How To Write An Annual Report For The Australian Secondary Principals Association

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1 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SECONDARY PRINCIPALS ASSOCIATION AFFILIATED WITH AUSTRALIAN SECONDARY PRINCIPALS ASSOCIATION ABN SASPA ANNUAL REPORT 2007 At the end of the previous year of activity by SASPA the members of the association were reminded of our significant responsibility in the work we do in leading the education of the state s young people. Our charter is to see these students complete their schooling as healthy, optimistic, educated young people who have succeeded in their own unique way and are ready to be fully engaged in a personally fulfilling and productive life as fellow citizens and leaders of the future. We are undertaking our professional work in a rapidly changing social, cultural, economic and political world. Our role is to continually shape the nature of educational provisions to ensure that they serve young people well and provide a secondary education that is noted for its competitive excellence. To that end, SASPA has examined and re-shaped its own structure and organisation and developed clear focus areas on which we have worked during the year. This will be refined during SASPA s organisational reform In 2006 SASPA commissioned Louise Bywaters to review its operational structures and processes. Throughout 2007 the association has moved to implement a number of the recommendations. Some will be firmly established through changes to the constitution at this AGM. Vice President Jan Paterson has particularly attended to this activity leading to changes in how we run our internal meetings and how to improve communication and participation within our committees and across our membership. This is still work in progress but we have trialled new meeting structures and are attempting to make ourselves More streamlined More focused ie proactive not reactive More open and involving more of our members Next year will see this work continue as we begin the year by establishing a set of protocols and procedures with the new Board. SASPA is the locus of professional advocacy for senior educational leaders in public secondary education in South Australia and as such, works continuously at shaping that role and building the capacity of educational leadership to support continuous innovation and improvement of public secondary education in South Australia. Our new structure saw the establishment of four Strategic Directions Working Parties SASPA ANNUAL REPORT 2007 Page 1 of 5

2 Curriculum, Students and Pedagogy Leadership Development and Support Advocacy for Secondary Education Resourcing and our advocacy displayed itself in a number of areas and activities in 2007, including: Curriculum SASPA s work in its leadership of secondary education curriculum development has focused on: SACSA Future SACE - SASPA response to the 5 future SACE discussion papers VET funding and trade schools Senior secondary developments Future SACE SASPA has been represented on a number of committees and forums to do with the Future SACE. In so doing we have been working to influence DECS, the Future SACE office and the Minister in opening up the discussions and getting school based opinion involved at the point of deliberation rather than when it is too late. SASPA initiated the Future SACE day for leaders at the end of term3. This was probably the moment when DECS and the Future SACE Office realised how frustrated leaders were feeling and the communication channels began to open up after this. Instrumental Music Vice President Graeme Webster hosted a SASPA sponsored meeting to discuss DECS intentions to conduct trials to explore innovative ways of delivering instrumental music lessons to students. A DECS option is for schools to consider teaching instruments in classes of between 15 and 25 students. This methodology absolutely contradicts the advice received from Professor David Lockett (Head of Elder Conservatorium) and Jenny Rosevear (Head of Bachelor of Music Education, University of Adelaide) at the August meeting. Professional Learning The annual SASPA conference was again very successful thanks to the efforts of members on the professional services committee under the leadership of Jenny Sommer. The Future SACE seminar, mentioned elsewhere in this report, was also well attended and an important service to SASPA members, and SASPA joined with SAPPA to co-host the Seminar given by Barry McGaw. Planning and preparation for the 2008 conference is well underway and preliminary discussions commenced regarding the 2009 Australian Secondary Principals Association (ASPA) conference which will be hosted in Adelaide by SASPA. SASPA ANNUAL REPORT 2007 Page 2 of 5

3 Resourcing In 2005 and 2006 the Secondary Resourcing Group developed papers arguing that secondary education was significantly under-resourced for the twenty-first century challenges eg vocational learning in partnership with non-decs organisations, ICT rich senior courses, students being older and remaining at school longer, preparation for future SACE. The papers recommended the development of a per capita model to facilitate flexibility for secondary learning, the reconceptualising of local school governance and management, and addressing a range of resourcing issues that were currently distracting secondary principals from their role as educational leaders. The Minister and CEO approved the recommendations. As a result SASPA understood that, in 2007, DECS would work towards developing a new model of per capita funding, a new model for local management, and that the issues of concern to secondary principals related to financial management, facilities, utilities, and HR would be addressed. Unfortunately twelve months have passed and only the per capita funding model has been progressed. The Triple E Group (Education, Efficiency, and Effectiveness) had the capacity to address these issues, but its agenda has meant that it is not possible to directly address these issues. Much frustration for SASPA members has occurred as a result. To progress the per capita model the key task has been to work with Peter Popp and his team from State Office to provide advice to assist the model s development. DECS has funded Doug Moyle s release from his school on a regular basis to progress this work and to provide direct communication between SASPA and DECS. Advice from the group has also been provided about workload protection for teachers given that the per capita model makes obsolete the Staffing Allocation Document (SAD). Updates have been provided to the Minister, Chris Robinson, Gino DeGennaro, Jan Andrews and a range of senior DECS personnel. Negotiations have been undertaken with Phil O Loughlin and Barry Thompson from DECS and with the AEU in relation to the Enterprise Bargaining proposals and the essential role of the per capita funding model. It is imperative that the per capita model is introduced, that a new model for local management is developed, and that DECS addresses the HR and resourcing operational issues currently impeding secondary principals ability to focus on educational leadership. With the leadership of the SASPA Board, Susan Hyde coordinated the campaign to protest about the threatened cuts to school budgets. The campaign involved: Communicating with the membership through the talk list Providing advice and draft documents for the use of the members at their school Surveying the extent of action in schools Engaging John Gregory to provide advice, prepare information and help contact and lobby people who had political influence SASPA ANNUAL REPORT 2007 Page 3 of 5

4 SASPA was successful in achieving a number of outcomes, including minimising the cuts to school budgets and we certainly demonstrated that we could mobilise our members to take action. Work Cover levy The proposal to implement a levy on schools to recover work cover costs was scrapped by the Premier. BELS DECS sought to have the funding of first aid training paid for at the school level. SASPA collaborated with the other associations and the AEU to present to DECS the view that it was appropriate that teachers had first aid training and that the employer should provide and fund this training in work time. This outcome was achieved. Enterprise Bargaining SASPA s HR Group have provided advice on a range of staffing issues and have developed the four key issues that are essential EB items for SASPA. These are: the per capita model; a range of leadership support strategies; support for schools for ICT management (to restore the SSO hours lost to ICT); and recognition for the significant student wellbeing and personalised learning workload of secondary teachers that is currently managed in their non-instruction time. On-line recruitment Vice President Graeme Webster represented SASPA at a demonstration of on-line recruitment software that will be introduced for transfer and placement of new teachers from March This approach appears to empower schools and teachers, and it is likely to lead to greater engagement of people in their placement. Local Selection We have not been able to influence the ongoing development of local selection or to get a response from DECS senior management on the significant equity issues that will arise if the ten year tenure for teachers in secondary schools with an index of disadvantage 4 7 is abandoned. Futures - Learning in the digital age SASPA was represented by Susan Cameron and Susan Hyde at the Learning Futures Symposium at ANU in September. A Learning Futures paper was distributed to the membership through the talk list. There has also been a call for interested members to form a group to plan further professional learning for leaders and to investigate the resource issues needed to implement digital learning in schools. Federations of schools SASPA has been involved in consultations about DECS plans to introduce federations of secondary schools to deliver senior secondary options for students across schools. SASPA ANNUAL REPORT 2007 Page 4 of 5

5 Media SASPA s views about a number of educational issues have been sought and reported on by the media. Most often, the reporting has placed SASPA in a reactive mode. In an attempt to position the association as the pre-eminent professional body providing leadership on secondary education in SA, SASPA has utilised the services of media/ public relations group, Corporate Conversation to provide professional support. There have been some early successes, and with a broader base of input from members it is anticipated that the quality work of public secondary schools will receive more positive attention and exposure in Acknowledgements SASPA has been well served in 2007 by an exceptionally hard working and highly professional leadership team. Through this annual report the contributions of the leaders of SASPA are acknowledged. President Vice President Vice President (AP/DP) Treasurer/Secretary Leadership Development & Support Curriculum, Students & Pedagogy Resourcing Advocacy for Secondary Education Area Representatives Southern Northern Country Executive Officer Jim Davies Jan Paterson Graeme Webster Marion Coady Jenny Sommer Sandy Richardson Di Garwood Jeane Schocroft Wendy Johnson Phil Cashen Marion Coady (proxy) Susan Hyde Susan Cameron Phil Goldman (DP) Kim Hebenstreit (P) Susan Hyde (P) Meridith Walker (DP) Nanette Van Ruiten (DP) Peter Ellemor (P) Peta Kourbelis (DP) Garry Costello (P) Amanda O'Shea (P) Steve Walker (AP) Paul Wilton (P) Helen Rothenberg Jim Davies President, SASPA 17 December 2007 SASPA ANNUAL REPORT 2007 Page 5 of 5