Over the past 12 months, we have been developing new strategic initiatives, which will guide our work in 2008 and beyond. 

These initiatives place schools firmly at the centre and draw from growing research, which recognises the influence of leadership on improving student learning outcomes.

While schools are responsible for improving the learning outcomes, it is the collective responsibility of our system leaders to build capacity in instructional leadership and effective learning and teaching.

Next year, our Teaching Educators will work as K-12 teams alongside teachers in classrooms over a significant period of time to deliver quality Catholic schooling.  This flexible and sustained approach will allow teachers to remain within the learning space, doing what they do best – engaging with students.

One of strengths of this service model is the ability of Teaching Educators and Team Leaders to respond to the changing and individual needs of each school while continuing to support the professional learning of teachers through ongoing review, dialogue and collaboration across schools and networks. 

Team Leaders will also assume responsibility for ensuring a consistent and coherent response particularly in the early years of schooling, which will involve data gathering/analysis and the implementation of an intervention strategy based on sound theory and research.

The cornerstone to building a sustainable learning culture will be the willingness of teachers to work as teams; engaged in reflective practice and meaningful discussion on what is good learning and teaching.