In July 2016, Clayton Reedie, Principal of Dalmeny Public School in Prestons, joined 170 other Principals from around the world at the Harvard Graduate School of Education for a one-week intensive leadership program. Clayton was the recipient of the Teachers Mutual Bank Harvard Club of Australia Education Scholarship.
“It was a life-changing experience … a brilliant way to refresh and revitalise, to validate the work you do and to move your organisation forward,” Clayton said, reflecting on his time at Harvard University.
He learned from the Harvard professor Howard Gardner, “an intellectual giant in our world of education”, about leadership. Karen Mapp discussed building capacity for improved family engagement, and Deborah Helsing focussed on key lessons for effective organisational change.
Clayton was encouraged to hear positive feedback to Australia’s education system. “We are regarded as world-class … it really validates the work that we did when we looked at school culture, when we looked at embedding change and improving results for kids,” Reedie told the Education Review on his return from Harvard.
Clayton has had a number of opportunities to share his insights with his colleagues since returning from his travels and the Foundation is delighted to welcome Clayton to the alumni of Australian Principals who have benefited from this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
