Educators Object To Principal Plan

January 7, 2012

The Association of School Principals [ASP] has filed two grievances against the Commissioner of Education, saying they are “gravely concerned with the Department of Education’s flagrant disregard of the ASP’s position.”

The ASP were informed by the Commissioner of Education of a plan to utilize an Executive Principal as a part of a “new reform model,” in which the Executive Principal will partner with the Existing Principal.

The ASP have rejected the plan, citing potential disruption of the school environment, and impact on sustained improvement on teaching and learning. The Principal’s Association said the Department of Education was not able to provide any substantial data to support their rationale for the model.

The Ministry of Education released a statement confirming that Mrs. Terry Cox will be assigned the role of Temporary Executive Principal of Prospect Primary School effective this Monday [Jan.9]. She will work alongside existing principal Dr. Shangri-La Durham-Thompson.

“The introduction of the Executive Principal model is part of ongoing changes being made at the classroom and school level for improving and maximizing student success,” said the statement.

“The Executive Principal works in conjunction with the existing Principal under the direction of the Commissioner of Education.”

There has been speculation that the Department of Education would be moving Principals, and last night [Jan.6] parents of Harrington Sound Primary School students met at the Whitney Institute to discuss concerns that Harrington Sounds’ principal Lisa Clarke-Smith would be moved to another school. There have not been any changes announced regarding moving Ms Clarke-Smith at this time.

The full statement from the Association of School Principals is below:

The Association of School Principals [ASP] wishes to inform the public of the following:

On January 4, 2012 members of the ASP were informed by the Commissioner of Education of a plan to place the principal of Harrington Sound Primary School as an “Executive Principal” at Prospect Primary School as a part of a new reform model on Monday, January 9th 2012. The ASP has rejected the proposed model on the following basis:

  • 1. The Department of Education was not able to provide any substantial data to support their rationale for the implementation of this reform model.
  • 2. There was no written documentation provided to the ASP in support of the proposed framework and no written details were provided on how the model would be operationalized.
  • 3. The implementation of the model flagrantly disregards the ASP’s opposition to this model, as well as the ASP’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The ASP made very clear, both verbally and in writing, their concerns with:

  • the structure of the reform model
  • disruption of the school environment
  • impact on sustained improvement on teaching and learning
  • treatment of the ASP members

At approximately 3 p.m. today, the ASP organizer was informed that Department of Education officials, led by the Commissioner of Education, descended upon Prospect Primary to inform the staff of their decision to go ahead and implement their model on Monday January 9th 2012, and will authorize the Department of Education’s Acting Staff Development Officer, to take over the daily roles and responsibilities of the appointed Principal who will still be on site – as she is legally appointed to that site by the Public Service Commission.

The ASP is gravely concerned with the Department of Education’s flagrant disregard of the ASP’s position and the breaching of the Principal’s Collective Bargaining Agreement and other relevant Acts and by-laws of Bermuda.

It is also important to note that this week, the ASP has filed two grievances against the Commissioner of Education, Teaching and Learning, Mrs. Wendy McDonell.

The Ministry of Education’s statement is below:

Today, the Commissioner of Education (COE), Mrs. Wendy McDonell, announced that, in accordance with the Education Act 1996 and in line with recommendations made in the Hopkins Report, Mrs. Terry Cox will be assigned the role of Temporary Executive Principal of Prospect Primary School effective Monday 9 January 2012.

Mrs. McDonell noted that the introduction of an Executive Principal to support academic achievement emanates directly from Section 25c (3) of the Education Act.

This provision gives the Commissioner the authority to take measures which are designed to improve student performance at schools. To quote the Act: “Measures may include…changes in principal or teaching staff.”

The Commissioner has developed the strategy of using an Executive Principal to partner with an Existing Principal so as to significantly improve student outcomes and change the culture of student performance.

The primary focus of the Department of Education is to improve student performance and build a culture of success in every one of Bermuda’s Public Schools.

The Ministry of Education continues to raise the bar of expectation for student achievement while narrowing the gap of success between public schools.

The introduction of the Executive Principal model is part of ongoing changes being made at the classroom and school level for improving and maximizing student success.

The Executive Principal works in conjunction with the existing Principal under the direction of the Commissioner of Education.

The Duties of the Executive Principal will include:

  • Providing leadership, direction and support to personnel at the school;
  • Assessing school needs and effectiveness to determine long and short range planning for school improvement;
  • Effectively monitoring the approved system curriculum;
  • Facilitating staff development to improve instructional practices;
  • Establishing clear lines of communication from and about the school and delegates necessary authority to existing principal;
  • Supervising and evaluating the performance of all staff at the school;
  • Coordinating the services of resource teachers, and/or curriculum officers to assist teachers in the instructional program;
  • Communicating with PTA and community agencies; and
  • Reports back to the Commissioner about various aspects of the school improvement process.

Category: All, News

Comments (19)

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  1. Rick Rock says:

    It’s a job creation scheme for overpaid and unnecessary administrators.

    Why would a school principal need another person to ‘provide leadership and direction’ at the school? That is what a principal does already. It’s an insult to the people currently there. No wonder they’re up in arms about it.

    • Jasmine says:

      To me it sounds like the princple of Prospect is not doing her job well!! Why is that the only school getting this…We as people need to stop reading such reports and believing whats writting i have heard lots of parents complain about Prospect Primary!!!

      • JS Bean says:

        There is not a principle of Prospect Primary School. There is, however, a principal of Prospect Primary School. The principal of Prospect Primary School may or may not need help running the school but many readers seem to need help knowing the difference between these two words. I’m sure these are probably honest mistakes or oversights but it is a bit embarrassing when the topic at hand is education.

  2. Really says:

    Is the job of the Vice Principle to work alongside of the principle?

    • Curious To Know says:

      Principle (noun):

      (1) A fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning.
      (2) A rule or belief governing one’s personal behavior.

      Principal (noun):

      A person who has controlling authority or is in a leading position as:
      (a) a chief or head man or woman
      (b) the chief executive officer of an educational institution
      (c) one who engages another to act as an agent subject to general control and instruction
      (d) the chief or an actual participant in a crime
      (e) the person primarily or ultimately liable on a legal obligation

  3. Truth is killin' me... says:

    Voters of Bermuda…our Government has spent to the point of bankrupting our beautiful island home. Don’t believe the lies from them. Look at your friends, neighbours and family members whou have lost their jobs in the last year and who have had their overtime cut back if they still have one. This island is hurting and the Government does not have a solution. Their MP’s are living off the fat of the land while you are struggling. Vote with your conscience in the next election if you truly care about your children and your grandchildren. That is all I have to say. God Bless!

  4. Trying to help says:

    Hello all

    Principal:The Head teacher of a school

    Principle: an accepted rule,action or conduct

    (helpful hint:PrinciPAL)pal=friend/person

  5. concerned says:

    Sounds like they are just putting Terry Cox there police Dr. Shangri-La Durham-Thompson if this principle is not doing what she should be doing or is not liked by any staff where ever she goes that should speak VOLUMES to the dept of education HINT HINT HINT !.

  6. Trying to help says:

    Grrrr…. IT IS PRINCIPAL

  7. Damian L. Blanc says:

    Take the Political Strangle out of the matter and look at it from another angle…..Executive Principal needed as the current Principal is obviously not fulfilling the requirement of leadership at the school.

    I would rather action be taken now to ensure Prospect Primary Students are afforded a proper primary school education than come to a crossroad in a few months where children are failing and leaving primary school 3 steps behind.

    Let the Commissioner do her job of improving the teaching & educational standards within our schools.

    • kevin says:

      I agree with you comments and as usual on this blog many people seem to miss the point. Education standards have already been identified as in need of serious overhaul. This is a fact that has not been disputed even by the ASP. While I will accept that this particular matter could have been managed better in terms of involving and informing the parents this is not a reason not to take action. The OBA need not be playing politics with this issue unless they have a better plan they should Let the Commissioner do her job of improving the teaching & educational standards within our schools.

  8. observer says:

    Principle …Principle ….Principle

    • J says:

      Principle (noun ) means a rule, law or general truth such as the principles of mathematics or having a lack of principles. It does not refer to people or positions held by people.

      Principal (noun) refers to a person or the position held by a person such as the head of a school or institution.

      Why would you insist on being unprincipled in a discussion about properly educating our young people?

  9. She has to go says:

    Clearly the wanted to fire the principal but they can,t. So the best way is to have someone shadow her and hopefully she gets the hint. I hear the teachers at the school were so happy. They said she was hard to work with and a bully.

    Many teachers hated going to work. My mom was one and many threatened to leave.

    The principal should be fired they just can’t and she will not go.

    The teachers were so happy at PPS on Friday they did not know what to do

    Well most! Not all.

    • Rick Rock says:

      Well, that isn’t what they’re saying. If someone in a senior position is incompetent, why does the release talk about this being the “new reform model” etc? Why beat around the bush? If an incompetent person were replaced, I think that would get fairly broad public support.

      That isn’t what they’re saying here. It reads as though an extra person is being hired to work alongside the original Principal, which makes no sense.

  10. Vote for Me says:

    I am principally a principled principal,
    Depending on which side you listen to, it appears that the principal has lost her principle reason for going to work as an educator. As a consequence the Ministry are acting on principle and the Prospect School Family may loose its principal (but not its principles) and get new principles of leadership. It then follows that a new principal will get a new principle reason to go to work each day. The new principal will then go to Prospect to be the ‘principle principal’ to principally teach sound principles to the faculty and students.

    On the other side of the coin, the existing principal, supported by the ASP and the PTS seems to be standing on principle to demand that the principal be treated using the well established legal principle of due pocess.

    As members of the public, we need to be sure we understand the principal reason for the action against the principal because the Ministry are indicating that they are standing on education principles of student outcome as a measure of principal performance and an indicator of when intervention is appropriate. Surely parents will agree that the principal reason for sending children to school is to get a firm foundation on the principles of the 3 Rs – reading writing and arithmetic.

    If we get the wrong information, we will decide to support or not support the principal based on our own principles.

    If Prospect was a bank, the faculty and staff might want to invest any principal that they have using sound investment principles to imcrease the value of their principal. Therafter they could withdraw the increased valus of the principal and live a life according to whatever principles they have.

    Do you get the principle of my post which is sent to the principal administator or more simply put, the school principal?

    Could not resist!!

    On a serious note, I trust that the matter will be resolved to the benefit of the children who are our primary focus for education.

    • specialgirl4you says:

      What is the role of the “3 Directors for Schools?” What is there current role, at the Ministry? Is this not money paid for nothing? Was it their role to work with the school Principal at Prospect Primary to assist her in meeting the standards? What are these Directors getting paid to do? The assumption was that their role was to work along with school principals to ensure accountability and effective leadership. What makes Mrs. Cox any more effective than Mrs. Durham? Or maybe the questions should read as what makes putting another school principal in the school anymore effective? Is it possible this matter could have been addressed with a different approach? Why wait until now to do this. Was there ongoing evaluation of the existing principal and students’ performance?

  11. Winnie says:

    Ah PPS so glad my child is no longer there. There has long being a volcano boiling waiting to burst at PPS, so much politics, back biting,pandering just a lot of negative stuff going on. Of course we don’t live in a perfect world however it must have gotten to the point where the majority of teachers could not take it anymore,they want the Principal gone. The Ministry needs to come clean to the public with this issue, as they are also not being upfront with regards to the swap between PPS and HS Principals, which is now off as parents at HS did not want it to happen. Makes no sense to me to have 2 Principals at a school with barely 200 students if so much.