Ex-principal to run Rai

Wysocki to tackle issues at troubled school

Minister of Education Anne Tolley has appointed a former high-school principal of long experience to tackle the problems besetting the Rai Valley Area School.

Claudia Wysocki took over as commissioner on Saturday, assuming the responsibilities of the dismissed board of trustees, which has had three chairmen in the past 12 months.

The Ministry of Education's special adviser, Blenheim lawyer Murray Hunt, has bowed out.

Problems between the school and its community have led to complaints and petitions to the minister, seeking an inquiry and expressing no confidence in principal Muff Newton.

Ms Wysocki, who spent more than a year as acting principal at Nelson College for Girls after the sudden resignation of the principal in 2009, was principal of St Margaret's College in Christchurch for 16 years. From 1978 to 1991, she was head of Kristin School, an independent co-educational Auckland school, which currently has 1600 pupils from kindergarten to seniors.

It is her first appointment as a commissioner.

Ms Wysocki met the outgoing board on Friday and said yesterday that she would begin a "scoping exercise" today, aiming to produce a definite plan of action after a month.

She would spend "as much time as I need to" at the school and in the first four weeks would endeavour to fully understand the school's situation, she said.

Announcing the appointment yesterday, Mrs Tolley said the decision was prompted by the recent resignations from the board.

"It's clear that some issues are continuing to affect relations between the school and the community, and I don't want this to impact on the teaching and learning of children."

The best solution was to bring in a commissioner, to help bring everyone together to work in the best interests of students at the school, Mrs Tolley said.

The immediate past chairman of the board, Lester Adams, who has two primary-aged children at Rai Valley Area School, said the appointment of the commissioner "sounds like it's a start".

"If the commissioner can get the community and everybody working together again, it's got to be a good thing."

Ms Wysocki would probably also address the complaints about Mrs Newton, he said. "One thing I do like about it is that it's somebody independent, so there's no local personality issues."

Mr Adams, who resigned last month after six months as board chairman, tabled a complaint at a foreshortened board meeting last month, asking for it to be read out.

This was declined, but he said afterwards that it related to the "whitewash" of a consultant's report on the school's relationship with the community.

Retired former Rai Valley Area School teacher Peter Crabtree also welcomed the news. Mr Crabtree, one of the leaders of the group which has sought an inquiry into the school, said they were very keen to talk to Ms Wysocki to explain the long background to its problems.

Mr Hunt, who has been the board's spokesman since his appointment, said Ms Wysocki was very experienced and able.

He said the board had done what it could in difficult circumstances and with the best of intentions.

He did not wish to comment on the role of the principal, Mr Hunt said.

The Ministry of Education's website says that statutory intervention is used "where there are reasonable grounds to believe that the operation of the school, or the welfare or educational performance of their students is at risk".

The commissioner has responsibility for leadership and decision-making on all issues related to the functions, duties and powers of the board and is required to work with the community and the school to prepare for a return to governance by an elected board of trustees.

- The Marlborough Express Last updated 11:07 15/03/2011