One advantage of longevity in the teaching profession is the sure knowledge that every decade or so, the ideological pendulum will swing. This normally has the effect akin to a 180-degree turn in direction and leads to much gnashing of teeth for principals and teachers who frequently find themselves charged with implementing policies designed to win the electorate.

This policy modus operandi is bred into the DNA of political parties and education has always found itself flung from pillar to post.

There is no doubt the Government has some significant challenges to deal with in education and it is vital that collective problem-solving with the sector occurs to enable change to be carefully consulted and widely socialised.

I find myself hopeful about the change ahead. There is urgent work to do in our schools and I recognise the fertile ground that arises when the political winds have shifted.

The new Education Minister, Hon Erica Stanford, has a steely resolve, and it is heartening to see the urgency in her work. I hope that she can build a much broader coalition of support around her change programme so that the impact of Government policy avoids the cycle of political churn and survives when eventually the pendulum swings again.

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Education reform: an opportunity

The challenge for principals is to view education reform as an opportunity to exercise leadership and chart a course that further enacts vision. Principals should use the dissonance created by the new Government’s policy direction to avoid falling into a culture of dependency on government and bureaucracy. True leadership flourishes in times of change because change forces us to articulate our beliefs and then act on them.  

In a culture of dependency, principals and teachers see themselves as having little professional autonomy. They see their role as service-delivery agents with a focus on delivering a prescription to a market.

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We must remember that education is not a commodity, and that powerful teaching and learning are never prescriptive.

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Michael Fullan (1998) described the opportunity that reform presents like this, “Giving up the futile search for the silver bullet is the basic precondition for overcoming dependency and for beginning to take actions that do matter. It frees educational leaders to gain truly new insights that can inform and guide their actions toward greater success.”

As we start the year together, principals have an opportunity to sift and sort their vision and the pedagogies they enable.

Our autonomous self-managing and self-governing schooling system is a powerful enabler supporting a consistency of vision—plurality, inclusivity, and challenge. The relationship between local communities and schools is a taonga, a constant and it is one imbued with trust.

Work on that trust and nurture it. In times of dissonance and churn, it will stand the profession and young people in good stead.

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Overcoming reform dependency

There are some other surprising actions that school leaders should pay attention to. They may seem counterintuitive, but they are part of the practice of overcoming reform dependency and exercising the leadership muscle.

Again Fullan (1998) reminds us that in times of churn, reform-minded principals can enact four guidelines to truly lead:

1. Respect Those You Want to Silence.

2. Move Toward the Danger in Forming New Alliances.

3. Manage Emotionally as Well as Rationally.

4. Fight for Lost Causes.

Fullan goes on to define each guideline:

Respect Those You Want to Silence

“Reform often misfires because we fail to learn from those who disagree with us. Conflict and differences can make a constructive contribution in dealing with problems.”

We are currently confronted with many complex achievement challenges. Don’t dismiss outright change that you disagree with. Give time to let ideas percolate and look for the gold.

Move Toward the Danger in Forming New Alliances

“When differences and dissonance occur between policy, ideas, initiatives, and pedagogies, harness it! Use it as an opportunity. Here leaders must do the opposite of what they feel like doing. When your instinct is to avoid, minimise, and manage, instead, ‘Move towards the danger’.”  

Look for ways to engage and grow appropriate change that reflects your judgment.

“For example, in a school, where mistrust between the community and the administration is the major issue, you must begin to deal with it by making sure that parents are present at every major event, every meeting, every challenge, and within the discomfort of that presence, the learning and healing could begin (Dolan, 1994).”

Manage Emotionally as Well as Rationally

“Leaders moving their staff toward the implementation of change in a world of diversity cannot invite disagreement or engage with new ideas without attending to their emotional health."

Before the new Government’s reforms land, it would be wise to work on the emotional health of your school staff and school community.

"Principals who manage emotionally as well as rationally expect anxiety to be endemic in school reform.”

Fight for Lost Causes

“It is especially important that leaders have and display hope, and that they show they are prepared to fight for lost causes because they demonstrate that leadership calls for bravery, it sets the tone for so many others. Teachers are desperate for lifelines of hope. They understand that hope is not a promise, but they need to be reminded that they are connected to a larger purpose and to others who hold to ideas that may not be popular or be the agenda of the day.”

Finally, an important last guideline.

Avoid Your Ideological Capture

We all have an internal schema that informs our perspective. This schema is constructed from a multiplicity of life events, and it colours everything we know and do. Recognise this and be prepared to see issues from alternate perspectives. Consider new initiatives as an opportunity to enact positive change and then exercise your leadership to ensure the nature of that change is powerful for young people and leaves you confident that your vision is intact.

This year, principals have an opportunity to seize the moment and ensure that education reforms are good for children and good for the profession.

Power up your local relationships and above all else, stay connected, active, and vocal as leaders in our profession.  

He waka eke noa. If you need support… we can help, please get in touch.

NB - Stay tuned for updates on the soon to be launched  National Centre for Educational Leadership, an initiative designed ‘for Principals by Principals’ to support school leaders at all career stages navigate change and build a flourishing future for our tamariki.

Sources:

Dolan, P. (1994). Restructuring Our Schools. Kansas City, Mo.: Systems and Organizations.

M. Fullan. (1998). "Leadership for the 21st Century: Breaking the Bonds of Dependency.” Educational Leadership 55, 7.