What if – Staff Grievances
- Published: 06 October 2022
A staff member comes to you at 2.30 on Friday afternoon with a complaint about another staff member, demanding to know what you are going to do about it. You spend the weekend worrying about the situation and how you will sort it out. Sunday afternoon finds you dreading the following day as you know it will be difficult.
Where do rights vs responsibilities fit into this scenario?
What part does communication play in it?
How will you manage yourself?
Conflict is inevitable but combat is optional. The best way to address and speak about conflict is when an issue does not exist. Everyone has a right to have their issue addressed. However, they also have a responsibility to be part of an equitable solution. A win/win is the only right outcome.
Even though you, as a school leader will support and advise in a conflict situation, the problem does not become your sole responsibility to solve. When everyone is clear with regard to their own role and responsibility, there is a far greater chance that a win/win outcome will be achieved.
In order to achieve this clarity and understanding among staff in particular, professional conversations at staff meetings are advisable. The following might be considered:
- What local or national policies or procedures are available to deal with workplace relations?
- How do these apply to us in this school?
- If conflict arises what steps do we take to address it?
- What supports are available in helping us as a staff to manage what can become an emotive and adversarial situation?
In dealing with workplace relations, the INTO’s Working Together document, IPPN’s Dignity and Respect in the Workplace resource and the Teaching Council Code of Conduct will be supportive of the professional conversations among staff. It is essential to tease out in very specific terms how the rationale and code applies to each member of staff on the ground. A policy is all very well but the process of arriving at a specific policy for your school is the most important element.
Time taken to have these conversations is time well spent, considering the time, frustration and stress caused in managing conflict without a proactive approach.
See Dignity and Respect in the Workplace resource in the resources section of www.ippn.ie
Professional Guidance: What if scenarios – Part 1
- Published: 29 September 2022
Leadership is all about building relationships. Good communication with all in the school community will determine the quality of those relationships. Conflict occurs when communication breaks down, is poor, or not happened at all. When the potential for conflict is present how communication occurs becomes central to achieving a successful outcome for all. Over the past few weeks, managing the expectations of both self and others was explored. In order to create realistic expectations conversations are necessary in order to be clear about what each party can expect of others. Over the course of the next number of weeks we will look at what may be described as “What if” scenarios.
- A parent comes to you with a complaint about an issue between their child and a teacher
- A staff member complains that another staff member is harassing them
- A parent comes with an allegation of bullying
- A parent approaches other children in the school about bullying their child
Consider discussing these scenarios at staff meetings, BoM meetings and with the parent body to ensure that each person understands their role and knows the procedures to follow in each case. It is always best to have these when there is no issue needing resolution. Sometimes when engaging in a difficult conversation it can be useful also to have a repertoire of language as an aid to communicating well. In every aspect of school life especially where decisions are taken, always ask “To whom do I need to communicate this and how?” It may also be opportune to evaluate communication in general and the school communication plan if one exists. Communication is always a challenge and needs constant attention. The Communication Resource Bundle on www.ippn.ie may be helpful in evaluating and prioritising areas for review.
AP Posts and ’Lists of Duties’
- Published: 29 September 2022
Circular 44/2019 envisages a revised framework for Leadership and Management in schools, where the concept of the hero leader is replaced by the concept of the post-hero leader.
- Heroic leadership is the pinnacle of leadership, conducted by a transformed and enlightened leader who seeks to transform and enlighten others
- Post heroic leadership, on the other hand is more akin to shared and servant leadership, focussing on collective achievement, teamwork and shared accountability
- This concept is recognised in the IPPN Resource Bundles “Sharing the Leadership” (DP appointment) and “Distributing the Leadership” (AP appointments).
Transformation
The new model of school leadership outlined in Circular 44/2019 seeks to transform the notion of a Post-Holder as a teacher with a few extra “jobs” into one where the Post-Holder occupies a position of strategic importance in the leadership, management and administration of the school. This model envisages school leadership being shared and distributed by the principal and DP among all members of the ISM team.
However, what are APs to be responsible for?
In line with the principles of distributed leadership, Assistant Principals work in teams collaborating with the Principal and/ or Deputy Principal and have shared responsibility, commensurate with the level of the post, for areas such as:
- learning and teaching
- leading school development (including curriculum development)
- pupil support including wellbeing
- school improvement
- leadership/management and development of individuals and staff teams
- special education and inclusion
- supporting teachers during the induction phase of their career
PIEW and the “Needs of the School”
The Circular requires that, prior to the advertisement of an AP post a consultation takes place between the Principal, Deputy Principal, teachers and BoM to determine:
- the identified leadership and management needs and priorities of the school
- the roles and responsibilities which need to be performed for the effective leadership and management of the school taking into account the identified needs and priorities of the school
- the distribution of these roles and responsibilities between the available in-school leadership and management posts by reference to the school’s own priorities.
The areas for consideration during this review by the school staff include:
- the school plan
- the school’s Mission Statement and its aims and objectives
- the pupil and curricular profile of the school
- requirements of the Department of Education and Skills (and the ETB in the case of a community national school) and its agencies
- the responsibilities carried out by current post holders and responsibilities undertaken by members of staff who do not hold posts of responsibility.
This consultation provides an ideal opportunity for school leaders to prioritise these needs in accordance with PIEW before assigning areas of responsibility to post-holders.
The AP’s contract with the BoM
The purpose of the AP Contract is to:
- define the role of the AP as a member of the school’s ISM team
- outline the currently assigned area(s) of responsibility. (Appendix I of Chapter. 3 of Circular 44/2019 – Statement of Roles and Responsibilities)
- clarify that the AP will submit an annual Report to Review Form (Appendix II of Chapter. 3 of Circular 44/2019 – Statement of Roles and Responsibilities) which will form the basis for a meeting with the principal / deputy principal to review the AP’s work in relation to his/her area of responsibility
- clarify that the current area(s) of responsibility will be reviewed at least every 2 years.
EducationPosts.ie School Placement Opportunities Noticeboard
- Published: 29 September 2022
EducationPosts.ie has developed the School Placement Opportunities Noticeboard to facilitate the accommodation of student teachers school placement where that placement has not already been secured. The Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) will upload notices containing relevant information relating to the students on behalf of whom they are seeking to secure placement. Schools that have capacity to accommodate these students can contact the HEI’s directly via the contact information provided on the notice. It is hoped that the noticeboard will streamline the communication between schools and the HEIs.
