I teach at a primary school in Auckland. In many ways, my school is quite unique and seems to sit outside the norm. I will explore these issues following the steps recommended in the class notes.
SOCIO ECONOMIC STATUS its impact and the school's response:
My school is geographically located in an affluent suburb of Auckland. As far as decile ranking goes, it is a 'high' decile school.
However, the situation with my school is quite unique in that until quite recently, it had no zoning and was actually quite a small school as far as student numbers go.
This resulted in the school having students from many other not so affluent suburbs as well, which probably is what has prevented it from reaching the highest decile ranking. The school is also growing at an amazing rate which has resulted in a zoning policy to be introduced in 2015.
The students from lower or less advantaged SES seems to be very well contained within the school. They are low in numbers and can be supported through subsidies for stationery, a second hand uniform shop, exemptions from paying for school trips and other financial expectations. The school also has a hardship fund for SES families which is used at the Principal's discretions.
However, apart from financial assistance, there are other assistance available in the form of free, extra academic support for students needing it ( most of the children needing it seem to be from families battling financial hardship of some kind) which is evident in these words " Research indicates that children from low-SES households and communities develop academic skills more slowly compared to children from higher SES groups "(Morgan, Farkas, Hillemeier, & Maczuga, 2009)
A unique characteristic of our school is its transient student population. We are one of the most culturally diverse schools I have ever come across in my decades of teaching. At present the school proudly celebrates diversity with over 44 different nationalities.
The main ethnic groups are as follows:- NZ European/Pakeha 39%, Maori 10%, Chinese 11%, Korean 7%, Other European 6%, Indian 5%, Filipino 5%, Japanese 3%, Other Asian 2%, Latin American 2%, Middle Eastern 2%, Samoan 2%, Tongan 2%, African 2%, British/Irish 2%, Australian 1% and other groups less than 1% - Cook Island Maori, Fijian, Niuean, South East Asian, Sri Lankan and Vietnamese.
New migrants flock to the area and to our school. However, a big number of them then relocate due to job and housing related reasons. So, student turnover rate is high. I have had 5 new students in my class this term and have lost 4 last term!
This has an impact on the school community, its overall culture and on student achievement rate to some extent. Our ESOL class is brimming. And Literacy needs are high amongst the ESOL learners.
OVERALL SCHOOL CULTURE
I will refer to our school charter here and state the following to put things in context:
The following Principles will be the foundations of all curriculum decision making: High expectations, Treaty of Waitangi, Cultural Diversity, Inclusion, Learning to learn, Community engagement, Coherence, Future focus.
From my perspective, our school stands firm and true by the principles, especially those of
High expectation, Cultural Diversity and Inclusion. For a school with such ethnic diversity and high turnover rate, creating a climate of welcome and acceptance is very crucial.
This echoes from the Principal, through to teachers and office staff and finally down to each student in every classroom. It is an explicit expectation that every new child is made to feel a part of the school family. Every new child is acknowledged at school assemblies and every leaving child farewelled.
The expectation to strive for excellence is embedded in the values promoted by the school as well.
PROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENT
It was with interest and happiness that I looked at the 10 influencing cultural norms by Stoll and Fink (cited in Stoll, 1998)
Since the start of last year, my school has started revising the school charter in keeping with the growth and change we are undergoing. All teaching staff and management have been involved in brainstorming, ideating, sharing , creating and contributing to shared visions and goals and have come up with the following:
Our Vision: A community of connected, life-long learners. Proud to be different. Proud to make a difference.
We have been undergoing extensive PLD to enable greater student agency and to encourage a growth mindset in both learners and teachers.
ANY CURRENT ISSUES that need addressing:
So far, I have focussed on all the positives. But to be realistic, no school or no COP for that matter is without its issues. Ours seem to be a dis balance in expectations between what teachers should take on board and what is realistically possible. We are heading towards a new, futuristic learning model. We are getting a new building and more technology and lots of PLD. But, the feeling is growing that too much is being thrown at us too fast.
There needs to be time to synthesise, assimilate and even pick and choose. To implement, critique, to chop and change.
At the receiving end of any dysfunction, would be our learners. Burnt out or stressed out teachers are not the most effective to maintain a high standard of expectation out of themselves or their learners.
On reflection, I would ask is it possible to do too much in too big a rush for the sake of progress?
Which one is less desirable, little or no change resulting in stagnation or too much change in too little a time frame resulting in confusion and a sense of overwhelm?!
Any comments most welcome.
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