Key Papers

SASSLA and the Principal and Preschool Director Associations will actively participate in the consultation process on development of a policy for Principal and Preschool Director permanency. This presents as a real opportunity for SASSLA and the Associations to influence policy development on this important reform proposal.

The commitment to permanency brings opportunities for positive change which include

• Certainty for individual employees on their career path and benefits
• A positive incentive to apply for Band A roles
• Productivity benefits flowing from the capacity to take a long-term view in a role
• The defining of principals and preschool directors as a distinctive professional class which creates opportunities for future policy improvement initiatives

A successful implementation of a new policy on Band A permanency will require discussion and consideration of a range of operational matters and systems alignment. To assist this process, SASSLA has developed a discussion paper that identifies and discusses the important operational questions and modifications to work systems that will be required. We believe our work will positively assist and support a constructive consultation process that leads to a consensus on a new policy. The paper can be read here.

This work highlights the way we conduct our business in supporting the interests of Band A and Band B leaders. Our approach is to get on the front foot by assessing opportunities and doing the background work to frame key questions and future options. We have successfully used this approach when improving the workload conditions for Preschool Directors and responding to the Mercer Review of Band A Principal and Preschool Director positions, which remains ongoing.

We will provide regular progress updates on permanency in future editions of our e-News.