How school leadership rose to the Covid-19 challenge (December 2020)
Summary| 2 min read
How school leadership rose to the Covid-19 challenge (December 2020)
Covid-19
10 December 2020
Summary:
Principals and school leaders have taken on a lot of responsibility during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Education Review Office interviewed principals and board chairs and surveyed 1777 principals across the country from May through to September 2020 to understand how they have responded. This summary highlights how those school leaders rose to the challenge.
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has caused significant disruption to schools in New Zealand, with principals and school leaders taking on a lot of responsibility. The Education Review Office interviewed principals and board chairs and surveyed 1777 principals across the country from May through to September 2020 to understand how they have responded.
It is clear from this research that school leaders have gone above and beyond to meet studentsâ needs and the needs of their whÄnau. The evidence shows that they have:
brought communities together and strengthened connections
supported teachers to do their jobs
been resilient whilst shouldering more responsibility.
There have been significant challenges for school leaders to overcome. This short research excerpt shares the key findings and examples of good practice of how school leadership has responded across New Zealand to Covid-19.
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has caused significant disruption to schools in New Zealand, with principals and school leaders taking on a lot of responsibility. The Education Review Office interviewed principals and board chairs and surveyed 1777 principals across the country from May through to September 2020 to understand how they have responded.
It is clear from this research that school leaders have gone above and beyond to meet studentsâ needs and the needs of their whÄnau. The evidence shows that they have:
brought communities together and strengthened connections
supported teachers to do their jobs
been resilient whilst shouldering more responsibility.
There have been significant challenges for school leaders to overcome. This short research excerpt shares the key findings and examples of good practice of how school leadership has responded across New Zealand to Covid-19.
School leadership has played a key role in bringing communities together to respond to Covid-19
Highlights included:
Eight out of 10 teachers felt their school had respondedâŻeffectively. In a quarter of schools, leaders explicitly reported that they were proud of the way their communities had come together in a crisis and that the experience had had benefits in terms of building connections.
âOur caretaker dropped off desks and chairs to students that requested them with the tractor all around our village.â â Teacher
Highlights included:
Eight out of 10 teachers felt their school had respondedâŻeffectively. In a quarter of schools, leaders explicitly reported that they were proud of the way their communities had come together in a crisis and that the experience had had benefits in terms of building connections.
âOur caretaker dropped off desks and chairs to students that requested them with the tractor all around our village.â â Teacher
Leaders supported teachers through lockdown and afterwards and stepped in when needed to help resolve issues with their students
Highlights included:
Three quarters of teachers felt supported by their colleagues and seven out of 10 felt their school leaders had supportedâŻthem to resolve challenges related to student learning.
âIn terms of leadership, the greatest challenge was how to make really good decisions for everyone⌠managing everyoneâs needs. Wellness, being kind and caring were a focus.â â Principal
Highlights included:
Three quarters of teachers felt supported by their colleagues and seven out of 10 felt their school leaders had supportedâŻthem to resolve challenges related to student learning.
âIn terms of leadership, the greatest challenge was how to make really good decisions for everyone⌠managing everyoneâs needs. Wellness, being kind and caring were a focus.â â Principal
Boards of Trustees supported principals to make the decisions they needed to make
Highlights included:
Three quarters of teachers felt their board had effectively supported the school during Covid-19.
"I think we were very fortunate with our board. We were all there supporting each other, and all decisions were collective decisions." â Principal
Highlights included:
Three quarters of teachers felt their board had effectively supported the school during Covid-19.
"I think we were very fortunate with our board. We were all there supporting each other, and all decisions were collective decisions." â Principal
Principals have been resilient, despite having to shoulder a lot more responsibility during the Covid-19 pandemic
Highlights included:
Two thirds of principals felt happy at work and when asked, in September, the majority of principals were feeling positive about the rest of the school year.
âEveryone is sitting on my shoulders so I can't afford to fallâŻoverâŻor everyone falls over.â â Principal
âŻThis summary is an early release from this research. ERO will release the full findings from its Learning in a Covid-19 World research programme early in the new year. This will include the impact Covid-19 has had on students, teachers and principals and the practical actions school leaders can take in 2021 to support students, whÄnau, and teachers with the ongoing challenges of Covid-19.
Highlights included:
Two thirds of principals felt happy at work and when asked, in September, the majority of principals were feeling positive about the rest of the school year.
âEveryone is sitting on my shoulders so I can't afford to fallâŻoverâŻor everyone falls over.â â Principal
âŻThis summary is an early release from this research. ERO will release the full findings from its Learning in a Covid-19 World research programme early in the new year. This will include the impact Covid-19 has had on students, teachers and principals and the practical actions school leaders can take in 2021 to support students, whÄnau, and teachers with the ongoing challenges of Covid-19.
Copyright
Except for the Education Review Office's logo used throughout this report, this copyright work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence. In essence, you are free to copy, distribute and adapt the work, as long as you attribute the work to the Education Review Office and abide by the other licence terms. In your attribution, use the wording 'Education Review Office', not the Education Review Office logo or the New Zealand Government logo.Â
Except for the Education Review Office's logo used throughout this report, this copyright work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence. In essence, you are free to copy, distribute and adapt the work, as long as you attribute the work to the Education Review Office and abide by the other licence terms. In your attribution, use the wording 'Education Review Office', not the Education Review Office logo or the New Zealand Government logo.Â
