Welcome to GAIA

Education Services

School Renewal

THINKING STRATEGICALLY

"Learning in organisations means the continuous testing of experience, and the transformation of that experience into knowledge – accessible to the whole organisation, and relevant to its core purpose."

(Peter Senge, (1990) The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organisation)

Gaia Education Services advocates a sustainable future through the primacy of the earth, primacy of life. How is this to be achieved?

During the past decade and now into the 21^st Century educational reform has and continues to be the burning issue. As it should be because education is the gateway to the future. If we adopt the new worldview and are concerned about whole school development and sustainable futures then we need to re-conceptualise leadership. As schools begin to realign themselves to reflect the primacy of the earth and all that sustains it, the focus on leadership becomes an urgent priority. The traditional views on leadership need to be challenged if we are to address the issues surrounding social and economic sustainability.

The main problem facing our schools today is not that we have teachers who are poorly trained or students who are lazy and disinterested, rather, it is that schools operate largely out of a model that is no longer relevant in meeting the needs of present and future schooling. We require a different kind of school in this knowledge age where schools do not focus on mass production and uniformity, but on the learner and their specific needs, providing each individual student with the best education possible.

If you accept the assumption underpinning the new model of schooling that classroom learning needs to be more student (participant) centered and process centered then there is an assumption that the organisation itself, its leadership, reflects this same paradigm shift to a participant, growth centered organization.

New bridges of understanding leadership that is life centered, collegial and humanising need to be constructed so that strategic thinking becomes the tool for quality whole school development. Thus, allowing the emergence of more credible, and open processes in working with and supporting staff that will become integral to the strategic management plan of the school.

GES offers itself as a partner to any school community who is walking the school renewal agenda in this new environment. GES can support school communities who view school renewal as a community driven approach, which over time will lead to improved educational outcomes. This renewal process involves the following strategies:

• Induction and Mentoring programs for new and continuing school leaders,

• Induction and mentoring for new and beginning staff,

• Staff appraisal and accreditation,

• Vision and Mission,

• School audit,

• Developing the school strategic plan.

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Last modified: 01/16/06