Message from IPPN President, Brian O'Doherty, 30th June 2023
- Published: 30 June 2023
As the academic year ends and the school closes for the children, I want to offer my sincere congratulations on the inspiring and impactful leadership you have provided to your school community and my heartfelt thanks for the selfless manner in which you supported each other throughout the year in leadership support groups and local networks. That mutual support, characterized by collegiality, is the bedrock upon which IPPN was founded and has a fundamentally positive impact on our practice and, indeed, the sustainability of our roles.
As you know, reimagining the experience and practice of school leadership and shaping a more sustainable leadership future is the priority focus for IPPN. The publication of IPPN’s Sustainable Leadership report in November was an important first step as it established an evidence base for how things could be done differently to enhance leadership capacity and effectiveness. The advocacy work in which IPPN has engaged, since the publication of the report, is having an impact and green shoots are beginning to emerge. For the first time, there has been public acknowledgement that the DE forms policy but schools, and more particularly school leaders, implement it. Such implementation can only succeed if sufficient leadership capacity exists. There is much work to be done to ensure progress on the recommendations and that work will continue apace in the coming weeks and months.
To those of you who are stepping down from your leadership roles to begin a new chapter, it is time to reflect on the resilient and transformative leadership you have given to your school community. I also want to thank you for the contribution you have made to the work of IPPN and for the professional generosity you have demonstrated to your fellow school leaders through networking and mentoring, both formal and informal. Embrace and enjoy the adventures ahead.
Finally, to Páiric, Nora and all the wonderful staff in the Support Office, to the members of the Board of Directors and the National Council and to all of the members of IPPN with whom I have had the pleasure of engaging – thank you for affording me the privilege of doing this work over the last two years. Thank you for your unfailing support and your unwavering commitment. Buíochas ó chroí daoibh go léir.
Le meas
Brian O’Doherty
President
