APAPDC School Leadership Frame

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APAPDCSchool Leadership Frame

• An Aboriginal Focus
• Remote School scenarios

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The Five Leadership Propositions

• Leadership starts from within
• Leadership is about influencing others
• Leadership develops a rich learning environment
• Leadership builds professionalism and management
  capability
• Leadership inspires leadership actions and
  aspirations in others

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Proposition 1

• Leadership starts from within
• Leaders committed to Aboriginal perspectives
• Value and acknowledge Aboriginal culture
• Have a strong commitment to improving outcomes
  for Aboriginal students
• Continue to explore their own feelings about
  racism, social justice and equity

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Proposition 2

• Leadership is about influencing others
• Leaders committed to Aboriginal perspectives
• Listen to and act on Aboriginal community input
• Build quality relationships within the school
  community
• Ensure that Aboriginal education is the
  responsibility of all school staff

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Proposition 3

• Leadership develops a rich learning environment
• Leaders committed to Aboriginal perspectives
• Actively promote contact between Aboriginal and
  non-Aboriginal staff and students
• Employ Aboriginal staff in a range of
  responsibilities across the school
• Encourage the development of a whole school
  curriculum that includes Aboriginal perspectives

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Proposition 4

• Leadership builds professionalism and management
  capability
• Leaders committed to Aboriginal perspectives
• Are vigilant in keeping up with current
  Aboriginal education trends, issues and plans
• Encourage all staff to set performance goals and
  targets for personal growth
• Ensure the schools management is underpinned by
  values of social justice, equity and quality
  relationships

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Proposition 5

• Leadership inspires leadership actions and
  aspirations in others
• Leaders committed to Aboriginal perspectives
• Invite Aboriginal community role models into the
  school to motivate and challenge
• Value and celebrate all staff achievement in the
  area of Aboriginal Education
• Provide opportunities for all staff to increase
  their knowledge

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Workshop Discussion Starters

• The following scenarios are based on elements of
  the five leadership propositions of the APAPDC L5
  Frame.
• They make a good starting point for discussion of
  the issues involved.

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Remote Scenario 1

• Relates to Proposition 4 Leadership builds
  professionalism and management capability
• You have been appointed Principal of a
  one-teacher school, 400km from the nearest
  regional centre.
• The week before you are due to take up your
  position at the school heavy rain begins. All
  roads to the school are blocked. The last time it
  rained no one got into the community for a month.
• What are the implications for students and
  community?
• How would you handle the situation?
• Who do you need to contact?

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Remote Scenario 2

• Relates to Propositions 1,2 and 4
• The school troopie is not required over the
  weekend. A staff member asks to borrow it to go
  to town for some much-needed R R. This request
  is strictly against your sectors guidelines.
• What is your response?
• What are the implications of your response to the
  teacher, their colleagues, the community and your
  status?
• The next week an Elder of the local Aboriginal
  community asks to borrow the troopie because
  his family wants to attend a funeral in the next
  community and his vehicle has broken down.
• What is your response this time?
• What are the implications of your response to the
  Elder, your school colleagues, the community and
  your status?

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Remote Scenario 3

• Relates to propositions 1,2,3,4 and 5
• Your two-teacher remote school is functioning
  reasonably well. The senior primary class you
  teach has good attendance, improving learning
  outcomes and some strong parent involvement.
• However, the other teachers class is poorly
  attended, has many issues with unengaged students
  and no parental involvement. The community has
  become vocal in their displeasure with the
  teacher.
• How would you respond to community concerns?
• As a teaching Principal in a two teacher school,
  how do you broach this with your colleague? How
  do you implement an improvement program?
• What are the implications of this?
• How do you convince the community that things
  will improve?

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Remote Scenario 4

• Relates to Propositions 1 and 2
• You are a female teacher with five years teaching
  experience in Alice Springs.
• You have won the position as Principal of a three
  teacher remote school with a large Aboriginal
  population. The previous Principals have all been
  male and the school has a proud AFL history.
• During the first week at a community meeting a
  motion is passed that the school needs a male
  Principal.
• How do you respond?
• Does this response change if the community
  threatens to (or does) stop students attending?
• Who would you seek out as a support person
  through this issue?

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Remote Scenario 5

• Relates to Propositions 1,3 and 4
• You have begun your principalship in a remote
  Aboriginal community school.
• You are full of ideas for strategic plans,
  quality teaching initiatives and experiential
  learning. However you soon discover that
  discipline is non-existent, students are violent
  towards each other, harass staff and are damaging
  school equipment.
• How are you going to address these issues?
• What happens to your plans for the school?
• Who do you consult with?

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Remote Scenario 6

• Relates to Propositions 1,2,4 and 5
• It is time for state/territory-based benchmark
  testing but a teacher and your two IEWs come to
  you and say that the testing materials are
  inappropriate.
• They point out a comprehension question that
  mentions snow, and a numeracy exercise set in a
  shopping mall. Staff are angry and dont want the
  test administered. They want you to make a
  stand.
• What are your feelings on the issue?
• How do you respond to your staff?
• What actions do you take to support children
  if/when the test is taken and the results
  returned?

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Remote Scenario 7

• Relates to Propositions 1 and 4
• You are the principal of a two teacher remote
  school with a large Aboriginal population. During
  the footy season, almost all of the children from
  your school travel to another community for a
  two-week period.
• How do you deal with this as a Principal?
• How do you cater for the childrens educational
  continuity ?
• At a different stage of the season most kids from
  a neighboring community are in your community for
  a fortnight, and your school population doubles.
• How do you deal with this?

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Remote Scenario 8

• Relates to proposition 2,4 and 5
• The other teaching staff member at your remote
  school is 7 years older then you. She has
  leadership aspirations and some potential
  ability.
• She constantly applies for PD activities across
  the whole spectrum of leadership, curriculum and
  pedagogy. You feel that this is largely because
  she wants to be out of the school and in town.
• When you point out that she is needed in the
  classroom as much as possible she accuses you of
  blocking her way.
• How do you respond to this situation?
• How do you provide a professional development
  pathway for the teacher?
• How do you maintain the working relationship with
  your colleague in this potentially hostile
  environment?

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Remote Scenario 9

• Relates to propositions 1 and 4
• A male student asks to sleep on the front
  verandah of a male teachers house. He doesnt
  ask to come in, but says he needs to be there for
  safety. The teacher asks your advice.
• What are the possible student circumstances that
  have created this issue?
• What do you say to the teacher?
• How do you deal with the student issues?
• What community issues could arise from your
  decisions?

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Remote Scenario 10

• Relates to propositions 1,2,4 and 5.
• After six months hard work, members of the local
  community are starting to support your school
  through ensuring childrens attendance and
  helping with school projects.
• During one school day there is a break-in at a
  teachers house and a small sum of money is
  stolen. There are no local police or local based
  welfare agencies.
• Knowing that it could injure your good developing
  relationship, do you raise the issue with the
  community?
• How would you do this?
• How do you deal with staff feelings of violation
  and loss?

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Remote Scenario 11

• Related to propositions 1 and 4
• You are the Principal of a remote school. During
  a parent interview a tense situation develops.
  The parent, who appears to be extremely agitated
  and possibly under the influence of alcohol
  and/or other drugs, makes a physical threat
  against you.
• How do you de-escalate the situation?
• If available do you call the Police?
• If Police are not available how do you act?
• What supports are available to you?

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Remote Scenario 12

• Relates to proposition 1,4 and 5.
• At your remote school you have been using a heavy
  hammer to put in temporary posts for a sports
  event. One teenage student grabs the hammer and
  assaults a fellow student. You can successfully
  exclude the aggressor from your school, but he
  continues to live in the same community with
  ready access to the school grounds.
• What sort of plan do you put in place to ensure
  the safety of students, staff and yourself?
• What are the implications for the community over
  your actions?
• What support agencies could be involved in this
  issue?