Nathan VanderKlippe
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 26/01) - Hugh Fraser sounds like an auctioneer when he reads off the 21 notations on his job description of a principal. Educational leader, judge, detective, transportation director, cheerleader and futurist are just some of the titles on the list.

Thanks to community and legislative expectations, the job of a principal has grown to encompass a huge variety of tasks.

Today's schools are faced with the challenge of maintaining a workforce of well-supported principals and staff, he said.

Fraser, the president-elect of the Canadian Association of Principals, spoke at the third annual principal's conference at Sir John Franklin high school on Monday.

Some 55 head administrators from all over the territory attended the two-day session, which was themed "Gathering momentum: addressing effective school leadership." Fraser was one of two keynote speakers. The other, Marcel Hardisty of Hollow Water, Man., cancelled at the last minute.

One of the problems facing schools across Canada is that almost a third of current principals are expected to retire in the next five years. Schools must find ways to make that position more attractive, or risk difficulties replacing exiting staff.

Fraser said this requires a stronger emphasis on intangibles like mentoring networks, rather than simply more funding.

"Teachers aren't stepping forward into these positions," he said. "They perceive a lack of support, hassle and overload, and a lot of them are quite happy just being teachers."

But a reassessment of pay scales may also be part of the solution. A recent survey by the American National Association of Secondary School Principals found that 60 per cent of respondents say insufficient pay discourages applicants for chief administrative positions.

Fraser also said current principals must rethink their leadership styles, and discard the old dictatorial model. "Principals must continue to administer and manage, but must share and develop leadership in others if the school is to build capacity for continuous involvement," he said. "Teachers, students and parents must become more involved in learning leadership skills."

He suggested that principals focus their priorities on learning-based tasks.

Principals here said that Fraser gave a good overview of the teaching situation in Canada, but said the North has its own specific challenges.

"Today we are taking Hugh's ideas and filtering them through our own realities," said Mieke Cameron, principal at Sir John Franklin.

Cameron said that 90 per cent of what students learn today will be outdated in seven years, and 90 per cent of what students will need to know in seven years is not yet known.

"What we have to do is not just teach the facts," she said.

"People have to have the tools for their own learning to be flexible and confident."

She added that challenges for the North include implementing culture-based education and rethinking the idea of academic achievement to include training in job-readiness and life skills.

Some of Fraser's recommendations have already been instituted in the NWT, said Bernie McLean, principal of Sir Alexander Mackenzie school in Inuvik. In his school, seven new and old teachers are currently matched in a formal mentoring program. Such programs are even more necessary in the North, where turnover rates are high. "Across the NWT it was 50 per cent this year," he said.