Monday Mailing Week 5 3rd June

Message from the Editor- Leo's ramblings

Right, I'm running for Political Office. I'm aiming to make NZ Great Again.... and I'm looking for some cheap spray-on tan. Ok, maybe not, and to be honest, I'd probably have some problem getting people to vote for me (except for my Mum).

Seriously, though, the current government is making things pretty difficult for my simple mind (80's band reference) to comprehend, and I'm starting to worry about the road we are on. As a male pale, stale late 50's aging educator, I feel that with 9 years (give or take) to retirement age, I'm probably going to be ok. I'm not likely to be thriving, globe-trotting, or on the launch with the Champagne, but I think we'll get by, more like a Waikato and a mince and cheese pie with Lisa by the lake. That said, I do worry about some of the impact of some of the recent government policy (noise) and the potential impact on our younger staff and our kids. God, help me, but I sound like my Nana! Starting to feel like a Sherry in the afternoon.

You only have to consider the potential ramifications of the last three show-stoppers;

• Cutting Government Kiwisaver contributions;
• The pay equity changes; (never thought I'd say this but, go Marilyn Waring!)
• Cuts to conservation funding;

to know that Chris Luxon's bottom line seems to be cost-cutting at any or all costs?

The KiwiSaver government contribution cuts are something I did not see coming and definitely came as a surprise. The matched contributions were initially a great incentive to leap in, and it has been sad to see so many young people and needy families now opting to cash in their accrued savings. What this new Luxon decision will look like in 10 years, only a fortune teller could predict, but I can say with 100% certainty that it won't be better. As school principals, we are encouraged to be strategic and keep the final destination at the forefront of our thinking. I would suggest to Chris that this decision gives you some short-term budget flexibility, but the number of people with no retirement savings in a decade will plummet like Hindenburg. (Big floating airbag that went down in the 1940s, not to be confused with other airbags or principal mates I have beers with)

The cuts to conservation funding and the impact on the Predator Free 2050 initiative are just plain dumb. Straight from the Richard Head school of thought. For a nation that sells itself on being clean, green, and leading around sustainability initiatives, this is a horrific step back. You only have to look at the progress made in recent years to know we were actually winning. What's even harder to comprehend is that this was a flaming John Key- National initiative in the first place? Once again, National is changing its policies faster than I change my undies.... Ok, maybe a slight exaggeration. 

Finally, the pay equity decision. Wow, what would Kate Sheppard say? Through this move, the Government has pocketed $12.8 billion in pay due to you and our female workers over the next four years in order to "save" its Budget bottom line. I would suggest this is the biggest slap in the face since Will Smith went to the Academy Awards.

Oh well, that's my soap box download for the moment and excludes my perceptions around retirement age and the schools’ operational funding increase by just 1.5%. Does anybody remember what the annual rate of inflation is? Boom, mic drop. 

Have a wonderful week, remember to keep on laughing, and only fight the things that are actually within your realm of control. Go the Chiefs!

Leo

Few words from our WPA President

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, tēnā tātou katoa.Ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou.

On Friday you may have seen the breakfast news item when the Rt. Hon. David Seymour, the Associate Minister of Education, stated that the Ministry of Education will consider the possibility of prosecuting parents of those students who are consistently absent from school and fall into the 'chronic' category of non-attendance.   With the initiative Stepped Attendance Response (STAR) that must be in place by Term 1 2026, it is apparent that school attendance is a priority for the current Government.  It is said that the Ministry's regional office has ability to support schools that require help with ideas and processes to support improved student attendance.  Contact your MoE Education Advisor (EA) to discuss support, particularly now that Attendance Officers are no longer in place.

Registrations are open for the next WPA Connections Day to be held on Thursday the 12th of June at FMG Waikato Stadium.  Rico Gomez will be presenting and information about Rico is available on the WPA website.
Have a great week.

Ngā manaakitanga,
Lesley

Professional readings, viewings and things you may have missed.

My Leadership Team has recently been doing some reading and research into ethical leadership. Probably because I continue to make errors, and they are left to clean up my messes! On a serious note, this is a great area to delve into and does make you reflect on your practice and how we lead.

Errors, bad behaviour, and poor judgment in leadership can negatively impact a school’s brand and reputation. For a school's success, it’s critical for us to fill our teams with ethical leaders.

Ethical leadership involves leaders and managers making decisions based on the right thing to do for the common good, not just based on what is best for themselves or for the bottom line.

Ethical leaders encourage their team members to model this behaviour, too. They help to build a workplace culture that values transparency, collaboration, and inclusion, and where everyone feels safe to share their voice.

Now, there is nothing easy in this task, and it requires understanding around brave leadership, positive disruption, robust dialogue, trust, echo chambers, and collaborative culture.

The 6 Main Principles of Ethical Leadership

Having ethical leaders isn’t as simple as hiring “good” people. Companies should strive to fill their leadership ranks with people who embody the principles of ethical leadership. The six main principles include: 

1. Respect

Respect includes valuing others’ skills and contributions. While historically, respect in the workplace may have been one-way (leaders demanding respect from employees), in an ethical work environment, respect is mutual. 

Mutual respect leads to healthier workplace relationships where both sides appreciate and support what the other is doing and feel secure in talking through issues and challenges. Healthy relationships create positive work environments, which drives increased productivity.

Current and upcoming business leaders should take mutual respect into account as workforce expectations continue to shift.  

“I tell current leadership to respect Gen Z. They have values and morals, and you’re going to have a better organization because of them,” McCarthy said. “They aren’t going to put up with the old hierarchy that doesn’t offer mutual respect.” 

2. Accountability

Ethical leaders hold themselves accountable for their actions. They make decisions based on integrity and stand behind their work. They also lead by example, communicate openly about challenges, and don’t look to place blame on others for any shortfalls.

3. Service

Leaders make ethical decisions based on doing what is right for employees, customers, and the community. Because these constituents are always top of mind for ethical leaders, they often have a strong sense of service. They engage in activities such as charitable giving and volunteer work to give back to their communities — and encourage their teams to do the same. 

4. Honesty

Leaders who are transparent build trust amongst their organizations and amongst customers. 

To build and maintain trust, leaders must be good communicators who speak openly and honestly about issues. Regardless of the issue’s severity or unpopularity, leaders’ responsibility to be clear and candid empowers others to make the right decisions with the information they have. 

Honesty and transparency also help to build a brand’s reputation, leading to long-term customer loyalty.

5. Justice

Justice is not just about following the law, but about ensuring that everyone is getting what they deserve. Ethical leaders approach situations with a focus on treating everyone fairly, and they expect their teams to treat each other and customers the same way. Through their actions, they build equitable work environments where everyone feels respected. 

6. Community

Ethical leaders view their companies as communities and consider everyone involved when evaluating situations and making decisions. By viewing their organizations this way, they build equity and inclusion into their decision-making process and create work environments that encourage collaboration across teams. 

Making Sense of the Education Budget

This came from an old mate down the road. It makes for a useful snapshot of the wins and losses. He took all the ministerial statements and Treasury documents and analysed them using AI. He focused specifically on the primary sector. I have also included two summary images from the Ministry which might support your understandings. Good luck!

Here are the cuts identified that impact the primary sector (This excludes what teachers and principals would have gained as a proportion of any pay equity agreement):

• The Kāhui Ako scheme has been axed. This scheme provided funding for schools in a geographical area to network and collaborate. Ending this scheme resulted in the reprioritisation of $375 million over four years. Kāhui Ako paid about 4000 teachers extra to lead improvements in groups of schools. This change affects schools in these networks, including primary schools, and the teachers and principals involved.

• Resource Teacher: Literacy roles have been cut. These roles supported students learning to read. About $40 million has been reprioritised from resource teachers of literacy. These cuts affect support for primary school students learning literacy and potentially the teachers in these roles. The exact timing beyond being part of the Budget 2025 decision is not specified.

• Funding for teacher professional development has been redirected. About $28 million a year previously spent on teacher professional development is being used to bankroll a new $24 million per year spend on support for the maths curriculum. This represents a reduction in the overall funding available for teacher professional development, which would impact primary teachers.

• The Reading Together programme has been cut. This cut amounts to $2.6 million a year. This programme supports reading, which is a key focus in primary schools, and its cessation would affect students and potentially teachers and families involved in the programme.

• About $12 million from the Positive Behaviour for Learning scheme for schools has been repurposed. This scheme provides support for behaviour in schools, affecting both students and staff, including those in primary schools.

• A classroom set-up and vandalism grant for schools has been cut. This saves $2 million a year. This cut affects funding available to primary schools.

• About $50 million has been reprioritised from the schools' regional response fund. This fund would have been available to all schools, including primary schools.

• About $37 million from underspent funding on primary schools has been repurposed. This funding was not spent by primary schools and has been reallocated elsewhere. While impacting primary schools as a source of funding that wasn't used, it's not a cut to an active service or programme.

• Resource Teacher: Māori roles have been cut. These roles supported Māori staff to deliver the curriculum and assess student learning. This affects Māori primary students and the teachers supporting them in schools. The exact timing beyond being part of the Budget 2025 decision is not specified.

• The Wharekura Expert Teachers role has also been disestablished. This affects Māori-medium education, which includes primary levels. The exact timing beyond being part of the Budget 2025 decision is not specified.

Here are some of the key improvements anticipated for the primary sector in 2025 and 2026:

• Significant Boost to Learning Support: Budget 2025 includes a $646 million operating and $101 million capital investment (total $747m) specifically for supporting children with additional learning needs, part of a larger $2.5 billion investment in Vote Education over the forecast period. This is described as the largest boost to learning support in a generation and a "seismic shift". This investment is intended to significantly increase specialist and support staff resources in schools, benefiting primary students with additional needs and providing teachers with more support. The funding for these initiatives begins in the 2025/26 fiscal year and extends over the forecast period.

• Increased Teacher Aide Hours: Across all learning support services, the government is building up to more than 2 million additional teacher aide hours into the system every year from 2028. While the full target is for 2028, the roadmap indicates that additional teacher aide hours to support learners in the early years of schooling, in Behaviour and Communication Services, and for ORS-verified students will begin to be added annually from 2026. This phased increase means primary schools will start to see more teacher aide support in 2026.

• Rollout of Learning Support Coordinators (LSCs): There is a $192 million investment over three years to ensure that all Year 1-8 schools and kura are funded for a Learning Support Coordinator. This rollout will benefit 1250 schools and an additional 300,000 learners around New Zealand. The roadmap shows additional LSC Full-Time Teacher Equivalent (FTTE) being added in 2026 and 2027, meaning more primary schools will gain access to an LSC in these years.

• Extended Early Intervention Service (EIS): The service will be extended from early childhood education through to the end of Year 1 of primary school. A $266 million investment is provided for this expansion. This will fund more than 560 additional FTE for EIS teachers and specialists and aims to support the transition of around 4,000 children into school, reduce waitlists for over 3,000 children, and increase specialist support for over 7,100 currently enrolled children. The roadmap shows these additional FTE and teacher aide hours supporting young learners in the early years starting in 2026. This is a direct improvement for young primary students.

• Meeting Demand in Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS): An investment of $122 million will help meet the increased demand for ORS for students with high and complex needs. A structural change to the funding model is also included to ensure every child verified for ORS funding receives the support they need. This investment will support around 1700 additional learners forecast to access ORS over the next four years. The roadmap shows increases in Learning Support Specialists and teacher aide hours for ORS starting in 2026, providing improved support for high-needs primary students.

• Increased Behaviour and Communication Support: An investment of $43 million is allocated for additional speech language therapists, psychologists, and supporting teacher aide hours. This aims to help meet the growing demand for students with communication and behaviour needs and provide specialist support to around 2500 students over the next four years. The roadmap indicates additional specialist FTE and teacher aide hours starting in 2026.

• Investment in Teacher Aide Professional Development: There is $3 million allocated for targeted professional development for teacher aides between now and 2028. This funding will support teacher aides who work with learners with various needs, which would benefit those in primary schools, with the professional development opportunities becoming available in 2025 and 2026.

• Improved Maths and Literacy Support: Budget 2025 includes $298 million for curriculum and assessment support, with $132.2 million specifically for accelerated learning in literacy and maths. Additionally, there is $100 million of new funding for early intervention and support to provide extra maths help for students who need it. These investments aim to strengthen the teaching of foundational skills in primary schools and will be implemented from the 2025/26 fiscal year.

• Increased School Property Funding: Over $700 million has been set aside for new schools, school expansions, and additional classrooms, and $572 million of capital funding for school property. There is also $100 million of operating funding for maintenance and upgrades. Specifically for learning support, $90 million of capital is allocated for approximately 25 new learning support satellite classrooms and 365 property modifications at existing schools. The roadmap shows the building of the 25 new spaces and the 365 modifications are planned for 2026. These investments will improve the physical environment of primary schools.

• Boost to School Operations Grants: School operations grants have received a 1.5 percent boost, costing $79 million per full year or $121.7 million over four years. This increase in direct funding to schools will be seen in the 2025/26 fiscal year and subsequent years, providing additional resources for primary schools.

• Teacher Fees Covered: The government will be covering the registration and practising certificate fees for around 115,000 teachers through to 2028. This saves teachers up to $550 annually and provides a direct financial benefit to primary teachers in 2025 and 2026.

• Attendance Services: A $140 million package for services to lift school attendance was announced prior to the Budget, and this service will continue to support primary schools and students in 2025 and 2026.

These investments and funding increases, announced as part of Budget 2025, will begin to deliver tangible improvements to primary schools, the support available for students, and the resources and financial situation for teachers and principals from the 2025/26 fiscal year onwards.

WPA Connections Days- Don't Miss Out

Yin and Yang of Principalship

Ministry Support- Teacher Recruitment

Teacher Recruitment

As we all know, one of your most important roles as a school principal is recruiting and retaining the right people. In the current employment climate, we can no longer assume a job advert will get tons of interest and that we will be spoiled for choice!  Please make sure you are aware of the supports on offer and that you include them in your recruitment process.

• The Workforce Education has heaps of information to support current teachers and tumuaki/principals through the process of getting the right people into the right roles.
• The principal page has a useful doc  that includes instructions on how to identify those initiatives that your school is eligible for (WISP),  Relief teacher supply support, applying for LATs, the SOTP (applying for School Onsite Training Programme) and  the EDTT (Employee based teacher training).
• The WISP tool identifies those resources/ resourcing each school is eligible to support recruitment based on a number of significant parameters.  Each school has a personalised page and can access by entering their school’s name.
• The Kaupapa Māori | Māori Medium Employment Based Initial Teacher Education (EBITE) programme funding award is a 2-year teacher training initiative designed specifically to address the critical shortage of qualified teachers in immersions settings and teaching te reo Māori as a subject. Details can be found here. 2025 is closed, but schools can be planning for EBITE for 2026. 
• Schools interested in being part of the School Onsite Training Programme in 2026 can check out this page to get connected.
• You may also like to begin planning for 2026 recruitment -  There are 26 ITE providers in NZ and the list can be found here.. Consider developing relationships with these providers and hosting student teachers ( such as with U Waikato/Open Polytech/  Te Wānanga o Aotearoa/ WINTEC etc who have online programmes) .

As your leadership advisor,  I am here to help you with any of your leadership needs and/or to have a positive collegial conversation about “what’s on top”. Reach out any time. Kia pai te wiki.

 Ngā mihi

Amy Hacker

AP/DP Principals Update

Not sure if your AP's or Dp's have seen this but well worth sharing.

WPA Paid members

A reminder that if you are not on the list you have not paid your membership. This can be easily done through the WPA website link.

Few laughs and a giggle to start the week

WPA Business Partners 2025

I see Noel Leeming have been doing a great job supporting our local schools with great deals and offers. Congratulations to Juliet and the Te Kowhai team, gutted it was not a Hukanui win!

In all seriousness I had the privilege of working with Nat and the team to price new Hall white wear over the week. The NL team were brilliant, response, highly competitive and well informed.