John Davies at his new school.

Mobility scheme sees principals on the move

By Kerri Carr

Principals appointed on lateral transfer have begun taking up their positions.

Last year, after considerable pressure from Federation and principal members, the union achieved the extension of a form of executive transfer for all principals.

Principal positions not filled by principals accessing priority transfer, special fitness appointment or resumption from leave must now proceed to lateral appointment.

Principal John Davies is happy to have been appointed to Forster Public School in 2004.

Mr Davies was first appointed as a principal in 1987, at Chester Hill North Public School, then classified as PP3. During his time there the school was reclassified as PP2.

Through merit selection he moved to PP1 classified Claymore Public School in 1993.

At the end of 1994 Mr Davies was nominated out of Claymore as enrolments were dropping.

He went to Escol Park Public School in 1995 where he stayed until the end of 2000.

Again he was nominated out of the school because of falling student numbers, this time to Mt Annan Public School.

At the end of term 3, 2003 Mr Davies was informed he would once again be transferred -- this time to Casula Public School for 2004.

"In term 4 they introduced this scheme, so I applied to see if I could get the vacancy at Forster," Mr Davies said.

"All of the nominated transfers were acceptable to me, because they were all in the Campbelltown District, but the last one from Mt Annan to Casula would have meant a change of districts and a loss of my local network.

"I thought if I've got to change out of my district I would like the chance to go where I want to go."

Mr Davies said the scheme gives experienced principals the chance to move around.

"You can stay too long," he said.
"You need new challenges.
"The Department has certainly provided me with challenges, with so many moves."
"Five to six years is a good turnaround time," he added.

Ray Jones has just been appointed to Crookwell High School.

Mr Jones became a principal in July 1994 when he was appointed to Bourke High School. He then took an incentive transfer in 1998 to Dungog High School.

Last year he applied to move.

"I was aware of the scheme and it was time for me to move. I've never been in a school more than five or six years," he said.
"I could have always moved school by merit selection but under this scheme only principals [on the same level] could go for it in the first instance," he said.
Both Dungog and Crookwell are PH2 schools.
"I am quite happy teaching in small country high schools," he said.

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February 2004 contents