By: Ronaldo A. Pozon, PhD, CESO V, Schools Division Superintendent – Office of the Schools Division Superintendent

 ship without its captain is just a ship. Its sail will never be hoisted. Its course is unmapped. Similarly, a school will never serve its purpose as a home to learners who dream of becoming somebody in the future. It is believed that teacher quality is contingent upon the quality of school leaders who ensure the creation of a supportive environment—a principle that has been at the core of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) belief system.

Having quality school leaders who are not only competent but also committed to their duties is the ultimate dream of every educational system. This is the inspiration behind the development of the School Heads’ Immersion Program (SHIP),  As an onboarding program, it aims to provide newly appointed school principals the opportunity to be coached and mentored by more experienced school heads before their deployment.

The program comprises a one-day theoretical part, which provides orientation on school operations and governance, highlighting topics that are aligned with the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads (PPSSH), and a four-day immersion activity. The program’s immersion activity is ensured to be impactful to the professional lives of the new school leaders through the selection of experienced school heads who are known to be competent and integrous.

Earlier this January, 72 newly appointed school heads underwent the program and were successfully deployed to public schools across Nueva Ecija. They experienced how to be mentored and coached by their partner school heads. They were given a taste of understanding the challenges and joys encountered by a leader and were prepared to withstand the strong waves in the ocean.

Dr. Ronald Heifetz, a Harvard professor, once delivered a lecture on Adaptive Leadership where he explained the real meaning of legacy. He said that legacy is when a leader’s actions result in behavioral changes within the organization, making them more adaptive, resilient, and motivated. Achieving this boils down to the leader’s intention and vision, which are always reflected through the programs and activities they implement. The School Head Immersion Program (SHIP) epitomizes the willingness

of a leader to make change by traversing the uncharted and overcoming the waves through hoisting the sails together with the rest of the crew.