School improvement comes in many forms and can be likened to fishes with rotting heads- unfortunately I can't take the credit for this great metaphor!  The big question is: do principals major in majors or major in minors? This principal knows exactly what he needed to major in, so as to be the eighth most improved school in the state....

School improvement comes from aligning staff, students and community.  Former principal, David Finnerty, shares his story about how he went 'incognito' into the school he was appointed to, and how drawing a very deep line in the sand was the only way to stop everyone falling in....

How do you put the foundations in place when your students, staff and community have nothing in common and come together for the first time? For founding principal Pauline Kubat it wasn't hard because she worked with stakeholders to develop the values and guiding principles. Back then, there were about 100 students. Today it's a vibrant school of nearly 1500!

In building a strong school culture, there are many overlapping and cohesive actions that a principal needs to consider. But it all begins with connections, core beliefs, behaviours and effective communication.

'We're actually very good here in Australia with kids who start below average. But that's often not recognised because there's more money in arguing that we're doing a bad job.'  Professor John Hattie and I talk about school improvement and the issue of putting experience before expertise when it comes to promotion and jobs.  He believes we will struggle to get people to join the education profession if we don't change this. John says he's not provocative. You be the judge....

What started out as a set of four preconditions for achieving school improvement in 2008 is now a major framework that includes a further two stages linked to the teacher. We now know that leadership, along with its overarching influence, is what makes all the difference. 

'If we could get every teacher to move every student in their class up at least one competency level, the overall impact on the system, on the country, would be enormous. Just one level of competency....'  Emeritus Professor Patrick Griffin talks about the importance of moving to a competency-based curriculum and the need for principals to help teachers become skilled observers.

'Get this region out of the Herald Sun.' These were Minister Lynne Kosky's pleas to newly-appointed Northern Metropolitan Regional Director, Wayne Craig.  What happened during the next eight years involved developing and implementing a courageous narrative of school regeneration and school improvement. 

'Listen girlie...'  A former Regional Director recalls the challenges associated with lifting standards.  In six years, Katherine Henderson took the Western Metropolitan Region from basket case to the highest performing in the state of Victoria.  Here's how she did it....

My 'partner in crime' opens up about his somewhat problematic relationship with the Department of Education. But he will always be authentic and honest because that is the person he is. This philosophy has stood him in good stead because after many, many years as a school principal, he goes to school every day and continues to give it his best shot.