After 45 years in Catholic education, with thirty of these years as Principal in the Wilcannia-Forbes, Parramatta, Bathurst and Maitland Newcastle Dioceses, and seven years as an Assistant Director with the Catholic Schools Office, All Saints’ College, Maitland Principal Brian Lacey has retired.
Brian started his career in Blacktown in 1979 with a class of 48 students, and originally specialised in English, geography, music and religious education.
“As I reflect on my teaching journey I quickly realise how blessed I have been to have shared this experience with so many wonderful students, teachers and support staff, and most importantly, you the parents and carers who entrust your most precious gift to us each day,” he said.
The job has seen a lot of change over the past four decades, with teachers and principals having more responsibilities than ever before.
Originally planning to pass the reins to co-principal Tony McCudden at the end of the year, Mr Lacey has decided to retire at the end of term two, and is looking forward to having more time for gardening, golf, travel and his five grandchildren.
But the plan isn’t all play and no work; he’s planning on doing some casual teaching, and working with other principals to develop their skills.
Mr Lacey said retirement is bittersweet.
“After 30 years as a principal, seven years as an assistant director at the Catholic Schools Office, 45 years teaching all up it’s time to pull up stumps, and it’s timely that I now hand over the college leadership to Tony McCudden who has done a fantastic job since his appointment at the beginning of the year,” he said.
“So looking forward to enjoying life without the pressures of principalship sitting on my shoulders.”
Mr Lacey started his career in Blacktown in 1979 with a class of 48 students, and originally specialised in English, geography, music and religious education.
While his four years at All Saints’ is the shortest time he has spent at a school as principal, he said it has been the most challenging and yet the most rewarding.
“This community loves their schools so they’re very protective and they’re very affirming of what’s going on in their schools and I think that helps us with our job,” he said.
“They’re very protective in the sense that if there’s something happening that they don’t agree with, they’ll let you know.
“And they do it well, they do it properly and this school’s had some challenges over the last four years in particular, but also over the last 15, 20 years with three structure amalgamation, change etcetera, but the good thing is the students, the parents the teachers are still hope-filled, they’re looking to the future, they’ve got that enthusiasm, that excitement of what will become.”
The role of a principal is constantly growing and changing, and Mr Lacey said there wasn’t as much support as there is now at his first principal job in Warren, at a school with 130 students.
“It’s changed a lot but my concern is that there’s increasing demands on principals today, which takes them away from helping children with their learning and helping teachers with their teaching,” he said.
“I still believe that we want the principal to be the leading learner and the leading teacher in the school, and they need to be able to walk alongside students and teachers to be able to help them really embrace the complex curriculum that they’re working with today, so it’s a challenge, it’s demanding.”
Mr Lacey said there are also increasing external pressures from the government, parents and society.
There is a lot on a principal’s plate. Just in the past week, Mr Lacey has read articles about things principals have to be aware of, including gender neutral terminology, teaching community, financial literacy and home skills, internet skills, cyber safety, boys’ education, advocating for higher education, teacher shortages and national numeracy.
Mr Lacey is looking forward to working with principals across the country once he has retired.
“I believe it’s important to be able to walk alongside principals, especially young people, young principals who are trying to meet all those demands, the pressures from the students, teachers, parents, community, balance all that, because we’ve got good young principals that are now thinking ‘should I do this job, should I commit to it long-term because of the pressure?’,” he said.
“Our society needs it, our society needs good teachers.”
Picture by Jonathan Carroll
