THe BuLLY, THe BuLLIeD AND THe PRINCIPAL IN BeTWeeN

oPC Register
WINTeR 2011 voL.13 No.4
THe MAgAZINe FoR oNTARIo’s PRINCIPALs & vICe-PRINCIPALs
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THe BuLLY, THe BuLLIeD
AND THe PRINCIPAL
IN BeTWeeN
AN INTeRVIeW WITH MINISTeR BROTeN
WHAT’S YOuR SCHOOL’S VOICe?
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Contents
The RegisTeR : winter 2011, Volume 13, number 4
Features
08 Back to the Beginning
Part Two
by melanie Parrack
14 The Bully, the Bullied and
the Principal In Between
by the oPC Professional
Services team
30 What’s Your School’s Voice?
by ron Deboer
36 An Interview
with Minister Broten
by Peggy Sweeney
23 reGiSter rePort
The 5 Pillars of Transition
by Dr. Denise Armstrong
Columns
04 President’s message
06 oPC news
36
An Interview
with Minister Broten
21 education leadership Canada
29 oPC Communicator
46 one last thought
Principals’
Picks
42 Conference line-up
42 mark Your Calendar
45 review
Cover Illustration by Joe Morse
The Register 3
President’s
messageMessAge Mike BeNSON
exeCuTIve dIReCToR’s
Leadership and Workload
Whenever I meet principals and vice-principals, the one key issue at the forefront
of our conversations is our workload. At the end of each school year, I was always
very proud of the work we all came together to accomplish, but found that the
time and energy to reach goals seemed to get more demanding every year.
In my current role as OPC President, I have been afforded the time to
think about why this workload issue is
so complex and what we all can do to
make this job one that allows people to
be highly effective, yet remain healthy
and satisfied. The challenge to bring it
to the attention of others is, by itself,
complex. We recognize that everyone
in the system is working hard and that
our Members are clearly committed to
putting in the time and doing the work
needed to help students. So many initiatives can be described as well meaning and meant to help disadvantaged
4 Winter 2011
groups of students. As school leaders,
we don’t question the systematic push
to identify disadvantaged groups. But
we do need to understand that never
before have principals and vice-principals tried to help so many students
with so few other staff members to call
upon. At the same time, the reporting
requirements, coupled with a highly
regulated system that demands timely
implementation, have never been so
deeply ingrained.
In the late 1990s, education went
through a major restructuring. Many
resources were removed from the system
and accountability measures were put
into place. What is notable is that many
of the resources lost were human resources that had been deployed to help
add to the leadership and management
capacity of schools. Those people included guidance counsellors, attendance counsellors, social support staff
and board personal, who had previously
supported
principals/vice-principals
but were dramatically cut from the system. Without those resources, so much
of the work done by those people is
now being asked of school leaders.
Over a decade later, those human
resources have still not been replaced.
There has been an increase in education funding over the years, but the
nature of that funding has, in fact,
added to workload instead of decreasing it. Funding now comes in the form
of initiatives that are tied to important
educational goals. To ensure that the
money is spent on intended purposes,
there are regulations and polices that
accompany the funds. One can see
why this model is used as it creates
accountability and desired focus. Results have shown increases in student
achievement, as resource-supported
initiatives always have a better chance
of succeeding than those without the
necessary supports.
In my school, I was grateful for the
extra resources that allowed me to
implement important initiatives and
to watch their positive results play out
with students. But there was a cost, as
the reporting around the initiatives was
illustration: mike ellis
What does it all really mean?
cumbersome and required many hours
of paperwork. In addition, quite often
I was implementing a number of different initiatives, all well-meaning, but
each with its own supporting polices,
regulations and reporting requirements.
As principals and vice-principals,
we see great value in all the work that
has been asked of us to help lead improvements in student success. We
are proud to be part of a system that
sets such lofty goals for its students.
School leaders have a responsibility to
ensure all students have an opportunity to succeed. But we need more help
and time to get the job done.
This article is not a plea for more
human resources as much as it is an
attempt to put context on the workload issue. Collectively, we have to understand that when you take so many
support people out of the system, and
then over the years ask the system to
help more students than ever before,
that work has to fall somewhere, and
it has fallen upon school leaders.
To better understand our schools’
collective leadership and management
capacities, we have to understand how
we got to this place.
ontario Principals’ Council
180 Dundas Street west, 25th floor
toronto, ontario m5G 1Z8
tel: 416-322-6600 or 1-800-701-2362
Fax: 416-322-6618
website: www.principals.ca
email: [email protected]
The Register is published quarterly
by the ontario Principals’ Council (oPC).
the views expressed in articles are those
of the authors and do not
necessarily represent the official
position of the oPC.
reproduction of any part of
this publication must be authorized
by the publisher and credited to the oPC
and the authors involved.
letters to the editor and submissions on topics
of interest to the profession are welcome.
Publication of an advertisement
in The Register does not constitute
an endorsement by the oPC of any
advertiser’s product or service, including
professional learning opportunities.
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The Register 5
OPC NEWS
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Success School Support Initiative.
Workshops
Bev Miller and Bob Jackson lead one of the first of
many up-coming Connective Intelligence® workshops
as part of on-going cultural idea exchanges, principals from denmark visit for organizational support and
participation in ontario school visits.
at the OPC.
Book Launch and Awards Dinner
Award winners and nominees are recognized at the OPC Annual Awards
Dinner, celebrating the remarkable
achievements of the distinguished
individuals and project teams.
Far left: the oPc honours former executive
director mike Benson (seen here with wife
Judy) on his retirement and years of service to
the organization at the annual awards dinner.
left: oPc executive director ian mcFarlane
welcomes avis Glaze and Ben levin for
the launch and signing of their new book
Breaking Barriers: Excellence and Equity
for All (co-written by Ruth mattingley).
6 Winter 2011
Capture Your Students’ Hearts,
Minds and Imaginations
embers
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Bruce Dow (ce in Jesus Christ Superst
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of the compa
Members of the
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Join us for our 60th season
Much Ado About
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42nd Street
The Matchmaker
Henry V
You’re a Good Man,
Charlie Brown
The Pirates of
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Cymbeline
Wanderlust
Elektra
MacHomer
The Best Brothers
Hirsch
The War of 1812
Plays for $25 and musicals for $29*
Order early to take advantage of our spectacular prices for student performances.
These shows are marked SP and SM on the calendar.
PLUS activities for the classroom and beyond
- Festival Theatre and Warehouse Tours
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•Limited student seating is available for $15 (plays) and $19 (musicals). Please ask your Groups and Schools representative for details.
Tickets for our 2012 season go on sale on December 5, 2011.
stratfordshakespearefestival.com I 519.273.1600 I 1.800.567.1600
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After Your Visit – Follow us and post your comments and reactions on
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melot.
A follow-up to the re-engagement story
By Melanie Parrack
Illustration by Isabelle Cardinal
it is amazing what little things, such as a personal invitation, can do to change a
young person’s life.
the ministry of educations funded re-engagement initiative (12&12+), has had an
extreme impact on thousands of young ontario students who, for one reason or another,
had walked away from school, even though they were very close to graduation.
the goal of the initiative was simple: contact students who had left school prior
to graduation, who were able to complete their ontario Secondary School Diploma
(oSSD) requirements on or before June 2011, and assist them to get over any final
hurdles in order to graduate. this involved inviting the identified students back to
school, providing them with information and access to credit programs to support
their re-engagement, mentoring them, monitoring them and intervening to further
support them when necessary.
The Register 9
In the fall of 2010, 14,500 Ontario students
were contacted and personally invited to return
to school. Over 7,000 of them re-engaged. Of
those, more than 3,500 completed semester one
and 2,500 were still enrolled on March 1, 2011.
Almost 32,000 credits were attempted, 23,245
credits were achieved (a 73 per cent success rate),
2,199 students completed their Community
Involvement Hours requirement for graduation,
2,304 students completed their Literacy requirement for graduation and 2,301 students graduated by June 2011.
This initiative has resulted in significant
numbers of students returning to school and
graduating, and in so doing have improved
their long term prospects for success. It should
be noted, however, that caution should be
exercised in projecting the direct impact of
these numbers on the provincial graduation
rate due to the following reasons:
• The numbers above were submitted directly
from boards and have not been verified
through the OnSIS process.
• The numbers may include students from
different cohorts.
• It is difficult to determine the effect of any
10 Winter 2011
one Student Success initiative on the graduation rate and, therefore, it is problematic to
attribute the gains identified above exclusively
to the Re-engagement Initiative (12&12+).
While the numbers are impressive, they are
just numbers. The human impact for each
student, however, is huge.
Why did these students leave in the first place
prior to graduation? Where did they go? Would
they consider coming back? What would need
to be different if they did return? How did
schools and boards cope with this unique group
of young people with varying personal, social,
emotional, financial and academic needs? What
can systematically be put in place to reach out
to this group of learners before and/or after they
leave the school system, to get them through
the final stretch to graduation?
To help find some answers, the Ministry of
Education provided funding in January 2011 to
the Ontario Principals’ Council (OPC) and the
Catholic Principals’ Council of Ontario (CPCO)
in an effort to extend the original 2010 re-engagement initiative with the new Re-engagement
Initiative (12&12+) Next Steps. The title Reengagement Initiative (12&12+) is used to rep-
resent those students who have successfully
reached their grade 12 year or beyond, but are
just short of their graduation requirements. The
expectation was that this new Re-engagement
Initiative (12&12+) Next Steps would build on
the findings of the 2010 work, consolidate the
current information with any new findings,
develop short and mid- to longer-term strategies
and implement and continue the tracking and
monitoring of the results.
Principals, student success team members,
Student Success Leaders, people who contacted,
mentored and/or monitored the students who
had left, the re-engaged students themselves, and
those students who did not re-engage were
included in the consultation.
tHe Findings
Why did our students leave?
Those who were consulted agreed that complex
personal life/family challenges ranging from
parenthood to financial issues, illness, untreated
mental health issues, addictions and peer pressure
confronted the re-engaged students. These challenges often overshadowed the need to attend
school at that time. The students often did not
“We can make significant
differences in the lives
of the students who have
chosen to re-engage.
These differences
open doors with limitless
possibilities for the future.”
see themselves as dropouts when they stopped
attending, rather having just stepped away. Many
of the re-engaged and non re-engaged students
reported that while they were at school, factors
such as clear communication and awareness were
lacking. If students are not present for announcements, meetings, assemblies or one-on-one discussions to hear and understand the messaging,
they missed critical information. In addition, the
re-engaged and non re-engaged students could
not identify a clear path to graduation. Many
were not aware of the beyond-the-classroom
opportunities available in their schools and in
their boards. For many, when conflict with school
attendance arose, they saw dropping out as the
only option. Some students indicated a lack of
awareness of the requirements for obtaining the
OSSD or that they had the opportunity to return
for a fifth or a sixth year of study.
Students in the study also spoke of program
and teacher concerns as critical elements in their
decisions to leave: an uninviting classroom/school
climate; the nature of the programming; a lack
of curriculum relevance. Re-engaged students
expressed frustration that schools didn’t fully
understand the balance of responsibilities that
some students faced. Many also reported boredom
and inappropriate timetables due to the late
timing of their registration.
The Community Involvement Hours requirement was another roadblock for many students.
There tended to be a lack of information, misconceptions, conflicting values and low priority
for acquiring and tracking the community
involvement hours necessary for graduation.
While some of these issues are difficult for a
school to resolve internally, given the lack of
predictability of the timing of the return of these
students and in what numbers, an investment
in preventative and support programming is
needed, but sometimes difficult to prioritize in
the face of other demands.
In many cases, education and career planning
was important. As well, many of these students
lacked an understanding of the value and significance of earning a diploma. They lacked longterm goals or a career plan, making their learning
less meaningful.
Relationships were another important element
for the re-engaged student. If a link to the school
setting was missing, it was very difficult for reengaged students to continue attending. Con-
nectivity to at least one person in the school was
often lacking for the re-engaged students. Parental
support in helping students to stay engaged and
understand the importance of graduating was
key. Peer support had positive or negative impacts
on their decision to stay or to leave.
The Re-engagement Initiative offered an
intentional process that involved contacting,
mentoring, monitoring, intervention and individualized programming.
Contacting
The first contact made to invite the identified
students back was key to their return, and was
ideally carried out by an informed, caring adult
who was known to, and respected by, the student.
A face-to-face meeting was set up after the first
contact. It focussed on being non-threatening,
non-judgmental and welcoming. The students
appreciated the recognition that they had returned
to school a different person from the one who
had previously dropped out.
While many students were interested in reengaging, not all who were contacted were ready
to return. Of those who were not, they were still
made aware that re-entry was possible and given
The Register 11
information on how to do so when they felt the
time was right. In order to convince the students
to return, it was important that the adults reaching
out to the students ensured the students that they
would not be returning to the same school experience they had left. One of the ways this was accomplished was by developing an individual plan for
re-entry and a plan to reach graduation.
Mentoring and monitoring
Advice from the
groups consulted in the
Re-engagement Initiative
(12&12+) Next Steps
• Continue to extend a personal invitation
• Develop a graduation plan
• Develop a team approach to include community
expertise and support
• Prepare early so students have options in September
• Create additional sections for Student Success to
focus on tracking and mentoring
• Get information into the hands of the student
• ensure the curriculum delivery is interesting, relevant and
has a career focus
• Provide choices for different learning styles;
make learning more interactive
• be more accommodating and flexible with the Community
involvement Hours requirement, such as allowing accumulation of 10 hours per year and recording them electronically.
• Develop a whole school approach to Community
involvement Hours to assist in the understanding and
appreciation of the requirement.
12 Winter 2011
Boards involved in the study indicated that the
re-engaged students often required an extraordinary amount of time and expertise on the part of
staff. Mentoring was deemed an essential element
to student success, but it was noted that there are
not enough specialized staff available who are
trained to deal with the general health, mental
health and addiction issues that many of these
students face.
Monitoring of the re-engaged students that
looked at achievement and attendance from a
counselling perspective proved to be beneficial
during the process. It was most effective when
the monitor worked with teams by collaborating
and sharing appropriate student information and
providing the proper supports when necessary.
It is important to note that this continuous monitoring was seen to be most effective when balanced with the recognition that these students
would eventually need to develop the skills to
monitor themselves.
Programming
The Student Success Leaders involved in the
study outlined various programming opportunities to meet the re-engaged students’ needs,
including Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM)
programming, Alternative/Continuing Education programs, Co-operative Education (paid
and unpaid, continuous intake), dual credits,
credit recovery, night school, summer school,
SAL (Supervised Alternative Learning), MPLAR
(Mature Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition), e-Learning, ILC courses and regular day
school programming with individualized timetables including part-time study.
All groups consulted expressed a need for selfpaced learning, paid cooperative education, individualized and/or flexible timetables, a variety of
program offerings and continuous intake in order
to be responsive to students’ circumstances upon
their return. Effective programming was important to assist re-engaged students with a clear path
towards graduation and career planning, which
had initially been lacking in many cases. Addressing transportation issues was highly valued by
the students.
What brought them back?
While the personal invitation was important,
these young people also had to be ready to return.
In some cases, the re-engaged students had
matured to the point where they recognized the
lifelong benefits of education. This solidified their
desire and commitment to return. The students
returned to school with new insight, perspective
and an expectation of being treated like the adults
they now were, not the disengaged students they
had been. In some cases, family influence either
motivated the student to stay or led them to leave
yet again. These students saw themselves as
mature adults with adult responsibilities and
goals. Some were now parents, taking care of
families, running households and/or holding
down jobs, with school practices and routines
proving to be too challenging. For others, alternative and creative programming worked to keep
them engaged and committed to success.
A supportive and understanding teaching staff
was also crucial to student success. A sense of
community and belonging must be built by all
to create a school-wide welcoming atmosphere.
The match of the re-engaged students’ strengths
and interests with teachers who recognized them
was found to be extremely important. Reengaged students tend to see themselves through
an asset-based lens. Yet they perceive that schools
often see them through a deficit lens (i.e. what
they don’t or can’t do, or what they are unwilling to do).
For the re-engagement process to be most
successful, these students needed to be reassured
that the school would help them find a path that
leads to graduation. More staff need to be aware
of the multitude of opportunities available to
re-engaged students as they move toward graduation, since these students will engage with many
teachers along the way. The power of personal
relationships is so important to their success. They
needed to hear that the school wants them to
succeed and graduate.
Many different voices from across the province have been heard through the Re-engagement Initiative (12&12+) Next Steps. Educators
are working to create a new awareness around
this group of young people who are very close
to graduating and who need to believe that
meeting the diploma requirements is a real possibility. As one participating principal stated,
“We can make significant differences in the lives
of the students who have chosen to re-engage.
These differences open doors with limitless possibilities for the future.”
melanie Parrack, a former executive Superintendent, Student
Success, Program and School Services with the toronto DSb,
is the oPC Project lead for the re-engagement initiative
(12&12+) next Steps.
[email protected]
CLE
“Thank you for a wonderful, useful
professional development day. One of
the best I have ever attended in my
entire teaching career!” (2009)
School Law for K-12
Education Professionals
February 27 - 28, 2012
Osgoode Professional Development
Downtown Toronto Conference Centre
Gain a detailed understanding of the legal issues, complexities and challenges facing
today’s education professionals. Attend this program and you will:
•
•
•
•
Get a comprehensive overview of your legal obligations, risks and responsibilities
Discover practical strategies for minimizing exposure to liability
Understand your role and responsibilities in child protection investigations
Get the very latest update on the Youth Criminal Justice Act and what the
courts are saying
• Have your questions answered on student disciplinary investigations, harassment,
privacy rights, search and seizure issues, bullying and more!
Plus! New this year – based on your suggestions, we have developed afternoon
break-out sessions where you will work side-by-side with other delegates on a fact
scenario dealing with the most pressing issues you are facing right now, or will likely
face as part of your day-to-day job. This is a unique opportunity you don’t want to miss.
Chairs: Robert G. Keel, Keel Cottrelle LLP
Professor Theresa Shanahan, Faculty of Education, York University
Registration Fee: $795 plus HST
Inquire about on site and webcast group rates and financial aid.
To Register: www.osgoodepd.ca
Or Call: 416.597.9724 or 1.888.923.3394
Or E-mail: [email protected]
WEBCAST
AVAILABLE
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Priority Service Code: 11-56OP
The Register 13
the
Bully,
the
Bullied
and the
Principal
in Between
By the oPC Professional services Team
Illustration by Joe Morse
bullying has become one of the most frequently discussed issues in education, and certainly one of the most highly publicized. Gone are the days when
a “boys will be boys” response to bullying will suffice, or where bullying is
regarded as a rite of passage of childhood. indeed, the pendulum has swung
dramatically in the other direction, and bullying is now understood as a harmful
and potentially life-threatening behaviour that must be addressed and, to the
extent possible, eradicated from schools and society at large.
The Register 15
Bullying defined:
Bullying is typically a form of repeated, persistent and aggressive
behaviour directed at an individual or individuals that is intended to cause
(or should be known to cause) fear and distress and/or harm to another
person’s body, feelings, self-esteem or reputation. Bullying occurs in a
context where there is a real or perceived power imbalance.
— Ministry of education
Bills 13 and 14, legislation dealing with anti-bullying initiatives, were
introduced on Nov. 30. see the opC website for a summary of the bills.
The Ontario government, well aware of the
groundswell of pressure to curtail bullying in
our school system, has responded with amendments to the Education Act and regulations,
and by issuing Policy and Program Memoranda
(PPM) containing explicit rules and direction
for managing bullying in schools.
What do we mean by bullying? One of the
first, key issues is identifying and communicating a consistent message about what constitutes
bullying. The definition of “bullying” mandated by the Ministry of Education is, “bullying is typically a form of repeated, persistent
and aggressive behaviour directed at an individual or individuals that is intended to cause
16 Winter 2011
(or should be known to cause) fear and distress
and/or harm to another person’s body, feelings,
self-esteem or reputation. Bullying occurs in
a context where there is a real or perceived
power imbalance.”
PPM 144 identifies that bullying can take
many forms: physical (hitting, pushing, tripping),
verbal (name calling, mocking, making sexist,
racist or homophobic comments) and social
(excluding others from a group, spreading gossip
or rumours). Recently, we have seen it increasingly occur through the use of technology
(spreading rumours, images or hurtful comments
though the use of email, cell phones, text messaging, Internet websites or other technology).
Given the Ministry’s use of both the words
“repeated” and “persistent,” a single incident,
no matter how damaging to the victim, would
appear not to meet the definition. Many parents
whose children have been victims of bullying
may be confused by this restriction, which, in
turn could place these parents and the school
in conflict. On the other hand, the use of the
word “typically” in the Ministry definition may
leave the door open to a conclusion that one
incident of aggressive behaviour could be labeled bullying and be used by parents to demand the characterization of a single incident
as “bullying.” The problem is the lack of clarity
and principals should seek guidance from their
Checklist of principals’ legal duties
when dealing with incidents of bullying
Legal Duties In Respect of All Students
☐ Post the School bullying Prevention and intervention Plan (“School
Legal Duties In Respect of the Victim
☐ take all allegations of bullying seriously.
Plan”) and ensure that all students understand what constitutes
☐ receive the allegation and assess whether, if true, the behaviour
bullying, how to report bullying and the range of consequences that
would meet the definition of bullying and, if so, follow the School
will be applied.
Plan in terms of investigating/responding to it. immediately contact
☐ ensure the School Plan includes: the definition of bullying, prevention
and awareness-raising strategies, intervention and support strategies
(including plans to protect victims), reporting requirements, training
strategies for the school community, communication and outreach
strategies and monitoring and review processes.
the police if required by the District School board/Police Protocol.
if the victim has not been bullied but nonetheless requires support
and assistance, provide it.
☐ immediately speak to, determine the needs of and continue to support
the victim.
☐ Provide students with age appropriate programming and awareness-
☐ where the victim has suffered “harm” as a result of the bullying,
raising strategies to reinforce what bullying is, how it affects victims/
advise his/her parents of the nature of the activity that resulted in
their families, issues of discrimination and what healthy/inclusive
the harm, the nature of the harm, and the steps taken to protect the
relationships are.
student’s safety, including the nature of any disciplinary consequences
☐ Actively supervise/support all board staff and third party contractors
(e.g. bus drivers, etc.) in respect of their duty to report, to the principal,
imposed on the student bully. Do not reveal the identity of (or any
identifying information about) the bully.
incidents for which suspension or expulsion must be considered.
☐ if you believe that the victim could be harmed by his/her parent(s) if
Since bullying may lead to suspension, any staff who witness or become
they are advised of the incident, no disclosure should be made.
aware that a student may have engaged in bullying must report as
instead, the principal must document the rationale for the decision
soon as reasonably possible to the principal by the end of the school
not to disclose, notify the staff member who made the report, notify
day. the initial report can be oral but Part 1 of the Safe Schools incident
the So, inform other board employees as necessary, implement
reporting Form must be submitted to the principal.
board supports for the student and refer the student to appropriate
☐ if, as principal, you witness or receive information about a bullying
incident, you should complete the Safe Schools incident reporting
Form – Part 1
☐ Actively supervise/support all staff who work directly with students
(administrators, teachers, social workers, CYwS, eAs, eCes) in
community agencies.
☐ ensure appropriate documentation in the victim’s ontario Student
record (oSr) as prescribed:
• no documentation in the victim’s oSr if the parents
do not request it
respect of their legal duty to respond to incidents of bullying unless
• where the victim is also an aggressor and received
responding would cause immediate physical harm to the staff member,
some discipline short of suspension but parents not
student bully or other students.
advised, no documentation
☐ Conduct an anonymous school climate survey of students every two
years, share the results with the safe schools team and modify
the school improvement plan as necessary to reflect the
survey outcome.
☐ Create a safe schools team responsible for school safety that includes
at least one student, parent, non-teaching staff member, community
partner and you.
☐ Provide supports to students who have witnessed bullying.
• where victim also aggressor, parents advised and
received discipline, document in oSr.
☐ implement procedures to support and educate parents including a
process for parents to follow if they are not satisfied with the supports
that their child received.
☐ Create and implement a specific plan to protect the victim that may
involve a transfer of the bully – the victim should not be required to
transfer to a new school, unless he/she wishes to be moved.
The Register 17
Legal Duties In Respect of the Student Bully
☐ receive the allegation and assess whether, if true, the behaviour
would meet the definition of bullying and, if so, follow the School
Plan in terms of investigating/responding to it. if the incident as
reported does not meet the definition of bullying, consider whether
education, discipline and/or mediation are necessary to allow the
parties to move forward.
☐ individually interview the bully and relevant witnesses, review and
☐ ensure appropriate documentation is filed in the student bully’s
oSr and maintained for a minimum of one year or longer if directed
by board policy.
☐ Provide support to the student bully and his/her parents as necessary
in accordance with PPm 144.
☐ if a transfer is necessary, co-ordinate a meeting between the schools
including receiving teacher, appropriate non-teaching staff, student
bully and parent(s), create a transition strategy to identify required
secure the real evidence and document all information received
supports for the student and ensure all involved are aware of board
during the process.
confidentiality policies.
☐ if the bullying is verified, determine the appropriate consequences
for the student taking into account the mitigating and other factors,
nature and severity of the behaviour and impact the behaviour had
on school climate.
☐ All personal information relating to the bully is to be maintained in
confidence unless the victim suffered “harm” as a result of the bullying, in which case, the victim’s parents will need to be advised of
Legal Duties In Respect of Staff
☐ Facilitate the delivery of training strategies on bullying prevention
and intervention for staff.
☐ in-service all staff on the School Plan so that they are familiar with it.
☐ Support staff in respect of their legal duty to report incidents of bullying
and to respond to incidents of bullying as they occur.
the nature of the activity that resulted in the harm, the nature of the
☐ respond appropriately when a staff member is the victim of bullying
harm and the steps taken to protect the student’s safety, including
through board workplace harassment or violence polices mandated
the nature of any disciplinary consequences to the bully (without
by oHSA.
disclosing the identity of the bully). Some disclosure of the bully’s
☐ Provide staff who may be exposed to physical injury at the hands
personal information to staff may also be required by the Occupational
of a student bully with personal information about the bully’s history
health and safety Act (oHSA).
of violence. only the minimum amount of information necessary
☐ if you decide to suspend the student, notify his/her teacher and
parent(s) within 24 hours and then promptly communicate in writing
to protect the employee from physical injury is to be shared.
☐ respond appropriately to an employee’s assertion of a work refusal
the reasons for the suspension, its duration, the details of any program
by doing the following:
for suspended students to which the bully is assigned and the right
• immediately contact the board’s Health and Safety office
to appeal the decision. if you decide to suspend a student bully
and advise of the work refusal. the office will contact the
pending a recommendation to expel, the same information relevant
appropriate union/federation Health and Safety represen-
to a suspension must be promptly communicated to the student
tative, who will investigate along with the board’s Safety
and parent(s), as well as the possibility of expulsion and their right
to participate in the board hearing.
☐ if the report of bullying was received from staff (Safe Schools incident
reporting Form – Part 1), complete Part 2 of the Form and provide a
copy to the staff member to acknowledge receipt of their report and
whether any action in respect of the reported behaviour was taken.
18 Winter 2011
office representative and the principal without delay.
• notify the superintendent of education.
• take the necessary steps needed to ensure the safety
of students and staff.
• Provide the worker [complainant] a safe place near his/her
work station to remain during the investigation.
school boards about what to do in “single incident” situations that “feel like” bullying to one
or more of those involved.
The requirement for a real or perceived power
imbalance is potentially limiting; however, PPM
144 elaborates that, “students may attain or
maintain power over others in the school through
real or perceived differences. Some areas of difference may be size, strength, age, intelligence,
economic status, social status, solidarity of peer
group, religion, ethnicity, disability, need for
special education, sexual orientation, family circumstances, gender and race.”
It is unclear whether every situation of one
student belittling or teasing another will inevitably evidence an imbalance of power, or whether
some circumstances (e.g. where the victim is
older, stronger, from a higher socio-economic
bracket, with no obvious vulnerability as described) would not fit the definition. Since all
children experience feelings of vulnerability and
weakness, even if those feelings are not obvious
to others, principals should exercise caution before dismissing an incident as not meeting the
definition based on the purported lack of power
imbalance. Moreover, principals must anticipate
that any incident being evaluated through the
bullying lens could give rise to conflict between
parents of a student victim, who feel that the
situation is not being treated seriously, and parents of a student perpetrator, who feel the situation has been overblown and the consequences
disproportionate to the wrongdoing.
It is an over-simplification to say that addressing bullying issues requires a careful balancing of multiple factors and competing rights.
Principals must oversee a fair investigation,
provide support to the victim and his/her parents, simultaneously manage statutory obligations of confidentiality and appropriate disclosure, respect the human rights of both the
victim(s) and bully(ies), mete out discipline that
takes into account mitigating and other factors,
complete required documentation for both the
district school board and government, ensure
a safe working environment for staff and continually train students and staff about the nature
and impact of bullying. Moreover they must
do so notwithstanding tight limits on the availability of teacher supervision as dictated by
collective agreements.
The checklist within the article outlines practical tips for balancing the competing rights of
students involved in bullying (victims and bullies), as well as for maintaining a safe school
environment for the balance of students.
[email protected]
For more information visit the oPC website at www.principals.ca,
under Professional Services/Professional Advice resources/
bullying workshop resources.
reFerences
ontario ministry of education. (2009). Policy/Program
memorandum (PPm) no. 144. Bullying Prevention and
intervention. toronto, on.
ontario ministry of education. (2009). Policy/Program
memorandum no. 145. Progressive Discipline and
Promoting Positive student Behaviour. toronto, on.
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The Register 19
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International Dialogue
Current thinking on five hot topics
T
his past August, more than 2,000
educators from 40 countries
attended the International Confederation of Principals (ICP) World Convention, hosted by the OPC. The event provided a unique opportunity to bring
together current thinking on educational
issues that affect students around the
world. One of the most popular parts of
the program, the International Dialogue
Sessions, were roundtable conversations
on five hot topics: Gender-Based Literacy; The Leadership Void: Getting the
Right People on the Bus; To Test Or
Not To Test; Accommodating Special
Needs; and Governance and Funding.
The dialogue was enriched by initially
gathering demographic data using
“clicker” technology (an instant polling
capability) provided through Curriculum Services Canada. This included the
number of representative countries, the
candidates’ role in education, the gender
and age range of the participants and
the type of schools in each country. This
data was shared immediately with the
participants to help open discussions.
For participants, the bulk of time was
spent in facilitated discussions while
highlights were recorded from group
conversation. These kinds of sessions
had not been held at past OPC Odyssey
conferences, making them a unique
style of professional development that
proved very popular.
To further enhance learning, five
reports on the findings from these sessions are now posted on the OPC website
under the ELC’s resource section. These
reports have generated some very notable
and interesting results.
On the topic of gender-based literacy
issues, one group – represented by seven
countries with mainly publicly funded
education systems and almost 80 per
cent of the participants being female
school leaders – concluded that the
greatest challenge is trying to ensure
that girls become more literate across
the globe. The cultural norms limit a
female’s potential, especially in Uganda
and India, which are areas that also face
urban/rural discrepancy. Additionally,
it was reported that there are too few
male literacy role models in all cultures.
In most places, mothers are better
models, as they are more likely to be
present and more likely to read.
Another group that gathered to
discuss the leadership void recommended that leadership should be for
individuals who can not only create, but
will also value good relationships with
others. Specific suggestions were to
increase pay, improve mentoring programs and offer the freedom to return
to teaching. Some jurisdictions have
relaxed rules regarding a “teacher in
charge” role, which allows teachers to
try out the administrative role.
The topic of testing attracted participants from eight countries. Of those,
73 per cent were between the ages of 41
and 60. Very rich conversations took
place regarding the types, the benefits
and the challenges of standardized
testing. The personal opinions of the
registrants were perhaps the most interesting: there is far too much emphasis
on testing, testing leads to parents shopping schools, testing is wrongly used for
political purposes and school administrators are secretly penalized.
Also discussions around accommodating special needs students, revealed
universal challenges concerning remote
and rural locations (South Africa, Australia). Indigenous populations everywhere reported many gaps including a
lack of service, teacher specialists,
resources for the severely handicapped,
mental health professionals, time for
identification and the availability of
educational assistants.
As a result of the success of these international dialogue sessions, the OPC’s 2012
annual conference will be using a different
approach to professional learning, similar
to that used at the ICP convention.
The power of bringing passionate and
knowledgeable educators together from
across the globe to focus on global
issues, such as human rights in education, is always worth exploring and will
continue to provide valuable perspectives that can be universally shared.
Full reports from
these sessions can
be downloaded from
the OPC website
under Professional
Development/
Resources.
[email protected]
The Register 21
Spring 2012
Events
Improved Student
ACHIEVEMENT
Knows No Bounds
3 Powerful Events in 3 Diverse Locations
Simplifying RTI Institute
April 12–14
Winnipeg, MB
The presenters will help you create an efficient process to
identify students who need help, place them in the proper
intervention, monitor their progress, revise their program
if needed, and return them to their regular program once
the interventions have worked.
PLC at Work Summit
TM
April 23–25
Vancouver, BC
Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour, and a lineup of hand-selected
experts deliver keynote presentations and breakout sessions
designed to develop your capacity for building a professional
learning community.
Events Feature
Austin Buffum
Charlie Coleman
Damian Cooper
Rebecca DuFour
Richard DuFour
Michael Fullan
Tom Hierck
Wayne Hulley
Janet Malone
Mike Mattos
Anthony Muhammad
Ainsley Rose
Chris Weber
Dylan Wiliam
Speakers vary by event
and are subject to change.
Assessment Institute
March 26–28
Ottawa, ON
This institute brings together leading assessment experts and
practitioners to share the research and practical applications
that are proven to dramatically increase student learning.
Discover how to positively change the culture of your school
by empowering staff to use best practices.
Books included
with your registration
Visit solution-tree.com for details
solution-tree.com
800.733.6786
RegISTeR RePoRT
the 5 Pillars of transition
using an integrative framework to support
administrative transitions
By dr. denise Armstrong
Administrative transitions and succession
are critical turning points for individuals and
organizations that impact both the new and
experienced administrators’ performance
and career pathways in unpredictable and
permanent ways. Although succession failures and successes are well documented
in media and business literature, the topic
of school administration transitions has
received little attention. the few studies that
exist confirm that new and incoming principals and vice-principals are seldom prepared for the challenges they encounter
when they change roles and/or schools.
while it is natural to attribute poor transition
readiness to personality variables and a
newcomers’ lack of experience, it is how
these individuals are prepared, supported
and socialized at the various stages of transition that is vital to their success. Principal
preparation programs play an important role
in setting the stage for the early transition
(marshall & Hooley, 2006). So, too, do district selection, promotion and placement
processes. Hargreaves et al. (2003) also
contend that district succession practices
can be experienced as disruptive or capricious based on how districts manage them.
Factors such as frequent and unpredictable
changes in administrators, “sink or swim”
initiation practices and failure to provide
developmentally appropriate support for the
different stages of transition also increase
transitional stress and strain and impede
effective leadership (Armstrong, 2009; marshall & Hooley, 2006).
The Register 23
RegISTeR RePoRT
FACT
“...school
cultures can be
welcoming,
indifferent or
closed depending
on succession
contexts...”
this report draws on research of various principal and
were recently promoted reported initially feeling overwhelmed
vice-principal transitions conducted across the province over
by the size of their surroundings and their responsibility to
the past 12 years. the methods for collecting data included
maintaining safety. using strategies such as touring the
case studies, focus groups, discussions and surveys. the
physical plant prior to assuming the role and engaging in fre-
research examined the specific nature of transitioning from
quent “walk-throughs” allowed them to better develop familiar-
teaching to administration and between administrative roles,
ity with the physical context, determine safe and unsafe areas
and the people, structures and events that facilitated and/or
and establish an administrative presence.
hindered this transition. the results showed that changing ad-
Conversely, navigating their new role and cultural contexts
ministrative roles or schools provoked simultaneous physical,
proved to be a more complex endeavour due to the unique
psychological and social challenges; personal changes; and
characteristics of their role and cultural norms. each admin-
new professional learning. targeted training and adequate
istrator reported having to negotiate their place within the
support services during the beginning, middle and post-tran-
school and district hierarchy and their administrative team
sition were identified as critical to one’s success. However,
by learning new administrative role tasks and deciphering
the participants described the early and in-between stages of
hidden administrative cultural norms. of particular concern
transition as most difficult, and used terms such as a “steep
among study participants was a pervasive climate of mistrust.
learning curve” and “trial by fire” to capture the challenge of
one administrator noted that, “teachers and parents see you
mastering new information and tasks, all while attempting to
as an intruder, and that is one of the walls and one of the
demonstrate competence, exercise influence and develop an
boxes that you have to break down. And you do it through
administrative identity.
hard work, dignity, serving and being responsible.” Har-
Although the data revealed broad transitional patterns,
greaves et al. (2003) also note that school cultures can be
each individual, role and context was unique. Principal and
welcoming, indifferent or closed depending on succession
vice-principal transitions also differed due to their assigned
contexts; they may also be impenetrable in contexts where
powers and their relative location in the educational pyramid.
district rotation practices occur fewer than every three years.
overall, the administrators identified developing five different
in order for newcomers to effectively develop in their role
but interconnected dimensions of new leadership learning
and create cultural knowledge and competence, they had to
and competence that were related to place, program, poli-
master their formal and informal roles and duties; determine
cies, people and politics. these five pillars (5Ps) of transi-
the differences between teacher and administrator roles, cul-
tion provide a useful theoretical and practical framework for
tures and territory; decipher their school and district’s hidden
understanding the complex nature of administrative transi-
norms and values; and build bridges of respect and trust be-
tions and can be used by ministry, board and professional
tween various school and district sub-cultures.
associations to complement and inform leadership developseamless transitions.
2. PROgRAM — NAVIgATINg SYSTeMS
AND STRuCTuReS
1. PLACe — NAVIgATINg CONTexT AND CuLTuRe
School administrators are legally and morally accountable for
ment and mentoring initiatives, as well as to better support
the organization, coordination and delivery of ministry curricu-
24 Winter 2011
the participants’ transitions involved movement across space,
lum. in order to be effective instructional leaders and man-
time, professional roles and school cultures. these challenges
agers, administrators had to develop in-depth knowledge of
varied depending on whether the transition entailed vertical
program structures and processes, as well as their interlock-
(teacher to vice-principal or vice-principal to principal) or lat-
ing elements within the larger school and support systems
eral movement (vice-principal to vice-principal or principal to
(e.g., english as a Second language and Special educa-
principal). Hidden tasks within each of these professional and
tion). this entailed developing the technical skills to manage
organizational spaces presented distinct challenges and re-
data and schedules, and becoming knowledgeable about
quired the incoming administrators to re-examine their incom-
different staffing roles and student needs and the embedded
ing role expectations and skill sets, and to develop new func-
structures and practices that impacted effective and efficient
tional skills and cultural competencies. At the physical level,
program staffing and delivery. Common strategies for gath-
administrators who were transferred from smaller schools or
ering program information included reviewing school goals
RegISTeR RePoRT
and mission statements; observing others; walking around;
to effect change. Developing advanced levels of “people
learning about the program’s history, philosophy, key strengths,
savvy” skills entailed understanding both individual agendas
priorities and needs; and integrating supports. engaging in
and group dynamics and using this information to inform
“courageous conversations” with individuals and groups
decision-making and improve practice. All of the administra-
about program priorities, access, resource distribution and
tors underscored the importance of building relationships
outcomes also allowed the newcomers to challenge embed-
and ethical practice. one participant stated, “leadership for
ded beliefs and practices and leverage this new knowledge to
me... is working with people to influence them to accomplish
improve program planning and success.
something good. So i think a great deal of time and effort
needs to be spent cultivating relationships. making people
3. POLICIeS — NAVIgATINg PROCeDuReS
AND PRACTICeS
feel comfortable. And you do that by being visible around
the building, interacting with people more often, recognizing them for what they do, and involving them in processes
Principals are empowered by the ministry and school district
of opinion within the school.” Additional practices, such as
to implement policies, and a key part of administrative leader-
demonstrating culturally responsive leadership through care,
ship roles entails giving purpose and meaning to policies that
consultation, collaboration, challenge and consensus, and
they are duty bound to implement (Gronn, 2003). these ad-
distributing leadership across individuals and groups allowed
ministrators described a difficult implementation environment
these administrators to construct authentic relationships of
that was characterized by rapidly changing and multi-layered
trust and to better mediate multiple perspectives.
policies, misalignments between local needs and policy mandates, high accountability demands, lack of appropriate train-
5. POLITICS — NAVIgATINg POWeR AND POSITION
ing and support and teacher resistance to unpopular external
mandates. in order to ensure that policy implementation co-
Principals and vice-principals play an important role in distrib-
hered with the intent rather than the letter of the law, these
uting power within and across groups and individuals, and
administrators acted as policy managers, translators, buffers
various stakeholders use administrative changes as oppor-
and transformers. moving from policy management to trans-
tunities to achieve or consolidate power. these administrators
formation entailed developing an in-depth knowledge of min-
discovered that power and politics were deeply interwoven
istry and board policies and procedures and communicating
into personal interactions, program structures, policies and
external directives in ways that would support teaching and
practices. As a result, maintaining integrity while gaining influ-
learning. Furthermore, this meant engaging with different
ence and power often led to ethical conflicts and emotional
stakeholders in critical analysis of, and reflection on, policies
stress. issues such as teacher supervision, staffing, student
and mobilizing community partners to influence ministry and
discipline and special education were often experienced as
district policymakers.
political minefields — particularly when unions, superintend-
FACT
Managing and
leading others
demanded
high levels of
interpersonal
and emotional
competence and
problem-solving
skill sets.
ents, trustees, parents and the media were involved. Al-
4. PeOPLe — NAVIgATINg PeRSONALITIeS
AND PeRSPeCTIVeS
though most of the administrators expressed discomfort with
“politricks,” they viewed political involvement as a “necessary evil,” because political naïveté carried negative conse-
becoming a successful leader required newcomers to nego-
quences for access to appropriate staffing and resources,
tiate with an array of individuals and groups at the vertical and
and impeded career advancement. in order to effect long-term
horizontal levels of the school and district in order to balance
change, these school leaders had to proactively anticipate
competing perspectives and preferences. managing and
behaviours and outcomes and build stronger horizontal and
leading others demanded high levels of interpersonal and
vertical networks of empowerment based on reciprocal influ-
emotional competence and problem-solving skill sets. while
ence and respect. this level of political competence involved
student-related issues consumed significant amounts of the
recognizing their own political style and arenas of influence,
administrators’ time and energy, the “adult component” was
learning the “written and unwritten rules of the game,” official
identified as the most difficult part of the transition, particular-
lines of command, key power players, preferences and pri-
ly when the adults belonged to powerful coalitions or unions,
orities and then using this information to leverage personal
or controlled access to the information and resources needed
and positional power. overall, they described an impressive
The Register 25
register report
toolkit of centre stage and backstage manoeuvres that al-
and performance appraisals have also been implemented in
lowed them to maximize their limited administrative powers
order to motivate institutional change. These administrators
and “work through and around the system.” These manoeuv-
identified a need for co-ordinated practices that support and
res included being authoritative as opposed to authoritarian
sustain new leaders and ministry and district objectives over
and using forms of ingratiation and impression management.
time. Together with sharing best practices, preparation programs, professional development providers, policy makers
Recommendations
and senior officers need to work together to improve comprehensive and coordinated systems, processes and frame-
Overall, the research findings revealed that administrative
works. Integrated approaches that are built on transition
transitions provoke a challenging developmental journey
theory and research – in addition to plans that are monitored
requiring leaders to negotiate intersections of place, pro-
and reviewed on a consistent basis – can address the cur-
gram, policy, people and politics while acquiring new skills,
rent identified gaps, build leadership capacity and enhance
behaviours and competencies. In many cases, institutional
school and district success.
factors, such as inadequate pre-role preparation programs,
haphazard district succession and induction planning and in-
conclusion
adequate support and mentoring, created barriers to leader-
Fact
The research
shows that leaders in transition
need to develop
five key fundamental skills in
interconnected
areas.
ship learning and success. The study participants proposed
Administrative transitions are critical turning points that can
a number of suggestions regarding promotion, transfer and
make or break leaders and their organizations. The research
placement processes, as well as professional development
shows that leaders in transition need to develop five key
supports and resources, including:
fundamental skills in interconnected areas. They need time,
• a strong alignment between district strategic planning, suc-
graduated support and targeted professional development in
cession and talent development policies, and equity goals
order to appropriately develop leadership competence. The
• sufficient time, money and resources to support transitions
data demonstrates the importance of extensive pre-role prep-
and policy implementation
• critical reviews of all recruitment, promotion and placement policies
• embedded practices to ensure transparency, consistency
and accountability
• proper clarification of the roles and terms of condition for
incoming administrators
aration and training. Participants indicated that it took them
at least three years to finally adjust to their new context. The
5 Ps of transitions should be understood as a comprehensive
framework for planning, monitoring, evaluating and supporting successful and seamless transitions. As a result, schools
need system-wide approaches that are carefully planned,
transparent, continuous and that effectively align individual
• graduated processes and programs and formal and infor-
talents with school and district needs. It is these fundamental
mal support and feedback processes and structures that
priorities and equitable practices that can make a significant
support fluid transitions between roles and cultures (e.g.,
difference for everyone.
authentic dialogues with superintendents and key school
stakeholders, matching administrator and school needs and
strengths, experiential opportunities such as side-by-side
mentoring for exiting and entering administrators, job shad-
Denise E. Armstrong is an Associate Professor (Administration and Leadership) at
Brock University and a former principal with the Toronto DSB. She is the author of
Administrative Passages: Navigating the Transition from Teacher to Assistant Principal and co-author of Inclusion in Urban Educational Environments: Addressing
Issues of Diversity, Equity and Social Justice.
owing and site visits)
• adequate professional training and support that make ex-
[email protected]
plicit connections between talent development initiatives,
school improvement and annual learning plans and
• time to attend provincial and association training and to participate in policy development and review.
Recent policy initiatives related to the Ontario Leadership
Strategy underscore the importance of supporting leaders in
creating excellent and equitable schools. Promising policies
and practices related to leadership development, mentoring
26 Winter 2011
REFERENCES
Armstrong, D. (2009). Administrative passages: Navigating the transition from
teacher to assistant principal. New York: Springer.
Gronn, P. (2003). The new work of educational leaders: Changing leadership practice in an era of school reform. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Hargreaves, A., Moore, S., Fink, D., Brayman, C., & White, R. (2003). Succeeding leaders? A study of principal succession and sustainability. Toronto,
ON: OISE.
Marshall, C., & Hooley, R. (2006). The assistant principalship: Leadership
choices and challenges. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
THE ONTARIO PRINCIPALS’ COUNCIL
SEAN COVEY
Y
THE LEADER IN
N ME
CREATING A CULTURE
TURE OF LEADERSHIP
Thursday, February 16, 2012
The Westin Bristol Place Toronto Airport
950 Dixon Road Toronto, Ontario M9W 5N4
REGISTER TODAY! SPACE IS LIMITED!
This workshop is suitable for teachers,
school leaders (in primary, secondary or
university level) and government representatives.
Register today by visiting www.principals.ca
NTS
ICIPA
PART
IVE A
RECE OPY
C
FREE
The Ontario Principals’ Council also offers a comprehensive array of professional
learning opportunities, resources and supports for education professionals.
180 Dundas Street West. 25th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1Z8 Tel: 416-322-6600 Fax: 416-322-6618
SAFE SCHOOLS
CONFERENCES 2012
What Educators Need To Know
- LGBT Issues
- Mental Health
- Bullying Issues
- Legal Issues
- School Climate
- Cyber Safety
- Sexual Exploitation
- Girl Vs. Girl Violence
- Progressive Discipline
- Restorative Practices
National Safe Schools Conference
Featuring Keynotes Margaret Trudeau
and Dr. Stanley Kutcher
February 16, 2012 - Toronto, ON.
WHO WILL BENEFIT?
- Principals, Vice-Principals & Teachers in
Elementary & Secondary Schools
- School Board Trustees & Administrators
- School Council Members & Parents
- Board Psychologists, Social Workers &
Support Personnel
- Police
- Government Officials
- Educational Leadership Candidates
- School Bus Drivers
- School Board IT Support
- Suspensions/Expulsions Staff
Mental Health & Bullying Issues
March 5, 2012 - Brockville, ON.
Safe Schools Conference
March 20, 2012 - Edmonton, AB.
Safe Schools Conference
Featuring Keynote John Linney
March 22, 2012 - Saskatoon, SK.
Mental Health & Bullying Issues
May 2, 2012 - London, ON.
www.canadiansafeschools.com
By Educators ... For Educators!
oPc communicator
Managing Conflict
and Difficult Situations
As a school leader, you will be responsible for managing
conflict and addressing difficult situations many times in your
career. These conflicts will take place with and/or among
students, staff, parents, community members and the media.
eS
OP
Le
PR
OC
Pe
S
The concept known as the Conflict
Triangle provides a basic framework for
analyzing and dealing with conflict.
2. Remember to focus on the problem,
not on the person.
3. Take a non-adversarial approach, not
an adversarial one.
4. Use dialogue, not debate
5. Focus on interests, not on position.
6. Try for a win/win solution, not one
in which one side loses.
7. Focus on change, not on control.
8. Conflict resolution is a long process,
not a quick fix.
Here are some tips for dealing with
SITuATION
difficult situations:
•
•
The sides of the triangle are represented by
•
•
•
People: Every conflict involves a history
of relationships and personalities.
Process: People fight in different
ways, but every conflict has patterns
of interaction – the way it intensifies,
eases or spreads.
Situation: Every conflict has intent
– the issues and interests that are the
reason for the dispute.
•
•
•
•
When dealing with difficult situations,
school leaders should follow the principles of conflict resolution:
1. Look for solutions, not for blame.
•
Pay attention. Deal with all complaints
respectfully and attentively.
Document each complaint. Record
the time and date of the concern and
take factual notes. Be sure to file all
your documentation.
Practice active listening. Rephrase what
you’ve heard to verify understanding.
Ask for further clarification if needed.
Identify all underlying issues.
Get the facts from the complainant.
Check out the facts with all parties
before responding.
Review facts, political management
issues and possible outcomes with
relevant parties (e.g., Superintendent,
the OPC, an experienced colleague).
Respond as quickly as possible. Arrange
a specific time to report progress.
Don’t make hasty decisions on the spot
or promises you can’t keep.
• Respect the ownership of the issue.
If a parent complains about a teacher,
attempt to refer the issue to the
teacher for resolution.
• Don’t defend the indefensible and
make excuses or even justify inappropriate behaviour.
• Do not use inappropriate language,
even if the complainant does. You may
have to agree to disagree, but remain
polite, professional and calm.
• If the complainant becomes abusive
and does not respond to your appeal
for reason, discontinue the conversation. Consult immediately with your
supervisory officer.
Sometimes silence is the best way to
deal with the situation. It demonstrates
that you have not yet made a decision;
that you are listening; that you are
reflecting on what you’ve heard; that
you are open to suggestions; and that
you will provide the necessary time for
both sides to tell their side of the story
and to calm down.
Dealing with difficult situations is
never easy, but it is an integral part of
being a principal or vice-principal.
Although you can’t control every situation, you can control your demeanor and
your response to the situation. Use your
professional training and remember that
your responsibility is to see the situation
from everyone’s point of view.
•
Adapted from the
OPC Handbook for
School Leaders.
[email protected]
The Register 29
What’s Your
School’s Voice?
How to enhance confidence
in public education
By Ron deBoer
Illustration by Jessica Fortner
the late CitytV news reporter mark Dailey
in public education would be one of his
was often referred to as the “voice of toron-
main goals, he had in mind more than im-
to.” Gentle, baritone and wrought with dry
proved teacher practice, increased student
humour, Dailey’s resonant, comforting voice
achievement and higher eQAo scores. At
reminded viewers that CitytV was “every-
a grassroots level, increasing the public’s
where” while cameras gave the audience live
confidence begins with the impression that
shots of the comings-and-goings of toron-
parents and community members have of
tonians. His voice was friendly, reassuring,
schools, and how they raise achievement
welcoming and consistent. You can prob-
and narrow the gaps in learning. if you were
ably think of other voices like mark Dailey’s
to poll your school community, what would
that make you instantly comfortable, trusting
they say about the “voice” that greets them
and confident in the person or institution at-
when they call or walk into the office? what
tached to the voice – oprah winfrey, mor-
kind of “voice” do they hear on curriculum
gan Freeman, ron maclean.
night, at school council meetings or in report
when Dalton mcGuinty first announced
that increasing the province’s confidence
card comments? what “voice” is conveyed
on your website or in teacher newsletters?
The Register 31
What is a school’s voice?
A voice, in this context, is more than just a
comforting tone. A strong school voice embodies a caring attitude, a spirit of optimism, a mix
of authority and assuredness in the school’s goals
and expectations for students and its overall
mission. A strong school voice has a clear sense
of audience (parents, students and community)
and knows when to be empathetic, supportive
or merely informational. The voice of a school
should not only convey information to the
public, but also listen, be it administrators,
teachers or support staff. The voice is judged by
timely call-backs by administrators, various
forms of communication by teachers and perceived partnerships by all school staff who
support students. Your voice can be further
defined by the pictures on the walls, the multicultural music played in the halls, the words on
the roadside sign and the visibility and engagement of administrators at school events.
In short, a school’s voice is the “feel” someone
from the public gets when interacting with your
school community. Waterloo Region District
School Board (WRDSB) superintendent Lila
Read states, “a school’s voice is a reflection or
an extension of the relationships that exist as
part of any school community. Positive and
sustainable relationships with parents, students,
staff and community members are foundational
to improving student learning and success. We
cannot do this important work alone. We must
use our voices to call out to those relationships
that are so critical to the services and supports
our students need – and those voices had better
be clear and strong!”
Here are five voice lessons schools can focus
on to enhance confidence in public education
in our communities.
dents throughout the school – photos of technology students building robots, ESL classes
working with clicker boards, Native Studies
students participating in a smudging ceremony.
You can’t walk more than 20 feet without
coming across a picture of an Eastwood student.
A picture says more than words and often
invokes meaning and a sense of purpose. Showcase your schools’ inclusive environment with
items like anti-bullying posters displayed prominently on classroom doors, or images for clubs
A principal should take
every public opportunity
at school events to make
the community feel proud
of the students and staff.
such as the Gay-Straight Alliance prominently
displayed on flat screens and in areas of high
traffic. Typically, a high school’s halls are predominately covered with athletic trophy cases
and athlete-of-the-year pictures, even though
not all students will play on a sports team. Academic award winners and trophies achieved by
accomplished artists such as dancers and musicians should also be featured. Work by art students should stand on easels up and down the
hallways and display cases should prominently
exhibit student work of all levels of achievement
and be updated on a regular basis.
1. What’s in your halls and on your walls?
Many of us have seen schools as bland as a
factory and as vibrant as a children’s museum.
Reveal the multicultural essence of your school
by displaying country flags or have the art
department paint lockers or sections of walls in
the colours of countries. The walls of your school
should be liberally adorned with pictures of
engaged students. Eastwood Collegiate Institute
in our board displays framed photos of its stu32 Winter 2011
when they visit. A positive and helpful voice
can go a long way in creating an overall “feel”
for a school. Think of the Walmart greeter
model when someone visits the main office. A
smile, a hello and a “how can I help you?”
within seconds of someone visiting an office
makes anyone feel welcome and important.
Working with the office administrator to create
a positive culture sometimes needs to be deliberate. Courageous conversations are occasionally required with your secretarial staff, who can
at times unknowingly allow their moods to
extend to visitors. In recent years, the Bank of
Montreal deliberately focused on its customer
service, requiring employees – even those not
directly working with a customer – to smile and
welcome customers as they walked into the
bank or stood in line. When a concerned parent
comes into the office, often it is the secretary
who makes the first contact. How s/he interacts
with the parent often goes a long way in deescalating emotions or setting someone at ease
in preparation for further discussions.
3. Administrators
2. office staff
Office staff are individuals who comprise the
engine of the school. When the engine is
humming along, everyone in the vehicle feels
good. It is important that office staff understand
the importance of their role on the front lines
of a school. They are often the first voice an
upset parent hears and usually the first face a
parent or member of the community meets
Particularly in elementary schools, the principal
is often the face of the school and whether they
know it or not, eyes are always on them at school
events, gauging body language and facial expressions. Administrators instil confidence in their
community when they respond quickly and
efficiently to voice messages, take the time to
listen to concerned parents or community
members and make a follow-up phone call, even
when they, may not need to. When sealed on
the other side of the desk from a concerned or
upset parent, the goal is to create a partnership
with that parent to work toward resolution. A
calm tone of voice is vital in creating an atmosphere of collaboration. The principal’s voice
should also clearly and distinctly exude a positive
and optimistic tone on the school website and
in all newsletters. A principal should take every
public opportunity at school events to make the
community feel proud of the students and staff.
School leaders should also foster inclusive language. Presumptuous “edu-babble” can turn
parents off and make them feel inadequate if the
implication is that everyone understands terms
such as “rubric,” “formative assessment,” or
“TLCP” (teaching-learning critical pathway).
Some schools will send home a handout or post
to the school website common educational
terms and their meanings, to be more inclusive
with parents and the community. English-as-asecond-language schools should consider website
content in multiple languages.
4. Teachers
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34 Winter 2011
Teachers have incredible power in conveying
confidence in public education. They are held to
a high standard in local communities. How
teachers talk about their school, their principal
and their students can make a big difference in
the community’s views of public education. Do
teachers respond to criticisms of schools by
talking about the wonderful learning strategies
being employed by their colleagues? Do teachers
share professional development strategies or the
collaborative work they are doing with other
teachers to help students succeed? Ray Wiersma,
learning support teacher at Lord Elgin Public
School in the Thames Valley District School
Board, says, “As teachers, we need to start by
being aware of how we use our ‘voice’ when we
interact with our colleagues. How do we carry
ourselves in and around the school building? The
words and tone we use in describing students,
parents, administrators, etc., in the hallways,
classrooms and staff room, matter. They directly
influence the attitudes we demonstrate with
students, parents, and the community.” Do
parents see anchor charts, graphic organizers and
word walls when they visit their child’s classroom?
Are detailed rubrics and exemplars attached to
assignments to help parents clearly understand
the expectations for an assignment to help their
son or daughter? Many teachers have created
blogs, websites and moodles where instruction,
schedules, due dates and course handouts are
available to students and parents. When teachers
effectively partner with parents, student achievement improves. When teachers and parents work
together and communicate openly about student
achievement, students hear a common language
and a consistent message both at home and
school. A student should never reach a marking
cycle achievement unsuccessfully without deep
conversations between the classroom teacher and
their parents.
5. students
Raising achievement and narrowing the gap
with confidence
There is no one-size-fits-all strategy to
developing a strong school voice that invokes
public confidence. Student populations vary
from school to school, meaning that each
experience as an administrator is unique. There
are schools serving inner city youth and others
educating the upper middle class. Regardless,
of your school make-up, there are useful, easily
applicable core customer service goals that are
universal to all. As leaders, our job is to serve
our local communities, raise student achievement levels and instil self-confidence. Consider
and assess your unique school voice and how
it speaks to your local community. We all have
a role to play.
“
Volunteering is the most amazing and
humbling experience. It’s a wonderful
way to finish a career in education.
“
The students are often the best reflectors of a
school. Schools can establish a deliberate language and convey consistent messaging to students that their role in the community is
reflective of how the neighbourhood feels about
their school. This should be done regularly by
administrators at full school assemblies, teachersponsors at club gatherings and coaches during
sports seasons. Coaches should move beyond
merely asking students to sign the “code of
conduct,” but should also create concrete
expectations and have meaningful discussions
describing what sportsmanship toward opponents, game officials, and each other looks like.
Music and art departments should partner with
local businesses and institutions to display work
of student artists or invite string quartets to play
after school. In the WRDSB, elementary
schools have partnered with the Ontario
Hockey League’s Kitchener Rangers, allowing
student choirs to sing the national anthem at
Friday night home games. Eastwood Collegiate
Institute has partnered with a local museum
and holds shows for visual arts students that are
open to the general public. All of these actions
shape the voice of the school both in the eyes
of the students and the public.
– Isabel, Education Volunteer, Ethiopia
YOUR STORY
STARTS
HERE
in spite of the many obstacles they
face, people from every corner of
the developing world are building
better futures for their communities.
We’re looking for long-term
volunteers to work as:
• education leadership advisors
• primary teacher trainers
• English teacher trainers
Use your skills to make a valuable and lasting contribution
in the fight against global poverty.
You’ll impact the lives of those who need it most and in
return we’ll provide comprehensive financial, personal, and
professional support.
ron Deboer is vice-principal at Galt Collegiate institute and chair
of the Secondary School Vice-Principals’ Association with the
waterloo region DSb.
[email protected]
CUSOinternational.ORG
The Register 35
LaureL
Broten
A social advocate takes on the
education portfolio
By Peggy Sweeney
The Register interviewed Laurel Broten less than two weeks after
she was named Minister of Education.
You could say that Laurel Broten’s political career began when she was in high
school with her involvement with a number of social issues, where she became
what she terms “an activist at heart.” Broten began to notice things that she
thought could be improved. “From high school to university and continuing in the
community when I first started my law career, I worked on issues through a variety
of avenues to try to change them from the outside. But eventually I realized that
change often comes from the inside, especially when it comes to changing a law. I
recognized that Queen’s Park and government make a lot of decisions. It made me
interested in becoming more involved in government and in getting elected.”
36 Winter 2011
Minister Broten visiting
students at george R. gauld
Junior School in Toronto.
After high school, Broten earned BA and
BSc degrees from McMaster University and her
law degree from the University of Western
Ontario, with distinction. She articled at the
Supreme Court of Canada for one of Canada’s
most preeminent jurists. After being called to
the Bar, she built a successful career practicing
equity, commercial and human rights law.
But even after considering a jump into provincial politics, she still had to be convinced to
make the move. “As many women in particular
will tell you, it really does take someone asking
and saying you should run. I think a lot of us sit
on the sidelines thinking about it, but we need
some encouragement. That’s one of the reasons
why now I try to persuade more women to run,
because I want to see diversity in the people who
put their name on a ballot.”
In the end, her name did go on the ballot, and
38 Winter 2011
in 2003 she was elected as the member for Etobicoke-Lakeshore. After serving as the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health and the
Premier, she was named Minister of the Environment, her first seat at the Cabinet table.
In that portfolio, she worked on the government’s climate change plan, including the most
significant improvements to air quality standards
in over 25 years. At the time, she was also pregnant with twins, so the issue wasn’t just important to her professionally, but personally as well.
“Air quality and smog were really serious issues
for little lungs. It was something that I was really
privileged to be a part of.”
Part of that work involved working with the
U.S. to make sure that country cleaned up its
air emissions, since so many of those emissions
end up in Ontario. “We made really good
progress. In the summer of 2005, there were
about 40 smog days. This past summer, there
was one.”
In Environment, she also began work related
to education, updating the environmental component of the curriculum with the help of
Dr. Roberta Bondar.
In 2009, Broten was appointed Minister of
Children and Youth Services (CYS), finding
herself again working on issues dealing with
families and children in need. “We undertook
cross-ministry work developing the children’s
mental health strategy as part of a larger
government mental health strategy. We made
significant investments in the children’s mental
health sector, front line investments that translated into dollars going to help kids, and that
continues to roll out. I’m very proud of that work
and look forward to working with my colleagues
in my new portfolio to continue that work.”
PhotograPhY PreVious Page: simon haYter/getstock.com
Principals are a key partner in this work,
in developing a climate of mutual respect,
care and compassion in the school
Minister Broten at a lacrosse
match with her boys
Ryan and Zachary.
I’m a parent new to education and I’m a minister
who can view that world through my kids’ eyes, and
I think it will give me a really unique perspective
PhotograPhY: leFt, laurel Broten mPP constituencY oFFice; right, jenna muirhead
Redesigning the child welfare system was
another issue she worked on in CYS. “Child
welfare is something that was started more than
100 years ago, with communities struggling to
figure out how to help kids whose families, for
whatever reason, can’t be there for them. We did
some significant work focusing and modernizing
that sector, both from a structural view, but more
significantly by passing the adoption legislation,
changing some of the longstanding rules that
prevented young people from being adopted
into families if they had an open access order.
The day that legislation passed was a really proud
one for me.”
Despite having served in two important portfolios, Broten wasn’t quite prepared for the call
she received on October 19th of this year from
the Premier, asking her to take on the role of
Minister of Education. “I was very honored and
excited to be asked, but I had to take a deep
breath. He reminded me how much of a priority
this was for him, and I knew that from having
worked closely with him for eight years. I have
big shoes to fill. We’ve had a number of wonderful ministers and a Premier who has championed
the ministry. We’ve made a lot of progress in
improving the education system for our students.
But I’m looking forward to it.”
As the mother of 6-year-old boys in grade 1,
she brings a unique perspective to the role. “I bring
the lens of a parent who is interfacing with the
education system, the formal system. I’m a parent
new to education and I’m a minister who can view
that world through my kids’ eyes, and I think it
will give me a really unique perspective.”
As Minister, Broten says she will continue to
focus on the government’s four priority areas
– increasing student achievement and well-
being, closing the gap in achievement for students who are struggling, increasing graduation
rates and continuing to build public confidence
in the publicly funded education system.
“We also want to focus our attention on which
students we leaving behind. How do we ensure
that our youngest learners have the supports they
need? How can the Ministry of Children and
Youth Services continue to help prepare our kids
for school? At the other end of the spectrum,
how can we ensure that we continue to build an
education system that serves our students in
2011 and beyond?”
As a past participant in OPC’s annual advocacy day at Queen’s Park, as well as meeting
principals in her role as MPP, Broten says she
has “gained a real respect for the knowledge
base that principals bring to their roles. We
continue to need principals who can balance
The Register 39
their managerial and instructional leadership
roles to help us achieve the best possible outcomes for students.
“What I would like to do going forward is
hear from principals about the many demands
of the role. Every day, principals demonstrate a
real ability to carry out many facets of the role,
from the most routine to the love and attention
I know they give to our students.”
For principals and vice-principals, one of
the biggest challenges faced every day is the
large number of initiatives that have been
introduced over the past number of years.
While each initiative aims to help kids, taken
together they are creating an unmanageable
workload for school leaders, who are struggling
to implement each one effectively. Broten is
asked how this can be addressed.
“I’m less than two weeks into the job but
already I’m learning about many of the issues and
I’ve had a chance to review the Ontario Leadership Strategy. I think that we’re evolving all the
time to better reflect the realities that principals
face, specifically about engaging parents, having
a stronger focus on equity inclusion and working
hard to help strengthen a system that is already a
great system for our students.
“Folks who know me from my work over the
past eight years know that I’m someone who
listens, who tries to understand the reality on the
front lines and who has, at the end of the day, a
focus on making sure that our education system
meets the needs of Ontario students. I’m interested in engaging in any kind of conversation
that will help improve the system, and there’s no
doubt in my mind that principals have a lot of
experience. I look forward to an early opportunity to connect with them.”
While new to the role, Broten has two early
goals. “My first priority is to bring to this
ministry the perspective from the work that
I’ve done at the Ministry of Children and
Youth Services in the development of a children’s mental health strategy. I see that as an
immediate issue.
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“The second is the issue of bullying. That is one
that the Premier has specifically asked me to look
at. We’re especially concerned about bullying
that is homophobic in nature, as that has had a
tragic impact on children, on young people and
on their families. As a mom, I can’t imagine the
heartbreak involved in losing a child. So as Minister of Education, I want to find a way for government to continue to be part of the solution.
“We need to start by taking a good hard look
at what currently exists, what we can do as a
government, what we can do as a school system,
what we can do as parents and what we can do
as a community to work together to prevent
tragedies, like the ones we have unfortunately
seen take place in this province, from happening again.”
She notes the tie-in between the issue of
bullying and the ongoing work being done on
Safe Schools. “Principals are a key partner in this
work, in developing a climate of mutual respect,
care and compassion in the school. People say
these things will get better eventually, and I know
that there have been campaigns that have said it
will get better. But I believe very strongly that
we have a responsibility to make it better now
and I look to working with everyone in the
school community on these issues.”
A bit further down the road are the 2012 collective agreement negotiations, when contracts
will expire for all teachers and support staff
workers in the province. Given the size of the
provincial deficit, projected at about $16 billion,
it’s unlikely that the government will be in a
position to be handing out much in the way of
wage increases, if there are any increases at all.
School leaders worry that without salary
increases, the teacher unions may be looking for
other benefits and working conditions that could
impact the learning environment in schools.
The Cabinet has not been given any final
numbers or instructions yet about upcoming
public sector negotiations, but that will be
forthcoming by the Minister of Finance in the
next several months.
“I certainly will have more to say about that
in the coming months, but let me just say that
I know that our government has found the last
two provincial discussion table negotiation
processes very helpful and successful in resolving province-wide labour issues. We know and
understand that stability in the sector promotes
and ensures continued student achievement.”
Is there a message the new Minister would
like to deliver to OPC Members? “What I want
to say to principals is thank you. Thank you for
your leadership in helping us improve student
achievement, lower class sizes and build an
education system that is a model for others
around the world. We’ve come a long way.
There’s still more to do.
“I really look forward to working with principals to build success, literacy and numeracy
skills; introduce a new science strategy; and
offer more math homework help. All of those
things are so important to our students and we
wouldn’t have been able to get any of it done
without the support of our partners – parents,
teachers, principals, school boards and students.
The approach I want to take is to continue to
work together,”
Although she is taking on a new and important portfolio, Broten doesn’t see her professional life as very distinct from her personal one.
“My life is very intertwined. The fact is that I sit
down and do grade 1 homework with my kids,
that I am at a public school picking them up
and that I really know – from a parent’s perspective – how important the leadership of principals, teachers and support staff is to the success
of Ontario students.
“This is important to the success of my own
two kids and that’s a lens that I think will serve
me well.”
[email protected]
The Register 41
Conference
Line-up
Just Kidding!
learning Forward (nSDC)
Capture the magic
December 3–7, 2011
Anaheim, CA, uSA
www.nsdc.org
illustration: www.justkiddingcartoons.com/educationcartoons.html
oPC Speaker Series – Sean Covey
February 16, 2012
westin bristol Place
toronto Airport Hotel
www.principals.ca
national Association of Secondary
School Principals
breaking ranks
march 8–10, 2012
tampa, Fl, uSA
www.nassp.org
Mark Your
Calendar
Additional Qualification Courses
PQP, ePDC, SoQP, SeA
oPC Staff Contacts
President
naeem Siddiq
[email protected]
communications
Peggy Sweeney
[email protected]
executive director
ian mcFarlane
[email protected]
Professional services
Judith Peden
[email protected]
membership services
Smita Devane-bhan
sdevane-bhan@
principals.ca
education
Leadership canada
lori Horan
[email protected]
general inquiry
[email protected]
For spring and summer sessions
around the province, check the oPC
website for locations and dates.
Personal
Growth
Leadership
mentoringCoaching Sessions
Contact the oPC to organize a
session for your district, or visit
the oPC website.
new
Aspiring School leaders’ Program
the program is intended to support
individuals and boards in the development of skills, attitudes, knowledge and
practices understood to be threshold
competencies of school administrators.
the ASl Program is offered both at the
local level in partnership with boards
and at the provincial level. For information, email [email protected]
42 Winter 2011
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www.leadership.uoguelph.ca
AN EDUCATOR’S GUIDE TO SPECIAL EDUCATION LAW,
SECOND EDITION
Brenda Bowlby, Catherine Peters and Martha Mackinnon
This resource provides a complete and comprehensive account of the legal and administrative issues
arising from the special education process. The second edition details changes to the Ontario Human
Rights Code and the Education Act and how the changes impact upon educators. It updates case law
generated by the courts, the Special Education Tribunal and the Human Rights Tribunal on special
education issues.
Perfectbound • 336 pp. • 2010 • $63 • P/C 0987010002 • ISBN 978-0-88804-493-8
AN EDUCATOR’S GUIDE TO VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS,
SECOND EDITION
Eric M. Roher
This is a step-by-step guide providing practical advice to help you understand the complex issues and to
learn to problem solve at all stages as issues unfold involving violence in Canadian schools. The second
edition looks at the changing legislation and discusses the impact on educators of Bill 212, Education
Amendment Act (Progressive Discipline and School Safety), 2007, Bill 157, Education Amendment Act
(Keeping our Kids Safe at School), 2009 and more.
Perfectbound • 338 pp. • 2010 • $65 • P/C 0961010002 • ISBN 978-0-88804-508-9
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The Institute for Education Leadership (IEL) is a virtual organization that:
• supports research to identify effective practices;
• develops high-quality resources and learning opportunities for school board and system leaders; and
• fosters greater collaboration and cooperation.
What’s New on IEL Website?
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Characteristics of High Performing School Districts in Ontario
A groundbreaking report by Professor emeritus Ken Leithwood
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Building Leadership Capacity for School Leaders
A French language action research project on applied leadership
Characteristics of
High Performing School
Systems in Ontario
Executive Summary Report
Kenneth Leithwood
Professor Emeritus
OISE/University of Toronto
June, 2011
Research documents are available on the IEL website: www.education-leadership-ontario.ca
What’s New on APPLIKI?
Newly uploaded resources include:
• Mentoring for Newly Appointed Principals and Vice-principals
• Coaching for Professional Learning Resource Manual
• Preparing for Vice-principals Selection Process
Discover the wealth of resource materials and good practice for succession planning and talent
development on APPLIKI: http://appliki.apandrose.com
Ontario Principals’ Council
Additional Qualification Programs
NEW
Principal’s Qualification
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Special Education for
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Experienced Principal’s
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Mentoring
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Education Law
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*Complete PQP and be awarded up to two Masters level credits by CSU **Complete EPDC and be awarded one Masters level credit by CSU.
For more information visit www.principals.ca under Professional Development.
The Ontario Principals’ Council also offers a comprehensive array of professional
learning opportunities, resources and supports for education professionals.
180 Dundas Street West. 25th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1Z8 Tel: 416-322-6600 Fax: 416-322-6618
The Handbook for School Leaders
A Practical Guide for Principals and Vice-principals
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The Handbook for School
Leaders is a comprehensive
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presented in an easy-toread, point form style.
This practical guide has been updated throughout
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experienced or aspiring school leaders.
Content is organized under five sections
• Organization and Management
• Teaching and Learning
• Behaviour and Discipline
• Health and Safety
• Looking After Yourself
PART 1
Organization and Management
PART 2
Teaching and Learning
PART 3
Behaviour and Discipline
PART 4
Health and Safety
PART 5
Looking After Yourself
For more information or to order visit www.principals.ca
For more information on The Ontario Principals’ Council please visit www.principals.ca
180 Dundas Street West. 25th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1Z8 Tel: 416-322-6600 Fax: 416-322-6618
reView
DeLIVeroLoGY 101:
A Field Guide for
educational Leaders
By Michael Barber with Andy Moffit and Paul Kihn
IsBN: 978-1-4129-8950-3
Reviewed by Leanne Beggs
As leaders in education systems, our greatest challenges lie
in organizing the delivery effort of initiatives. In Michael
Barber’s latest book, “deliverology” is defined as a systematic
process for driving progress and delivering results in government and the
public sector.
This field guide was developed for
two intended audiences: system leaders
and delivery leaders. System leaders are
defined as K–12 Chief State School
Officers within the U.S., comparable
to Ontario’s Deputy Minister and
Minister of Education. Delivery leaders
are those appointed by the system leader
to head delivery efforts, including
directors of each school board.
In Deliverology the executive summary
outlines the overall approach for system
leaders, including a five-step plan:
1. Develop a foundation for delivery –
define your aspiration, review current
state of delivery, build the Delivery
Unit, establish a guiding coalition.
2. Understand the delivery challenge
– evaluate past and present performance, understand drivers of perform-
ance and related system activities.
3. Plan for delivery – determine your
reform strategy, set targets and trajectories, produce delivery plans.
4. Drive delivery – establish routines to
drive and monitor performance, solve
problems early and rigorously, sustain
and continually build momentum.
5. Create an irreversible delivery culture
– this means building system capacity
all the time, communicate the delivery message and unleash the “alchemy
of relationships.”
The authors contend that the system
leader’s role is to recruit the most talented delivery leader s/he can find, and
work with him/her to build the Delivery Unit. The system leader also makes
crucial design choices about the Delivery Unit – its location in the system as
a whole and the resources (both human
and financial) that are devoted to it.
This informative guide provides an
array of relevant case examples from
different education systems implementing change, rubrics for assessing
each step and key messages and principles. Overall, Barber, Moffit and Kihn
leave readers understanding that the
culture of delivery can be summarized
in five words: ambition, focus, clarity,
urgency and irreversibility.
The supposition of this guide is that
if your system faithfully implements
each of the components in the delivery
model, it will achieve visible and measurable results in student outcomes. This
delivery model provides a concrete
“how-to” approach for both system and
delivery leaders.
As former Chief Adviser on Delivery
to Britain’s former Prime Minister
Tony Blair, Sir Michael Barber has been
involved in many innovative changes in
the public education system. The ability
to profoundly affect change in large governmental institutions is a feat in and of
itself, and Barber delivers his methodology succinctly, practically and with supportive case examples in this book.
Leanne Beggs
is with the
Lambton-Kent DSB.
The Register 45
Speaking of Literacy
A school’s attempt to deal with a growing concern
It’s hard to imagine not having the skills to be able to read
and write. Then again, we were fortunate to grow up in
households where reading was not only accessible, but
encouraged, on a daily basis. Many of the students we see
in our school, however, are not so lucky,
and a growing number of them are entering our school system without basic literacy skills. Throughout our careers, we
have seen the mounting frustration, the
increased embarrassment and the resignation in these students, and we know our
colleagues around the province have seen
it too – it is occurring everywhere.
At Barrie Central Collegiate, the XLP
Program was created to address this concerning issue. In the spring of 2010, in
consultation with our partner elementary
teachers, incoming grade 9 students with
deficits in literacy skills were identified.
These learners had experienced problems
with attendance, engagement, achievement at the elementary level and were
considered at risk of dropping out. After
being identified, the students were
grouped into our targeted remedial
program designed to prepare them for the
Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test
(OSSLT) and assist them in increasing
46 Winter 2011
their overall academic success.
The grade 9 students were then
grouped into 1L and 1P (9 locallydeveloped and 9 applied) cohorts and
team-taught, offering a seamless
program. In the first semester, they
studied English, with a literacy focus,
then Food and Nutrition, which we
identified as a life skill lacking in many
of our at-risk students.
Attendance, a major precursor to
success, became a top priority in the
program, as it was an identified issue. Any
student absence was followed up by a call
from a teacher to the home right away.
Furthermore, to help keep students alert
and engaged, healthy snacks were made
available in each class on a daily basis,
motivating many students to attend.
In his book, Spark (2008), Dr. John
Ratey, Associate Professor of Psychology
at Harvard University, suggests that the
primary benefit of physical activity is
actually cognitive. In conjunction with
Barrie Central’s school-wide Phoenix
Action for Life Initiative, we jumpstarted the school day with exercise,
teaching the kids an important way to
prepare their brains for learning.
The XLP program was further complemented by our school’s existing
grade 10 Literacy Skill Development
plan, which provides targeted OSSLT
preparation in literacy-focused classes,
along with one-on-one coaching and
practice tests. Last year, there was a 6
per cent increase in the number of students who successfully passed the literacy test. This year, Barrie Central
proudly reported an increase of another
one per cent. We hope to one day
achieve a 100 per cent success rate!
By recognizing the needs of learners
with literacy deficits early in their high
school career, our goal is to more
effectively work with these students to
keep them engaged, on the right track
and ultimately to bridge the gap in their
literacy skills. Nothing will have a more
dramatic impact on our students’ future
prospects than having a solid foundation in literacy.
russell Atkinson is the principal at barrie Central Collegiate. mairi levely is the business Chair and currently
acts as a guidance counsellor within the school. Alicia
eliot teaches history and law at barrie Central, and is
the literacy Coordinator facilitating the implementation
of the school’s literacy improvement plans.
[email protected]
illustration: mike ellis
one Last tHougHt