Teachers are dealing with a lack of support and respect as they tackle this pandemic

Principals' roles are increasingly stressful and Covid has highlighted systemic failures we can no longer tolerate. It's time to speak out, writes Angela Dunne of the National Principals' Forum 

National Principals' Forum with current Taoiseach Micheál Martin in July 2019.

“The culture of any organisation is shaped by the worst behaviour the leader is willing to tolerate”, Steve Gruenert and Todd Whitaker, School Culture Rewired, ch. 3 (2015).

I write as one principal, but speak with the voices and concerns of many who are in a similar role to me across the country. We are not willing to tolerate the lack of support and disrespect with which educators are being subjected to by the Department of Education, and education stakeholders.