Monday Mailing September 1st 2025

Few ramblings and thoughts from the Editor, Leo.

It's time for some good news, a spoonful of positivity, and some affirmation for Teaching.

A few months ago, I had the privilege to enjoy a coffee and a chat with Education Council Chief Executive Lesley Hoskin, who is an exceptionally sharp and astute leader, from whom I've learned a great deal. During this conversation, we discussed the dwindling numbers of teacher trainees and the changing community perceptions around teaching as a profession. It was at this time that she shared the key points below that have stayed with me, probably for all the wrong reasons.

1. In a recent survey undertaken, teachers were asked for their perceptions on how well they believed parents would rate teachers' impact upon communities as a career. The teachers' survey responses were horrific, with most believing parents (if asked), would see their worth poorly. 

2. Interestingly, the same survey then asked parents how they would rate teachers, and surprise, surprise, they ACTUALLY rated teachers in the top 3 most important careers.

This clearly and sadly highlights that most current teachers feel undervalued and under-appreciated, and their self-perceptions of their worth are not high. It also illustrates that most parents still highly value teachers, which is in stark contrast to teachers' beliefs.

The third thing Lesley highlighted was that the Education Council was about to embark on a media campaign to promote teaching as a profession.   Long overdue, and potentially the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.

Now, I have never admitted to being a rocket scientist or intellectual, but even I can tell from the teacher's perceptions, the falling numbers of trainees, and the EC's pending campaign, that something needs to be done more actively to promote teacher outcomes. This includes: addressing teacher well-being, status, retention, and aspiration.

I am also very mindful that teachers are currently being bombarded by curriculum updates, MOE announcements, and more pressure than at any other time that I can remember. Since the Election of the new Government alone and the appointment of the Minister, we (teachers) have been told we have:

• appalling rates of numeracy,
• falling rates of literacy,
• Concerning levels of attainment in Year 8 writing, (Can't wait for the Writing Action Plan),
• Poor literacy teaching practice and the need for 'Structured' programmes,
• Horrific attendance, which we need to fix,
• Serious NZCEA issues,
• A need to teach for an hour a day
• A need to get rid of 'Open Plan' classrooms
• A need to cut Te Ahu o te Reo Māori

On top of this, we have been told to;

• Implement a totally new curriculum
• Trial new SMART assessment tools
• Implement new Junior literacy assessments
• Utilise new math support tools eg. Numicon, Prime

My challenge response to the Government is that if you want better educational outcomes, how about you slow down, find ways to celebrate what schools and teachers do well, ensure that data and 'voice' used to drive decision making is contextually relevant, and very quickly figure out a way to make teaching an aspirational career again.  Happy teachers = better teaching and better learning.

I would also offer two constructive pieces of advice to the Minister that I learned in Social Psychology classes in the olden days (1988). The first was the notion of Self-Fulfilling Prophecy. If you tell someone (say.... teachers) they are failing and not doing well for long enough, they will perform accordingly. The second was around Pavlov's dog. Basically, if you feed something well, or regularly provide them with positives and affirmation, they will keep coming back for more! 

In short, wouldn't it be cool (olden days speak) to hear about teacher successes, innovations, celebrations, and schools where things are going well?  As the saying goes, 'A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down.'

PS I did get a C- for the Psychology course, so don't take anything I say too seriously.

WPA President -Lesley Lomas

Ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou katoa,

I hope your term is going well.  The term is definitely moving along quickly.

Next week, the New Zealand Principals' Federation Conference is being held in Wellington.If you are attending the conference, the WPA would like to invite you to meet at Ernesto's Bar and Restaurant on Monday 8th September at 5.30 pm.Ernesto's is situated at 1 Grey Street in Wellington Central.  We hope to see you there if you are in Wellington for the NZPF Conference.

A reminder that information about the WPA Study Tour to Singapore in 2026 is available in the WPA newsletter. 
Have a great week everyone.

Ngā manaakitanga,
Lesley

NZPF Elections- Waikato Representation Needed

As you are all aware, the NZPF Elections are currently underway, and voting opens tomorrow. As the Waikato Principals Executive, we would like to strongly encourage our principals to vote for our two local nominees, Geoff Booth and Nathan Leith. The goal is to ensure that we have a Waikato voice on the Federation. Something we haven't had for some time, and let's face it, our context and needs are quite different.

As highlighted in the previous edition of the Mailing, we would encourage you, on receiving your voting links, that you ONLY vote for Geoff and Nathan. Thus, ensuring your votes give these two principals the best chance of being elected.

Both gentlemen have strong local and national connections, and they have worked in a diverse range of contexts to support outcomes for students, schools, and principals.

Few professional readings, viewings and things you may have missed.

A letter stolen from a very smart principal down the road..... maybe worth sharing with your communities around why we are in negotiations at the moment.

Teaching in Crisis: Why Fewer People Are Signing Up

This week, as secondary teachers walk off the job, the nation will once again be reminded of the deep cracks running through our education system. And while critics point to pay packets, the truth is that the crisis in teaching goes far deeper.

Let’s deal with the numbers first. Here in the Waikato, just 84 student teachers are in their final year at Waikato University, down from more than 280 per year group a decade ago. Nationally, the same story plays out. First-time enrolments in Initial Teacher Education have fallen by around 28% since the mid-2000s. Back in 2014, new enrolments sat in the mid-4,000s, and in 2023 only 3,330 new graduates completed teacher training. The Ministry itself admits that in 2025, just 2,120 domestically trained teachers are expected to enter classrooms, nowhere near enough to replace the 11% of teachers who leave each year.

Ten years ago, when a teaching position was advertised, schools could expect upwards of 70 applications, including 30 or more from locally trained, qualified teachers. Today, we’re lucky to see 10. Relievers are nearly impossible to find, and too often classes are simply split, with students paying the price.

And let’s be clear: this isn’t just about salary. Teachers are leaving because the job has become unsustainable. Every day, teachers are expected to do more with less.

• Children arrive at school with increasingly varied and complex needs, and the resources to meet those needs have not kept pace.
• Not every school has a Learning Support Coordinator, and even where they exist, the scale of need far outweighs the help available.
• Teachers are often left to handle serious learning and behavioural challenges without adequate professional support.
• Many are even covering basic care needs, like toileting, because the system has failed to provide the specialised assistance our most vulnerable learners deserve.
• School readiness is declining, meaning teachers spend increasing amounts of time managing fundamental skills instead of focusing on learning.
• The current government is rolling out initiatives, new mandates faster than any other, with little thought about support, training, time, or impact.

When support systems fail, everything lands back on teachers. They are counsellors, social workers, nurses, speech therapists, behaviour specialists—and somewhere in between all that, they are supposed to be teachers. Is it any wonder that nearly half of new teachers leave within five years? The job has been stretched to breaking point, yet public debate continues to focus narrowly on pay rises “above inflation” as if this alone will solve the problem.

It won’t.

What we need is a serious national commitment to make teaching sustainable and attractive again. That means:

• Competitive pay that at least keeps up with inflation, so teachers don’t fall further behind each year.
• Proper investment in learning support, so teachers aren’t carrying the full weight of unmet needs.
• Real workload relief, including reduced contact hours for new teachers and protected non-contact time for all staff.
• Targeted investment in training, with scholarships and bonded placements to rebuild the domestic pipeline—so we’re not forced into crisis recruitment overseas.

The truth is simple: we don’t just lack teachers, we lack the conditions that make people want to become and remain teachers. Until we face that, the downward spiral will continue. Fewer trainees, more early exits, fewer relievers, bigger classes, and more burnout. It’s a vicious cycle, and the only people who lose more than the teachers are the children.

Teaching is still, at its heart, a profoundly rewarding profession. But unless we make it one that people can afford to do—and survive doing—we won’t have enough teachers left to give our children the education they deserve.

The Yin and Yang of Principalship – Balancing management & leadership

It may just be semantics to some, but I believe there is a key difference between management and leadership for school Principals.

Nobody could have said it better than Rear Admiral Grace Hopper (or “Amazing Grace” as she was called). 

She said “You manage things; you lead people.”

For principals, we have some key management responsibilities regarding finance, self-review, property, and personnel.

Within these managerial areas, we can also show real leadership, to ensure we are maximising our resourcing ($$ and time), to then be able to better lead our people, and ensure our staff and tamariki have the best possible resources.

Provisional Staffing 2026

This week’s topic relates to our provisional staffing for 2026, which is due to be received by mid-September (Fri 12^th Sept is the date we’ve been advised that the info will be on Pourato)

Many colleagues will be sweating on these notices, and given their importance, I will share some info both now and also in the next pānui once notices have been received.

 These notices will provide indicative staffing and funding entitlements for 2026.  

Note – funding will always increase/decrease based on roll returns, so it is better to base your initial budgets on your own conservative roll estimate.  I usually budget 5% lower than what my own prediction is, but then readjust this for the midyear budget review, once we have greater certainty over our roll numbers.

 The MOE calculates our provisional staffing as a predicted roll we will have by 10^th October 2026, by using Mar/July roll return figures, local trends etc.

 It is quite common for these provisional roll totals to be on the “low side,” and it is well worth the process to submit a provisional roll review.  More info about this in the next pānui.

 As part of your submission, you will need a list of confirmed 2026 pre-enrolments that includes name, start date, and MOE funding year level.  This can be challenging to know these names early in some areas, but try to be proactive here to ensure you know the names (e.g. visit ECEs, ensure you have all details of pre-school younger siblings etc).

WPA Connections Day and Study Tour 2026

WPA Executive recommends principals book now for the Term 4 Connections Day. Andrew Millar is a brilliant speaker and well worth the opportunity. We are also promoting the 2026 Study Tour to Singapore, which is definitely too good to miss! (see links and PDF below)

Senior Coach- Andrew Millar

Real. Relatable. Impactful.

As the lead coach here at Roar Coaching, Andrew operates with genuine care and a clever curiosity for understanding what makes you tick. He has a natural ability to work with individuals and teams to unlock potential, encourage deeper connections, and overcome challenging situations. Andrew gets a kick out of knowing he is making a difference.

Andrew navigates life with his wife Hana and their children Brigitta, Quinn, Darcy, and Zinzan. Together, they are proud to call Hamilton home.

Study Tour

https://www.wpa.ac.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/WPA-Principal-Delegation-Trip-to-Singapore.pdf 

Attached is the latest WPA Financial Members list.  If your name does not appear here, and you've also been able to attend our events throughout the year, we would greatly appreciate it if you could do your Waikato Principals’ Association 2025 subs.  Here is the link to our website.

Curriculum Road Show, Law and Education and Financial PLD Opportunities

Leading Learning

If you are ever looking for inspiration, leadership development or innovation, the crew at Leading Learning are well worth a chat. Having worked with the team, I can strongly endorse their expertise and my team would probably still suggest it is the best PLD opportunity they have had. This week, Mark has shared a small snippet on 'Monotasking' below.

Bonus: If you're looking for easy to view (or print) summaries of the teaching sequences from the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum, here are just the teaching sequences for:

• English (Years 1-6) and
• mathematics (Years 1-8)

For all other supporting notes (including teaching considerations) refer to the full curriculum documents, available on Tahūrangi.

Mark Osborne.

kiaora@leadinglearning.co.nz

Cale Birk, Andy Jones and an Observable Impact Opportunity

PAN-PACIFIC OBSERVABLE IMPACT (PPOI) NETWORK LEADERSHIP PROGRAM - YOUR INVITATION TO DEEPEN YOUR IMPACT!

Cale Birk and Andy Jones are currently looking for committed schools across the country to work alongside in 2026. Following the highly successful Principal Professional Learning Tour, which included the WPA Retreat in Rotorua in April this year, Cale and Andy will be assembling a New Zealand cohort to join their growing global network of learning leaders. This 12 month program of support and professional development is carefully designed to support leadership teams to make observable and explicit their impact across their learning community. To find out more about how your leadership team can become part of this innovate national school improvement initiative, please refer to the attached flyer.

andrewbrettjones@gmail.com 

A few laughs and a giggle to end

Here are a few of the things that made me smile over the past day or so. I then got sidetracked by a few 'epic fail' images that resonated with my day from hell on Tuesday.  I wonder if the adult pacifier thing is acceptable in NZ schools? I am an expert in spitting the dummy...

WPA Business Partners 2025