tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/school-leaders-21294/articlesSchool leaders – The Conversation2024-03-21T19:08:11Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2256712024-03-21T19:08:11Z2024-03-21T19:08:11Z‘I have been ground down’: about 50% of Australian principals and other school leaders are thinking of quitting<p>Australia’s school principals have collective responsibility for nearly 3 million students and staff. But who takes responsibility for them? </p>
<p>Since 2011, we have been <a href="https://healthandwellbeing.org/pages/principal-reports">surveying</a> Australian school leaders – principals and other leadership staff such as deputy principals and heads of junior or senior schools – about what is happening in their jobs. </p>
<p>Every year we have surveyed between 2,300 and 2,500 participants and it is now the longest running survey of its type in the world.</p>
<p>Previous surveys have <a href="https://theconversation.com/school-principals-are-reaching-crisis-point-pushed-to-the-edge-by-mounting-workloads-teacher-shortages-and-abuse-201777">shown</a> school principals face unsustainably high workloads, high levels of stress and unacceptable rates of violence and abuse from parents and students. </p>
<p>Our 2023 survey unfortunately finds the work levels, stress and abuse continue. But on top of this, school leaders are experiencing significant levels of mental illness and around half are considering leaving the profession. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/school-principals-are-reaching-crisis-point-pushed-to-the-edge-by-mounting-workloads-teacher-shortages-and-abuse-201777">School principals are reaching crisis point, pushed to the edge by mounting workloads, teacher shortages and abuse</a>
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<h2>Too much work and stress</h2>
<p>In the 2023 survey we looked at responses by career stages to get better insights into Australia’s principals. </p>
<p>School leaders vary widely in leadership experience, ranging from early career (up to five years) to more than 20 years in the job. However, across all levels of experience, there are similar levels of high workload (an average of 56 hours per week). </p>
<p>No matter what stage of their career, all told us how the the sheer quantity of work and a lack of time to focus on teaching and learning were the top two sources of stress.</p>
<p>Other top concerns were the mental health of students and of staff.</p>
<h2>Record levels of violence</h2>
<p>Disturbingly, principals also reported the highest levels of violence, bullying and threats of violence since the survey began in 2011:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>53.9% reported experiencing threats of violence, up from 44.8% in 2022. When asked “from whom”, 65.6% of respondents said parents and 79.7% said students</p></li>
<li><p>48.2% reported experiencing violence, up from 44% in 2022. When asked “from whom”, 19.7% said parents and 96.3% said students</p></li>
<li><p>53.7% reported being subjected to gossip and slander. When asked “from whom”, 65.1% said parents and 18.2% said students. </p></li>
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<p>As one school leader told us: </p>
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<p>Whilst I am more than aware that you can’t please all of the people, all of the time, I have been ground down by the almost constant negativity, nastiness and violence within our community. </p>
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<h2>Levels of mental illness are high</h2>
<p>We also examined the rates of mental illness among school leaders. </p>
<p>Almost 19% of those surveyed reported moderate-to-severe levels of anxiety. About 18% said they had moderate-to-severe depression. Early-career school leaders were most likely to report higher levels of anxiety and depression. </p>
<p>As one respondent told us: </p>
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<p>I did not work in Term 2 as I reached burn out.</p>
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<h2>Many are thinking about quitting</h2>
<p>Unsurprisingly, given the workload, abuse and mental health issues, the survey found significant numbers of school leaders are rethinking their career options. </p>
<p>More than half (56%) of school leaders surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that “I often seriously consider leaving my current job”. Those with six to ten years of experience were most likely to say they were thinking about quitting. </p>
<p>As one survey respondent with a decade of experience as a principal noted:</p>
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<p>I don’t feel ready for retirement but can no longer sustain my work as a principal.</p>
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<p>Another respondent told us: </p>
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<p>Most nights when I am awake I will count how much longer I have to work before I retire or think about what else I could do instead of this job. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/they-phone-you-up-during-lunch-and-yell-at-you-why-teachers-say-dealing-with-parents-is-the-worst-part-of-their-job-191256">'They phone you up during lunch and yell at you' – why teachers say dealing with parents is the worst part of their job</a>
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<h2>There is some good news</h2>
<p>We also looked at principals’ resilience, or their ability to bounce back from adverse experiences. Despite all these challenges, principals recorded a moderate increase in their resilience scores. On a 1–5 scale, the average score was over 3.82.</p>
<p>There has been an increase every year since we started tracking resilience in 2017, when the average was 3.58. This is testimony to principals’ dedication to their jobs and passion for education. </p>
<p>As one principal said: </p>
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<p>Being a principal is a tough, lonely job with not much appreciation but I continue to do it because the students need us and I love to see the kids challenged, engaged, cared for and learning […] hopefully to set them up for a great life.</p>
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<p>However, we found those with lower resilience scores were more likely to say they intended to quit. This further highlights the importance of supporting school leaders’ health and wellbeing.</p>
<p>We also found principals’ job satisfaction levels were stable, having declined last year for the first time since the survey commenced. From a high of 74.84 in 2020, it had dropped to 70.01 by 2022. It is encouraging to note it has risen slightly to 70.23 for 2023. </p>
<h2>What needs to happen now</h2>
<p>The challenge from this year’s report is stark and immediate: an exodus is potentially on the horizon.</p>
<p>Federal and state governments are certainly <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/national-teacher-workforce-action-plan">aware of teacher shortages</a> and keep announcing measures to try and address them, such as <a href="https://education.nsw.gov.au/news/latest-news/extra-admin-support-for-schools-to-reduce-teacher-workload#:%7E:text=School%20Admin%20and%20Support%20Staff,alleviate%20workload%20in%20participating%20schools.">more administrative support</a> and <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/minns-government-finds-1-4b-in-savings-for-teacher-pay-rises-20230914-p5e4q6.html">pay increases</a>. </p>
<p>But greater urgency is needed in current policy responses. </p>
<p>We cannot assume resilience levels will continue to hold up. The signs are unambiguous. If these school leaders really do quit, they will take years of experience with them and cripple the ability of Australian schools to realise their aspirations.</p>
<p>This includes major <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/review-inform-better-and-fairer-education-system/resources/expert-panels-repor">national education policies</a> – such as the upcoming <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-national-school-reform-agreement-and-what-does-it-have-to-do-with-school-funding-202847">National School Reform Agreement</a> – aimed at boosting academic outcomes and student wellbeing. </p>
<p>This is why we need the <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/education-ministers-meeting">next education ministers meeting</a> to respond to our report. All federal and state education ministers are expected to meet around April and must make support for principals’ wellbeing and safety a top priority. </p>
<p>As our survey shows, the patience of Australian school leaders is running out.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225671/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Herb Marsh has received and receives funding from the Australian Research Council, non-profit Australian school principal peak bodies, Catholic Schools NSW and Australian state and territory governments.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Theresa Dicke has received and receives funding from the Australian Research Council, non-profit Australian school principal peak bodies, Catholic Schools NSW and Australian state and territory governments.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul Kidson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A major survey of Australian school principals finds they are copping abuse from parents and students on top of huge workloads. Many experienced leaders say they might leave the profession.Paul Kidson, Senior Lecturer in Educational Leadership, Australian Catholic UniversityHerb Marsh, Distinguished Professor of educational psychology, Australian Catholic UniversityTheresa Dicke, Associate Professor, Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1733152022-01-18T13:40:06Z2022-01-18T13:40:06ZMore than masks and critical race theory – 3 tasks you should be prepared to do before you run for school board<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440547/original/file-20220112-35588-1rkswn4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=33%2C0%2C5500%2C3691&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">School board elections are increasingly contested. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/chris-tough-reacts-in-objection-during-a-portland-public-news-photo/1236153993?adppopup=true">Nathan Howard/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When people run for school board these days, they often are motivated to <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Conflicts_in_school_board_elections,_2021-2022">campaign on a controverisial topic</a>. That’s according to Ballotpedia, a nonprofit that tracks political elections in the U.S.</p>
<p>In an analysis of school board elections in <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/School_board_elections,_2021">463 school districts in 2021</a>, the organization found elections that were once uncontested had drawn candidates who were “<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-coronavirus-pandemic-school-boards-e41350b7d9e3662d279c2dad287f7009">galvanized by one issue or another</a>.”</p>
<p>Three issues came up the most. The most oft-cited issue was race in education, more specifically, the <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2021/11/03/school-board-races-show-mixed-results-critical-race-theory/6271364001/">teaching of critical race theory</a>. The second most frequently cited issue was <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/03/politics/school-board-elections/index.html">school policies on the pandemic</a> – that is, requirements to wear masks or get vaccinations, or school reopening. The third most-cited was <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Conflicts_in_school_board_elections_about_sex_and_gender_in_schools,_2021-2022">sex and gender in schools</a>, such as gender-specific facilities.</p>
<p>As of January 2022, Ballotpedia discovered 287 school districts in 25 states where candidates took a position on race in education; 199 school districts in 23 states where candidates took a position on responses to the coronavirus pandemic; and 144 school districts in 18 states where candidates took a position on sex and gender in schools.</p>
<h2>A worrisome trend</h2>
<p>As a former school board member – and as a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=6gc1wl0AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">researcher who studies educational leadership and policy</a> – I find it worrisome when polarizing issues generate so much attention from candidates. The reason I worry is that I know from firsthand experience that being an effective school board member is never just about taking a stance on a few hot-button topics. Rather, it’s about much broader issues, such as meeting the educational needs of all students in the school district.</p>
<p>Too often, support for candidates hinges on the positions they take on the most controversial issues. For instance, in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis, speaking on behalf of his state’s Republican Party, <a href="https://floridapolitics.com/archives/434128-political-apparatus/">pledged</a> to withhold support from “any Republican candidate for school board who supports critical race theory in all 67 counties or supports mandatory masking of schoolchildren.” </p>
<p>As impassioned as people may be about issues like mask requirements, keeping schools open or confronting issues of race in the curriculum, running a school district is about much more than any one of those single issues. With that in mind, here are three actions that future school board candidates should be prepared to take.</p>
<h2>1. Set district policy</h2>
<p>A primary function of the school board is to develop, review and approve district policy. These policies can include implementing state mandates – such as establishing <a href="https://www.ecs.org/high-school-graduation-requirements/">high school graduation requirements</a> – or formulating a <a href="https://kappanonline.org/mapping-teacher-evaluation-plans-essa-close-amrein-beardsley-collins/">plan to evaluate teachers</a>.</p>
<p>Some policies take on broad issues that affect all students. For instance, a policy might express a goal to make sure <a href="https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/making-sure-every-child-has-home-internet-access-8-steps-to-get-there/2020/09">all students have access to the internet at home</a>. Other policies might deal with smaller matters, such as whether <a href="https://hudsonvalleyone.com/2017/01/25/should-homeschooled-kids-be-able-to-participate-in-all-school-clubs/">home-schooled students can participate in extracurricular activities</a> at the local public school.</p>
<h2>2. Make tough budget decisions</h2>
<p>One of the most difficult tasks that school board members must do is decide how to spend the school district’s limited revenue.</p>
<p>The vast majority of a district’s budget – about <a href="https://www.aasa.org/uploadedfiles/policy_and_advocacy/files/schoolbudgetbrieffinal.pdf">80% to 85%</a> – goes to personnel costs, such as salaries and benefits for school staff. Paying for these employee expenditures is becoming more challenging because of the <a href="https://www.asbonewyork.org/news/407485/School-District-Health-Care-Costs-Rise-Faster-than-Inflation-and-Total-Spending.htm">rising cost of health insurance</a>. </p>
<p>To stay within budget, school board members may have to cut positions or programs. It’s usually a matter of assessing tradeoffs: Do we cut our gifted and talented program to keep our school safety officer? Do we cut teaching positions to make the budget, and if so, which ones? </p>
<p>Each decision comes with consequences. For instance, cutting a gifted and talented program would make some families upset. Continued funding of a night school program might require a series of budget reductions in other areas, such as field trips or late buses.</p>
<p>A tough budget choice I remember facing as a school board member was deciding whether to renovate an outdated and undersized school theater. The board members all agreed the theater was in desperate need of an upgrade but decided to put off the theater upgrade to deal with other needs. The high school would soon need a new roof and boiler that ultimately took priority.</p>
<h2>3. Select a superintendent</h2>
<p>Selecting a district leader is critically important. So is deciding whether to keep or get rid of one. A good superintendent can make or break a district. The superintendent is the face of the school community and the district’s instructional leader.</p>
<p>Superintendents work with the school board to set the vision and goals for the district and then make sure they are achieved. They also hire and manage principals and other district leaders. Superintendents are expected to provide for the safety of children and staff and be good stewards of district finances.</p>
<p>Finding a good superintendent involves looking for leaders who have a proven track record in the areas of importance. Do they have a history of improving student achievement? Have they created a positive school climate and culture? Are they effective communicators? </p>
<p>If a school board chooses an ineffective superintendent, it usually sets a district back and the board ends up having to spend time and money to replace them.</p>
<p>A key distinction of American democracy is that candidates can develop platforms as they see fit, and it’s up to voters to decide if a particular candidate will represent their concerns. But when it comes to running a school system, it’s important to keep in mind that it involves much more than taking a stance on a few controversial issues. It’s also about making sound financial decisions and implementing policies that ensure all students get the education they deserve.</p>
<p>[<em>Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/weekly-highlights-61?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=weeklybest">Sign up for our weekly newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173315/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Casey D. Cobb is affiliated with the National Education Policy Center.</span></em></p>School board elections are becoming increasingly fractious and political events, with candidates focused on one or two issues. An education policy scholar explains why that’s a worrisome trend.Casey D. Cobb, Neag Professor of Educational Policy, University of ConnecticutLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1107742019-02-26T19:11:22Z2019-02-26T19:11:22ZOne in three principals are seriously stressed, here’s what we need to do about it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/260627/original/file-20190225-26171-n03a75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Principals report 1.7 times more stress than the general population.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Principals (including principals, assistant principals and deputy principals) are nation builders. They play a vital role in shaping our society and significantly influence our children in ways academic and non-academic, well beyond graduation. They help mould our future leaders, the success of the economy, and us as a nation. </p>
<p>But according to our latest report from the <a href="https://www.healthandwellbeing.org/en-AU/principal-reports">2018 Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Well-being Survey</a>, many school leaders are at breaking point. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/bullying-threats-and-violence-report-details-the-difficult-job-of-a-principal-92011">Bullying, threats and violence: report details the difficult job of a principal</a>
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<p>Principals’ health and well-being is diminishing from being overburdened with red tape, under-resourced, and mistreated. Fewer people are willing to step into the role. At a time when <a href="https://www.healthandwellbeing.org/assets/reports/AU/2011_AU_Final_Report.pdf">70% of school leaders</a> will reach retirement age in the next few years, we’re ignoring a looming national crisis. </p>
<p>These <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2488561?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents">working conditions</a> significantly affect <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1119100">not just principals</a>, but <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2016-02330-001">also our students</a>. For example, the extent of reported exhaustion of educators has been tied to students’ school grades. On the other hand, principals with greater autonomy and leadership support has lead to increases in school performance. </p>
<h2>One in three school leaders are seriously distressed</h2>
<p>In 2018, 2,365 participants completed the survey. There are around 10,000 principals in Australia. They have consistently reported average working hours too high for a healthy lifestyle. More than half work upwards of 56 hours each week. </p>
<p>It is worth noting that although principals may benefit from reporting inflated figures, the large number of new and returning principal participants each year, in addition to this survey being conducted yearly since 2011, supports the legitimacy of the consistent upward trend of concerning statistics.</p>
<p>Compared to the general population, principals report: </p>
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<li>1.5 times higher job demands </li>
<li>1.6 times more burnout </li>
<li>1.7 times more stress </li>
<li>2.2 times more difficulty sleeping</li>
<li>1.3 times more depressive symptoms. </li>
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<p>One in three principals were flagged as so distressed their physical and mental health were seriously at risk. The two <a href="https://www.healthandwellbeing.org/assets/reports/AU/2011_AU_Final_Report.pdf">largest sources of stress</a> have consistently been the quantity of work, and lack of time to focus on teaching and learning. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-being-a-school-principal-one-of-the-most-dangerous-jobs-in-the-country-52004">Why is being a school principal one of the most dangerous jobs in the country?</a>
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<h2>Worrying trends reflect an unhealthy society</h2>
<p>The steady increase of stress caused by handling the mental health issues of students and staff over the past eight years, in conjunction with increasing staff shortages, is a worrying trend. </p>
<p>More concerning is the level of offensive behaviour directed at principals. Almost one in two (45%) reported being threatened with violence in 2018, compared to 38% in 2011. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/260116/original/file-20190221-195879-y9nxe7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/260116/original/file-20190221-195879-y9nxe7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/260116/original/file-20190221-195879-y9nxe7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/260116/original/file-20190221-195879-y9nxe7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/260116/original/file-20190221-195879-y9nxe7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/260116/original/file-20190221-195879-y9nxe7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/260116/original/file-20190221-195879-y9nxe7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Principals are frequently threatened with violence.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
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<p>One in three principals (37%) reported actual physical violence in 2018. That’s 9.3 times the national average, up from seven times higher in 2011. </p>
<p>These statistics are, of course, not confined to schools. <a href="https://healthtimes.com.au/hub/workplace-conditions/60/practice/nc1/ground-zero-standing-up-against-violence-in-our-health-sector/1801/">All front-line services</a> are reporting similar increases in offensive behaviour.</p>
<p>It’s long overdue to call time on this. We need to decide as a nation how to respond – individually and systemically. We’re all responsible for this incivility. What you’re prepared to walk past is what you’re prepared to accept.</p>
<h2>How we compare globally</h2>
<p>Although the situation for principals in Australia is dire, this appears to be on par with school leaders in <a href="https://www.principalhealth.org/nz/2016_Report_NZ_Web.pdf">New Zealand and Ireland</a>, the two countries where this project has expanded. The similarities between the national cultures and education structures implies systematic and nationwide issues. These need long-term strategies.</p>
<p>This is not the first time a country has faced a similar educational crisis. Approximately 40 years ago, Finland revolutionised their struggling system by depoliticising education (placing educators rather than politicians in charge of education policy) – something Australia should seriously address. <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/why-are-finlands-schools-successful-49859555/">Finnish academics</a> have attributed Finland’s success in international rankings to collaboration, creativity, trust in teachers and principals, professionalism and equity. </p>
<h2>How can we better support our school leaders?</h2>
<p>No single group of people is responsible for this crisis, nor can any one group of people effectively fix the system. But the solution is conceptually simple: either the job demands must decrease, or the resources needed to match the demands must increase. So, either administrative demands that interfere with teaching and learning need to decrease, or school budgets, salaries and autonomy need to increase (not just increased responsibilities labelled as increased autonomy).</p>
<p>We need a unified approach to education. We currently have eight individual state and territory governments with eight different education policies lasting as long as the state government is in power. Principals and teachers are unable to create long-term plans or set long-term budgets, and are continuously required to retrain and familiarise themselves with ever-increasing rules and regulations. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/bullies-threats-and-violence-who-would-want-to-be-a-school-principal-16263">Bullies, threats and violence: who would want to be a school principal?</a>
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<p>We need to implement one federal body to oversee education, similar to Finland, perhaps with a governance structure similar to the reserve bank: accountable to government but independent from it. We can no longer afford our methods of educating our children to be used as a political brand differentiation.</p>
<p>Labor’s shadow education minister, Tanya Plibersek, recently announced the party would establish a <a href="http://www.tanyaplibersek.com/media_release_labor_to_establish_new_national_principals_academy_wednesday_20_february_2019">National Principal’s Academy</a> to give support and training to principals if elected in May. This provides a glimmer of hope for a national overseeing body. But this announcement too is tied to a political party, and only time will tell whether the academy will be established, whether it’s effective, and whether it survives the next election. </p>
<p>We need to create policies and schools that give principals what they need to use their considerable expertise to flourish, so they can help our teachers and students flourish too.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/110774/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marcus Horwood receives funding from The Australian Research Council through the Linkage Grant Program. He also receives funding from the Linkage Grant Partners: Australian Primary Principals Association, New South Wales Secondary Principals Council, The Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia, The Teachers Health Fund, and Catholic Church Insurance.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Philip D. Parker receives funding from The Australian Research Council through the Linkage Grant and Discovery Programs. He also recieves funding from the Linkage Grant Partners: Australian Primary Principals Association, New South Wales Secondary Principals Council, The Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia, The Teachers Health Fund, Catholic Church Insurance, the Helmsman Project, NSW Police Force, and the NSW Department of Education.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Philip Riley receives funding from The Australian Research Council through the Linkage Grant Program. He also recieves funding from the Linkage Grant Partners: Australian Primary Principals Association, New South Wales Secondary Principals Council, The Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia, The Teachers Health Fund, Catholic Church Insurance</span></em></p>No single group of people is responsible for this crisis, but we all have a part to play in improving working conditions for school leaders.Marcus Horwood, PhD Candidate, Educational Psychology and Public Policy, Australian Catholic UniversityPhilip D Parker, Professor, Australian Catholic UniversityPhilip Riley, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership. Director, Australian Principal Health and Wellbeing Survey, Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/713422017-06-14T20:07:41Z2017-06-14T20:07:41ZAutonomy and strong female leadership key to success of Indigenous owned Murri School<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173698/original/file-20170614-30051-h3wr0f.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Murri School is one of the few Indigenous owned and controlled schools in Australia. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Screenshot from YouTube video.</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>In <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/are-we-making-progress-on-indigenous-education-39329">this series</a>, we’ll discuss whether progress is being made on Indigenous education, looking at various areas including policy, scholarships, school leadership, literacy and much more.</em> </p>
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<p>In Indigenous education, we constantly hear bad news stories of children falling through gaps and schools unable to assist students who need the most help. </p>
<p>As an Indigenous woman and researcher this affects me greatly, and to the general public, creates a malaise and apathy that disables any tangible solutions. </p>
<p>I’m currently working on a research project about how these negative stories impact on Indigenous education, and I am tired of seeing what doesn’t work. </p>
<p>But there are positive stories of success in Indigenous education - stories that show there is great hope in the way Indigenous communities provide solutions for their children. </p>
<p>I’ve seen many positive and inspiring programs that show that things can be different. Isn’t it time that we focused on a successful story on Indigenous education, and ponder what lessons could be learnt from this?</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173699/original/file-20170614-30067-9ry35x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173699/original/file-20170614-30067-9ry35x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173699/original/file-20170614-30067-9ry35x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173699/original/file-20170614-30067-9ry35x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173699/original/file-20170614-30067-9ry35x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173699/original/file-20170614-30067-9ry35x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173699/original/file-20170614-30067-9ry35x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Screenshot taken from YouTube video.</span></span>
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<h2>The Murri School - a success story</h2>
<p>The Aboriginal and Islander Community School (<a href="http://www.murrischool.com/">The Murri School</a>) is a great example of a school working constructively for all of its children. </p>
<p>For over 30 years, this independent school has been quietly achieving results. Growing from a small derelict building in inner city Brisbane, the school now resides in Brisbane’s south and is large enough to cater for their students. </p>
<p>The Murri School is focusing on the practicalities such as busses to get children to school, and using a holistic approach that gives families empowerment in school decision making. </p>
<p>This school is one of the few Indigenous owned and controlled schools in Australia. </p>
<p>It has around 208 students ranging from Prep to Year 12 and uses creative ways to encourage the success of its students. These include close connection to health services through which it employs a family support worker, speech pathologist and a number of psychologists and counsellors. The school was established on the assertion of real sovereignty and self determination. </p>
<p>School Board President Dr Valerie Cooms says that part of their success is due to strong female involvement: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>We work closely with mostly mums and grandmothers and some fathers too, from the enrolment process right through to assessing individual student needs (health and wellbeing) as well as assessing their literacy and numeracy capabilities. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>As a PhD candidate researching Aboriginal women and leadership, the involvement of these women comes as no surprise as it appears the work that many do in education is often of a volunteer nature, yet tireless in its approach to building a strong autonomous school environment. </p>
<p>This goes beyond the nurturing idea of women’s leadership towards strong and determined capacity building, governance and advocacy. </p>
<h2>Autonomous schools look beyond government targets</h2>
<p>Autonomous schools have to work intensely with both government departments and the community in order to provide an effective school environment. </p>
<p>The process of establishing such a school is more than building classrooms, playing fields, tuckshops, and administration offices. It is also moves beyond achieving government-based targets. As Cooms explains: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>It’s more than just assessing academic skills, we want our students to learn how to communicate and navigate the complex world around them. Cultural pride and identity as Indigenous people is key to learning academic and socio-cultural skills. </p>
<p>Moreover, parents and other care providers feel comfortable communicating their concerns or needs in our school because we are community based and owned organisation, not a program designed and implemented from elsewhere. Its home grown. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>The school provides a range of activities for a dispersed population and has multiple roles, including service provider and the “voice” of the community on many issues. The school also employs many Indigenous people.</p>
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<p>Some of the positive programs run through the school have included healing camps, run with both students and family members, and the inclusion of a Family Support Service. This service supports families in their day to day struggles in crisis intervention, prevention, advocacy and support. </p>
<p>These elements connect strongly with the school’s desire to include parents in the school environment, thereby involving them in their children’s education. </p>
<p>For Indigenous children, the education curriculum can be full of <a href="https://theconversation.com/history-textbooks-still-imply-that-australians-are-white-72796">white representations</a> that often don’t resonate. </p>
<p>Together with the impact of stereotyping on these children, this suggests that having a school where there is a dense population of black faces helps build an environment where students can feel comfortable.</p>
<p>The most exciting thing about many of these programs is that they go well beyond trying to close gaps. These programs, in their own unique ways, achieve far beyond the targets that the government has set. </p>
<p>For instance, the Murri School doesn’t just aim to improve literacy or attendance, it also recognises the value of parents and community being involved in educational decision-making for their child’s future. It also sets the bar high by working at building pathways for Indigenous employment, such as traineeships for Year 12 students. </p>
<p>The example of this school highlights not only the success in Indigenous owned and run institutions, but poses the question of why we don’t have more of these stories in the education system. </p>
<p>There is more that needs to be done in Indigenous education, and parental and community involvement shows just one way that the disadvantage can be addressed. </p>
<p>In light of all the bad news, how refreshing is it to hear and witness the hope and enthusiasm that exists in spite of this negativity? Why are there not more Indigenous schools, and is community ownership the way to change the disadvantage we hear in Indigenous education? It is time we shifted focus and celebrated more of these success stories.</p>
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<p><em>• <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/are-we-making-progress-on-indigenous-education-39329">Read more articles</a> in this series.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/71342/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tess Ryan receives funding from The University of Canberra for research into the studying the deficit metrics of Indigenous education. </span></em></p>For the past 30 years, this Indigenous owned and controlled school has been quietly achieving results. Here’s what the school board president says is behind their success.Dr Tess Ryan, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra and Project Officer, Poche Center for Indigenous Health, University of Melbourne, University of CanberraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/487902015-10-08T11:15:50Z2015-10-08T11:15:50ZArne Duncan’s legacy: growing influence of a network of private actors on public education<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/97632/original/image-20151007-7337-18abwsk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Arne Duncan opened the gates to a powerful network.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/edlabordems/3548577209/in/photolist-6pzonF-7H8kr6-fD9bky-6zavMm-6zavLU-66Nctj-8wqcn3-8LTYkp-7jtyH4-7jtytV-7jxrWL-a76BeF-7n972h-7n5dje-9TustP-9sPPF7-7bcqFX-sLViRf-suE8U4-fppmY9-nw9Xih-8MUsRz-br76jV-7bgeuu-7bgekC-hg9iLJ-7iAqwR-9nc6Bq-7bgdbY-9nc6zJ-br75FH-fpaaRv-hgb23h-7bcpzr-fpaeQ4-br75bZ-br76r8-br76dc-br75jX-br74HD-br75eV-br76y8-br74Vc-br76bM-br74Tr-br75Yg-br768r-br74JV-br75Ui-br765g">House Committee on Education and the Workforce Dem</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Arne Duncan is <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2015/10/02/445266796/arne-duncan-stepping-down-as-education-secretary">leaving</a> the US Department of Education in December. Reactions to his legacy have been mixed. Some see him as <a href="http://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2015/09/arne-duncan-education-profile-000231">a heroic reformer</a>, and others <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/education/256012-5-legacies-from-duncans-tenure-as-secretary-of-education">a well-intentioned but overreaching bureaucrat</a>. He has been called the <a href="http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/04/08/28obama_ep.h28.html">third secretary of education for George W Bush</a> or <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2015/10/02/education-secretary-arne-duncan-reportedly-will-step-down-at-end-of-year/">the center of stormy education politics</a>. </p>
<p>As researchers of education policy, we see him differently: the hub of a network of policy advocates. As the head of the federal Department of Education, he actively facilitated private actors’ influence on public education policy.</p>
<h2>Private actors and connections</h2>
<p>From early 2009, Arne Duncan opened the federal agency’s gates to a powerful network. He used the network, and was sometimes used by advocates for their own purposes.</p>
<p>Duncan was not just the cabinet secretary who played pickup basketball with the president. He was the head of <a href="http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1478474">the department with the highest number (five)</a> of early political appointees who had personal connections to President Obama.</p>
<p>He was joined in 2009 by some of the most powerful members of a Democratic-leaning group of education reformers: among them were Deputy Secretary Jim Shelton, a former leader of education policy at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Joanne Weiss, the Chief Operating Officer at NewSchools Venture Fund who became Duncan’s chief of staff. <a href="http://www.newschools.org/">NewSchools Venture Fund</a> is a venture philanthropy firm that sponsors the growth of charter school chains. </p>
<p>In 2009, both organizations were part of a growing network of advocates which Michigan State University political scientist <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/follow-the-money-9780199937738?cc=us&lang=en&">Sarah Reckhow has called</a> the Boardroom Progressives. </p>
<p>These reformers have largely consisted of private actors, including leaders of education nonprofits, charter school founders and other nontraditional school leaders whose essential resources for reform come from the private wealth of major foundations, an approach that Berkeley education professor Janelle Scott has termed <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0895904808328531">“venture philanthropy</a>.”</p>
<h2>Did those connections matter?</h2>
<p>The network that swirled around Duncan gave him ideas that he promoted through the Obama stimulus, and also the skilled personnel to run those programs.</p>
<p>Members of Duncan’s reform network were partly the genesis and <a href="http://epx.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/11/28/0895904811425911.abstract">potentially the beneficiary</a> of a grant program, <a href="http://epx.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/11/28/0895904811425911.abstract">Race to the Top</a>, that required applicants to expand opportunities for charter school creation, eliminate firewalls between student test scores and teacher evaluation, and commit to so-called “college and career-ready standards.” (The most common commitment of applicant states to such standards was to the <a href="http://www.corestandards.org/">Common Core State Standards</a>.) </p>
<p>Once Duncan’s department announced the Race to the Top program, the network connections were critical to promoting it. Under Duncan, Weiss ran the Race to the Top program.</p>
<p>But building support for his policies was also political: since 2001, federal education policy has often provided rhetorical and political license to state politicians who wanted support for policies they wanted anyway – Paul Manna, Government Professor at William & Mary College, called this license “borrowed authority” in his book <a href="http://press.georgetown.edu/book/georgetown/schools">School’s In</a> about the politics of the No Child Left Behind Act. </p>
<p><a href="http://epx.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/11/28/0895904811425911.abstract">Race to the Top</a> continued this pattern, and many members of the network of education advocacy organizations <a href="http://educationnext.org/fight-club/">supported</a> the Common Core and the expansion of charter schools in many states.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/97633/original/image-20151007-7337-9bluzb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/97633/original/image-20151007-7337-9bluzb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97633/original/image-20151007-7337-9bluzb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97633/original/image-20151007-7337-9bluzb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97633/original/image-20151007-7337-9bluzb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97633/original/image-20151007-7337-9bluzb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97633/original/image-20151007-7337-9bluzb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">How did networks influence policy?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/departmentofed/13130900394/in/photolist-m1kido-br76Bt-br75MF-br7618-br74PK-br764i-br75Pn-br75u2-br74Ci-br75JK-br75yX-br74tB-br74qp-br75nV-br74rV-br74ye-br75qB-br757D-br76wH-br75Lc-br75px-br74WD-br74B2-fpaf9z-fpptPA-fpahHB-7bgdHQ-fj8Zoj-7H8kax-fiTH5T-nCG7Y4-nWYaCg-m1knzQ-hgc3Ci-hw3Ehx-fiTD9D-hgaUFw-6pDwdS-66HUSk-p8zKmd-wH187A-hg9kn7-ovYTPP-r7nVWH-rLzVW5-s4bwoz-s4846a-rHbVF3-fNn8Jy-fMXAnH">US Department of Education</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Finally, the network was <a href="http://epx.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/11/14/0895904812465117.abstract">critical</a> to directly or indirectly building state capacity in the Race to the Top years. In some cases, network members became critical state leaders, as they had under Duncan in Washington, DC.</p>
<p>In other cases, members of the network served as free consultants or as paid contractors for states that did not have the expertise to apply for or carry out Race to the Top projects. The Gates Foundation provided <a href="http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11658.pdf">US$250,000 worth of application consulting services</a> to states that agreed with the foundation’s <a href="http://www.edweek.org/media/criteria_and_support_for_states_for_rttp_applications.pdf">eight-point</a> set of criteria.</p>
<h2>Why care about these networks – isn’t this how politics works?</h2>
<p>At one level, the influence of the education reform network around Duncan is not a surprise: political scientists have written for decades about the relationships between private actors and public policy. That intrigue is the source of terms such as <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/2937958">regulatory capture</a> and <a href="http://www.transactionpub.com/title/The-Politics-of-Defense-Contracting-978-0-87871-012-6.html">iron triangles</a>.</p>
<p>If public-private relationships are not new in policymaking, we should also not assume that the network around Duncan has been monolithic or inherently cohesive. As political scientist <a href="http://educationnext.org/files/ednext_20123_mcguinn_full.pdf">Patrick McGuinn explained</a>, the alliances have been evolving rather than centralized and tightly planned.</p>
<p>And yet, we should worry when <a href="http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-6209-383-6_4">policies are shaped</a> substantially outside ordinary public politics by an increasingly private set of actors, whose <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01619560902973647">relationships</a> with the public sphere can simultaneously be rivalrous, symbiotic and parasitic. </p>
<p>One does not need to be paranoid to worry about the concentration of decision-making in the hands of people who are friends and who are not accountable to the general public.</p>
<h2>The legacy of Duncan</h2>
<p>Maybe you approve of Arne Duncan’s policies and are happy with his network because it moved policy. But after the Republicans swept the 2010 midterm elections in dozens of states, a conservative network <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0895904814528794">was able to exert its own, older</a> agenda in state house after state house.</p>
<p>That ascendant Republican network, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), used the reform rhetoric and regulatory momentum of Arne Duncan for its own ends. Some of those goals mirrored Duncan’s – teacher evaluation tied to student test scores and expanded charter schools. </p>
<p>Others did not. Since 2010, many Republican-controlled states have attempted to restrict teacher collective bargaining and created or expanded private school voucher programs. </p>
<p>Arne Duncan did not invent political networks. And yet, to use <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01619560902973647">a term of education professors Janelle Scott and Catherine DiMartino</a>, he has acted as a <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0895904812465117">“gatekeeper”</a> by bringing a private network to the fore in education, and further opening public education to privatized influences.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/48790/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sherman Dorn has received funding for past projects from the U.S. Department of Education as a PI and the Spencer Foundation as a center associate director. He is a National Education Policy Center fellow and has consulted in the past with the Center on Education Policy.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amanda U. Potterton does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>By bringing private advocates to the fore in education, Arne Duncan further opened public education to privatized influences.Sherman Dorn, Professor of Education, Arizona State UniversityAmanda U. Potterton, Doctoral Student Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, Arizona State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.