Howick College has a new principal.
Presiding member Miles Stratford said with the resignation of former principal Iva Ropati in May, the Howick College board began an extensive consultation and recruitment process.
“It was very important that the new principal/tumuaki aligned with our college values and was committed to carrying forward Iva’s work to ensure that Howick College is the secondary school of choice in east Auckland,” Stratford said.
Last Friday the Board announced the appointment of Dale Burden as the new principal of Howick College.
“Although we were aware of the negative media attention Dale has received in the past, our decision to appoint him was based on the character, mana and reality of the person that was revealed during the recruitment and interview process,” Stratford said.
“We were impressed by his calm and thoughtful manner and we are confident in his knowledge and understanding of what it takes to meet the educational needs of the community he serves.”
Burden was the principal of St Peter’s School in Cambridge, He resigned in May last year amid an investigation into workplace bullying at the school prompted by a number of complaints to Worksafe.
Burden, who describes himself as a servant leader, has been one of the top-performing secondary school principals in New Zealand for many years.
He led the transformation of Mt Albert Grammar School from a school that had little local support into one which is actively sought out and selected by those within zone.
His success at Mt Albert saw Burden selected as the principal at St Peter’s School, Cambridge “where he delivered on and exceeded the board’s expectations”, Stratford said.
He is currently working with Rivercrest and Hillcrest Colleges in Melbourne as the establishment director of the Senior Secondary Campus working with the design team, staff and students to create a modern senior secondary campus with best practice frameworks for teaching, learning and well-being in place.
Stratford said the Howick College Board was excited by Burden’s appointment and “is confident he will apply his vast experience to college with extremely good effect”.
Burden will take up his position as principal at the start of Term 1, 2023.
