Leaked email sparks row amongst principals

A leaked email about a meeting on national standards has caused a stink amongst Northland principals and prompted the head of the organisation that sent it to demand an apology.
New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA) president Lorraine Kerr is calling for a public apology from her Northland executive after they sent out an email inviting board chairs - excluding principals and other members - to a private meeting about national standards without her permission.
Tai Tokerau Principals' Association president Pat Newman described the email as an attempt to stifle discussion about the standards.
The  email said Ms Kerr had agreed to meet board chairs only during a regional meeting on March 11. The Ministry of Education and other board members were not invited and the meeting would be shut down if "anything untoward occurs".
The message asked board chairs to respect Ms Kerr's request criteria and not issue invitations for other people to attend.
"It is to be clearly understood that this consultation is for board chairpersons only," the email said. "Lorraine does not want this meeting publicly advertised."
Ms Kerr said she had been contacted by Pat Newman who claimed to be dismayed and outraged by the email - and she shared his concerns.
"I, too, am dismayed by the content of the message. I was gutted when I read it - those were the words of the Northland executive, not mine."
Ms Kerr said she never dictated how regional meetings were run and there was no reason why other board members or representatives from the Ministry of Education shouldn't be included.

 The Northland executive of NZSTA  met and forgot to mention they were using her name, Ms Kerr said.
The text referring to Ms Kerr was meant to be confined to the regional executive, but  an unknown member had deliberately forwarded it.
 Ms Kerr said she had asked the Northland executive to consider taking ownership of the "unfortunate" statement which  reached Mr Newman.
"I'd like them to apologise to Pat and to all those ccd to Pat's email, and I deserve an apology too."
Until  it was forthcoming, Ms Kerr said she wouldn't participate in any Northland meetings.
 NZSTA Northland region management committee chairperson Trish Schoonderwoerd had since sent a written apology, which said:
"The content of the email was inappropriate, and made statements which were incorrectly attributed to Mrs Kerr.

"We sincerely apologise to Lorraine Kerr ... we apologise to Mr Newman and his colleagues for implying that other trustees such as principals were not invited and for any distress this has caused."
 Mr Newman said Ms Kerr was more concerned  there had been a leak than that the instruction had got out.
 "Either a local official was out of control or head office was going to conduct a meeting where the majority of board members would be shut out," he said.
In December, 80 Northland principals declared their hand by passing a resolution stating that they would not implement the standards as "the effect and impact is so far reaching and unknown".
An email sent to board chairs two weeks ago by Ms Kerr reminded primary and intermediate school boards they were legally bound to implement national standards and were able to take employment action against principals who blocked their introduction.