Managing Complaints pro-actively

Managing Complaints

NZSTA Annual Conference 2016

Carol Anderson

We all have to deal with complaints in some shape or form which is not always an easy task. Start with the Procedure for Dealing with Concerns and Complaints at School.  If people have been through the complaints process and are not satisfied, they will talk about it outside of the school.  They will look at a range of other avenues such as Ministry etc.

The current complaints environment:

There has been an increase in the number of written complaints.  There is currently no specialist body who handles educational complaints.  Some are through the Ombudsman.  More legal challenges to Board decisions. If procedures are not followed, there is usually a case for complaint.  

Is is easier to submit complaints.  Often these are made before talking things through or having calmed down.  There is a blur in the line between the verbal and written complaints.  Email interactions have minimised face to face communication and personalisation.  People are more stressed.  Some over compensation may occur.  There is an increased sense that Education is important.  Perception that complaints will be handled quickly.  

Tips for staff:

As Board, your responsibility is to take care of staff.  The Principal is responsible for managing conflict.  There are varying degrees of how skilled principals are at dealing with conflict.

CARP-Control, Acknowledge, Refocus, Problem solve.  

Control your initial emotional defence.

Acknowledge the complainant and let off steam

Refocus the conversation

Problem Solve

DON"T:

DO:

Principals and teachers can sometimes talk to parents as if they are children.  Behaviour may be an issue but the time may not be right to discuss.  Prioritise student safety.  

Anger and aggression are not the same.  

Do not express opinions straight away.  Record complaint and investigate.  Never attack, accuse or belittle a complainant.  

Principal should bear the brunt of complaints as it is their job to keep staff safe and Boards job to keep the Principal safe.

Natural Justice Obligations:

Give Notice   Give Information   Give Opportunity to be Heard   

Demonstrate Independence   Give Reasons

Section 23...give reasons for decisions

Resistent complainant:

Two things...behaviour and issue.  Make sure the issue is what gets focussed on not the behaviour.  Complaint may be reasonable, conduct may be unreasonable.  

Unfriendly acts:

Official Information Act:

Trespass Act:

Complaints register...

Dr Paul Wood

Doctor Paul Wood

Doctor of Psychology

What's your prison?  

Born Free...

Compare down rather than compare up

Self defeating beliefs

Purpose driven people at conference

Self monitoring task...see how often you use should.  If it's enhancing, use it...if not...lose it.

I'm no _____ enough...most common self defeating thought people have.

Duck on the lake analogy

Good or bad emotions?  Emotions are neutral but society tells us they are good or bad.  Pleasant or unpleasant?  It is about the situation and what you do with the emotions.  

Lie flat when experiencing difficult emotions. 

Think about some thought that causes you distress.  Keep it for ten seconds.  Then think about it with a crazy cartoon voice.  It tells us it is just a thought.  Gives us some space ansd become less sucked in.

I notice I am having the thought that...

Screen zoom in and out...change the font etc.

Sing the thought you are having to the tune of happy birthday.  

Use opportunities and see if these strategies help you be a little less focussed on it.

Choose to break out of ...personal courage...the ore you exercise it, the easier it gets and it gets stronger.  Growth mindset or fixed mindset?   Carol Dwerik

The fight best won are the ones with allies.  Not everybody will support you, but some will be your greatest allies.  

Character fitness needs exercise.  It's about progress not perfection.  How heavy is the glass?  Depends how long you hold it for.  That is what stress and pressure are like.  Prolonged stress and pressure...politeness slips from relationships.  Be the best version of yourself as possible.  Do things that enable you to deal with stress and pressure.  Needs to be something that gets you out/in of the moment.  Be deliberate about putting the glass down.  

The stuff between ears are what holds us back.

Believe change is possible

Turn dreams into goals.

Be prepared to work for it

Keep it real

Nanny's Korero

Nanny's Wisdom

Haere mai, everything is ka pai.  

Nanny shared with us again on our last day of the NZSTA Conference.  As usual, she had us laughing throughout.  Today she had a korero with the conference attendees.

Some messages that came through:

If you are talking to a Māori and they criticize your pronunciation, you are talking to the wring Māori.  It is up to all of us to support each other.

Harness the fire so it doesn't burn out of control.  Think out of the box.  

Help everybody to understand...bridge the gap.  

Nanny's tips:

We have some Māori words that have become Pakeha words.  When we use these, we are caretakers of the language and help normalise it.

Rangatira...raranga to weave, tira group of people.  Be a weaver of people.  You are Ranagatira.

Create your own culture within your school.

It's not only Māori who are the caretakers of Māori.  Grow as on nation not one people. You can control the culture in your school.

The Treaty of Waitangi

The Treaty of Waitangi and School Governance

NZSTA Annual Conference 2016

CORE Education

How do our local stories impact our kura?  

What is important?  Tūpuna, pakeke, tamariki, mokopuna.

Taiao, whenua,wāhi tapu.

The past, the present, the future.

Purpose: Enable trustees to better understand the Treaty;emphasise the responsibility and potential that boards have in ensuring ...

Treaty Questions~As a Board, ask ourselves and discuss...

What do you know about the Treaty?

Where did you learn this information?

What/who has influenced your current views on the Treaty?

1830s:  Māori population was higher than non-Māori, but there was:

*An increasing number of Europeans who wanted to settle

*Pressure form rangatira to regulate land sales

*Declaration of Independence in 1835 which led to the Treaty of Waitangi

6 February, Waitangi 1840 the Treaty was born. 

Article 1: Kāwanatanga

Article 2: Ranagtiratanga

Article 3: Ōritetanga

Article 4: Māori customs shall be protected

Need to understand Whānau, hapū, Iwi and Rangatira as these networks are strong.  

Why is the Treaty important for all New Zealanders?

*Political agreement which is mutually beneficial for Māori and tauiwi (everybody else).

*Māori who signed the Treaty, 

"Māori achieving educational success as Māori." Ka Hikitia, Hautū, ERO, Tau Mai te Reo, Teacher criteria

We want kaiako that are really strong practitioners who bring cultural expertise.  

Community voice.  Need to find the teacher who has the heart and passion and who is culturally responsive.

Accountability-success and Māori specific indicators, holistic approaches, wellbeing indicators are linked to a sense of belonging and connection to the school, whānau, friends and community.

How do you or how might you engage with your Māori students and community about their success?

The way we language things as the words we use determine the outcome.  We invite you, not we need/want you.

Boards are in a good place being on a three year cycle.  Needs to be a place where voice is valued and safe, or nothing will change.  

Normalise Māori in your kura.  Raise the consciousness of Te Reo Māori, raises consciousness throughout.  Peter Williams re normalising te Reo.

Greet, karakia, waiata

Learn pepeha

The why & purpose needs to be understood.  Not only Māori invited to hui.  No pressure on Māori whānau to be the experts.  

Events involving whānau

What does partnership mean in practice?

NZSTA Treaty of Waitangi Page

Engage rather than consult.  

Principal to teacher quote...Each time you send a child out, it is you that are failing, not the child. 

Our next steps:

At a Board level, where is our understanding of our Treaty obligations at?

What are we doing to normalise te Reo Māori throughout the kura?  Who, when, how?

Board hui-karakia to start, introductions and waiata.

Risks when using Technology in School

Internet Health & Safety Education

NZSTA Annual Conference 2016

John Parsons

Layering Health and Safety...a defence in-depth approach.  After June 2 2016, certain policies need to be in place.  

We all have a role to play and if one layer does not do its part, it affects the other layers. We are all equal in our job to keep children safe.  Need to empower everybody in an organisation to protect children and ourselves.  

Don't think "What if I am wrong?" Think "What if I am right?"  Create open communication in your organisation.  Important policy...child protection.  Need a number one and a number two lead for who to go to.  

The rule of optimism...makes us lose opportunities to deal with potential risks.

Date, time and location...documents.  Speech marks of what has been said.  Follow that process.  Every member of staff needs to have a strong relationship to the policy. Review, sign and understand the processes.  Test your defences and processes.  

Social media policy.  Define the purpose of communication.  Terms of use.  All staff need to know what platforms are being used.  Need to now what NAG 5 is.  Need to know the process for when we have issues with staff.

NAG 5 responsibilities

a) provide a safe physical and emotional environment for students; and
c) comply in full with any legislation currently in force or that may be developed to ensure the safety of students and employees.

This section outlines the responsibilities of schools to provide a safe physical and emotional environment for students.

15.1. Under National Administration Guideline 5 (NAG 5), each Board of Trustees is required to:

15.2. NAG 5 covers a number of aspects of school life apart from bullying. However, developing and implementing a bullying policy will help schools ensure they are meeting their obligations in relation to providing a safe environment for students.

15.3. Schools are increasingly involved in incidents where the activities of students at home or in their own time have an impact on the life of the school. One example is a student creating inappropriate digital content on their own digital technology, whether at school or not. Schools have the responsibility and the power to act when any such content could reasonably be expected to impact negatively on the school learning environment.

Questions for Boards of Trustees, principals, senior leadership teams and teachers:

• How well are we doing on NAG 5? How do we know?
• Do we maintain a safe physical and emotional environment in our school?
• Have we considered the role of digital technology in the learning environment?
• Have we considered using the Education Review Office (ERO) wellbeing for success indicators?

Netsafe Kit for Schools.  Use of laptops of teachers...cannot let students use their computers or family members.  Other people's mistakes can affect all involved.  Should not be left in space with no teacher.  No teacher should have a social network connections with students.  Confident messages put out...

Capable guardians...

Note taking...make sure teachers are good at taking notes and documenting things.  

Guardian failure when letting kids play R18 games.  Be brave in expecting more from people.  

Demonstrate compassion on a daily basis.  

Accelerating Student Achievement

Accelerating Student Achievement

NZSTA Annual Conference 2016

Education Review Office
Linda Pura-Watson

What is ERO doing in 2016?  The reason we are in these roles is because of what combines us...children.  Aiming to be the best they can be.  What we want is what everybody wants.  Data is about providing good information to make good decisions.  These decisions create cultures that accelerate learning.  This learning is for everyone.  

Equity and Excellence

What does equity mean?  Ensuring that children in our school shave opportunities and skills to achieve excellence.  Who defines this excellence?  Curriculum and ERO have developed indicators.  Boards, schools and communities define what excellence looks like in their own community.  

Everybody has culture to value.  It is all interconnected.  Kids are at the forefront.  

This document is going live in August.

Ka Hikitia

When we accelerate achievement for Māori, we accelerate achievement for all.  

ERO evaluations are intended to be a catalyst for change.  

For the majority of children in this country, they are getting a good education.  ERO has looked at what they do, to help what we do.  Identify the names and needs of children who are most needing support.

Doing it Differently

Trying to work with schools to do what they need to be doing to work with the children who need acceleration.  Potential approach.

Truth without relationship will result in rejection.  We need a professional relationship.

Acceleration Student Achievement: Māori

How does the school respond to Māori children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

In our school, how are things linked?

Pre Review-Sense Making

Let us know what you need to know.  Ask the questions of ERO before they come.  We can get information.  Provide information early.  Supply it all.  Take control and be a master of the next step of what happens.  Tell your school story.  Your are not bound by paper. Use what you need to use to tell your story.  

Reviews include National Standards but is not all of it.  We are sharing our data and learning information.  

Internal Evaluation 

Find the person who will give you the information you need.  

Onsite-Doing it Differently

Have professional conversations early.

Talk about data and learning information. You don't need to have all the answers, but you do need to ask the questions.  That is the power of change.

How?  Be a part of the process, ask questions, answer questions and stay informed. 

Start with data.  What do we see?  What does acceleration look like?  Is the curriculum right for those kids?  A hui is not parents being engaged with learning.  Enhance professional capability.  If it is not working, find another way.

Data

We need to fix the belows.  Notice, investigate, make sense of it, prioritise for action and impact.  

What is so?

Why is it so?

So what?

What now?

What evidence will you need to monitor?

Acceleration.  Is it a plan for progress or a plan for acceleration?  How to address the disparity?  Need to define what acceleration looks like for each child.  ERO influences change, BOT implements change.

Raising achievement plan...line of sight to those children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration.

What is the plan to accelerate learning?

What did ERO's findings say?  Call it what you want as the concept is the key.  

It's about numbers, names and needs and strengths.  What school conditions should become the focus?  ERO follow up six months later, how the plan is working.  How is the implementation going and what is the progress children are making.

Together we will know the next steps...we are on this journey together.

HOT-Honest, Open, Two way

Ko te Tamaiti te Pūtake o te Kaupapa

The Child-the Heart of the Matter

Accelerating Student Achievement

Accelerating Student Achievement

NZSTA Annual Conference 2016

Education Review Office
Linda Pura-Watson

What is ERO doing in 2016?  The reason we are in these roles is because of what combines us...children.  Aiming to be the best they can be.  What we want is what everybody wants.  Data is about providing good information to make good decisions.  These decisions create cultures that accelerate learning.  This learning is for everyone.  

Equity and Excellence

What does equity mean?  Ensuring that children in our school shave opportunities and skills to achieve excellence.  Who defines this excellence?  Curriculum and ERO have developed indicators.  Boards, schools and communities define what excellence looks like in their own community.  

Everybody has culture to value.  It is all interconnected.  Kids are at the forefront.  

This document is going live in August.

Ka Hikitia

When we accelerate achievement for Māori, we accelerate achievement for all.  

ERO evaluations are intended to be a catalyst for change.  

For the majority of children in this country, they are getting a good education.  ERO has looked at what they do, to help what we do.  Identify the names and needs of children who are most needing support.

Doing it Differently

Trying to work with schools to do what they need to be doing to work with the children who need acceleration.  Potential approach.

Truth without relationship will result in rejection.  We need a professional relationship.

Acceleration Student Achievement: Māori

How does the school respond to Māori children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

In our school, how are things linked?

Pre Review-Sense Making

Let us know what you need to know.  Ask the questions of ERO before they come.  We can get information.  Provide information early.  Supply it all.  Take control and be a master of the next step of what happens.  Tell your school story.  Your are not bound by paper. Use what you need to use to tell your story.  

Reviews include National Standards but is not all of it.  We are sharing our data and learning information.  

Internal Evaluation 

Find the person who will give you the information you need.  

Onsite-Doing it Differently

Have professional conversations early.

Talk about data and learning information. You don't need to have all the answers, but you do need to ask the questions.  That is the power of change.

How?  Be a part of the process, ask questions, answer questions and stay informed. 

Start with data.  What do we see?  What does acceleration look like?  Is the curriculum right for those kids?  A hui is not parents being engaged with learning.  Enhance professional capability.  If it is not working, find another way.

Data

We need to fix the belows.  Notice, investigate, make sense of it, prioritise for action and impact.  

What is so?

Why is it so?

So what?

What now?

What evidence will you need to monitor?

Acceleration.  Is it a plan for progress or a plan for acceleration?  How to address the disparity?  Need to define what acceleration looks like for each child.  ERO influences change, BOT implements change.

Raising achievement plan...line of sight to those children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration.

What is the plan to accelerate learning?

What did ERO's findings say?  Call it what you want as the concept is the key.  

It's about numbers, names and needs and strengths.  What school conditions should become the focus?  ERO follow up six months later, how the plan is working.  How is the implementation going and what is the progress children are making.

Together we will know the next steps...we are on this journey together.

HOT-Honest, Open, Two way

Ko te Tamaiti te Pūtake o te Kaupapa

The Child-the Heart of the Matter

NZSTA Conference Day 2

Nanny's Place

Our conference theme song...loud and proud...Let's stick together.

Day Two of conference started with a buffet breakfast.  A quick walk to the arena and we were ready for more inspiration, new thinking and ideas for moving forward.  

Nanny from up North shared her wisdom from her kitchen.  

A nation is like a boil up...a whole lot of different flavours mixed to make a flavoursome feast.

Nanny had a few questions for us to ponder...  

You only get threatened by other races if you are not sure about what you are.  

Violence and child abuse.  When we see a Māori name connected with violence, we cry. It is not Māori behaviour.  Early observations about Māori behaviour in 1814, included such comments as:

John Savage, who wrote in 1807, "The children here appear to be treated with a great degree of parental affection. They are robust, lively, and possess, in general, pleasing countenances."

Samuel Marsden, the leading missionary who visited New Zealand for the first time in 1814 (and could never be accused of possessing a bleeding heart), noted: "I saw no quarrelling while I was there. They are kind to their women and children. I never observed either with a mark of violence upon them, nor did I ever see a child struck."

In 1824, Richard Cruise remarked: "In the manner of rearing children, and in the remarkable tenderness and solicitous care bestowed upon them by the parents, no partiality on account of sex was in any instance observed. The infant is no sooner weaned than a considerable part of its care devolves upon the father: it is taught to twine its arms round his neck, and in this posture it remains the whole day, asleep or awake."

As the artist Augustus Earle wrote in 1832: "They are kind and hospitable to strangers, and are excessively fond of their children. On a journey, it is more usual to see the father carrying his infant than the mother; and all the little offices of a nurse are performed by him with the tenderest care and good humour."

Here is the full article from Anne Salmond.

How can we fill the emotional tank when there is no plug in the tank?

Poverty...when growing up, there was no money but house was filled with aroha.  The worse kind of poverty is poverty of spirit.  

Filling up our kids emotional tanks.  Praise is better than punishment.  Who is praising Māori?  Life is like a box of cereal.  All the good stuff is on the front and the small print shows the rubbish.  For Māori, our rubbish is at the front but our good stuff is in small print.  

As far as our brand is concerned, do our children need to carry that brand?

Look after one another and make sure we know who we are.  

Thoughts from the audience:

How do we teach Māori to be awesome?  It's about empathy, understanding, seeing more than just the child, connections.  

Our tamariki are our brand.  

How do we convince our government that te Reo Māori should be taught throughout school?

Pasifika cultures have their language.  

Our Māori kids need that for their sense of belonging and connection.

NZSTA Conference Day 2

Nanny's Place

Our conference theme song...loud and proud...Let's stick together.

Day Two of conference started with a buffet breakfast.  A quick walk to the arena and we were ready for more inspiration, new thinking and ideas for moving forward.  

Nanny from up North shared her wisdom from her kitchen.  

A nation is like a boil up...a whole lot of different flavours mixed to make a flavoursome feast.

Nanny had a few questions for us to ponder...  

You only get threatened by other races if you are not sure about what you are.  

Violence and child abuse.  When we see a Māori name connected with violence, we cry. It is not Māori behaviour.  Early observations about Māori behaviour in 1814, included such comments as:

John Savage, who wrote in 1807, "The children here appear to be treated with a great degree of parental affection. They are robust, lively, and possess, in general, pleasing countenances."

Samuel Marsden, the leading missionary who visited New Zealand for the first time in 1814 (and could never be accused of possessing a bleeding heart), noted: "I saw no quarrelling while I was there. They are kind to their women and children. I never observed either with a mark of violence upon them, nor did I ever see a child struck."

In 1824, Richard Cruise remarked: "In the manner of rearing children, and in the remarkable tenderness and solicitous care bestowed upon them by the parents, no partiality on account of sex was in any instance observed. The infant is no sooner weaned than a considerable part of its care devolves upon the father: it is taught to twine its arms round his neck, and in this posture it remains the whole day, asleep or awake."

As the artist Augustus Earle wrote in 1832: "They are kind and hospitable to strangers, and are excessively fond of their children. On a journey, it is more usual to see the father carrying his infant than the mother; and all the little offices of a nurse are performed by him with the tenderest care and good humour."

Here is the full article from Anne Salmond.

How can we fill the emotional tank when there is no plug in the tank?

Poverty...when growing up, there was no money but house was filled with aroha.  The worse kind of poverty is poverty of spirit.  

Filling up our kids emotional tanks.  Praise is better than punishment.  Who is praising Māori?  Life is like a box of cereal.  All the good stuff is on the front and the small print shows the rubbish.  For Māori, our rubbish is at the front but our good stuff is in small print.  

As far as our brand is concerned, do our children need to carry that brand?

Look after one another and make sure we know who we are.  

Thoughts from the audience:

How do we teach Māori to be awesome?  It's about empathy, understanding, seeing more than just the child, connections.  

Our tamariki are our brand.  

How do we convince our government that te Reo Māori should be taught throughout school?

Pasifika cultures have their language.  

Our Māori kids need that for their sense of belonging and connection.