Leadership Centre empowers TT educators

Backed by the RBTT Education Foundation, the SLCTT has organised training for dozens of educators annually accessing programmes from selected US and UK universities; services from local and foreign experts in Education, Literacy, Mental Health and School Management; as well as resources from its membership.

The latest initiative of the SLCTT involves the participation of five retired principals in a two-day coaching programme at the University of Manchester’s Centre for Educational Leadership. The five will receive Certificates in Educational Coaching following the completion of a ten-week coaching-practice assignment in Trinidad and Tobago.

Once certified, these principals will constitute a special cadre of consultant leaders to TT schools and will focus on equipping principals to develop the capacity of their staff to deal with the problem of “at-risk children” in schools.

The team of principals selected to attend the Manchester Centre for Educational Leadership are Clayton Patrick of Diego Martin Junior Secondary; Patricia Ramgoolam, Naparima Girls High School; Dr Esla Lynch, Principal, Eshe’s Learning Centre; Jacqueline Toney, Belmont Junior Secondary; and Primnath Guptar, Principal of Tunapuna Hindu School.

The team is being led by Elizabeth Crouch, SLCTT Director and past Principal of St Joseph’s Convent, Port-of-Spain and Educational Psychologist, Allyson Hamel Smith.

“Our new approach is to develop a team of coaches from among experienced members,” says SLCTT Director Elizabeth Crouch.

“Through the work of these consultant leaders, the programme is expected to have a positive impact on operations in the nation’s schools, and reach hundreds of teachers and thousands of students.”

A non-profit charitable organisation, the SLCTT seeks to facilitate school improvement from within by preparing educators to lead. To achieve its objectives, the Centre uses a mixed strategy comprising largely of workshops, breakfast seminars and annual three-day Institutes at the Harvard University Principals’ Centre designed to equip educators with the skills to maximise the teaching-learning process.

This year’s Summer Institute, to be held from Wednesday to Friday, will explore a range of strategies to deal with at-risk students. Following up on the same issue later this year, the SLCTT will hold a two-day workshop on building skills for pastoral work to students.

The workshop is intended for deans and senior teachers engaged in this kind of work.

The School Leadership Centre was established eight years ago in collaboration with the RBTT Education Foundation. Foundation Chairman Robert De Silva says, “The Centre is assisting with the necessary training to positively and professionally advance the skills of educators. We at RBTT believe this to be invaluable work and are pleased to partner with them in this process.”