NSW has a principal problem that is difficult to fix | JordsBaker
, which gave NSW public school principals far greater autonomy. This was one example of a reform opposed by the NSW Teachers Federation but supported by principals.
The government now acknowledges Local Schools, Local Decisions gave principals too much power, and is now trying to claw it back. Tom Alegounarias is the head of Sydney University’s Centre for Educational Measurement and Assessment and the former chair of the NSW Education Standards Authority.Consistently poor results or a lack of improvement compared with similar schools can be another sign, but that requires investigation. Data is important, says Alegounarias, but: “Any system that relies upon data alone will not be adequate because the causal relationships are unclear.
But for a long time, the system also failed to give clear guidance on what a good principal looks like or to prepare incoming principals for their new responsibilities. The NSW Department of Education has tried to change that in the past decade, by introducing the School Leadership Institute and an aspiring principals’ program.
A recent survey of secondary principals found fewer than a third thought their DEL had a positive effect on their workload and just a quarter felt they had positively affected the outcomes of students.There are many views on how to address the principal problem. Some are pushing for a return of the inspectorate, which is not something the government is considering. Others advocate contracts, saying principals should be on the same employment terms as other senior public servants.
Petersen says contracts would be counter-productive. “We can put people on contracts and get rid of them at the end of three or five years, but then there is no incentive on the system to improve that person’s performance,” he says. “If he or she doesn’t improve their performance, they will end up being dismissed. We can do that, but in the first instance there’s an onus on the department to provide professional support to improve.
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