPPN is a professional association for school leaders - not a trade union. We have consistently been clear in differentiating between a professional association and a trade union. We feel it is reasonable that Principals and their Deputies would expect that their trade union would protect their terms and conditions of employment. The planned erosion of official holidays is a matter for the trade union to address and is not something that IPPN can deal with other than to provide support and clarification.

Is Mise Le Meas,

Seán Cottrell
Director

E-Scéal 38: Transfer of Students from Primary to Post Primary

Published: 10 June 2004

Transfer of students from Primary to Post Primary

Every year Principals and teachers of senior classes witness a wide variety of practice in relation to pupils transferring from Primary to Second Level. IPPN & NAPD (Second Level Principals) established a joint working group to put in place a code of good practice which would be in the best interest of the children concerned and would address the needs and challenges currently faced at upper primary and lower second level. The appropriate transfer of information from primary to second level schools is central to establishing good practice. In the course of the next 10 days, IPPN will issue an A4 template of a Student Transfer Form which maybe useful for those schools wishing to adopt procedures which have been standardised across a broad range of schools.

School league tables

Meanwhile, in the context of recent media attention on the topic of school league tables and 'grind schools', RTE 5-7 Live recorded and interview with IPPN which focused on the impact of entrance examinations on primary schools. This interview can be heard on RTE's web page: http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0521/57live.html

Early Childhood Education Seminars

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) invites you and your colleagues to its regional seminars in June. Please extend this invitation to all members of your school staff who have an interest / experience in early childhood education. These seminars are part of its consultation with the early childhood sector. The purpose of the seminars is to gather feedback on the ideas and proposals in the NCCA's consultative document for the development of a national framework to support all children's learning from birth to six years. Details of the seminars

Details of the seminars available at: www.ncca.ie

Venue	Date	Time
Red Cow Moran Hotel, Red Cow Roundabout, Naas Rd., Dublin 22	Tuesday, 8th June	7.30-9.30 p.m.
Galway Bay Hotel, The Promenade, Salthill, Galway.	Wednesday, 9th June	7.30-9.30 p.m.
Silver Springs Moran Hotel, Tivoli, Cork	Thursday, 10th June	7.30-9.30 p.m.
Nuremore Hotel and Country Club, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan	Tuesday, 22nd June	7.30-9.30 p.m.

Escéal 37: Prof. Michael Fullan - Interview on RTE's Morning Ireland

Published: 01 June 2004

Fullan interview on RTE - Morning Ireland

Following the success of his two workshops in Thurles and Mullingar, Michael Fullan was interviewed by RTE's Morning Ireland on Thursday May 20th . The interview was broadcast in the context of the publication of so called Second Level School League Tables. Whether or not you participated in Michael Fullan's workshops, I am sure you will enjoy listening to his interview which can be accessed from RTE's web archives by single clicking here.

Your computer needs a programme called RealPlayer to listen to RTE audio files. If you don't have RealPlayer you can download it free from www.realplayer.com

Story writing competition for primary school children

AIB has launched a story writing competition for primary school children which is based on a review of their favourite book. Entry to the competition is by way of application forms from a local AIB Branch - and not through the school. The competition, called 'Wordy Worm's Story' is divided into two age categories:

6-9 years (maximum 100 words) and 10-12 years (maximum 200 words).

A prize of €50 each will be awarded to the 28 county winners (2 in Dublin and 2 in Cork and 1 in all other counties) in both categories. These county winners will then be further adjudicated for national prizes which will be awarded as follows:

1st Prize €300, with €1,000 in book tokens for the winner's school in both categories
2nd Prize €250, with €500 in book tokens for the winner's school in both categories
3rd Prize €200, with €250 in book tokens for the winner's school in both categories

Full details of the competition are included on the entry forms which are available at your local AIB branch. Details of the competition are also available on the website www.aib.ie/kids where entry forms can be downloaded.

Closing date for receipt of entries is Wednesday, 30th June 2004 and winners will be announced by 30th September 2004. All enquiries about this competition to Muriel O'Driscoll, AIB, Ph: 01-6411975. Please inform the pupils/parents of your school about this competition.