Dear Colleagues,

Values, moral toughness and doing the right thing
It is an axiom of independent school leadership that values-based leadership is a pre-requisite for both personal and school success. We are also well aware of the importance of self-reflection in maintaining both the quality and integrity – or what is sometimes referred to as the authenticity – of our leadership.
 
Opening oneself to the ideas of those whose daily business involves researching, writing and teaching on leadership can be a very helpful aid to self-reflection. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, we now have free access to a rich array of articles, podcasts and webinars, which deliver those ideas direct to our digital devices for home-grown professional development.
 
An article and webinar recently published by the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University in Illinois are good examples of the kinds of material at hand that support self-reflection.
 
Kellogg’s Clinical Professor of Leadership, Harry Kraemer, is perhaps best known for his books on values-based leadership (‘“doing the right thing” while delivering outstanding and lasting results’) and how to lead a values-based organisation. Interviewed in Kellogg’s latest executive education webinar, Professor Kraemer talks about the work culminating in his latest book, on living a values-based life.
 
Kraemer, who directly links the capacity of leaders to wield influence to their ability to relate uniquely to each individual, defines a value as something which we will not compromise or negotiate: what we are willing to negotiate or compromise is, he says, a preference and not a value (he discusses this at 9:15 of the webinar).
 
Just to add nuance to the discussion, in her article, ‘Moral Toughness: How Leaders Develop the Strength and Endurance to Do the Right Thing’, Kellogg academic and executive coach Dr Brooke Vuckovic talks not only of the importance of core values but also of fluidity and remaining open to doing the ‘next-best thing’ as an attribute of moral toughness.
 
Both Kraemer and Vuckovic provide fresh insight into the conjunction of personal values and leadership, at a time when many independent Heads are faced with the challenge of meeting the competing interests of the financial sustainability of their school on the one hand and the immediate financial wellbeing of those in their school community, including staff, on the other.
 
Vuckovic notes in her article the importance of community and consistently reaching out to other leaders to understand their perspectives as a support for ‘doing the right thing’. As a community of school leaders, we are all well aware in AHISA of the immense value we gain from the testimonies and experiences of our peers to inform and strengthen our ‘moral toughness’.
 
To that end, I commend to you a recent webinar hosted by Edsmart as part of its series, ‘Big Thinkers in School Leadership’, in which former AHISA National Chair Phillip Heath AM (Head of Barker College, NSW) and AHISA Board member Andy Müller (Principal of Scotch Oakburn College, Tas) join with other principals to discuss their approach to handling finances and human resources following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. All five principals participating in the webinar reveal the power of personal – and corporate – values in action. Prepare to be inspired!

Kind regards,
BETH BLACKWOOD
T 02 6247 7300 M 0417 180 842
Our news
Extra uni places welcomed
In a media release distributed this week, AHISA welcomed the federal government’s promise of more university places in 2021, but again called for punitive increases to student contributions for humanities subjects to be reconsidered.

Members briefing on PISA 2018 country report
The Australian country report of PISA 2018 results covering student and school characteristics was released by the Australian Council for Educational Research on 18 September. AHISA has published a briefing for members on the report's key findings and sectoral comparisons.

How Carey Baptist Grammar charted a path through COVID-19
In March, Carey Baptist Grammar School became one of the first schools in Melbourne to be impacted by COVID-19. In an interview with The Educator, Principal and AHISA member Jonathan Walter explained how his school has emerged stronger from the experience.

New look e-Bulletin
This week's CEO's e-Bulletin has a new look and pithier news items, which we hope you enjoy. We'd love to hear your feedback, what you find useful and how you think the e-Bulletin can be improved. Please email our Social Media and Communications Officer Tegan Osborne to share your thoughts.
Government
Review of Regional Schooling Resource Standard Loadings
The National School Resourcing Board has launched a review of federal funding loadings for regional schools, with reference to the current settings for the school location and school size loadings and data informing the loadings for schools. The Board has developed an issues paper to support the submission process, which closes on 6 November 2020.
 
Departmental briefing on the National Evidence Institute
The Commonwealth Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) recently conducted a stakeholder briefing covering school funding and the newly established National Evidence Institute. The Powerpoint slides from the briefing are shared here.
 
CTC scores for non-government schools
DESE has posted a modified list of Capacity to Contribute scores for non-government schools for 2020.
2021 National Science Week grants
National Science Week will be held from 14-22 August in 2021. Applications are now open for grants of between $2,000 and $20,000 to support projects that increase community participation in science engagement activities and which celebrate and showcase science to the Australian public and the world. Applications close on 28 October 2020. 
 
National Quality Framework updates
The Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) has updated its Guide to the National Quality Framework (NQF), including updated guidance on new regulations regarding the safe transportation of children, which apply as of today.

International education market update
Austrade has issued a regional market update for Australian providers of education to international students.

My School terms of use
ACARA has taken further action to discourage the creation of unfair school league tables by introducing changes to the terms of use for the My School website. The new terms require users to explicitly agree not to create league tables or to use My School data for commercial purposes.
Webinars & e-conferences
AHISA continues to receive an unprecedented number of webinar invitations, as a result of the shift by many to remote learning and work. We share the details below as a service during the COVID-19 pandemic, but do not endorse the events officially.
Research & reports
International Baccalaureate & wellbeing
A study by the Australian Council for Educational Research for the International Baccalaureate Organization found that students in the IB Primary Years Programme demonstrated consistently higher levels of wellbeing than those educated outside the program.
The evidence on wellbeing education
School wellbeing programs have a small to moderate impact on academic achievement and wellbeing, according to a new report from Evidence for Learning and the Australian Council for Educational Research. The report's addendum rating specific school wellbeing programs may be particularly useful for Heads and their staff.

New PISA 2018 results released by OECD
A new PISA 2018 volume was released this week. Titled Effective Policies, Successful Schools, it analyses schools and school systems, and their relationship with education outcomes. The volume covers school governance, selecting and grouping students, and the human, financial, educational and time resources allocated to teaching and learning.

Teens, screen time and social media
As parts of the world begin to re-open, should teens be spending so much time online to build and maintain relationships? This report and article from the Connected Learning Alliance examines the pros and cons of digital interactions, and attempts to reframe the discussion about teens and social media.

Mental health in men and boys
Anxiety is the most common mental health disorder among boys (9%) and depression is the most common mental health disorder among young men (7%), according to a new insights report from the Ten to Men Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health.

Supportive conditions for learning
Most high school students in the United States don't experience many of the conditions that support social, emotional, and cognitive learning, a report from America’s Promise Alliance has found.

New approach to tackling bullying required
A new report from ReachOut, Unfriendly Friendships, has found that textbook definitions of bullying are missing the mark with young people, and a new approach is required to reduce rates of bullying and its impact on youth mental health.

Parents surveyed on remote learning
Some 22% of Australian parents found their experience of helping their children with remote schooling good, 34% found it poor and 44% had mixed feelings, according to a survey from the University of Tasmania discussed recently in The Conversation.
Resources
Be Secure resources for primary schools
The eSafety Commissioner has launched a suite of education resources for lower to middle primary students called Be Secure, with five topic-based activities exploring critical thinking, device safety, protecting privacy, spending online and getting help and support.

Character Matters
The Jubilee Centre has developed free character education resources for primary or secondary teachers, as part of its Character Matters campaign. Each teacher pack includes several lesson plans and supporting materials for students, exploring themes like compassion, gratitude and community service.
Wellbeing
Stars helping teens tackle anxiety
Hi Anxiety is a video series to help young people better deal with anxiety, through episodes featuring teen stars speaking about their own experiences. The project is designed to reach young people where they are online, including Instagram and YouTube.
Provocations
Is CEO a two-person job?
Netflix has implemented a new co-CEO structure, bucking a recent trend in corporate America away from the co-CEO model. The authors of this article from the Harvard Business Review — who are co-CEOs themselves — argue in a world where leaders must be both right and left-brained, single-minded and collaborative, having two CEOs makes sense.

When will COVID-19 end?
It's a subject of fierce debate, and there's no real answer in sight. But this article from McKinsey and Company puts forward some thoughts on the key factors that will determine when herd immunity is reached, and when we'll reach a new kind of 'normal'.