Cognition

Consultant

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Phone:   09 638 4832

Mobile:  021 272 0633

Therese Ireland-Smith brings a breadth of expertise, energy and leadership to our team particularly in the secondary school sector. From early childhood to tertiary institutions she has fulfilled roles in teaching, research, advocacy, national and international educational advisory, national curriculum leadership, governance, senior management and recent principalship.

Her experience includes roles as a Literacy & Pasifika Literacy Facilitator for TEAM Solutions (University of Auckland) in eleven schools which included Area Schools. She has recent experience as the principal of a special school catering for students in CYFS care aged between 10 and 16 years old. Other roles have seen her engaged in the recruitment of national and international educational leaders and principals for Cognition and managing and/advising on principal appointment processes for schools and NEITA shortlisting throughout New Zealand.
As part of her role in Cognition, Therese has evaluated special education provision and was the Project Manager and lead coach of a BOT training and support contract which delivered support for 680 schools in Auckland, Northland and Franklin with specialist being provided for at risk schools. She was also responsible for the management, facilitation and evaluation for MoE schooling strategies in Papakura-Takanini and Hingaia, which involved considerable consultation with educational leaders and groups including the Māori and Pasifikā communities in each of the areas. She has recently developed cross curricular inquiry based teaching units and resources for levels 1-7 of the NZC.
Therese also has experience in several aspects of research and evaluation. Recent involvement includes leading participatory research in communities with low rates of ECE participation, managing a national leadership service and development of a national strategic framework which included planning the implementation, workforce development and communications for the Ministry of Health. She is also engaged in leadership development and evaluation in the Manurewa Enhancement Initiative, also as a field worker and report writer for other schooling improvement initiatives and longitudinal social and achievement projects listed in this proposal.