Four School Principals To Be Transferred
Four school principals will be transferred for the upcoming 2012/13 school year, Minister of Education Dame Jennifer Smith said this morning [Mar.14] in the House of Assembly.
“These transfers match the strengths of the individual Principals with the needs of the schools to which they will be appointed. We believe the matches will be positive ones for the schools, the staff and the students,” said Dame Jennifer.
The Education Minister said that in December 2011 all principals were informed that the Ministry would be initiating transfers, and four transfers will take place for the upcoming 2012/2013 school year. Principals will be informed of these decisions in the coming days and once this is done, the details will be shared with the public.
She also said the Collective Bargaining Agreements they have with the Association of School Principals and the Bermuda Union of Teachers allows for the involuntary transfer of staff.
The Minister’s full statement follows below:
Mr. Speaker, by now the entire country knows that the Ministry of Education’s Mission is to “raise the quality of teaching and learning….”
Mr. Speaker, we are a small community, and we recognise that it is imperative that we maximise the strengths and talents of all of our staff. This means that where there are riches, we have to share those riches to bring about equity and improve outcomes.
We intend to do this by supporting schools and building capacity in school leaders and teachers, thus maximizing the performance of all of those persons who interact with our students.
Mr. Speaker, key to this focus is the need to connect teaching and learning to the needs of our stakeholders. While there is room to debate the components of teaching and learning, all should agree that we must first ensure that there is no gap across schools in student achievement.
Mr. Speaker, the Commissioner of Education, Directors, Assistant Directors, Curriculum and Education Officers are all in schools, meeting with school leaders and working with teachers to address any impediments to teaching and learning.
As a result, we have established our priorities for the upcoming school year as:
1. Student Achievement/Needs – ensuring that we focus on improving outcomes and addressing student needs;
2. Fair Resource Distribution – ensuring equity across schools – sharing the talent to raise standards in all schools;
3. Professional Growth/Capacity – re-energising our leaders and teachers and ensuring that development opportunities are created to strengthen our staff and improve performance.
Mr. Speaker, the Collective Bargaining Agreements that we have with the Association of School Principals and the Bermuda Union of Teachers allow for the involuntary transfer of staff.
In particular, the Collective Bargaining Agreement states that “when the transfer of a Principal is initiated by the Ministry, notification and the reason for such transfer will be given in writing not later than 31st December.”
Confirmation of such transfers must be given not later than 31st March.
Mr. Speaker, accordingly in December 2011, all principals were informed that the Ministry would be initiating transfers:
- To share expertise – this would help to distribute equity across schools;
- For growth/development and/or renewal of the individual and the school; and
- To develop adaptive, flexible and situational leadership.
Mr. Speaker, in reviewing the needs of the system and individuals, four transfers will take place effective for the upcoming 2012/2013 school year.
Some may call this making change slowly – Mr. Speaker, while we do want to ensure that system needs are addressed, too much change at one time would not be good for the system.
These transfers match the strengths of the individual Principals with the needs of the schools to which they will be appointed. We believe the matches will be positive ones for the schools, the staff and the students.
Principals will be informed of these decisions in the coming days and once this is done, the details will be shared with the public.
Mr. Speaker, these are bold moves that have proven to be successful in jurisdictions that have successfully changed student outcomes in their schools.
This year marks a significant change, where deputy principals will be hired across the system as opposed to being hired by a Principal to work in a particular school.
Interview panels, made up of Principals and Department of Education staff, will interview candidates to be selected as the deputy-principals.
This change will ensure that the leadership provided in schools is complementary, ensures equity and aids in school and system growth.
Mr. Speaker, as concerns school leadership, the job descriptions for scale posts have been amended for the upcoming year.
Going forward, an element of consistency will be implemented by ensuring that these posts are tied to the core subjects of English, mathematics, science, social studies and special education.
All of these moves are to strengthen the quality of instruction and improve student outcomes. In line with our Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Bermuda Union of Teachers, where necessary, there will also be teacher transfers to support schools and share resources.
Mr. Speaker, we have spent this past year identifying the needs of our system and now we must act on what we have found to ensure that we raise the quality of teaching and learning in all of our schools.
As we continue to take the necessary steps to “raise the quality of teaching and learning” and to raise student achievement, we will meet with the parents of affected schools to advise them of the critical steps being taken to meet the needs of students.
Thank you.
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Why not wait for the Principals to be told and tell us then, instead of having all the parents worried that their favourite Principal may be transferred.
Because that would be the ethical way to doing it …
The PTA at my children’s school want to be told at the same time as the principal. A email has been sent to government about this & the response says they will announce the change to the principal this month & to the PTA in June. I feel this is fair as the parents have a few months to try to get their child’s transfer to the same school as their favorite principal sorted. Beside the principal will tell the parents as soon as they find out. I don’t see the big deal as I feel it also takes the teachers & parents to make a school run properly & a principal transfer won’t do much to change a school. It’s just another grasp at straws by another one of our ministers. I will not move my children just because their school’s principal has moved because its not fair for my children to start over for this reason.
Who cares what the parents feel, some Principals are in the wrong school and that just what it is, put them where they are better suited….personal feelings have to be thrown out the door.
“Who cares what the parents feel”…?
A typical reaction. “We don’t care what you, the customer in this, thinks. We are going to do what we want.”
It’s musical chairs in the school system again.
I’m sure this round will fix all of our problems though.
Who is to say the Principals are favored, but I do get your point.
So we’re going to take a Principal and transfer them out of school that they have helped change, and then what? That school then gets a Principal that obviously can not change or control the school that they are in charge of now?? Sounds like one step forward 3 steps back to me.
When we had Head Teachers we got results. Now we have “Doctors” One would think that they have the ability to medicate the minds of those who seemingly fall between the cracks.
The Pricipals aren’t the one’s doing the teaching in the classroom! The teachers are! The teachers have much more knowledge of the kids and spend much more time with the kids than the Priciples ever do. So in saying that, I’m saying “so what” if they transfer four Pricipals! I think moving four teachers would have had a much greater impact because many of these teachers have personal realtionships and bonds with these kids. And don’t forget these kids are with the teacher from 8:30 to 3:30 everyday unlike the Pricipal who pops into a classroom from time to time or only sees the children for assembly a couple times a week.
So True!
If the head teachers have no impact, why move them, particularly if parents might not be happy about it?
I don’t agree with your premise to begin with. Head Teachers make an enourmous difference, which is why moving a successful head from one school to another is unwise.
Mad Dawg the principal at my children’s school is considered one of the top principals on island. This principal’s son walks around on lunch break with a stick in his hand saying he’s a gangster & the stick is his gun. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Then the principal has the nerve to threaten my child with, “THE BLACK BELT” for defending against her sons bullying. The teachers & parents participation make the school my children go to great not the principal. Principals are like politicians if they put on a good show & make the parents “think” they care they maintain a following. If my children’s principal leaves then good riddance & I hope she takes her brat with her so my child doesn’t have to pop him in the face again when hit with a stick/wannabe gun. Then again maybe this is just out of a bad experience with a principal but like I’ve stated this principal is SUPPOSED to one of the best.
Also if this principal happens upon this comment don’t you dare take it out on my children or I’ll video your child doing his little gangster act at lunch & make sure the ministry sees it. If you have a problem bring it to me since its my comment & I’ll tell you where to go & how to get there. You need to talk to your child before he becomes a teen & takes his act further.
Tommy, that’s a terrible situation. I can understand why you would see it differently to me. In my case, it is different. The school my child attends is well-run, and the principal is a lot to do with it, along with all the staff. I would not want to see it change.
Im glad to read not all principals are the same but I figured this was so I just don’t know why this principal I mentioned is held in such high esteem. Good luck with your principal & hope that there’s no change in your child’s school.
Just wondering as a parent what do you think about corporal punishment still being instated in Bermudian public schools? My wife was shocked & appalled to know this while till this situation I was all for it. We don’t beat our children but I always thought a little smack kept them inline when nothing else works. But now seeing it through my child’s eyes I realize how it can be misused. I feel like a hypocritical jerk arguing with my wife that its the way it should be & now retracting my words because it doesn’t suit my situation. Since my wife is not of African decent she has a theory for this that because people of African decent have ancestors that were whipped to maintain order we feel we should do the same to our children to maintain order. Before I was angry at her idea but now I’m thinking there might be some truth in it.
I am not of African decent but do believe like you when nothing else works (ie. time out, privelages lost) a good cut tail never hurt anyone. My son attended public school when the whole no longer being able to correct your child came into play. Our principal at the time was against this ruling and let all of us parents know so. Don’t get me wrong I am not condoling child abuse but when a child is in the wrong they should know it. That’s the problem with the whole system today, parents nor teachers/principals can correct a child’s wrong doings without fearing child abuse. I have a younger son now in school and the principal is awesome. She has total control over the school, if this principal was to be transferred, my worry would be that the school that my son is in would go right back. Why take a principal from a school that was in trouble and has now turned around and take them out into another school that needs help? Why not replace the principal in the school with trouble with someone else?
When did the no longer being able to correct your child came into play? I guess the principal at your child’s school doesn’t have “THE BLACK BELT” or maybe you trust their judgement. I don’t trust the principal’s judgement thats at my child’s school. I would gladly deliver the smacks myself if I knew my child was in the wrong. Also if were teaching our children what to expect in the real world about crime & punishment don’t you get a jury not just a judge in the real world. The principals child should get a cut tail for being a bully not mine for defending themselves or maybe both should get a cut tail to be fair.
http://www.endcorporalpunishment.org/pages/progress/reports/bermuda.html
Why does government change the system so much and teacher , principals etc on our education system. It is bad enough. And now with out telling the public or parents that they are cutting classes in Primary 1 and you cant get your kid in the school you want and you are in the zone. Omg. They need to focus on the teachers that are not teaching right in the school system and get them out.
When one is hired at a school either in the capacity of a teacher or a Principal they know that they do not BELONG to the school, meaning that they do not work “for” the school per say but in actual fact work for the Ministry and at any time can be asked to transfer (involuntary transfer) it is in their Collective Bargaining Agreement. People transfer to different departments within their jobs ALL THE TIME.. so please help me to understand……. What’s the big deal if these Principals are being asked to transfer?….They are not losing their jobs…..They are just being asked to share their expertise at another location…if they weren’t “up to snuff” trust me when I tell you they would not be given this opportunity…..
The only part of the BDA public school system that should be looked at & changed is the high schools. This is where our children are put into an inner city learning environment where they fall short. Knowing this I’ve saved up & put all applications in to send my children to a private high school but would like to save the money for college & university.
Wake up Jennifer Smith! You’ve been in government far too long not to see where the failure of our education system stems from.
Amen. My son transferred from a private primary school to a public primary school and I have no issues what so ever with the primary system. Terrified as I was he’s doing great and if not actually doing much better than any of my kids in private school have ever done. But this is primary and I don’t think I will let him go any higher than that in public school as I have no faith in the upper division of public school. It seems to go down hill from middle school.
It is quite clear that some of you have no idea as to what goes on in the schools. Some Principas do put time in the classrooms and invest time with the students and teachers.
Hey “Been there says” you missed the whole point! That went right over your head nobody is sayiny that Principals don’t put time in the classrooms and invest time with students and teachers but what I am saying is that a pricipals importance or significance isn’t as high as a teachers in terms of relationships or bonds with the kids! The bottom line is that the pricipal ALWAYS spends less time with the kids than the teacher does. I f u know of any school thats principal is in the classroom the same amount of time as the teacher please don’t hesitate to let me know!
Your comments are about the most asinine and ridiculous I’ve seen in weeks. And that’s saying a lot.
The Govt will not tell us who they moving until after the election. PLP aint trying to lose anymore votes
Has there been an election called when is it?
If nothing has happened and noone has been told, why is this being put in the public domain. Shouldn’t this be communicated to those it affects, rather than upset the whole of the area of the school system, where principals and teachers now have uncertainty on their working environment going forward.
Suggestions from a teacher
1. Scrap middle school, obviously not working lets be completely honest
2. Have the MOED in the schools regularly so that they can make INFORMED decisions
3. Minister, please stop dancing around the issues and going to the press to look good, do what actually needs to be done
4. Create an alternative permanent enviroment for students who chose to disrupt the learning of others repeatedly
5. Parents send your children to school prepared, with respect, values and discipline
6. Principals/MOED support your teachers do not blame them when they are asking for solutions, remember thats what your paid to do, teachers are paid to teach!
7. Principals get a handle on and support the discipline initiatives of the teachers. Even the best teachers cannot effectively reach/teach a child who has no fear of the consequences metted out. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that a student repeatedly sent to the office, parent called, detention etc. isnt receiving Effective deterents to the behavior.
Learning is not possible without discipline of self, children are no different
Oh great….more grand plans from the PLP of how they are going to fix the horrible mess that public education is in.
Didn’t we hear all that prior to the 1998 election?
Over 13 years later, over a generation, & education is worse now than it was before.
Those who can are sending their kids to private schools more than ever.
PLP, you have been a misrable failure.
Call the election.