New-Zealand born Ms Chris Johnson has been Principal of Abbotsford Public School since 2012. She draws on her experience with an international leadership program to provide perspective on education to her school community and colleagues within the NSW Primary Principals’ Association.
Tell us about your career?
I graduated from Teachers College in New Zealand in 1978 and taught there for several years at a time when there was an over-supply of teachers in the profession. I moved to Australia 30 years ago and was initially doing day-to-day casual teaching.
The style of teaching in New Zealand was quite different to that in Australia. I remember going into a classroom one day, and I had been left a lesson plan and was asked to have children draw koalas and create a wall display. One child had drawn the most beautiful purple koala. It was detailed, meticulous, and vibrant. I put it in the centre of the wall. The teacher walked into the room and flicked it off and said, ‘Everyone knows there’s no such thing as purple koalas’. Teaching in New Zealand was much more intuitive and child-related. When I came to Australia, I found the style difference a shock.
When I left New Zealand, I had been teaching in Pacific Island communities, including Samoan and Māori communities, where their native language was being used in kindergarten to support children and their learning. When I came to Australia, I found issues related to Aboriginal education and perception of Aboriginal people a stark contrast to where we were in New Zealand in terms of First Nations recognition.
After a period of casual teaching, I was offered a position at Lakemba, a suburb in Western Sydney – I’d never even heard of the place. It was at a time when NSW had executive teacher positions and, after a period as a class teacher, moved into the role. It was a trainee apprenticeship for an assistant principal position.
I later became assistant principal at Lakemba and was encouraged to look at leadership positions. I did what was called the Principal Preparation Program, supported by the NSW Department of Education. I was paired with a principal mentor, Rod Megahey. Rod left his position at Athelstane Public to go to a larger school, and after about six months, the position came up, and I applied for it.
Athelstane Public is predominantly a Lebanese Muslim community, and they were adamant that they did not want a female principal. I went to the interview and by the time we were finished, I was offered the role. I was there for about 12 years. I was then approached in 2012, by the then regional director, Dr Phil Lambert, who asked whether I would relieve at Abbotsford Public School, which I accepted. At the time, the school presented a number of professional challenges in relation to professional learning opportunities for me and for staff.
What is the history of the school?
Abbotsford Public School opened in 1925 and is celebrating its centenary next year. When it was built, it was in amongst farming area. It was perceived as being quite a way out of the city on the Great North Road, whereas now it’s considered to be inner west, and highly desirable.
Abbotsford then became an early settlement area for the Italian community. The Bushell’s factory was close by, and a large number of Italian women in particular worked at the factory. At one stage, most of the local shops were Italian owned – many still are. We have an Italian community language teacher at the school because of that strong Italian connection. Families are very settled here, and many generations have passed, and are still passing, through the school.
What is the school’s philosophy and how does it guide you and your staff?
Early on during my tenure as principal at Abbotsford Public School, I went to a conference in Singapore where educational theorist Sugata Mitra and Finnish educator Pasi Sahlberg were speaking. When I came back, we were looking at a mission statement to reformulate what our school vision was. Inspired by the speakers, we now have a statement which says: at Abbotsford, students will discover the world around them and understand the world within.
Our strategic improvement plan is based around how we support children to develop the skills and competency they need to understand the world around them, and what are we doing to also support students in terms of their personal wellbeing and emotional development; they are the two pillars of what it is that we do.
I try to impress upon people that all teaching is relational, and unless children feel safe at school, they don’t learn. It’s really important to develop relationships with children so that they feel that the school environment is safe.
I was talking to a teacher recently about one child in her class who has complex needs. She said, ‘When I first came here, you said to me that it was pivotal that I develop a relationship with this child because if I didn’t, nothing else was going to work’. She said she didn’t really understand how significant or profound that comment was at the time. But, she said, ‘I have made sure that I have done that. It is the linchpin of all the decisions that we make, so that when he’s not actively focused on learning, my redirection is around the relationship that I have.’
I have a terrific team of people – about 45 teaching and non-teaching staff – who understand what the school’s philosophy is and are going out of their way to make sure that we really focus on children. Everybody is aware of student need. We had a child the other day wanting to leave the school grounds, and it wasn’t a teacher who made the most impact on the day. It was the general assistant who had a quiet chat with the student.
People aren’t compartmentalised in terms of roles. Everybody has ownership of every child in the school. It’s not a case of ‘this child in your class’; we are a family in a village, and we work together.
What role do you play in the day-to-day activities of your students?
I look to get out at lunchtime and sit and watch the connections that students have, and who’s playing with who in the playground, and observe their behaviour.
At the moment, I’ve got six fishing rods in my office. They were given to me by a friend because he knows that we’ve got a cohort of children here who go fishing. I had a child who was late to school the other day, and when I asked why he was late, he said he went fishing. It’s hard to chastise a child who got up at six o’clock in the morning to go out fishing on the river. I stand at the gate most mornings and try and make connections with parents and students as they walk through the door. There’s lots of little incidental, anecdotal chats along the way which builds community.
Tell us about your involvement in LEAP, and how it helps you in your role as principal?
LEAP, which stands for Leading Educators Around the Planet, was established about 12 years ago by Dr Sue Lazenby and Dr Warren Marks, two former primary school principals, now LEAP directors. Initially it was a peer-shadowing program where principals from Australia stayed with a principal in Canada initially and then Scotland or England, for two weeks, and there was a reciprocal arrangement. Now the format is study tours. I have been to the UK, Finland, Singapore, Wales, Canada, Slovenia, and looked at schools – a group of 20-25 professional colleagues, mainly from public schools around NSW, view schools in each jurisdiction.
It’s helped me because it’s given me a perspective on what it is that we do here in New South Wales. It’s shown me on one hand how we could strategically improve systemic things, and at the same time it’s given me a reflection that what we’re doing is quality, and we are providing our students with good options.
I try and harness the activities and ideas that add value to our learning environment and work within Australian society. Not all ideas are easily transmissible into our way of life. The idea of sending six-year-old children home on their own to open up the house and do homework or music practice until parents come home is anathema to our parents.
Being part of LEAP means that when I speak up, I have substance and knowledge of what I’m talking about, and I can make comments with reasonable substantiation. I am Port Jackson Primary Principals’ Association president and I don’t feel I would have had the confidence to put myself up for the position if I had not had the LEAP experience and felt I had a comprehensive understanding of education in a number of jurisdictions. I have met the Federal Minister for Education Jason Clare and spoken with him about issues of teacher visas. I have met with our local member of parliament, and when she asks me questions around education and training issues, I have the confidence and substance to make statements which I feel reflect the wider principal community.
What are some of the challenges teachers face today?
I think it’s work/life balance. Teachers have to start being selfish; they can’t fill up other people’s cup if they don’t have their own filled. We spend a lot of time doing a lot of activities that support teacher welfare and wellbeing. I spend a lot of time at night sending texts to teachers, checking in, making sure that they’re okay. There’s a lot of quiet moments that people never see, where you’re double checking on teacher welfare.
What has been your most memorable moment either as a teacher or principal?
The memorable moments are when I have been able to stand back and observe the sense of community which has been built in the school. I work with an extraordinary group of parents. Our Parents and Carers committee is amazing in supporting the school in its endeavours. There is a coherent alignment with the values of the school with those who actively contribute their time and endless effort, to improve the educational opportunities we can provide.
Our fundraising committee have raised an extraordinary amount of money to upgrade the school playground. We are the biggest polling booth in the state, and they run a fundraising BBQ which at the last election raised $35,000. We have a gardening group (a couple) who work on the site every weekend, tending to the lush vegetable gardens. The energy that they generate creates a dynamic school community. We also have a not-for-profit OOSH with a parent committee and this also ensures that there are deep links to the school. There is a united desire to create a school which is inclusive and accepting of diversity.
Providing support and leadership
Abbotsford Public School Deputy Principal Angela Noble describes Ms Chris Johnson’s leadership as intelligent and sustained with a good balance of styles, in particular instructional and transformational, that nurtures (not forces) change, always through the lens of evidence-informed student-centred practices.
She said Ms Johnson demonstrates a great deal of leadership resilience, something which is especially required within a complex environment.
“Her leadership approach is always centred towards a positive work culture using her emotional intelligence and humour,” Ms Noble said.
“She has been able to communicate her moral purpose and what motivates her within education to staff and the wider community. She has excellent consideration for the wellbeing of others, including staff and students/families, often going above and beyond to support.”
Ms Noble said establishing and maintaining broad collegial networks has been a strength with Ms Johnson’s membership and creation of local and PPA and LEAP groups.
“Remaining calm and responding professionally to the community is something Chris has always displayed. She evaluates all information related to complex problems before making important decisions,” Ms Noble said.
“Strategic resourcing and a clear understanding of aesthetics in leadership is used by her high degree of creativity to make learning and work environments more human and thoughtful.”
Ms Kate Anderson, Assistant Principal at Abbotsford Public School, said Ms Johnson is a vibrant leader who thinks outside the box and is always looking for creative ways to build school community and welcome and celebrate diversity.
“Chris is ethical and considered in all that she does and goes above and beyond for students and families. She strongly advocates for others, including staff, students and families, beyond the realm of a principal’s role – and in the face of opposition. She puts what is right before what is comfortable,” Ms Anderson said.
“She genuinely cares about the whole child. This is also the case with staff. Chris is genuine in her interactions; she seeks to understand and value people, not just academic outcomes.”
Ms Anderson said Abbotsford’s principal goes out of her way to get to know students and families.
“Chris makes small, deliberate decisions to interact with students across any given day to build trust and connection and find out what ‘makes them tick’.”
