The head of the education department and the primary school principal switch roles for a day
The science city of Darmstadt has for the first time implemented the program "Head of Education for a Day". Holger Klötzner, Head of Education, and Corinna Orth-Mohr, Head of the Ursula-Fuchs-School, swapped roles.
The aim of the project is to strengthen cooperation between schools and city administration and to enable mutual insights into the respective areas of work.
Klötzner accompanies the school day
Klötzner was involved in the daily routine at the primary school from 7 a.m. onwards. This included, among other things, organizing the substitute teacher schedule, tasks in the after-school program, and participating as a jury member in the reading competition.
At the same time, headmistress Orth-Mohr gained insights into the work of the education department and participated in meetings and voting processes within the city administration. A political meeting was also on the agenda for the evening.
Changing perspectives should promote understanding
“The exchange day was a very enriching experience for me,” explains Orth-Mohr. He found the communication and decision-making processes within the department particularly interesting.
The change of perspective has shown how important close cooperation between schools and administration is.
Klötzner also draws a positive conclusion: “Spending a day as head of the Ursula-Fuchs-School was not only a great change of pace, but also a good opportunity for me to learn something new and to better understand the perspective of school principals.”
More swap days planned
Following the successful initial run, the program is planned to take place annually. Interested schools and childcare providers can contact the Department for Education and Digitalization of the City of Darmstadt.
(DARMSTADT – RED/PSD/stip)
