The Principals (Aotearoa | New Zealand)

Episode 44: Leading as Pasifika or in Pasifika realms

In this episode, we’re talking with two Pasifika principals and a non-Pasifika tumuaki leading a school with a high Pasikifa population about leading authentically, and things you can do to make sure your Pasifika ākonga feel seen and supported, along with the tools available to school yourself in the Pasifika realm.
Mārama’s guests are:
Jenny Bernard, principal of Otahuhu Primary School, Auckland
Karl Vasau, principal of Rowandale School in Manurewa, Auckland
Graeme Norman, principal of Te Kōmanawa Rowley School, Christchurch.
This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.
 
You can learn more by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz
 
The New Zealand Pasifika Principals’ Association (NZPPA) has its own podcast – search it up on your favourite platform.
 
Episode themes:
What it was like for Jenny and Karl as Pasifika ākonga in New Zealand.
Finding your identity as Pasifika.
The importance of names.
Leading as non-Pasifika, ways you can educate yourself on the culture and the community you’re in, and available PD to help you.
The importance of building up those around you as leaders, of letting people’s expertise and knowledge shine in your school.
Additional information
NZPPA - https://www.nzppa.co.nz/
 
Tautai o le Moana - https://www.tolm.co.nz/

Episode 43: Growing with confidence as tumuaki Māori

Kō ngā tahu ā ō tapuwai inanahi, hei tauira mō āpōpō
Leading an organisation as tumuaki Māori has its own unique challenges and opportunities. We often use the whakatauki Poipoia te Kākako kia pūawai to emphasise the importance of nurturing our tamariki, 
A pressing issue right now is how we’re nurturing our aspiring and new principals, in particular our young tumuaki Māori. How do we, as experienced and leading principals, curate leadership journeys that empower new and aspiring tumuaki Māori to last the challenges of the current day?
Mārama’s guests are:
Marissa Peters, Principal of Tarawera High School in Kawerau Eastern Bay of Plenty
Mikaere October, Principal of Trident High School, Whakatāne
Leanne Otene, President of New Zealand Principals’ Federation and Principal of 30 years of service this year.
This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.
 
You can learn more by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz
 
Episode themes:
What it was like to be tumuaki Māori in the 1990s and how it has changed
Learning that walking in both the pākeha and Maōri worlds is a strength, not a weakness
The importance of having good role models
The importance of knowing who you are and being authentic in that, of finding your voice and standing up for yourself and for your kura and tamariki

Episode 42: Being tumuaki Māori

Kō ngā tahu ā ō tapuwai inanahi, hei tauira mō āpōpō
Leading an organisation as tumuaki Māori has its own unique challenges and opportunities. We often use the whakatauki Poipoia te Kākako kia pūawai to emphasise the importance of nurturing our tamariki, 
A pressing issue right now is how we’re nurturing our aspiring and new principals, in particular our young tumuaki Māori. How do we, as experienced and leading principals, curate leadership journeys that empower new and aspiring tumuaki Māori to last the challenges of the current day?
Mārama’s guests are:
Marissa Peters, Principal of Tarawera High School in Kawerau Eastern Bay of Plenty
Mikaere October, Principal of Trident High School, Whakatāne
Leanne Otene, President of New Zealand Principals’ Federation and Principal of 30 years of service this year.
This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.
 
You can learn more by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz
 
Episode themes:
What it was like to be tumuaki Māori in the 1990s and how it has changed
Learning that walking in both the pākeha and Maōri worlds is a strength, not a weakness
The importance of having good role models
The importance of knowing who you are and being authentic in that, of finding your voice and standing up for yourself and for your kura and tamariki

Episode 41: Ensuring te reo thrives in kura

This episode continues discussing the challenges of recruiting te reo speaking kaiako, and the ways those challenges have been dealt with in the past, including hiring fluent freezing workers as LATs, along with ways to ensure te reo thrives in your kura.
 
Mārama’s guests are:
Robin Fabish, former tumuaki and current Leadership Advisor for the Ministry of Education
Nori Parata, tumuaki of Kahukuranui and Tolaga Bay Area school
 
This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.
 
You can learn more by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz
 
Show notes
Episode themes:
The employment of fluent te reo speakers from all walks of life to teach in schools under the Te Akatura programme, was probably one of the first and earliest recognition of the value of having native te reo speakers being trained to be teachers.
The importance of training, mentoring and support for these teachers.
The importance of learning te reo yourself, and of helping your kaiako learn to ensure the language thrives in your kura, and shows your Māori community you are genuinely committed
Ways to ensure your reo speaking kaiako don’t feel lonely, and that other teachers in your kura who speak another language feel they have a community too.
Our guests advice on wats to ensure te reo is strong in our schools.
 
Additional information
 
E-Bite programme https://workforce.education.govt.nz/principals-and-schools/local-employment-and-recruitment-support/kaupapa-maori-maori-medium-ebite-programme-funding-award
 
Employing LATS https://workforce.education.govt.nz/principals-and-schools/local-employment-and-recruitment-support/employing-someone-limited-authority-teach

Episode 40: Recruiting te reo speaking kaiako

This episode discusses the challenges of recruiting te reo speaking kaiako, and of creative ways of addressing the issue.
 
Mārama’s guests are:
Robin Fabish, former tumuaki and current Leadership Advisor for the Ministry of Education
Nori Parata, tumuaki of Kahukuranui and Tolaga Bay Area school
 
This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.
 
You can learn more by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz
 
Show notes
Episode themes:
The difficulties of recruiting all kaiako, and the particular challenge of recruiting te reo speakers, which is even greater in rural and remote areas. Relievers are an additional challenge.
The E-Bite programme, which allows fluent te reo speakers to be employed on a Limited Authority to Teach (LAT) while they get their teaching qualification.
Using kaiāwhina i te reo, kaitautoko i te reo, and kaiārahi i te reo in classes where you can’t find a te reo teacher, treating them like a beginning teacher and providing them with good support.
Employing a LAT might sometimes mean assisting someone to apply for the LAT and paying for the application and renewals to keep them on.
Ensuring that te reo speaking kaiako have everything they need to do the job, so ensuring there is adequate budget for all they need.
Using the knowledge of the tumuaki around you to help with questions you may have.
 
Additional information
E-Bite programme https://workforce.education.govt.nz/principals-and-schools/local-employment-and-recruitment-support/kaupapa-maori-maori-medium-ebite-programme-funding-award
 
Employing LATS https://workforce.education.govt.nz/principals-and-schools/local-employment-and-recruitment-support/employing-someone-limited-authority-teach

Episode 39: Opportunities and challenges of leading a school within te ao Māori

In this episode, Mārama discusses the challenges and opportunities of tumuaki Māori leading a school in an English-medium system.
 
Mārama’s guests are:
Robin Fabish, former tumuaki and current Leadership Advisor for the Ministry of Education
Tom Paekau, tumuaki of Te Kura o Tūtarawānanga Merivale School in Tauranga Moana.
 
This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.
 
You can learn more by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz
 
Show notes
Episode themes:
The inner challenges of following the directives you have to follow as tumuaki while still wanting to be pono to your own philosophy on education.
Your board can be your biggest support.
The importance of having mentors as a new tumuaki to help guide you through these challenges.
Remember schools do have a lot of autonomy, and that the Education Act says one of your primary roles as school leaders is giving effect to Te Tiriti.
 
Additional information
Dr Ann Milne https://www.annmilne.co.nz

Episode 38: Leading a school within te ao Māori

In this episode, Mārama Stewart discusses leading a school within te ao Māori through the lens of our guests’ own journeys through the education system in Aotearoa. 
Mārama’s guests are:● Robin Fabish, former tumuaki and current Leadership Advisor for the Ministry of Education● Tom Paekau, tumuaki of Te Kura o Tūtarawānanga Merivale School in Tauranga Moana. 
This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.
You can learn more by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz
Show notesEpisode themes:Ko te kai a te rangatira, he kōrero. Ko te tohu o te rangatira, he manaaki. Ko te mahi a te rangatira, he whakatira i te iwi.● Duality of having to thrive in two different worlds as tumuaki Maōri.● Importance of all tamariki having adults – kaiako and tumuaki - they can connect with and be inspired by to help them along in their educational journey.● Importance of making Māori ākonga feel connected to school, and what you can do to help that connection.● Understanding who to build relationships with as a new tumuaki, and the need for those relationships to be reciprocal.  
Additional informationDr Ann Milne https://www.annmilne.co.nz

Episode 37: Being tumuaki Māori in the early days of kōhanga reo

Kia hakatōmuri te haere whakamua: ‘I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past’
In this episode, Mārama continues the kōrero with her aunty, Ani Mohi (or Mrs Mohi to many), about her experiences as kaiako Māori, tumuaki Māori, and the beginnings of kura kaupapa Māori and kura ā iwi.
This episode is a personal tribute to those who walked before us, and a reminder that our stories — our whakapapa — are not just history, they are maps. They are a guide to help us reflect on your own leadership journey — where you’ve come from, who you carry with you, and what kind of future you want to help shape.
You can find more information about this topic in Looking after learning (part 4) of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - the Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules.
In this episode, we speak with:
Ani Mohi, Former Tumuaki of Te Kura Mana Māori o Maraenui
This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.
 
You can learn more by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz

Episode 36: Understanding our past: native schools and life for an ākonga Maōri in the 1950s and 60s

Kia hakatōmuri te haere whakamua: ‘I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past’
In this episode of The Principals Podcast, Mārama Stewart, tumuaki and former Leadership Advisor, sits down with someone incredibly special to her — her aunty, Ani Mohi (or Mrs Mohi to many), a proud Māori principal whose story continues to shape and inspire Mārama’s own journey. This kōrero spans generations as they reflect on Mrs Mohi’s journey through the education system — as a student in the 1950s and 60s, a teacher in the 1980s, and a principal in the 1990s and on.
In this episode, we talk about what it was like for her growing up in an era where te ao Māori had little or no place in the classroom. 
This episode is a personal tribute to those who walked before us, and a reminder that our stories — our whakapapa — are not just history, they are maps. They are a guide to help us reflect on your own leadership journey — where you’ve come from, who you carry with you, and what kind of future you want to help shape.
You can find more information about this topic in Looking after learning (part 4) of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - the Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules.
In this episode, we speak with:
Ani Mohi, Former Tumuaki of Te Kura Mana Māori o Maraenui
This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.
 
You can learn more by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz
 
Show notes
Episode themes:
Mrs Mohi’s experience of life at native school
Differences between native school and other English-medium schools
Resistance to racism
Slow emergence of some te reo and Māori culture in some schools
Teachers’ College in the 1970s.

Episode 35: Financial reporting for schools

In this episode, we’re continuing to talk about school budgets, and      we’re covering financial reporting and audits as well. Just a reminder that your school finance advisors are there to help – lean on them if you have questions about school finances.
 
My guests are:
Hannah Levy, Ministry of Education finance advisor – Otago/Southland
Mārama Stewart, former tumuaki and Ministry of Education leadership advisor
Adrian Edwards, Ministry of Education finance advisor.
 
This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.
 
You can learn more about this topic by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz
 
Show notes
Episode themes:
Don’t leave it too long to start working on your school’s budget. Don’t wait until you’ve seen all expenditure through to December. Start early.
If something unexpected happens and your budget is no longer accurate, you can reforecast. In some cases additional funding may be available, talk to your finance advisor about the issue.
Ensure you code spending correctly.
Look for budget variances over 10%.
If you start at a school and you can see the budget is in deficit, go to your finance advisor for advice.
If your monthly accounts are in good order year round, not only will you have fewer (or no) surprises, but the preparation time for the annual financial statements will be shorter.
It’s compulsory to follow the Kiwi Park model financial statements. You can find them on the MOE website (link below).
Audits aren’t just about the figures that appear in the financial statements. They also look at the policies and procedures and how the school operates in order to produce those figures.
 
Additional information
School annual financial statements https://www.education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/administration-and-management/school-annual-financial-statements#paragraph-5775
Funding and financials https://www.education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/funding-and-financials
 
Questions
 
0:38 [All] How long before it's due should you start working on a school's budget?
 
2:43 [Hannah] What happens to a school's budget if something unexpected happens? Like, you know, the boiler explodes, or something bigger where things have to pivot on really short notice. Can you re-budget? How does that work?
 
4:24 [Hannah] How much flexibility is there to move money around if there's a surplus in one area, and a deficit in the other?
 
5:12 [Hannah] What is variance analysis?
 
6:41 [Hannah] Do you need the variance analysis for the end of year accounts as well to help you tell the story?
 
7:03 [Hannah/Adrian] What happens if a school completely blows their budget?
 
9:12 [Adrian] How long before they're due should the tumuaki and the board start working on the annual report that includes the annual financial statements?
 
11:28 [Adrian] What do the annual financial statements have to contain?
 
12:48 [Adrian] And the principal isn’t expected to prepare the annual financial statements, the accountant does that?
 
16:08 [Adrian] What kinds of things does the audit checklist include?
 
16:50 [Mārama] When you were a tumuaki, what would you have looked at to get your head around a school's budget when you walked in the door? Would you have used the financial statements?
 
18:13 [All] What advice would you give new tumuaki about this kind of financial planning and budgeting and reporting part of running a school?