Blog feedLeading Learning: The Role of the Education Authority
November 20th, 2008
Today I had the great pleasure of attending the annual conference of ADES – the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland. Why was I there? This year, ADES are moving their online community into Glow, and today saw the launch of their National Glow Group. As of today, all Directors of Education in Scotland have access to a National Glow Group for them to discuss, collaborate and share – and from the word ‘go’, they did just that.
The conference keynote was delivered by Prof. Richard Teese – not live in person, but live via Glow Meet. He’d very generously agreed to deliver the keynote speech for the conference from his study (at 2am his time) to those gathered on the other side of the world to hear him. Prof. Teese is always challenging in his observations. He raised many important questions in light of the OECD report, and called those present to think critically about some of the challenges facing Scottish education. Two of his challenges for those present leaped out at me – to strengthening student engagement and to improving satisfaction with school – how would the directors of education envisage working towards achieving this?
No sooner had Prof. Teese finished speaking than the members of ADES set about discussing the points he raised – in a discussion forum in Glow. They now have collated responses to some of his questions, and set many new questions of their own to ask him. Those present seemed to appreciate what can easily be taken for granted – the ability to see the questions and responses from people seated at other tables instantly collated in the one place for all ADES members to see.
What a great start to the ADES Glow Group. An international speaker of high reputation joining by Glow Meet, and discussion in the Glow group. What a great example for us all of how we can share our ideas for Scottish education across the country.
Some people might automatically assign anything which comes from their LA as a ‘top-down’ approach.
Just a thought…
Hopefully as a result of using Glow they can share the vision and be inspired to take Glow forward facilitating the adequate amount of staff and the all important ‘time’ factor that is needed.
Jaye – ‘Leading Learning’ refers to the title of the ADES conference. I’m curious about the role of ‘director’ and ‘leader’ though? Traditionally, the role of director would provide strategic leadership – do you think this is no longer necessary? What if the message from the ‘top down’ was that we can all be leaders in our own right, and to highlight the good practice they see in their work? I’d be wary of the director becoming little more than an administrator?
Lynne – I hope they did get a good idea of what Glow can do for them both in their local authority and in collaboration nationally. My colleagues Bruce Murray and Karen-Ann MacAlpine were delivering seminars on the Friday morning showing what Glow can do, so I hope these had the impact they needed.
As to GLOW, I know from my own presentation to the SLC chief exec and his corporate management group that the directors will all welcome GLOW in principle – it’s the realisation of what’s actually possible under current financial circumstances, or what is realistic and has worked in schools, particularly secondary schools (so that kids coming up from the primaries have their expectations met) that, I would humbly suggest, needs to be a central plank of the work you at LTS/RM do in such environments. It’s important that corporate management groups are under no illusions that they will get what they are prepared to pay for…
The only way in my mind to achieve what you alude to is through ‘findability’ online. In the present financial climate we need a way to ensure that resources are shared and accessible, and that investment is in the right places. It’s important for CMTs to realise exactly what you suggest – I would argue that now would be the perfect time for them all to look critically at what each other is developing and be prepared not to duplicate (as happens all the time in Scottish education), but to collaborate and share for the good of all?
I agree with Jaye’s description of her interpretation of “leading from behind”, its emphasis on “bottom up” development, and the importance of an awareness of realistic expectations.
I think that a key aspect of the Director’s job is to listen to those in the classroom, not just QIOs and management and to reflect those views to Elected Members who are ultimately in conrol of how taxpayers’ money is distributed. Directors need to convince Elected Members that investment, not in woolly “Education” but in retaining and enhancing real people’s skills and providing and encouraging appropriate CPD will save money in the longer term, at the same time closing the gap we are all so aware of, and creating opportunity for many more of our youngsters. They need to look very carefully at how “best value” is measured and again, listen, in some cases much more than at present, to teachers, parents and pupils.
Directors are very powerful as a group. They are the ones who can and should say “No” to Government, instead of, as seems to happen at the moment, pressure and stress being handed on down the line, resulting in Head teachers, the personal link between the demand and the people who have to carry it out, being faced with intolerable stress.
Hopefully Glow will facilitate a real collaboration that will give Directors of Education a united voice and the opportunity for the creativity we so need in all of our leaders.
I know there is so much good stuff going on up and down Scotland and would love to be able to access it more – and of course I’ve always been more than willing to have open access to the work that I’m doing in GLOW..
Perhaps the time is right for LA’s to ‘cluster’ and support/share with each other. Might this be a first step in the direction of wider collaboration ? and should this start from the bottom in the way that Katie Barrowman and I were briefly discussing on twitter a couple of weeks ago?
A very basic example to bring theory down to reality. I was trialling the use of a visualiser with my class, (sadly returned to owners now.) I think you, Jaye, also got one via the Time Lord Ewan? I know that because I’m a blogger. How could our Authorites could have linked us, so we could share our findings and ideas? And there must be other teachers in other authorities doing the same…
I suppose Glow will facilitate this but only if someone thinks to set up, in this case, a Visualiser Users Glow Group, AND someone thinks to search for it…
Thanks for your help at the conference. It is good to see some reactions already to the confernce theme. It is maybe worth observing that the title was about the role of the Education Authority and not the role of Directors. The Authority encompasses all of the employees of a Council as well as the elected members. One of the issues of course is how much authonomy should be accorded to local government, schools and ndividuals and how will they be accountable.
Much of the conference was about what can be achieved collectively and the benefits which derive from enlisitng the range of talents and services which exist in councils to support a curriculum for excellence.
It is an agenda which exends beyond schools and the school day.Glow itself is a pointer to the exciting possibilities which are emerging for learning.
It was great to see so many ADES members engaging with Glow at the conference.