Monica Officer

NEW: Pope Leo XIV’s close ally Cardinal Robert McElroy received a standing ovation at the end of his homily, where he called on Catholics to take up civic action to help end the “immoral” war against Iran. “When we leave this church tonight, we must move beyond prayer. As citizens and believers in this democracy that we cherish so deeply, we must advocate for peace with our representatives and leaders. “It is not enough to say we have prayed. We must also act. For it is very possible that the negotiations will fail because of recalcitrance on both sides, and the president will move to re-enter this immoral war. “At that critical juncture, as disciples of Jesus Christ called to be peacemakers in the world, we must answer vocally and in unison: “No. Not in our name. Not at this moment. Not with our country.”

@FrankChiment @ucatolica “Catholic identity “is not merely an ornament,” but rather the core that gives meaning to the educational process”-could it be any clearer?

Catholic identity should not be ornamental - it’s the “heart” shaping mission, service, and learning A valuable reminder for all in Catholic education to live this more deeply in practice. uc.cl/en/news/cardin… via @ucatolica

@austeni Will that be streamed for internationals?

Should you be in New York on March 16, I’ll be speaking at the church of St Ignatius Loyola on the Upper East Side of Manhattan (980 Park Ave: Wallace Hall) at 7pm.

One small systems insight that changed my leadership practice: If a process only works when the right person is present, it is not a system. It is a personality. Sustainable schools are built on routines that: • work on the hardest days • survive staff absence • protect decision-making under pressure That is where real improvement lives.

@LeeWoods0722 Yet how many are attentive to these important things? Being attentive to embedding disciplines such as these takes courage, time and a developed self awareness. Sometimes we do need to look outward to other professions/professionals for insight.

Most school leaders are not chasing perfection. They are chasing progress. Quietly. Relentlessly. Under pressure. That is why Better by Atul Gawande resonates so deeply with leadership in schools. It is not about brilliance. It is about systems, habits and the discipline of improvement. In surgery, failure costs lives. In education, it costs opportunity. The lesson is the same in both fields: Care is not enough. Systems matter. That simple truth sits at the heart of Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance by Atul Gawande. Although written through the lens of medicine, it may be one of the most quietly powerful leadership books a leader can read. Because it strips performance back to its essentials. Not vision statements. Not slogans. But habits, systems, humility and the relentless pursuit of improvement. In schools, as in surgery, we often celebrate individual excellence. The outstanding teacher. The inspirational leader. The charismatic head. Gawande dismantles this myth with precision. He shows that even the most talented professionals fail without: •Clear systems •Consistent routines •Feedback that is acted upon •A culture that allows challenge and learning The lesson is uncomfortable but necessary. Performance does not improve because people care more. It improves because systems make the right actions more likely and the wrong ones harder to repeat. One of Gawande’s central arguments is that improvement rarely comes from dramatic breakthroughs. It comes from marginal gains applied consistently. This is profoundly relevant to school leadership. Better attendance rarely comes from one assembly. Better behaviour rarely comes from one policy rewrite. Better teaching rarely comes from one INSET day. It comes from leaders who: •Clarify expectations •Remove ambiguity •Build routines that survive pressure •Accept that good intentions are not enough In Gawande’s world, checklists save lives. In ours, systems save learning time. Perhaps the most striking section of Better is Gawande’s exploration of coaching. Even elite surgeons, at the top of their profession, actively seek feedback from others who can see what they cannot. This is where leadership in schools is often tested. Senior leaders are expected to have answers. Yet the most effective leaders are those who remain open to scrutiny. The parallel is clear. Schools improve fastest when leaders: Invite challenge rather than defend practice Use evidence to refine decisions Model learning rather than certainty Leadership is not diminished by coaching. It is strengthened by it. What makes Better resonate so strongly with education is its realism. Gawande does not argue that failure can be eliminated. He argues that it can be reduced. He does not promise excellence overnight. He commits to progress, relentlessly pursued. This mirrors the reality of schools. We work in complex systems, serving diverse communities, under constant pressure. Improvement is rarely neat. But it is possible. The leaders who make the biggest difference are those who ask, repeatedly: What worked today? What did not? What one thing can we do better tomorrow? That mindset is not glamorous. It is transformative. Better is not a book about medicine. It is a book about responsibility. Responsibility to design systems that protect people. Responsibility to reflect honestly on performance. Responsibility to keep improving even when progress feels slow. For school leaders, that message could not be more relevant. Because the work is not about being flawless. It is about being better. Every day.

This is, by far, one of the most spectacular things I've ever seen. So magnificent!!🐳 I pray the world keeps saving the whales.🙏

@smh article titled, Prince Andrew will ‘leave Royal Lodge if he can live at Frogmore Cottage’ includes ‘Sarah Ferguson wants to move to nearby Adelaide Cottage after the Prince and Princess of Wales leave next month’ …sorry…what?

@austeni TG

Pope Leo XIV today: “, I would like to assure you of my intention to continue Pope Francis’ commitment to promoting the synodal nature of the Catholic Church.” Couldn’t be clearer. vatican.va/content/leo-xi…

If 98% of 5-year-olds are creative geniuses, maybe we don’t need to teach creativity. We just need to stop teaching it out of people.

Excellent article by @jkalbrechtsen theaustralian.com.au/nation/politic…

@BarackObama Well done you!!

Here's our statement on the results of the 2024 presidential election:

Dogs having fun.. 😊 twitter.com/buitengebieden…

Stop. Watch. Listen.

@AllBlacks Sydney

Kia ora everyone! Where are we watching this one from? 🫡 #NZLvENG #AllBlacks

Next up, renewable energy and EVs.

Great leadership usually begins with a desire to want to make a difference. ~@LollyDaskal bit.ly/3AlMy0Y #Leadership #Management #TEDTALK #Tedx #Speaker

@fasc1nate this dad is a legend ❤️