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ASEPA Research – Parents Perspectives
ASEPA have been working with the Australian Catholic University on a project titled “Parent Satisfaction in Special Schools in Australia”. It is envisaged in the coming months Principals will be asked to disseminate information to families asking them to be part of a survey. This survey will capture a nations voice of a specific group of parents. A survey like this has not been attempted before and will give our parents a real voice to advocate for their child about special education schooling.
Coronavirus – Update
This is an evolving situation.
There are 4 main points we need be aware of and communicate early and often about;
- The Department of Education is implementing the clinical advice from Department of Health
- The Department of Education is implementing the advice of DFAT/Border Force
- Individual Department of Education employees are not to determine their own position
- Use words directly from the updates as these are determined and endorsed by the Department of Health
There is a dedicated Corona Support Team. This is made up of Alison Ramm, Steve Walters and 3 other Principals. You can email or phone them at any time to ask questions, and request support. Updates will be sent every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It is asked that you lodge any potential cases through OINS. Information will also be coming out about cleaning practices at school. At present there is no requirement to change cleaning practices, but just to ensure good hygiene practices as determined by the Department of Health.
The Department’s position on Long Service Leave is that the rules remain unchanged. You are still required to use you leave in alignment with the current legislative rules.
The team are currently talking about other measures that may be taken in the future and want to be as prepared as possible. There was discussion around what this may mean for conferences, big gatherings etc.
Make sure that you are prepared as you can be in your local context – e.g. have you got enough toilet paper, soap, alcohol based sanitiser?
We were reminded that it is not up to the school to make the determination about whether staff/students/community are to be at school or not – it is up to us to follow the Department of Health’s advice.
WEBSIS Update
Information will be coming out to schools next week. WEBSIS will not be rolled out to schools this year. They are looking at “middleware” in the meantime as there are a number of schools who require a solution to their ongoing SIS issues now. This “middleware” are third party programs like COMPASS and SEQTA . These programs will not replace Billing or Finance.
There is obviously a procurement process to go through that the Department is trying to escalate.
Schooling Improvement Architecture Public School Review (PSR) – Review
I have attached the power point presented by Jim Bell today. Melesha Sands is also working on this. Please send me any feedback or questions to me and I can ask them at the next meeting.
Want to give the right support to the schools. This means not all schools will be reviewed every three years. Some may be reviewed every year, some every three, some every five.
Feedback from schools around the school review process is that we are unsure what "good" actually looks like (standards are not clear).
The Director General has commissioned work so reviewers go through a moderation process so they are consistent over time, over reviewers, over contexts.
There is discussion about changing nomenclature to “every school is great; every school is on a trajectory”. This is in response to the media story last year around the language “failing schools”.
North Metro Principal's Briefing
Lisa Rogers spoke at our North Metropolitan principal briefing yesterday. Here are some of the key points I took away;
DG Opening comments
Throughout 2019 Lisa travelled throughout the state, saw many schools, and took time listening to our feedback. She has determined from what she has seen, and what is happening in schools, that things are working well and that it doesn't need fixing, and that diversity is the biggest challenge facing us in Western Australia.
We need to return (and remember) our focus is teaching and learning.
Workforce
There will be a third Deputy Director General Appointed - Teaching and Learning. There will be a Chief Policy Director appointed. There will also be a new Coordinator of Disability and Inclusion appointed.
Focus 2020
Focus of "Life Long Learning".
Education is the fundamental plank for economic prosperity.
Focus on work capabilities.
Focus on academic capabilities.
Focus on making students making individual progress each year.
Drivers for these focuses are;
- Ensuring our strategies are data driven
- Connectedness
- Quality Teaching
- Leadership
- Relationships
Measures for our drivers are;
- Student based evidence
- Health and Wellbeing
- Aboriginal students thriving as Aboriginal people
- Retaining our Aboriginal students in schools
Focus in on Numbers, names, needs. This was a repeated statement throughout her presentation.
Ensure that we are not just looking at overall data but individuals too - break down of cohorts, year groups etc.
We want to see the growth and progress of all individuals in our schools.
Connected Autonomy
Lisa highlighted that our networks are important:
- We can share our expertise within networks
- Networks need to be impactful
- Networks should focus on numbers, names, needs
- Networks can support us to understand the achievement challenges in our context, articulate that.
School Accountability Framework - DPA - Being reviewed
DPA is to be more individualised for each school. What is the specific challenge at your school? Articulate your challenges at your school. How do you measure progress that your school is actually making?
Other Points
- Focal point is on quality teaching and effective leadership.
- Teachers workload - the more we can remove the better.
- Want to identify why some teachers are not effective in their current school, but move schools and suddenly become far more effective, is it about leadership and the conditions.
Conditions for learning are largely set by leadership
The REDs role is to support the leaders to set the conditions
Leadership Centre is there to support schools - and do not necessarily have the answers
A reminder of every student, every classroom, every day.
Big Day Out, AGM, Life Membership
Please lock Friday 3rd April into your calendar for our first big day out. A formal agenda will come out tomorrow. Until then the following is an outline of what will be happening on the day;
- The United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child and Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities – Presented by Stuart Percival
- Understanding the UN Human Rights monitoring and reporting system (including the role of committees and General Comments)
- Four guiding principles of the Convention of the Rights of the Child
- Recent Concluding Observations – Recommendations for Australia (with an emphasis on disability)
2. NDIS – Third Party Providers a consultation session – Presented by Kia Skonis
- Kia will lead a consultation session and ask for feedback about the impact of the NDIS on schools with specific reference to third party providers (therapists).
3. Disability Royal Commission – Focus, Departmental and school engagement, interim findings. – Presented by Stuart Percival.
4. Positive Behaviour Strategies at Newton Moore Education Support Centre: What works – Presented by Penny Nunn.
This will be followed with our AGM in which we will be inducting and celebrating three amazing educators as life members of WAESPAA.
This will be followed by refreshments.
Association Meetings - WAPPA, WAESSEA, WAESPAA, WADHSA, PFWA – Attended by Margaret Keen
The PFWA invited the Associations to meet together. Discussions centred around PFWA and how they communicate with the Associations. They were seeking the best way to communicate with Associations and how they develop their position on certain issues. They asked if they approach Associations to get information from Principals or only approach those in the PFWA?
There was discussion on classification of schools and reclassification freeze. It seems the communication being put forward to PFWA is that reclassification will only be considered if the position becomes vacant e.g. If the Principal leaves. Watch this space!
WAPPA is considering selling current premises and buying larger ones which would accommodate other Associations and PFWA having a space in the building. This would encourage better communication.
Attached is the organisational chart that has been developed for a number of purposes. WAESPAA gave feedback to say that we do some of the things on the list but not all.
No Tosh - Day One
Schools participating in the No Tosh incubator have all commenced their journey and have completed the first full day together with their dynamic teams. Schools were encouraged to become "curious" and learn how to observe and dig deep to find information needed for your school. Each school has booked in a day for a No Tosh school visit for the next phase of the incubator.
ASEPA Conference & Grants
The ASEPA Conference will be held over the first week of term 3 in Sydney. Given the new timelines for interstate travel, WAESPAA will seek approval for 3 members given that expressions of interest for a WAESPAA grant does not close until the end of the month.
WAESPAA would like to offer 3 $1000 subsidies towards to ASEPA conference in July.
If you are a current financial member (full or associate) and would like to be considered for a subsidy, please;
- Provide a short (no longer than 1 A4 page) scope on the impact you feel the conference will have for you and your place of work
- Suggest how your experience at ASEPA could reach WAESPAA members (present at BDO, newsletter etc.)
- Submissions can be emailed directly to me, no later than 4:00pm Friday 3rd April
If you are interested in applying, you may also wish to consider having a showcase at our annual conference for 2020, or being involved in a subcommittee (such as conference or awards). Further information about WAESPAA can be found here; https://www.waespaa.com.au/
North Metro Presentation
On Tuesday 10 March, our RED (Regional Executive Director) and AREDs (Assistant Regional Executive Directors) gave a presentation about the following;
North Metro Strategic Plan;
- Student achievement
- Engagement
- School Improvement and leadership developments
- Community and stakeholder development.
Natalie Hatton
President WAESPAA
Prinicpal Joondalup Education Support Centre
Aspirant Leaders Profession Learning
Venue : | Pan Pacific (Mt Newman Room) |
Dates : | 16th- 17th March 2020 |