Principals to Get More Support

Nova Scotia's school principals will be looking at ways to improve their role as educational leaders in their schools. More than 250 elementary school principals from across the province are wrapping up the first of three meetings today, May 10, in Halifax.

"Principals have a major influence on student performance," said Education Minister Jamie Muir. "But we recognize that operational demands and pressures often take priority. We want to help them balance their responsibilities and focus on being improved educational leaders. This meeting is the first step."

Principals in Focus meetings are being hosted by the provincial government. This is the first time the Department of Education has met directly with elementary, middle and senior high school principals as a group.

Heather Harris has been an administrator for 21 years and is the principal of Kingston and District Elementary School. She said principals spend a significant amount of time managing the operations of the school, rather than focusing on the direct needs of students.

"The amount of time I spend dealing with operational and managerial issues such as building cleanliness, fire and safety regulations, facilities management, and dealing with health issues, takes away from the time I can spend on student needs," said Ms. Harris. "I want to be able to focus on student achievement and this conference is a positive step toward that. It's really an opportunity for the department to see a typical day through my eyes."

During the two-day meetings, principals are being asked to think about their role, what could be done differently, and what support they need from the department and school boards to help them focus on leadership.

"We want principals to have the time and energy to make an even greater difference in student performance," said Mr. Muir. "We want to help them re-focus their time so they are better able to share their expertise in teaching and learning, and lead improvement in their school."

The Principals in Focus meeting for junior high school principals will be held May 24-25. The meeting for high school principals will take place May 26-27.