Dr Ali Wegner, Manager Kindergarten Operations presented Sustainable Leadership Systems In this presentation I will describe our work over the last three years (and ongoing) to achieve the goal of quality improvement. Our focus is to embed sustainable leadership systems. The challenge for our association and our team of education service managers (senior teachers) is to have a comprehensive understanding of what is happening in each kindergarten, to ensure regulatory and legislative compliance, and act as change agents to support pedagogical growth and innovation.

1. Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association
Mo ngā Tamariki me ngā Whānau o Waitaha me tai Poutini
Sustainable Leadership Systems
Ali Wegner
Introduction
Overview of presentation
1. Complex social and political contexts
2. Current thinking in the leadership literature
3. Direction of work at our association
4. Our achievements to date
5. Themes and tensions
Sustainable leadership systems
 Leadership: reviewing ways of working to ensure currency, innovation, effectiveness
 Sustainability: ensure continuity enduring regardless of individuals involved
Contexts
New Zealand educational overview
Te Whāriki (MoE, 1996)—socio-cultural theory and NZ kindergartens
Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association leadership
Mana Tiaki—Guardianship
ELF 2012 Ali Wegner Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association ali.wegner@kidsfirst.org.nz Page 1 of 8

2. ELF 2012 Ali Wegner Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association ali.wegner@kidsfirst.org.nz Page 2 of 8

3. Leadership Literature
 Descriptions of organisations (Wentland, 2009; Senge et al., 2004)
 Perspectives on educational leadership (Hargreaves & Fink, 2003; Fullan, Cuttress, &
Kilcher, 2009)
 Unique features of early childhood leadership (Rodd, 2006; Nupponen , 2006; Thornton
et al., 2009)
 Complexity theory to support new understandings about leadership (Uhl-Bien et al.,
2008)
 Living system lens (Jansen et al., 2011) and chain reactions
Living system: starlings flying in formation
Model of a chain reaction
Mana Kitānga-Caring
ELF 2012 Ali Wegner Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association ali.wegner@kidsfirst.org.nz Page 3 of 8

4. Sustainable Leadership Systems in our Association
This table is an overview of some of the work in progress at the association. As a living system,
there is on-going monitoring and adjusting to the agency of individuals. A chain reaction can
occur with planned dialog or ‘ideas that come out of the blue’ and lead, inform, facilitate other
actions and effects. Over time, innovation and improvement become embedded and trigger new
actions.
Year 1 --2010 Year 2-- 2011 Year 3-- 2012 Year 4 --2013
Review Review/update systems Review/update systems Review/update systems
Systems become embedded Systems become embedded
Professional supervision for Professional supervision Professional supervision for Sustainable PD system
team leader for team leader team leader
PD for education services PD for education services PD for education services
team1 team team
Increase size of team
Managers presenting papers
at conferences
ESM professional Managers’ weekly Managers’ weekly reporting Sustainable educational
discussions review of role reporting linked to improvement leadership system
and responsibilities of focus on pedagogy and goals
managers and head teachers away from operations Launch head teacher peer
Support leadership role of support network
head teachers
New reporting template New 2011 framework for 2012 framework for visits Sustainable reporting
developed focusing manager visits Compliance audit system
Compliance audit revised Compliance audit updated Develop reporting
templates
PD as menu-based Compulsory term break Managers on site for Sustainable professional
School holidays renamed as menu-based PD extended periods of time development system
term breaks PD in small groups2 with Targeted PD for teaching
internal presenters teams in term breaks
End of year reports as EOY reports as evaluation EOY reports as critical Sustainable evaluation
collation of curriculum of educational evaluation of programmes system
areas programmes Develop evaluation rubric
Discussions about quality Discussions about quality Develop quality indicators
Communication both Launch of newsletter Communication to make Sustainable
informal and formal about Update policies to reflect a processes overt, for communication systems
expectations of quality and more professional purpose, for accountability
improvements perspective
Board of management Strategic plan identified Strategic plan defined Sustainable strategic
strategic plans identified one review topic Congruence between assn. system
one goal for all kdgs philosophy and kdg visions
Kindergartens developed PD targeted to each
individual philosophies and kindergarten
visions
On-going plans for reviews: performance management system, policy manual, use of teacher aides, parent education
1
(Briggs, 2012)
2
(Freese, 2006; Grey, 2011; Jenlink & Kinnucan-Welsch, 2001; Postholm, 2009; Rust, 1999; Snow-Gerono, 2005; Wood &
Bennett, 2000)
ELF 2012 Ali Wegner Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association ali.wegner@kidsfirst.org.nz Page 4 of 8

5. ELF 2012 Ali Wegner Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association ali.wegner@kidsfirst.org.nz Page 5 of 8

6. The elements of this case study reflect the L5 Frame (which provides a structure for the work of
an educational leader) (PAI, 2003). It is made up of 5 propositions:
1. Leadership starts from within including beliefs and values: We started with professional
development three years ago to develop the work of the team and clarify roles and
responsibilities
2. Leadership is about influencing others: managers build relationships, give feedback,
provide resources, and engage in professional conversations with teachers
3. Leadership develops a rich learning environment: development of a quality indicators
resource
4. Leadership builds professionalism and management capability: reporting systems and
accountability
5. Leadership inspires leadership action and aspirations in others which goes to
sustainability: the chain reaction to initiate and embed changes to practice
ELF 2012 Ali Wegner Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association ali.wegner@kidsfirst.org.nz Page 6 of 8

7. Themes and tensions related to sustainable leadership systems
 Need for new conceptualisations of leadership
 Complexity and impact of shifting contexts
 The key is to maximise improvement and innovation within the existing constraints of the
work environment
 Clarity of purpose
 Leadership mentoring and supervision required
 Balance of supporting teachers while expecting change
 Intermediate goal is to change the mind-set of teaching staff regarding practice and
accountability rather than the specific indicators
 Ultimate goal is to change practice or behaviour
 Importance of systematic changes throughout the network
 Role of stated purpose, persuasion, buy-in from staff, accountability, skills and abilities
 Need to set strategic priorities
 One-off PD is waste of money and time—tailored PD is the way to go
Whai Wāhitanga – Participation
ELF 2012 Ali Wegner Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association ali.wegner@kidsfirst.org.nz Page 7 of 8

8. References
Briggs, A. (2012). Growing our Leaders. Presentation to NZEALS meeting, 16 August, 2012, University
of Canterbury, Christchurch.
Freese, A. R. (2006). Reframing one’s teaching: Discovering our teacher selves through
reflection and inquiry. Teaching and Teacher Education, 22, 100-119.
Fullan, M., Cuttress, C., & Kilcher, A. (2009). The challenge of change: Start school
improvement now (2nd Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Grey, A. (2011). Professional dialogue as professional learning. NZ Journal of Teachers’ Work,
8, (1), 21-32.
Hargreaves, A., & Fink, D. (2003). The Seven Principles of Sustainable Leadership. Presentation to the
International Centre for Educational Change, Ontario.
Jansen, C., Cammock, P., & Conner, L. (2011). Leadership for emergence: Exploring
organisations through a living system lens. Leading & Managing, 17, (1), 59-74.
Jenlink, P. M., Kinnucan-Welsch, K. (2001). Case stories of facilitating professional
development. Teaching and Teacher Education, 17, 705-724.
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te wháriki: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington:
Author.
Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.
Mooney, C. (2000). An introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget, & Vygotsky.
St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.
Nupponen, H. (2006). Leadership concepts and theories: Reflections for practice for early childhood
directors. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 31, (1), 43-50.
Postholm, M. B. (2008). Teachers developing practice: Reflection as key activity.
Teaching and Teacher Education, 24, 1717-1728.
Principal Australia Institute. (2003). The L5 Frame. Downloaded 22 August, 2012, from the World Wide
Web: http://www.pai.edu.au/LLS_FRAMEWORK
Rodd, J. (2006). Leadership in early childhood. (3rd ed.). Crown’s Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin.
Rust, F. O. (1999). Professional conversations: New teachers explore teaching through
conversation, story, and narrative. Teaching and Teacher Education, 15, 367-380.
Senge, P., Scharmer, C. O., Jaworski, J., & Flowers, B. S. (2004). Presence: An exploration of
profound change in people, organisations, and society. NY: Doubleday.
Snow-Gerono, J. L. (2005). Professional development in a culture of inquiry: PDS
teachers identify the benefits of professional learning communities. Teaching and
Teacher Education, 21, 241-256.
Thornton, K., Wansbrough, D., Clarkin-Phillips, J., Aitken, H., & Tamati, A. (2009).
Conceptualising leadership in early childhood education in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Wellington: Teachers’ Council.
Uhl-Bien, M., Marion, R., & McKelvey, B. (2008). Shifting Leadership From the Industrial Age
to the Knowledge Era. In Uhl-Bien, M., & R. Marion (Eds.). Complexity leadership, 185-224.
Wentland, D. M. (2009). Organisational performance in a nutshell. Charlotte, NC: Information
Age Publishing.
Wood, E., & Bennett, N. (2000). Changing theories, changing practice: Exploring early
childhood teachers’ professional learning. Teaching and Teacher Education, 16,
635-647.
Whakatakato Tātoro – Planning
ELF 2012 Ali Wegner Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association ali.wegner@kidsfirst.org.nz Page 8 of 8