Top principals to get hiring and firing powers under Perrottet pledge
Principals at NSW’s best schools could be given the power to directly hire and fire teachers to boost standards. Here’s how it would work.
Education
Don't miss out on the headlines from Education. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Principals at our state’s best schools would be given the power to directly hire and fire teachers to boost standards if Dominic Perrottet is re-elected as Premier.
The radical changes to staffing arrangements would cut red tape to let principals choose the best teachers for their individual schools – and get rid of teachers who are underperforming.
The extensive powers would be given to 50 principals in the “Ambassador Schools Program” – which brings together the “best of the best” public schools.
Under existing hiring arrangements, half of all classroom vacancies are filled centrally by the department, giving principals little ability to choose teachers that suit the school.
Ambassador Schools would also have more power to performance-manage their staff locally rather than through the department.
The new staffing arrangements would be in place for three years.
Currently, only ten schools are members of the Ambassador Schools Program, but that will be expanded to 50 by the end of this year.
Schools already on the list, where principals are set to great more power to hire and fire, include Auburn North Public School, Cabramatta High School, Macarthur Girls High School, and Maroubra Public School.
Under the expanded program, 20 of these high-performing schools will partner with universities to directly facilitate placements for teachers undertaking a one-year Masters degree to upskill.
The Daily Telegraph can also reveal that a re-elected Coalition government would hold an annual “Schools Success Forum” which would become a new flagship school summit to drive innovation and best practice.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the staffing changes would give principals more power to hire staff that best align with the culture and values of their school.
“We are putting the power back in the hands of those who know best, giving our best principals greater autonomy to pick the right teachers for their school,” Mr Perrottet said.
He said the election commitment would give principals more freedom and flexibility “to achieve very best outcomes for their students”.
“This is all about cutting bureaucratic red tape so that our kids get the very best learning experience and can thrive at school,” he said.
Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said the Ambassador Schools Program is helping deliver better education for students across the state.
“Our nation-leading Ambassador Schools program has already proven a huge success, bringing together our best schools so we can learn from their methods to improve the entire education system,” Ms Mitchell said.
“This initiative will see greater resources and support directed towards placing the right staff in the schools where they are needed. This is on top of the additional teacher supply being added to NSW through the Teacher Supply Strategy.”
Join the conversation
What you need to know before you hire a tutor for your child
As more than four million Australian students get set to return to the classroom, tutors are already getting booked up fast with pupils keen to get a head start on their learning.
Read more
Behaviour expert’s old-school ‘script’ for classroom law and order
It’s a classroom configuration some school teachers still describe as “outdated”, but here’s why one of Australia’s leading behaviour experts believes there’s something to learn from the Victorian era of education.
Read more