 
Week 4 - Local School Management
|  | Governance in Partnerships 21: Local Management in South Australia |
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Listing of Papers | |
MR CHRIS CHARLESWORTH AND MS DIANNE TILLEY
South Australia, Australia
Introduction
Partnerships 21 enables and promotes local decision making and flexibility within a broad and systemic framework of policy, priorities and mutual accountability. It is the local management model for South Australia.
This paper explores the role of governance of locally managed schools and preschools in developing and maintaining effective partnerships, resource flexibility and quality improvement for the support of the teaching and learning of each child.
The paper should be read in conjunction with the other companion papers from the Partnerships 21 Taskforce for this online conference:
- 'An Overview of Partnerships 21'
- 'Quality Improvement and Accountability in Partnerships 21'
- 'Resource Flexibility in Partnerships 21'.
Long History of Community Involvement
Schools and preschools in South Australia have a long history of involving parents and community members through school councils and preschool management committees. The Partnerships 21 project builds on this history and goes further to challenge school and preschool communities and the system as a whole to redefine concepts of governance, management and leadership in the context of local management.
Successful Learning is the Objective
Partnerships 21 promotes the development of schools and preschools where teachers, parents, the children themselves and the system as a whole, work in partnership to support the successful learning of every child. Schools and preschools are an integral part of, and are not apart from, the community, and are seen as essential to its effectiveness. The community becomes a rich resource to support the learning and care of its children and joins with parents, the school or preschool, the Department and the Government in taking an overall responsibility for the education and care of each child. Here, too, the schools and preschools are in partnership with the Department as a whole, not in juxtaposition to it.
A prime role of governance of our schools and preschools, therefore, is to develop and maintain the wide range of partnerships implicit in this view. There are links with the governance of other sections of the community, for example, with local government, clubs, institutions and groups, which form a network of collective leadership for the long-term effectiveness of the whole community.
Locally Elected Governing Councils
Governance of locally managed schools and preschools in South Australia is the responsibility of locally elected governing councils. One of the functions of a governing council is to develop the range of partnerships within the school/preschool and community, between staff and parents, with other schools, preschools and agencies, and with the state office to maximise and integrate quality human, physical and financial resources for the learning and care of each child. These partnerships include:
- the prime partnership between parent, teacher and child is to share the responsibility for their child's learning. Parents are encouraged to support the principal/director, teachers and staff in their responsibility to involve and inform parents about the learning programs and student achievements;
- the partnership between the school community, principal/director with the Department, Chief Executive and Minister in the accountability for student learning outcomes, the effective utilisation and maintenance of public property and the risk management of public assets;
- the partnership between the school or preschool staff, parents and children with the local community that appropriately integrates community resources and expertise into teaching, learning and care, and underpins the community responsibility for the education and care of its children;
- partnerships with other schools and preschools to ensure that the whole range of children's needs are met, that the service provided is co-ordinated and seamless for children and their families, and to make the most efficient use of resources; and,
- partnerships with other government or non-government agencies to provide an integrated service for children and their families. For example, for the provision of integrated preschool and childcare, enterprise education, or post-compulsory education, training and health programs for young adolescents.
Other functions of governing councils are:
- to give a broad direction and purpose to the school or preschool by working collaboratively with the principal or director and staff in consultation with all sections of the community, to determine local priorities and to develop and appropriately resource a strategic plan to meet those priorities;
- to ensure public accountability for the success and quality of the learning and care for all children and for specific groups of children at the school or preschool;
- with the principal/director and staff, to monitor key indicators and levels of client satisfaction and to report to the Department and community about the levels of achievement of priorities identified in the strategic plan; and,
- to work with the principal/director and staff to develop and maintain a governing council and appropriate consultative processes which reflect the views of different linguistic, cultural and other groups in the community, particularly those of indigenous Australians.
Roles and Responsibilities
The effective and efficient operation of a governing council and the school or preschool depends upon being clear about the relative roles and responsibilities of the council, principal/director and staff.
The Role of Professional, Para-Professional and Administration Staff
Teachers in locally managed schools and preschools continue to have a prime role in the development and delivery of quality and effective learning programs to meet the needs of each individual child in their care and in the development of the parent/teacher/child partnership. They also have a prime role in providing quality information on the achievement of children and particular groups of children and in professionally analysing and reporting that information to the governing council. They continue to have a critical role in advising governing council on proposed policy, priorities and strategies.
Other staff continue to have para-professional roles in the support of the teaching and learning process, particularly for individual children within programs determined by the teacher. Some also have enhanced roles in the business management of the school, thus creating time for the principal/director and teachers to carry out their roles in teaching and educational leadership.
The Role of Principal/Director
The principal/director is responsible to the Chief Executive for the educational leadership of the site; the quality of the student learning outcomes, teaching programs, curriculum and co-curricular activities. In locally managed schools and preschools, performance management, particularly from, and with, one's peers, assumes a renewed importance as the impetus for staff to critically appraise student learning outcomes, to develop and trial educational programs and to develop (and self-govern) programs for their own learning.
The principal/director has a responsibility to enable dialogue to occur and, together with the governing council, to support and resource the resulting professional and para-professional development programs. Local management and the increased flexibility in the use of resources enables the most appropriate and transparent decisions to be made about those programs which should be supported.
Principals/directors are also responsible for the management of the site, including day-to-day management, the organisation of the school or preschool day, student behaviour management, financial and asset management and staff supervision. In any but the latter, the principal/director may need to take the advice of the governing council or to work within agreed budget or asset management plans. As with all schools and preschools, the principal/director has responsibility for the welfare of children, for providing a safe working and learning environment and for the implementation of risk management policy, standards and practices.
The Role of Governing Council
In addition to the role of establishing and maintaining partnerships, the governing council sets the broad directions for the school or preschool and develops plans to meet departmental and local priorities. Governing councillors are accountable to the Minister and community for negotiating and meeting the objectives and targets of the Partnerships Plan and Services Agreement, strategic planning and the appropriate allocation of resources and reporting to the department and the community and the achievements of those plans. (See companion papers to this online conference, 'Resource Flexibility' and 'Quality Improvement and Accountability'.)
In addition, governing councils are able to develop local policy and practices within broad departmental frameworks, participate in the appointment of key leadership positions, ensure that the staff, community and, where appropriate, children are consulted when carrying out key functions and, with the principal and staff, oversee the management of risk to people and public assets.
While the governing council does have significant decision-making power, it does not have a role in management. For example, while the governing council sets the school or preschool budget, the financial management of that budget becomes the responsibility of principal/director and staff.
Complementary Accountability
With local management, the different roles of principal/director and governing council can be relatively clear. However, there are areas of accountability for both principal/director and governing council that can only be met by working closely together. For example, while the governing council is accountable to the Minister for strategic planning and resource allocation, so is the principal/director accountable to the Chief Executive for the effective, efficient and safe management of those resources.
One accountability therefore complements the other. Perhaps the most important partnership for the effective, efficient and smooth running of the school or preschool, its vision, direction and continuous improvement, is that between the governing council and the principal/director.
Governance itself then becomes a prime topic of research, learning and development at the local level.
What Has Been Achieved?
Representatives from 520 of the State's 928 school and preschool communities chose to participate in 'Establishing Partnerships 21' workshops during the latter half of 1999. Governance was the subject for the first evening of the workshop when both parents and staff representatives were present. The workshops were based on the Take Up resources and Phase 1 training materials that can be viewed on the DETE web site
www.partnerships21.sa.edu.au
Forty per cent of South Australian schools and preschools entered Partnerships 21 for the start of the 2000 school/preschool year, and have formed governing councils.
From the outset there has been an emphasis on quality governance of locally managed schools and preschools. A presentation prepared by the Australian Institute of Company Directors introduced and explored topics such as the role of the council in policy formation, monitoring and supervision, strategy formulation, providing accountability, consultation and decision making, and risk management.
A framework was used by participants to begin discussion on the optimal size and membership of composition. Participants were encouraged to work towards a relatively small governing council and to encourage community participation through sub committees of the council or through groups formally affiliated with the council.
An important strategy for underpinning effective practice of governing councils and the indemnity of its members has been the adoption of a Code of Practice including requirements for members to act honestly, in good faith and with due diligence.
What is Proposed?
The implementation of local management has resulted in school and preschool communities critically developing their own understanding of governance. Additional training is being provided for governing council members, principals/directors and staff to develop a range of approaches to suit local needs. Locally managed schools have generally formed smaller governing councils than the school councils that preceded them but have developed structures to involve greater numbers of parents, children and community members than before. Locally managed preschools too are exploring a new role for their governing councils that shifts from a management functions to those of governance.
The South Australian Education and Children's Services Acts are currently under review. Advice has been provided for the drafting of the new legislation that underpins the principles of local management.
Conclusion
Partnerships and quality governance are the key to local management in South Australian schools and preschools. Elected governing councils have the responsibility to develop partnerships that support the teaching and learning of each child. They also set broad directions, develop and resource a strategic plan and develop local policy but they do not have a role in management. Principals and directors continue to provide educational leadership and are responsible to the Chief Executive for the management of the site.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Mr Chris Charlesworth held positions as Curriculum Superintendent and as Assistant Director, Metropolitan Schools and Children's Services before accepting his current position as a superintendent on the Partnerships 21 Local Management Taskforce. Chris commenced his teaching career as a teacher of science and mathematics at a secondary school in rural South Australia. He was involved in the development of the junior science and senior biology curriculum and open plan student-centred inquiry methods. He was appointed deputy principal and later, principal of Augusta Park High School, which grew to accommodate over 600 students. Chris was then appointed principal of Croydon High School in Adelaide, a school with a most diverse, multicultural population. He has also been district superintendent for the remote north of South Australia and for a metropolitan district of junior primary, primary, secondary and special schools.
Ms Dianne Tilley is a superintendent on the Partnerships21 Local Management Taskforce with a focus in children's services. She is also involved in the governance and quality improvement aspects of local management. Dianne is also the Executive Officer for the Partnerships 21 Children's Services Advisory Committee. She has had wide experience in the early childhood field, holding a variety of positions including director of preschools in both country and metropolitan districts, and District Coordinator, Children's Services. During the International Year of the Family, Dianne co-authored the self- paced learning package, Valuing Family Life and Learning. Dianne has carried her commitment to the provision of 'family friendly' services and the strengthening of parental involvement in education and care into her work with preschools, child parent centres, centre and home-based childcare, toy libraries and playcentres.
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