Looking At Our School, 2022 – “The Principal, Deputy Principal/s, and other school leaders actively involve themselves in professional associations for school leaders and managers, at all levels, up to an including international level. They demonstrate learnings from these associations in their practice.”
Dear Colleagues, welcome to the 2025 Annual General Meeting of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals. As I complete my first year in the role of Deputy Director with NAPD, I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude for your ongoing engagement, support, and trust. It has been a privilege to work alongside you, and your efforts continue to inspire our advocacy. Thank you to Paul Crone for his support and guidance to me over the last year! Congratulations to our President Anton O’Mahony who lead many important changes within NAPD this year. Congratulations and best wishes to Brian Doran as incoming President.
The challenges you face daily in your roles as school leaders are both immense and complex. The recent longitudinal study in conjunction with Deakin University has underscored the extraordinary demands placed upon you, highlighting the vital need for continuous support and advocacy. Please be assured that we are steadfast in our commitment to representing your interests at every level, advocating for the recognition, resources, and solutions needed to ensure your sustainability in the role of School Leader.
Over the past year, we have worked on your behalf creating and enhancing a wide array of supports tailored to your needs. These resources, designed to empower you in your leadership roles, reflect our ongoing drive to provide practical assistance, professional development, and a robust network of colleagues with whom to share experiences and insights. Full details of these are outlined further in the Impact Report and to be read in conjunction with the many updates provided in Director Paul Crone’s report.
“Networking is a lot like nutrition and fitness: we know what to do, the hard part is making it a top priority.” — Herminia Ibarra. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to leave your school in the middle of the day to attend a meeting, however, we know that most of us feel replenished having met with colleagues, shared our concerns, had a good chat and got out of the building albeit for a couple of hours. A huge thank you to all of the Steering Committees throughout our 9 regions for the work that you do to support your colleagues across the country.
It is our determination to keep in touch with what happens in your schools and the work that you do. We are always available to support/advocated for you however best we can.
Ar Aghaidh le Chéile,
Rachael O’Connor, Deputy Director