IPPN

E-scéal 8: Website / Supply Teacher Scheme / New Zealand Principal Study Visit

Published: 05 April 2003

Web Site

www.ippn.ie has recently been upgraded to enhance the quality of service it provides to members. In line with IPPN's policy regarding distribution of our newsletter, certain key sections of our web site are now accessible only to current subscribed members. When the new site was launched there were a few technical difficulties, one of which indicated that the password was incorrect or that your school was not a current member. These technical glitches have been "ironed out" and I now encourage you to look at the new site with its new added features. To assist you in accessing the Members Only Sections please note the following points re Password and Roll Number.

Roll Number
Please enter your Roll No - each roll number must have five digits followed by a capital letter with no spaces.

If your roll number is: 1132V please type: 01132V
If your roll number is: 15484j please type: 15484J
If your roll number is: 13576 K please type: 13576K
Please note that a capital 'O' cannot be replaced by the number zero (0)
in the same way as a capital 'I' cannot be replaced by the number one (1)

Password
The password for access to this website is the four digit number which was sent to you by a recent email. If you have mislaid this number please enter your roll number as per instructions above and click 'forgot password' button. Your password will then be sent to you on the E-mail address, which you provided in the IPPN Membership application form.

Supply Teacher Scheme

The DES have commenced a review of the existing supply teacher scheme which serves 212 schools nationally with 60 permanent supply teachers at 17 base schools. IPPN has been requested to submit its opinions and proposals regarding the future of the supply teacher scheme. In order to formulate our submission, we would like to hear from principals / DPs who have direct experience of the supply teachers scheme having availed of the service or acting as a base school. If you are in a position to assist IPPN in this regard please forward details of your experience of the scheme to date, your opinions of the service and any proposals you would suggest for its future development. Please send your feed back to info@ippn.ie with "Supply Teacher Scheme" in the subject line. Please provide complete contact details to facilitate further discussion if required.

New Zealand Principal

A principal teacher from a New Zealand primary school will be in Ireland this May on a study visit. The individual in question is interested in visiting a variety of schools of varying size, location and type. You will be aware from previous contact that a number of principals from England, New Zealand and Australia have been in Ireland and visited schools through contacts provided by IPPN. If you would like to facilitate a short visit to your school at a time and date of your convenience please contact our office at info@ippn.ie with International Principal Visits in the Subject Line. Please quote your Roll Number in your reply to facilitate accessing details of your school.

Is mise le meas,

Seán Cottrell
Director

E-scéal 7: Professionalism - Putting Policy Into Practice

Published: 01 April 2003

The Title of this year's Conference was 'Professionalism - Putting Policy into Practice'.
The HayGroup Report "Defining the Role of the Primary Principal in Ireland" was launched at the Conference. A copy of this report is being posted to every school. Download the report below.

In the context of this Report by HayGroup Management Consultants, IPPN recognised that the important issue of In-School Management needed to be critically reviewed.

A Sub-Committee prepared this position paper - "In-School Management - A Critical Review 1997-2003", to examine those issues that needed to be addressed to maximise the potential of the existing In-School Management structures for the benefit of all involved in primary education. (This sub-committee was led by Pat Kavanagh, Wexford).
"In-School Management - A Critical Review 1997-2003", will be submitted to the DES, Management Bodies, and the INTO.
It is essential that any review of the In-School Management should involve IPPN in a meaningful way.

This report is also attached below.

Principals and Deputy Principals are invited to reflect on this document and to convey their comments to the IPPN by post or e-mail (ref "ISM").

Tuismitheoirí agus Teagaiscoirí Le Chéile - TLC

TLC - Parents and teachers working together to secure immediate and adequate funding for primary school building projects and facilities.

DIARY NOTE!
TLC Press Launch in the Mansion House, Dublin - Wednesday 12th February 2003 at 8PM.

Guest Speakers are Tom Hyland of the East Timor Solidarity Campaign. John Carr, General Secretary of the INTO, Fionnuala Kilfeather, Chief Executive Officer of NPC, Fr. Dan O'Connor, CPSMA, Archdeacon Swan, Church of Ireland Board of Education, John Curran, IPPN, John Rowe, Educate Together.
Representatives from Islamic Foundation of Ireland, Gaelscoileanna, NAMBSE. and the Jewish Education Community also attending.

CONTACT DETAILS
Maria Moore	087 776 0975
Deva Nevin	086 235 0386
Noeleen Conboy	01 626 5431
Gareth Edge	01 451 0001
Ritchie Cotter	01 282 5213

Is mise le meas,

Seán Cottrell
Director

E-scéal 6: In-School Management - A Critical Review 1997-2003

Published: 30 January 2003

The Title of IPPN Conference 2003 was 'Professionalism - Putting Policy into Practice'.

In the context of the Report by HayGroup Management Consultants "Defining the Role of the Primary Principal in Ireland", IPPN recognised that the important issue of In-School Management/Post of Responsibility needed to be critically reviewed.

A Sub-Committee prepared this position paper - "In-School Management - A Critical Review 1997-2003", to examine those issues that needed to be addressed to maximise the potential of the existing In-School Management structures for the benefit of all involved in primary education. (This sub-committee was led by Pat Kavanagh, Wexford).

The report has been submitted to the DES, Management Bodies, and the INTO. It is essential that members of IPPN have an opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way to the review of In-School Management.

Principals and Deputy Principals are invited to reflect on this document and to convey their comments to IPPN by post or e-mail (Subject Line Re: "I.S.M.") to info@ippn.ie. Your feedback is requested by March 31st 2003 and the document may be downloaded in MS Word format by clicking here.

Is mise le meas,

Seán Cottrell
Director

E-scéal 5: Motions For INTO Congress

Published: 15 January 2003

By now you will have received your copy of Tacaíocht 3 which addresses several key issues for Principals and Deputy Principals. You will be aware that IPPN as a professional association, cannot process issues relating to pay and conditions on behalf of our members. With this in mind we are suggesting that Principals and Deputy Principals use the only structures available to them i.e. to submit motions to their local branch of the INTO, for annual congress next Easter. Included are some suggested motions, which address certain key issues in this area:

Congress demands that all school staff members, teachers, ancillary and part-time, should count (a) towards the point where an administrative principal is appointed and (b) should count in reckoning release days for principals and deputy principals.
Congress demands that the allowances for principals and deputy principals be increased significantly to reflect the increased responsibility in managing whole school staffs, which now consist of teachers, ancillary and part-time members
Congress demands that an agreed procedure to allow principals to step down after seven years, without loss of allowance, should be put in place as soon as possible.
Congress demands that the CEC negotiate a separate salary scale for principals and deputy principals where the minimum allowance for a principal teacher is greater than the allowance of any deputy principal.
Congress demands that there be an agreed hourly allowance for overtime and that there be agreed system to recoup expenses for school related activities.

I hope you will see the importance of using this opportunity to raise this important area of concern through the appropriate channels.

Is mise le meas,

Seán Cottrell
Director

E-scéal 4: Tacaíocht 3

Published: 10 January 2003

Key Issues in recruiting & retaining Principals - INTO

See attached document "Tacaíocht 3"

Mentors Required for Newly Appointed Principals

Almost 200 new principals have been appointed to primary schools this year. Requests to IPPN for mentoring support from newly-appointed principals have grown considerably reflecting the huge challenge facing teachers when appointed to school leadership for the first time. In order to meet this increased demand for mentoring services, IPPN has initiated a mentoring scheme in each of our 26 county networks. IPPN wishes to hear from Principals in each county who are willing to help mentor a first-time Principal.

The Department of Education and Science initiated the Leadership Development for Schools programme (LDS) in 2002 to provide comprehensive induction, training and support for school leaders at primary and post-primary level. Part of LDS's function will involve the establishment of a mentoring programme for school principals. At primary level, IPPN has been working closely with LDS - sharing experience of our existing mentoring programme - with a view to providing a comprehensive and effective mentoring service nationally which will meet the professional needs of each newly appointed principal.

Principal teachers with 3 or more year's experience, when appointed as mentors, will be offered training and guidance by LDS to help them fulfil their role. Through our structure of 26 county networks, a mentoring organiser will then match each mentor with a newly appointed principal.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please contact the IPPN office at: 1890 21 22 23, e-mail: info@ippn.ie, or write to: Mentoring Service, IPPN, Glounthaune, Co. Cork.