Editorial

Faith can only be invitational

Michael Delaney was invited to reflect on his 22 years as a Principal for this edition of the Kildare Ministries' newsletter.

I have no idea where the words came from, but there is a wrinkled yellow Post-it note on my docking station on which I’ve written:

Faith can only be an invitation

God calls

the Holy Spirit whispers

Jesus challenges

The more I thought about the above brief, the more I kept looking at these words and reflecting on my principalship through their lens.

I had never thought of myself as principal material. In December 1995 I was offered the position of Deputy principal at Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College South Gippsland situated in Leongatha. Almost 3 years to the day later, before I had given myself permission to have settled into the Deputy Principal role, Father John O’Kelly, parish priest of Leongatha parish at the time, came to me and offered me the acting principal role of the college for the first six months of 1999.

During those six months, the Holy Spirit whispered, but not so loudly that we were organised enough for my application for the principalship to be safely put in the mail. No, I had to drive from Leongatha to Warragul on the day applications were due and deliver it by hand. Such was my wondering about my ability to serve the students of Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College well.

In the 22 years since I have certainly learnt much, experienced much, and hopefully, contributed something to the students entrusted to the care of Catholic education in the two schools that I have served as principal: Mary MacKillop College and St Joseph’s College Echuca.

God calls

How does one explain the universe, creation, infinity? For me, born into the Catholic tradition the only explanation of that mystery is to use the label God. That mystery unsettles me continuously calls me to seek explanation, to seek solution, to seek clarity. After all, there must be one single defining pedagogy that brings about the best educational outcome for every single student in our care. Surely? But where is it? What does it look like? Is it in the structure of the timetable, the courses offered to our students, the capacity of our teachers, or is it simply mystery?

Do what you’ve always done get what you’ve always got. The mystery is the ever present calling that there must be a pedagogy that works for each individual student in our care. If something is not achieving the outcomes we hoped for, what do we have to do differently?

As for the Holy Spirit’s whisper.

What do you mean let that student sleep during the maths class that I have spent hours preparing?

“Sorry Mr Delaney mum and dad were fighting all night last night and I didn’t get a wink of sleep. I’ll get the work done when I can.”

Hold your horses, Michael, try to walk in the other person’s shoes before you make a call on this one.

I really did not need that particular complication today you Holy Pot Stirrer!

Jesus challenges. And how!

As a principal in a Josephite Affiliated Secondary School, it was St. Mary of the Cross MacKillop’s example of “never see a need without trying to do something about it” that guided me in discerning how to witness Jesus in our world.

As a principal in a Kildare Education Ministries secondary school in the Brigidine tradition, how does my acting with Strength and Kindliness witness Jesus’ call “to Love one another as I have loved you” or that “I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full”?

Again, I really did not need that particular complication today, thank you very much dear Jesus.

What has had the largest impact on the role of the principal?

Without a doubt the increased compliance and accountability regime. This seriously erodes a principal’s availability for family, colleagues and students.

Teachers and principals have moved from the expectation that they are ‘in loco parentis’ to an expectation that they are highly skilled professionals. Highly trained not only in pedagogy but in first aid, individual learning plans, mental health, anaphylaxis, child safety, risk assessment, Occupational Health & Safety and a myriad of other expectations. Having said all this, I believe that the quality of education offered in our schools is immeasurably better than when I started. Especially in the area of data informed decision making.

What has given me hope and what has sustained me? God calls, mystery calls, what has given me hope is that we keep getting better at meeting the needs of the diverse range of individuals entrusted to our care. What sustains me? Mystery, faith, family, colleagues, students. I have already mentioned mystery and faith. There is no doubt that I have gained immense sustenance and support from my family and the many wonderful colleagues and students that I have been privileged to have served.

How is education different? What new challenges? What’s better?

As stated earlier the quality of what we offer the students entrusted to our care is immeasurably better than when I started.

What new challenges? Not many really. The one enduring challenge is how do we do our work in such a way that we allow each individual student in our care to truly thrive and achieve his or her personal best? That they “have life and have it to the full”.

What about the Catholic nature of our schools? Different, better, worse?

As someone who is old enough to have experienced in his teenage years the rote catechism of Q. “Who made the world? A. “God made the world”, it is certainly energising to be working with a document like Living Justice - Living Peace which genuinely guides us in responding to Jesus’ call in very practical ways.

In terms of my own principalship, what have I tried to do as leader?

From the very first day that I started timetabling I never forgot that every time I timetabled a class, I was having an impact on a teacher’s ability to do their work well in providing the best possible learning outcomes for students.

Later, as principal, and to this day I keep front of mind that every single decision I take impacts on the learning outcomes of the students in our school. Without doubt, the single heaviest responsibility I feel is that of appointing the best possible staff to serve the students entrusted to our care.

I have also consistently strived to keep front of mind that every individual human being that I encounter is made in the image and likeness of God and loved unconditionally by God and therefore deserves the utmost respect and dignity that I can offer them.

Regrets and celebrations?

Not many regrets and too many celebrations to list here.

Two regrets will do for this article. First, not placing myself under professional supervision earlier in my time as principal. Such support is invaluable. Second, for health reasons not being able to do a couple more years and welcome the first students to our new campus in 2023.

Best celebrations?

Helping students, staff and families achieve.

Meeting alumni years later and they 1. Talk to me, and 2. Are fine upstanding citizens making a positive contribution to the communities in which they live.

When I started as a principal, I did not know what a rubric was, let alone have one for measuring success as a principal.

Faith can only be an invitation

I’ve tried to heed God’s call.

I’ve tried to respond to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit.

I’ve tried to rise to Jesus’ challenges.