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Ensuring successful students

Effective school leadership has a profound impact on student learning.

The research is clear; great schools have great principals and vice-principals. Effective school leadership has a profound impact on student learning, school culture, and the larger school community. October is National Principals’ Month in Canada and the British Columbia Principals’ & Vice-Principals’ Association (BCPVPA) is proud to celebrate the vital role principals and vice-principals play in driving excellence in public schools. The public’s expectation for the work of principals and vice-principals is justifiably high. School leaders are expected to positively affect teaching and learning, remain current as instructional leaders and assessment experts, build community, create a shared vision, analyze budgets, manage facilities, be experts in special needs programming, and have a deep understanding of legal and contractual obligations while leading policy mandates and initiatives. All of these objectives are carried out while school leaders strive to create dynamic, collaborative school cultures that are focused on the needs of the whole child. Despite the challenges of the work, these are exciting times to be working in public education in B.C. Our new curriculum and reporting to parents will help to ensure that our public schools foster the development of young people who are prepared to thrive in our rapidly changing world. B.C.’s public education system ranks highly in the world. School leaders deserve significant credit for their pivotal roles in leading a diverse system. B.C.’s school leaders strive to access resources, ensure that their schools remain cohesive community partners, and support entire families while focusing their energies on the fundamentally important business of teaching and learning. Principals and vice-principals foster spirits of inquiry and innovation, and ensure that our public education system is grounded on the principles of opportunity, access, and equity.

As the President of the BCPVPA, I have the opportunity to visit the majority of school districts in our province. I have the honour of witnessing the work that school leaders do every day to contribute to the trajectory of students’ lives and ensure that our public school system remains one of the best in the world. I encourage parents and community partners to take a moment this month to celebrate the role of the principal and vice-principal within our schools as we share our common interest in ensuring that all students succeed.

Kevin Reimer President, BC Principals’ & Vice-Principals’ Association