It goes without saying that principal members have done a tremendous job over the past few months, given the massive changes put in place at such short notice and without the chance for wide-ranging consultation.
No matter how we measure it, there can be no doubt about the dedication of school staff to make the transition to remote learning as smooth as possible for students and the leadership of principals has been central to this. We have seen a huge effort to roll out thousands of dongles or devices to students, the furious adaptation of resources to online versions and hours spent communicating with peers, students and parents.
In many schools, the transition to remote learning has crystallised in members’ minds the importance of consultative processes to discuss the organisation and allocation of work for the school program. Some information from DET was released with very little time for the usual consultative processes to occur, however consultation should be ongoing, as always.
The majority of principals and assistant principals have continued to work on-site coordinating remote and on-site programs, ensuring staff are supported, and communicating with parents. The challenges will continue when we return to school, but we can be confident all staff will continue to respond professionally