EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF GET AHEAD SCHOOLS TO TAKE UP NEW ROLE
Visser achieved much at schools
Average leaders raise the bar on themselves. Good leaders raise the bar for others. Great leaders inspire
others to raise their own bar. — Orrin Woodward
Mariette Visser was appointed to the position of executive director at the Get Ahead Schools in January 2016. She brought with her a vast array of educational leadership skills, which she employed to the betterment of the schools.
Under her leadership, the school developed a modern and realistic strategic plan that would see a shift in focus from run-of-the-mill teaching and learning to preparing students for life after school.
Vital to the success of the strategic plan was the establishment of a student wellness department, a fundraising and marketing department and internal talent pipelining.
Mariette secured funding from Capitec Foundation for a leadership development programme hosted by UCT Graduate School of Business, which benefited 40 local school principals over two years.
STEAM education and the establishment of Makerspaces in the primary schools saw pupils actively engaged with their learning, while becoming confident in 21st century skills. This focus has an impact on the development of the whole child.
Mariette was also actively involved in coaching the Best Speaking Club students, resulting in numerous distinctions at competitions. Mariette s decisive and
’
strategic leadership ensured that the schools were prepared for the disruption brought about by Covid-19. It has been business as usual at the Get Ahead Schools since June.
My calling in life is to fight
“for high quality education, in line with global trends for youth in rural communities. Schools have to prepare students for the fast-changing world of work.”
Mariette leaves Get Ahead at the end of September to take up her new role with the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (Isasa) as regional director of the Eastern Cape. Vicki du Preez will take over as executive head.
We look forward with
“excitement to the hard reboot that Covid-19 has brought to education. It has highlighted that school is not just a building; school is the relationships within the building. We have missed people and not things during lockdown. It is clear that people should be our focus.
Going forward we will focus on building even stronger relationships with students, parents, staff and external stakeholders. By focusing on soft skills, we will be true to our vision of making every child
‘ feel worthy and validated ’.”