An education administrator whose experience includes stints as an elementary school Principal in Listowel and Milverton has been elected President of the Ontario Principals’ Council.
Laura Hodgins is based at the Avon-Maitland District School Board Resource Centre and says she looks forward to her new challenge.
Hodgins says her background as a school principal and past Vice-President of the Council equips her well for her new responsibilities.
Hodgins says the Council speaks for 5,000 elementary and secondary school principals across the province.
She says it’s the principal’s role to work with teachers to promote student achievement.
Hodgins says the role of the Principal has changed in the past 10 to 15 years because so much more is expected of schools now.
Hodgins says there is more need for support and resources in the classroom in the form of training for teachers and principals to help them do their jobs better and help students learn.
Hodgins says while she deals with schools in diverse environments from small rural to large urban settings, the concerns of principals and teachers are not all that different.
She says the same challenges face administrators and teachers, whether they’re in Goderich, Wingham or the G-T-A.
Hodgins is the second Avon-Maitland administrator to have a high-profile position in a province-wide organization.
Avon-Maitland Trustee Colleen Schenk is serving her second term as President of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association.
