I'm outta here! Want to know why one of the most dynamic school leaders in the last 30 years is walking away from his post? Australia's Wesley College Principal David Loader will explain it all, and tell you what he plans to do next.

The news is replete with tales of teacher burnout, student dropouts and a rise in the number of school principal vacancies. However, it is rare when the resignation of one school principal generates national media attention. Then again, David Loader, principal of Australia's Wesley College, is not your ordinary principal.

An examination of the past 13 years gives a sense of Loader's accomplishments during his 31-year career. In 1989 he committed his school at the time, the Methodist Ladies' College, to giving every child in grades 5-12 a laptop computer. This bold act instigated a learning revolution that is just beginning to ripple across the United States.

Loader built a residential campus for ninth grade girls in an Australian rainforest, constructed a state-of-the-art music center, traded a dated tradition of compulsory Saturday intramurals for a new physical education center and challenged his teaching staff to rethink the nature of teaching and learning. His last two schools created a learning community that includes everyone from toddlers to business leaders interested in personal growth.

An accomplished entrepreneur and consensus builder, Loader was not afraid to "stir the pot" when he thought it would benefit kids.

Loader continued to innovate and spark controversy at Wesley College, the largest independent school in the Southern Hemisphere. He granted autonomy to his three campuses, convened a process where students could help redesign middle-school education, constructed an early childhood center, established time for weekly staff professional development, and "built" a town (The Magical Land of Clunes).

Loader's creativity, intellect and candor have paid off time and time again. His schools have been recognized as being among the best in the world, and his 1997 book, The Inner Principal (Student Outcomes and the Reform of Education) by Library Binding, is a revealing account of the loves, fears, work and dreams of at least one school principal.

When you decided in 1989 that every child should have a laptop computer, few executives had laptops. Are you glad you promoted truly personal computing?

Schools are too conservative and are often serve the needs of parents and teachers rather than students. So in my mind I wanted to change the focus. I wanted students to be more in control of their learning. The idea of providing an individual [personal] computer, the laptop, for every student seemed an obvious way of doing that.

You created the position of associate principal instead of the traditional vice principal. Why?

The basic structure of schooling had to be addressed so instead of appointing a traditional assistant I looked for a change-agent as my assistant. I then supported this person with the necessary resources. The focus for this person was to be the creation of a learning community.

It is amazing how little we know, and even less we practice, in the area of learning. As adults we do not like to find the unknown, nor do we like to make mistakes. Such misadventures would force us to be learners. It is a strange contradiction that the so-called good teachers in the past were the ones who did not need to learn. This is not so today in schools or in businesses. The most successful organizations are those most capable of learning.

Why did you write The Inner Principal? Did it accomplish your goals?

I wrote The Inner Principal as a result of some lectures I gave to post-graduate education students. They were eager for the real, and often failure, stories that come from a practicing administrator. So often in my experience, successful principals tell their success stories and do not tell of the sleepless lonely nights.

Friends told me that to publish this could adversely affect my career. It has not done so. While peers are quiet about the book, they all seem to have read it. I am often asked to speak about such topics as the heart and head of leadership, burnout and leadership under stress.

Was the book received differently by your local school than the broader educational community?

Yes. I have begun to see in others a public acknowledgment of the stresses and strains of leadership and the ambivalence felt about decisions, so it has been a good thing to publish. I remember asking a successful principal what she did with a certain discipline situation. She replied that she did not have this problem. Today, many fellow principals are owning up to difficulties and are telling it as it is.

Can you describe your with other school leaders?

Relationships with other principals were not always easy as I kept challenging the status quo. I did not tow the party line, and even when I made New Year resolutions to do so, I ended up disagreeing and then speaking out. This meant that the media often spoke to me, as they knew they would get an honest answer and often an unexpected one. I never sought publicity for myself, as I know only too well in Australia there is no respect for tall poppies. However, I usually ended up speaking out on behalf of good causes.

Why are you leaving the principalship?

Basically, I leave because it is time. I am in my 32nd year as a principal. The job is very demanding and I would like to give myself a little more personal time. Quite often the work day begins with 7:30 a.m. meetings and ends with evening meetings finishing at 10 p.m. Even in social functions, you are still seen as the principal and it is hard to get out of the role.

On a more specific level, the projects that I have been working on have come to completion. The new projects require a commitment of more than six months to a year. I think you need to give them three years to get them through. I am not convinced that I have the energy for such a big push.

In the process of working toward certain goals, you win some friends and enemies. It takes energy, courage and commitment to push through those goals.

At 61, I haven't lost my desire to achieve, but I do not have as much energy for the struggle.

Do you leave behind any unfinished business?

Of course, I leave behind unfinished business, but I also know that one will never complete all the tasks they set.

What will you do next?.

The goal is to do mentoring, working with governing bodies and principals.

My view is that leadership is a complex interaction between many elements including personalties, skills, followers and settings. Whatever the elements, all can be influenced positively by personal mentorship. Unfortunately much leadership development is exclusively based upon giving leaders more knowledge rather than affecting the way they behave.

As a result, many such programs fail to make leaders perform better. In contrast, mentoring helps principals and council members to see themselves as others do, to more closely examine the interactions of other people as well as to define areas for focused professional development.

Aside from the remarkable collection of campuses you have constructed, buildings you've built and programs you designed, when you look back on your career what is it that makes you proudest?

Strangely, given the firsts with computers, residential education and learning, what I see as my greatest moment is a special event where the school community came together before a paying audience of 12,000 people to present an evening of drama, music and entertainment That evening was the most difficult achievement in my career. It was also the event where I had no creative role except to support those who created and performed. Upon reflection, I have done this throughout my career. Our computing innovations were built on such administrative support.

Are there any things you would have done differently?

I would, in general terms, like to have spent more time out of the office, but not necessarily in the classroom. Rather, I needed to spend more time in the staff room with teachers. If they are on your side then you will win. Their knowledge is critical and needs to be factored into decisions.

What does the future hold for schooling.

I am still optimistic about schooling despite the efforts of some to take schools into some kind of academic Olympics where reading, numbers and more are measured and politicians can then be seen to be successful in creating the best education system. Schools are a way of reaching our youth. They can be made to work but it will take more than goodwill. It requires dedication, commitment and a willingness to speak out against that which doesn't benefit children.

They say that the worst thing is a principal with no vision and the next worst thing is a principal with only his/her vision (or did I get that in the wrong order?)

Wesley College at a Glance

* Wesley College is not a university. It is a pre-K-12 independent school in Melbourne, Australia. In American terms, Principal Loader is an educational leader, school principal, superintendent, CEO and occasional politician rolled into one 

* Number of students 3,500

* Number of campuses: Three major campuses in the Melbourne area; one early childhood center; Clunes; three outdoor education facilities; overseas programs

* Number of faculty members: About 600 full- and part-time

* Number of support staff: About 600 full- and part-time

* Number of computers: 3,100 laptops and 300 desktop personal computers

RELATED ARTICLE: The magical land of Clunes.

Under David Loader's leadership, Wesley College built a one-of-a-kind campus in the country town of Clunes (several hours from Melbourne). Clunes is the town where Victorian gold was discovered in the late 19th century, and it has seen few prosperous days since. In fact, portions of the 1979 film, Mad Max, were filmed on Clunes' ghost town-like main street.

Ninth grade students from Wesley's three city campuses spend an eight-week term living and learning in Clunes. The Wesley Village consists of 13 modern houses, complete with living room, kitchen and laundry. Eight students share four bedrooms in each house and are responsible for cooking, cleaning and caring for one another. Each house has a weekly budget for food and the kids are expected to live within their means. If a housemate is not feeling well, the other students are expected to provide the needed TLC. No staff members reside in the student houses, but live in nearby accommodations accessible by phones.

Students can walk a few hundred yards to the town center where they negotiate with the butcher, baker and grocer. A handful of cafes, shops and the post office are "right in the backyard." Students are free to go into town after signing-off campus and locals are encouraged to interact with the Wesley students. The students participate in local festivals, read to school children and attend sporting events.

The central theme of the Clunes experience is: How do we learn to live and work together? The curriculum negotiated between each student and the staff emphasizes self and your relation to others. Ninth grade is a perfect time to address this question when many kids are struggling with their self-image, parents and relationship to others.

Loader fears the loss of healthy initiation rituals in Western societies. During this period of transition, students are much more interested in becoming effective adults than in studying traditional core curricula. "Clunes" attempts to create an environment in which children learn to construct community and learn by living in a community.

Mathematical ability is developed preparing meals, budgeting and working with local merchants. Local history is explored and a personal philosophy developed. The Town Hall is used for performances and the court house to study the law. Public displays of visual art are created by students and left as a gift to the remaining community. Students experience their own history and understand civic interdependence by living in an environment that represents important elements of Western expansion--colonization, settlement, boom, bust, agrarianism, multiculturalism and urbanization.

More than two years worth of experience at Clunes suggests those students become more thoughtful, responsible and confident learners, www.clunes.wesleycollege.net

Gary Stager, [e-mail], is editor-at-large and an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University.