Rural and Remote Education Leadership

Development

A Pipeline Framework

“Succession planning and leadership ought to be two sides of the same coin.

So, why do many organizations manage them as if they had nothing to do with each other?”

T

cep.org.au

Email: admin@cep.org.au

Phone: 0428171145

Postal Address: PO Box 1255, WANGARATTA. 3676

INTRODUCTION

The establishment of this “Rural and Remote Education Leadership – A Pipeline Approach” initiative has resulted from a number of years of

exploration by the Country Education Partnership to develop a specific program that links the building of quality education leaders, with an

ongoing, and sustainable, approach to education leadership succession across rural and remote communities – something that has been

identified as a real challenge in rural and remote education communities across the country.

This initiative has been developed on the basis of:

the experiences CEP has had in relation to the provision of education leadership programs in a number of rural and remote

education settings, and across a number of Australian states including Victoria, South Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland

and New South Wales;

research highlighting the key areas identified as critical in the development and sustaining of quality rural and remote education

leaders;

the total lack of education leadership programs currently available through education leadership organisations that are specifically

developed for rural and remote education leaders and

learnings from other education jurisdictions who have developed an “Education Pipeline Leadership” approach. For example The Wallace Foundation within the US.

Country Education Partnership sees the Pipeline Leadership initiative as a key strategy to the ongoing recruitment and retention of high

quality education leaders at an individual education setting, cluster and systemic (eg region or diocese) level.

Defined by Dimworth in 2011, the Pipeline Leadership approach:

“strengthens the leadership function of an organisation (or system) by cultivating emerging talent while enhancing organisational capability.”

CEP believes this initiative has the potential to provide an education system (based on regions or diocese) and their individual education

settings with a sustainable supply of quality education leaders (at all levels) to meet the ongoing challenges faced by rural and remote

education communities in providing quality learning.

Specifically, the “Rural and Remote Education Leadership – A Pipeline Approach” initiative would work with education systems at a diocese,

or regional level, involving incumbent principals, aspiring education leaders, teaching and learning leaders, outstanding classroom educators

and regional/diocese support personnel in a high quality education leadership pipeline program that has a clear focus on enhancing and

improving the teaching and learning that occurs within rural and remote education settings.

It will be facilitated by a team of high quality professional learning facilitators who have extensive experience in the development and

provision of education leadership programs; involvement at an education system level; and had personal experience in the provision of

education within rural and remote communities.

It is proposed the initiative will operate over two years and encompass:

Year 1: participants involved in a range of face to face forums and workshops; individual and peer coaching; “thought workshops”

facilitated by internationally recognized education leaders; online forums and discussions; and participate within a

collaborative team to develop an action research project focused on improving teaching and learning within their education

contexts.

Year 2: participants will be involved in the implementation of their collaborative action research project in partnership with “system

support personnel” from regions/diocese; ongoing coaching support; and online forums and discussions.

The “Rural and Remote Education Leadership – A Pipeline Approach” initiative also aims to forge a partnership with Teacher Education

Universities who offer post graduate programs, thus allowing participants to gain credits for the learnings undertaken within the program.

This program aims to ensure that assessment task reflect the requirements of the Teacher Education University course requirements.

PROGRAM FORMAT

The “Rural and Remote Education Leadership – A Pipeline

Approach” initiative will be offered over two years and centre on a

number of Key Learning areas including :

Shaping a vision of academic success for all students, one

based on high standards and expectations;

Creating a climate hospitable to high quality learning;

Cultivating leadership in others;

Improving teaching and learning to enable teachers to provide

learning to their best and students to learn to their utmost;

Managing people, data, and processes to foster a culture of

improvement.

Education Leadership within a Rural and Remote community.

The program will involve a number of elements with the specific elements being developed for each program in consultation with education sectors and participating education leaders:

Year 1:

Phase 1 – self reflection, professional reading prior to program begins;

Phase 2 – Face to Face Forum (an option for two or three days) - exploring a range of areas relating to the Key Learning areas through discussions, presentations, workshops, establishment of collaborative teams in developing action research projects;

Phase 3 – Coaching for sustainability provided to each participant by project facilitators;

Phase 4 – Online Forums linking participants in ongoing discussions and facilitated discussions with the facilitators, and an opportunity for collaborative groups to develop their areas of focus - action research projects;

Phase 5 – Two options:

Face to Face forums continuing the focus on the Key Learning Areas begun in Phase 1, OR

Immersion two days visiting education settings who have developed approaches that have enhanced teaching and learning.

Phase 6 – Involvement of international Education Leaders through forums and specific workshops (an optional addition)

Phase 7 – Reflection and Celebration—a one day forum to reflect on learnings and share individual development.

Year 2

Phase 8 – Implementation of Education Leadership Teams Action Research Project—with the involvement and support of education sector personnel. The project facilitators will support the education sector personnel through coaching and mentoring.

Phase 9 – Final Celebration where collaboration teams share their action research team project, outline the learnings gained, and share their own education leadership growth and development.

PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

The “Rural and Remote Education Leadership – A Pipeline Approach”

initiative has been developed to provide an approach to build the

capacity of education leaders within rural and remote education

communities as well as an opportunity for rural and remote education

communities and education sectors (eg regions/diocese) in developing

an ongoing sustainable recruitment and retention approach for rural

and remote education leaders into the future.

To this end, the following people would be seen as key participants within the program:

School Based Education Leaders:

Principals

Assistant Principals

Aspiring Principals

Teaching and Learning Leaders

Region/Diocese Based Staff:

Education consultants

Leadership support staff.

AIM

To establish a “Rural and Remote Education Leadership – A Pipeline

Approach” providing a sustainable framework for the development and

provision of education leaders across rural and remote communities

OBJECTIVES

Develop and provide a specific “Pipeline Education Leadership”

program that links succession planning and education leadership

capacity building for rural and remote communities;

Support education sectors (including diocese and regions) in

supporting the development and provision of a sustainable system

education leadership approach for rural and remote communities;

Build the capacity of rural and remote education leaders

(whether that be principals, aspiring principals, teaching and

learning leaders, or classroom educators) through the provision

of a holistic leadership program;

KEY PROGRAM FACILITATORS

Wendy Graham:

Wendy has a great reputation across the country for her work in

developing and facilitating education leadership programs. She has

been a key facilitator within programs that have been offered

through QELi and Bastow Leadership Institutes and has facilitated

such programs in numerous states, especially within the catholic

education sector.

She is also recognised as a great education leadership coach.

She is the current chair of Scare cour and has a background in

school settings spanning 35 years. She has held Principal Class

position in the primary, secondary and P-12 sectors of

education.

John Marks

John has provided strong project facilitation and leadership

roles within a number of Education Leadership programs with

such organisations as QELi and Bastow. He is recognised as a

greater facilitator, especially within education leadership

programs, with a special focus on catholic education sectors.

John was a teacher and leader in secondary schools for twelve

years before being invited to join a corporate human resources

firm as a Senior Consultant.

He is involved in his own children's catholic schools and is a board member of a highly regarded catholic college in Melbourne.

Ann Sexton

Ann is highly regarded consultant and facilitator of professional

development and education leadership programs.

She has been involved in the delivery of a number of education

leadership programs as part of the QELi and also in other states

of Australia.

She has also provided quality consultancy services to a range of

education sectors, especially within the catholic sector.

Kevin Philips

Kevin has worked in education for over 40 years. In that time he

has been teacher, consultant, principal and regional officer.

He has had involvement in a range of professional development

programs and education leadership initiatives—providing his

expertise in strategic thinking and leadership development.

Phil Brown

Phil is the current Executive Officer of the Country Education

Partnership, and supports rural and remote learning communities

across many states within Australia. He has been involved in the

development, facilitation and delivery of a range of education

leadership programs and professional learning initiatives across all

education sectors, and in many states.

.

POSSIBLE KEY EDUCATION SPECIALISTS

Maggie Farrar:

Maggie has extensive experience of strategic leadership, leadership

development, and the leadership of change in schools and

localities across many countries and education systems. For ten

years she was a senior leader at the National College for School

leadership.

Sir John Jones

There is a small and select band of educational professionals who have not only had their achievements recognized in the New

Year’s Honors List, but who are also able to inspire others with

their outstanding knowledge, passion and enthusiasm – Sir John

Jones is one.

His achievements and reputation for leadership and creativity has

led him to be invited onto various organizations, panels and think

tanks including the National College for School Leadership, the

DfES’ Leadership Development Unit, the Teacher Development

Agency’s National Remodelling Unit and visiting posts with both

Manchester and Liverpool Universities.

Steve Munby

A renowned and respected educationalist, Steve was appointed

CEO at Education Development Trust in November 2012.

Awarded Commander of the British Empire for services to

leadership in schools and children's services,

Steve is passionate about unleashing the greatness of school lead-

ers and strongly believes in sector-led reform. With on-the-

ground experience in teaching as well as in working at local and

national government level,

Prior to his involvement with Education Development Trust, Ste-

ve was the CEO of the National School Institute of Leadership

within the UK developing and facilitating a number of education

leadership initiatives.