PRUNE THE BRANCHES & AXE THE "DEAD WOOD"

The failed leadership embedded in the "bloated bureaucracies" that dictate how our Queensland Education system functions, must bear a high degree of responsibility and indeed a sizable proportion of the blame for the declining student performance standards being registered within our schooling sectors today.

All was going so "swimmingly well" with our Queensland Schools riding on the crest of an internationally recognized super wave up until the early 1990's. It was then, "the rot" set in - triggered by the launch of "Education 2000" and the misguided re-structuring debacle that followed.

The proponents of this "disastrous shemozzle" ruthlessly "cleared the decks" and in the process, "the baby was thrown out with the bathwater!" Despite some "casual tinkering around the edges" since then, "the lost ground" has failed, in any real sense, to be recovered.

Unfortunately, the way things appear to be going, further decline would seem inevitable. The "horse has bolted and many would concede that it is now too late to shut the gate!" As we wallow in a "sea of uncertainty," sadly, our world rankings and our respect as being a "Model of Educational Excellence "will continue to tumble!

Is there a pathway to "righting the wrongs" and a return to an "age of glory"?

I believe so! We must look to "BETTER LEADERSHIP" for the answers! Here-in rests "the key" to unlock a better future.

Consider the roles played by District and Regional Directors and their Associates. They undoubtedly hold the potential to exert a powerful influence upon our schools provided it is acknowledged that they, the incumbents, must possess the skills, experience, understandings and inter-personal attributes so necessary in fostering and facilitating a transformational change agenda.

Unfortunately, current recruitment and selection processes, in many instances, have failed to deliver "the right personnel" in "the right places"- those bearing the leadership qualities which will enable them to make a real difference. Despite the "veil of equity and merit", these processes remain tainted and discoloured by the whims, fancies and egos of politically- aligned powerbrokers who tend to appoint, anoint, and reward under the "Mantle of Mateship."

This has resulted in the growth of "mediocrity" which is rampant and so blatantly evident and widespread throughout leadership ranks within the organisation. Consequently, our schools are being starved of the kind of personal support they so richly deserve.

The cynicism and disillusionment this conjures up within the field pose formidable and often insurmountable barriers that act to effectively stall school improvement processes. It should always be remembered that "influence" is directly proportional to the "receptiveness" of the person/s to whom it is directed! School Principals are simply not receptive to the views espoused by those who, in their eyes, hold no credibility as educational leaders!

Credibility can only be earned- never can it simply be bestowed through "positional status." To make a difference, our Educational Leaders must firstly establish their own credibility within the total school, district, or regional communities they administer. It is here, on the ground, where they must apply their experiential knowledge and referent skills and demonstrate and model the behaviours conducive to the establishment of strong collegial bonds and the creation of empowering environments marked by shared leadership.

The extent to which an Educational Leader can influence a school, is, to a very large degree, governed by the calibre of the individual who holds that office. What then are the essential qualities that need to characterise a potentially influential Educational Leader?

• Holds a vision, is committed to it, is driven by it and displays the ability to communicate it to others.
• Exudes a passion for education and models a level of commitment and dedication that far transcends the normal levels of accountability.
• Is team-oriented, collaborative, consultative and empowering.
• Is committed to "service above self" and displays a preparedness to stand by his/her well-founded principles.
• Understands the constraints under which people work, values them, respects their individuality and acknowledges and rewards effort.
• Shares and fosters sharing between and among others.
• Builds trust and attracts loyalty.
• Identifies and acts upon opportunities and leads others to engage in problem-solving processes.
• Listens and communicates through regular interface.
• Demonstrates the inter-personal skills, charisma and civility to build strong relationships with students, teachers, administrators, parents and members of the total school, district or regional community.
• Is respected as a coach, mentor, critical friend, and confidant.
• Actively promotes and markets our schools and State Education more generally.
• Applies and models the skills of a strategic leader and in the process encourages reflection, risk-taking and lateral "outside the box" thinking.
• Knows what constitutes an "Effective School" and actively assists in identifying "areas of concern "and in the planning and execution of appropriate responses.
• Wins recognition as a "collegial partner" with a "developmental focus" rather than an "external assessor & powerbroker" reliant upon "positional status".
• Is able to readily navigate a balance between his/her accountability and developmental functions without detrimentally affecting either.
• Demonstrates an unrelenting commitment towards kids and to the improvement of student learning outcomes.
• Pulls out "all stops" in the search for measures to "raise the bar" in the interests of catering more effectively for the individual needs of students
• Realises that "school renewal" is not the sole province of a partnership between himself/herself and school-based staff but also needs to be enriched by the inter-play of a community of key change agents who assume shared leadership status as well.

Given the importance of all these factors, the following messages need to be heeded:

1. Recruitment and Selection processes need to be re-visited and re-vamped to ensure that "genuine merit" becomes the ONLY defining factor in the determination of an appointment.
2. Greater weight must be given to an applicant's experiential background and his/her achievements to date in those related fields. Testimony of what has, in the past, been accomplished is too often over-looked in the process.
3. In the search for quality Education Leaders, I believe there should be a mandated requirement for the applicant to have had prior experience working in a school or some other specialised educational environment.
4. The system must recognise the merits of the Educational Leaders who are already excelling in what they do and reward them accordingly. These are the Leaders who need to be sourced as "role models" who could regularly and profitably become engaged in "work-shadowing and exchange" programs.
5. "It's time to prune the branches and axe the dead wood!"