Principal for a Day
Participants' Feedback
There are several different mechanisms for participants' feedback: our forums are a very important part of the program.
Forums
Participants’ Surveys
The forums enable the participants to:
- Talk about his/her unique personal experiences on the day in the school.
- Listen while others talk, to gain an overview of the diverse range of experiences, and therefore the diversity in government schools in Victoria.
- Discuss similarities, compare differences and clarify understandings with key education leaders in attendance.
- Suggest ideas for further action either as an individual or for the group or the program.
Principal of Wheelers Hill Primary School Debbie Mierisch shares her thoughts with Principal For A Day Gabriel Gaté, and others, at the 2005 5th Birthday Feedback Forum.
These forums are facilitated by highly respected and well-known interviewers/broadcasters. Gael Jennings and Tonya Roberts very generously donated their services as Feedback Forum facilitators.
Key leaders in Victorian education also attend the Feedback Forum.
Principals‘ Feedback
The Principals‘ Feedback listed a host of benefits: to the school principal, the school itself, the staff and students, public education and to the business/community leader. The three major themes which emerged are:
- Comparing management and leadership perspectives; appreciating the generic nature of leadership skills
- The Principal For A Day’s interaction with students and staff (teaching and non-teaching); involving him/her in the day to day as well as the ‘big picture’ school happenings
- Being able to update an interested community leader as to the benefits of State education and to the opportunities being provided to children in our schools.
Summary of benefits provided in the Principals’ Feedback
Business/community leaders’ Feedback
Principal For A Day at Fawkner Secondary College David Poulton, Partner, Minter Ellison Lawyers.
100% of the business/community leaders met formally with the Principal, the staff ie both teaching and support/welfare staff and the students
99% of the Principals For A Day met and/or worked with students in classrooms.
Among a wide range of other activities, the “Principals For A Day” met with parents, did yard duty or canteen duty, sat in on planning and leadership meetings, toured school facilities and special programs, and participated in debates and student forums.
In priority order, the business/community leaders reported that the most meaningful aspects of their visits were:
- Interaction with the students
- Taking a class
- Discussions about possible career paths with students
- Understanding how a school operates
- Observing the interaction between students and staff
- One-on-one discussions with the principal regarding leadership issues
- Understanding school welfare and cultural challenges
- Meeting with and learning from the Principal
- Participating in student presentations/assemblies
- Understanding the similarities between schools and businesses
Other memorable experiences mentioned were:
- The pride of students and the Principal in their school
- Understanding the demands placed on the principal and administrative staff
- Playing the recorder for the kids!
- Watching the preps working on the computers and the Grade 5 and 6s asking clever questions
90% of the business/community leaders would like an on-going relationship with the school where they visited.