ACCS

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ACCS PACCSWorking together effectively?
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Induction- What?
It takes a village to raise a child

• Orientation introduction to school practices,
  information, administration, e.g. Class lists,
  keys...
• Mentoring assistance, support, coaching,
  guidance, peer observation
• Training CPPD - Learning
• Review Building Capacities

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Parental Involvement

• Parent as Parent
• To support his/her individual child
• Parent as a member of the Parent Association
  (Committee)
• To support the school and to promote the
  interests of all pupils
• Parent on the Board of Management
• To bring the perspective of parents to the
  management of the school
• Parent as a member of PACCS
• To promote and encourage the participation of
  parents in their schools at National level
• Parent involvement in ACCS
• To express the full partnership of parents in the
  governance of schools

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Why do parents join PA?

• Strong emotional bonds between parent child
• Importance of 2nd level education for child
• Parents wish to support in any way possible
• Joining the PA helps to get to know school
• Helps to get to develop relationships with P DP
  etc.
• May join because of specific issue

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Inside Track

• Parents believe that if they are members of the
  Parents Association that they will get
  preferential treatment for their child!!
• Discuss!

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Common Issues

• Student not placed in Higher Irish or Maths, for
  example
• Student is being bullied in the school
• Personality clash with teacher (or Principal!)
  etc.
• Difficulties being encountered with a particular
  subject
• Might like a different curriculum, subject option
• Cant get into a school programme e.g. TY

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Principals View

• Usually see the issue as more complicated
• Must approach any issue with sensitivity to all
• Have to take a whole-school view
• Needs to treat all students equally and fairly
• Needs to be seen to be doing this!
• Base any decision on objective criteria
• Understand the effect this could have on others
  in the school
• Sees how a teacher might view the parents
  solution
• Sees how other parents might view the solution

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Parents Solution

• Put one more student in the class
• Doesnt see any problem with this!
• Put student into others teachers class
• Doesnt see any problem with this either!
• Move student into higher level class, dont worry
  about ramifications
• Get the bully in and punish them never mind
  their rights!
• Clearly the teacher in wrong in the way they are
  handling my Johnny
• Call in the teacher and tell them so!

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Shared Understanding

• Reaching a shared understanding implies
  engagement
• Parent needs to see outside own individual
  problem
• What if the issue were for someone elses child?
• Engagement with PA is one way for parent to learn
• PA has important role in influencing policy
• PA has therefore important role in influencing
  practice
• PA must decide own role
• Main function Fundraising? or Influencing policy?

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Educational Puzzle

• For Principal To meet the needs of each student
  fairly and effectively within the resources at
  his/her disposal. Working this out in practice
  is complex and difficult.
• For Parent To gain a sufficient understanding of
  this complexity and the associated difficulties
  to support the Principal in running the school.
• When shared understanding is reached the Parent
  can have realistic hope of influencing Principal
  and school practice positively
• This will help the parent to achieve benefit for
  students, including their own!

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Board of Management

• Representation for parents
• Elections
• Nominee not representative
• Parents perspective on discipline, enrolment,
  finance, curriculum etc
• Suspension and expulsion issues
• Staff Relations
• Need for confidentiality

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Role of PACCS

• PACCS brings this to the next level, regional
  national
• PACCS can influence ACCS
• But influence is not linear
• Must understand relationship between ACCS and
  individual schools
• Each school is a stand-alone entity
• ACCS influences but does not have authority over
  school
• Again, shared understanding will come when PACCS
  rep better understands how ACCS works and the
  nature and extent of the influence it has with C
  C schools

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Case Study

• Grace Mooney, member of ACCS Executive over the
  past 3 years.
• How does Grace understand her role?
• How has her role changed with increased
  understanding?
• How does she feel she has influenced ACCS?
• Has policy changed because of her influence?
• Has practice changed because of her influence?
• Is there a place for a PACCS rep on all ACCS
  Executives?
• If so, how can this be achieved?
• Must be based on real understanding of how ACCS
  works

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What is ACCS?

• School Management Association
• 91 Boards of Management
• Community Schools (77)
• Comprehensive Schools (14)
• Full-time secretariat (3.8)
• Company Limited by Guarantee
• Charitable status from Revenue
• Schools pay annual subscription DES assistance

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Aims of ACCS

• Contribute to advancement of education
• Advance develop concept of comprehensive
  curricula (Deed of Trust)
• Advance develop wider community concept
• In promoting these objects making them more
  effective, ACCS shall

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ACCS shall

• Facilitate assist members of BoMs in execution
  of their responsibilities
• Act as representative negotiating body on
  behalf of the member Boards or, on request, of
  individual Boards
• Co-operate with or enter agreements with other
  bodies having similar objectives
• Apply the funds of ACCS in carrying out these
  objectives and in defraying the expenses of
  management administration

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How ACCS operates

• Constitution Memorandum Articles of
  Association
• Annual Convention elections motions
• Elected Executive reflecting BOM membership
• Fulltime Secretariat
• Sub-committee structures
• Task Groups
• Executive policy guides ACCS
• Representative capacity

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ACCS Sub-committees

• Constitution Conference
• School Accommodation
• Industrial Relations
• Education
• In-school Management
• Finance
• Task Groups

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Communications

• Newsletter
• ACCS/Info. Bulletins
• Tagairt
• Website www.accs.ie
• Annual Convention
• Regional meetings
• Special Convention/Seminars
• ACCS CPD Programme
• Telephone Written communication

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ACCS communications

• Facilitate assist members of BoMs in execution
  of their responsibilities
• Act as representative negotiating body on
  behalf of the member Boards or, on request, of
  individual Boards
• Co-operate with or enter agreements with other
  bodies having similar objectives
• Apply the funds of ACCS in carrying out these
  objectives and in defraying the expenses of
  management administration

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PPEF Response

• Education seriously underfunded in Ireland
• Ireland 27th in OECD table of GDP invested in
  education
• PPEF set up to lobby for greater investment in
  education
• Budget cuts set us back even further
• Need to be organised to achieve sufficient
  funding

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PPEF Organisation

• Set up country/area committees
• Good practice to involve partners
• Need to co-ordinate efforts
• Difficult to gain ground in present climate
• Need to continue to lobby at local and national
  level

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Issues arising for PPEF County/Area Committees.

• What to do now in present circumstances?
• What can be done at local level?
• What can the National Committee do for the local
  effort?
• What supports are required?
• What are the good ideas that we can put into
  practice?

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Wish I was there!