Our staff

We have more than 400 teaching and specialist staff based in Wellington and in offices around the country.

In 2008, we introduced a regional learning delivery and support model aimed at strengthening connections with students, their whanau, and community. One of the ways we are doing this is by increasing the number of staff working in local communities.

Another is by grouping our learning advisors and teachers into four regional teams that are aligned with the Ministry of Education’s regional offices – Northern, Central North, Central South, and Southern. Teachers from different subject areas and disciplines work together to increase their understanding and engagement with students and their families.

Our regional staff also include Kaiarahi (guides) who work with schools, alternative education providers, community and government agencies, to co-ordinate regional initiatives to boost student engagement and achievement. Our liaison teachers work directly with students and families to provide extra support if you need it.

Our staff are led by a senior leadership team made up of the Chief Executive Mike Hollings, Chief Operating Officer Viv Rogers, and Chief Advisor Margaret Gamlin. We are organised into three wahanga (areas):

• Learner Services – which includes the four regional teaching teams, early childhood, curriculum development and e-learning. The managers of these areas form our Learner Services runanga.
• Operations and Performance – which includes enrolment services; human resources; finance; our information resources group; facilities and procurement; media services and distribution; and organisational performance, planning and reporting.
• Advisory wahanga/Chief Executive’s office - which includes communications, the Senior Advisor Maori Education, and support for the Board of Trustees.

Board of Trustees

Like face-to-face schools we have a Board of Trustees responsible for ensuring the school is governed and managed according to the relevant legislation and the National Education Guidelines. Our Board members are:

• Karen Sewell (Chair)
• Gillian Heald
• John Nisbet (Te Kura staff member, elected June 2009)
• John Sproat 
• Maxine Moana-Tuwhangai
• Paul Adams.

Karen Sewell, QSO, is the former Chief Executive of the Ministry of Education and Secretary for Education. She has also been the Chief Executive and Chief Review Officer for the Education Review Office.

Karen has taught at schools in the UK and in New Zealand, including Onslow College in Wellington and Green Bay High School in Auckland, where she was Principal. She has been the recipient of a teaching fellowship at Victoria University Wellington, a Nuffield Bursary at the University of London and has also been an Inspector of Secondary Schools in NZ. Karen has a strong commitment to improving educational outcomes for Māori and Pasifika students.

Gillian Heald has had extensive experience in secondary and tertiary teaching as the former Principal of both Rangi Ruru Girls’ School and Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti. She is currently an education consultant and holds a number of Board directorships including Chairperson of the NZ Olympic Education Commission. In 2010 Gillian was awarded the MNZM for Services to Education.

John Nisbet is the elected Te Kura staff representative. He is also the Regional Manager for the Central South region. Previously, John served as head of department for science at Te Kura, and was a senior teacher in agriculture. In 2009, John received a Master's degree in Educational Leadership from the Australian Catholic University.

John Sproat is a corporate finance lawyer for Chapman Tripp in Wellington, where he has been a partner for 20 years. In the early 1990s he was closely involved in the establishment of Wellington’s first kura kaupapa Maori and following its establishment he was on the Board for 12 years as Treasurer. John is currently on the Board of Trustees for Teach First NZ.

Maxine Moana-Tuwhangai is a self-employed consultant with extensive management and accounting experience in both the public and private sector. Maxine is currently a member and Chair of Taharoa C Block Incorporated, member of the Board of Waikato Institute of Technology, Chair of the Board of Northern Region Health School and Executive Board member of Waikato Tainui.

Paul Adams has a wealth of business and management experience, and a commitment to raising the achievement of Maori and Pasifika students. He is currently Managing Director for Carrus Corporation Ltd, a property development and management firm in the Bay of Plenty. Paul qualified as a Civil Engineer in 1969 in Wellington and has owned and managed many private companies over the last 30 years.