A great artist commissioned to paint a fresco on a chapel ceiling needs a scaffold to get them up there
Carl is a passionate educator who has served education in a wide range of contexts. His experience as a principal, board member, PLD facilitator, Special Character developer and reviewer means he is well-equipped to serve and inspire boards and leadership teams in a variety of contexts. His endorsements by AIS, NZSTA and MoE are a testament to this. It doesn’t stop here – he led a $10 million tech start-up for 5 years and got connected to the real world of gaming (educational)!
Integrated School Scaffolds
Endorsed by AIS (over 5 years)
Governance Scaffolding
Endorsed by NZSTA and AIS
Leadership Development and Principal Mentoring
Endorsed PLD Provider (MOE and AIS)
Local Curriculum Development and Assessment Scaffolds
Board and Proprietor Support
NZSTA and AIS Endorsed
Charter School Support
Readiness report
Help with applications
Professional Support
Strategic Planning
Curriculum development
“An experienced, astute and visionary educator, he can provide high-level strategic advice, exemplary governance coaching, and is able to guide schools in the operationalising of plans, policies, and procedures.” Mark Larson CEO AIS
Who do Axis Strategies Typically Work with?
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Leaders – Principals, School Leadership Teams and CEOs of Not-For-Profits
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Boards – Not-for-Profits and Schools
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Proprietors of Integrated Schools
Why Choose Axis Strategies?
Achieving your organisation’s vision requires multiple layers, and whilst some areas are strong there are always areas that could do with some review and expertise to guide the way forward.
Likewise, visionaries who run schools are either too caught up in the day-to-day business of managing curriculum, staff and classroom issues, or they are too driven by the vision itself that they can’t get their heads around compliance matters.
That’s what Axis Strategies does, helps organisations in the governance and management of new initiatives. How? Through robust collaborative processes in the fields of education, business and not-for-profit sectors.
This is where Axis-Strategies comes in, to help scaffold and strategise your great ideas. Whether you are a school Principal, a School Board, a Proprietor or a Not-For-Profit Board, we come alongside and design scaffolds to serve and support you.
How Can Axis Strategies Assist?
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Leading Special Character Reviews
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anything related to vision and strategy.
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developing policies, processes and procedures to fulfil your vision and strategy!
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CEO and principal appraisals and appointments
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board development and review
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leadership development
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curriculum development
Who leads Axis Strategies?
Carl Becker
I have extensive experience in leadership in the education, business and not-for-profit sectors. I have been a Principal, a CEO of a $10 million tech start-up, Board Chair and served as a trustee on Proprietor and not-for-profit trusts. In addition to these roles, I am:
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an approved Statutory Provider to school boards by the Ministry of Education
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endorsed by the New Zealand School Trustees Association to support school boards, and lead principal appraisals and appointments
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endorsed by the Ministry of Education as a Professional Leadership Development facilitator. This enables schools to access my services via the MoE to assist with Local Curriculum and Assessment initiatives
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experienced in conducting Special Character Reviews on behalf of the Proprietor
Helen Pearson.
Helen has had a varied career in education, which has included being a teacher in a state school, the foundation principal of KingsWay School—a private Christian school in NZ— a founding director of a Christian teachers’ college, the director of an educational publishing business serving Christian and state schools in NZ and Australia, an educational consultant, an author, a speaker at international education conferences, and a member of school boards and proprietors trusts of a number of schools. After many years of home educating her five children with her husband Dean, she became the principal of a small state integrated primary school in Snells Beach, which grew to become an area school and was renamed Horizon School. Helen is currently involved in initial teacher education and consultancy work for Axis Strategies.
Helen has always thought deeply about education and
feels privileged to have the opportunity to support people at all levels of school leadership to meet their educational and leadership objectives with clarity and confidence.
What People Are Saying
Carl Becker came to my attention 20 years ago with his superb pedagogical leadership when he was a foundational principal of a local school, and I have subsequently contracted him in my educational publishing business and then in my school over the past 15 years. His depth of thought, leadership mentoring and strategic thinking has meant that he was widely appreciated as a leadership and pedagogical mentor within Horizon School where he was also a valued team player in both primary and junior college teaching teams during covid years.
Carl
Becker of Axis Strategies has provided consultancy services for our school over a
three year period. Carl undertook the appraisal of our Principal and Senior Leadership team, completed a School Management Review and provided guidance to the Board with the appointment of a new principal. Carl was then asked to undertake the appraisal of our new principal which he readily agreed to. Carl’s support and availability during this time was greatly appreciated. Carl’s expertise and experience as a teacher, Principal, Board Member and Proprietor, along with an endorsement from NZSTA as principal appraiser, was extremely valuable
to our Board. Carl quickly understood the uniqueness of our school and the challenges we faced, he was able to develop a strategic approach that would guide and assist both Board and School Leadership during this time of change. Whilst providing these services, which was followed by a Special Character Review for the school’s Proprietor, Carl interacted with a wide range of our community, our staff
and students. Carl was extremely professional and respectful in all his interactions. He maintained regular communication and updates on his progress and was able to schedule
his visits to coincide with our Board meetings so was able to report to the Board. I have no hesitation in endorsing Carl Becker as a consultant and believe any service Carl provides will be of great benefit to your school.
Carl provides professional and personal service in Principal performance review and school Board support. His process is very improvement-oriented and he is a natural ‘critical friend’, leading a journey of honest self-reflection and positive future development.
Carl has a gift for identifying relevant issues and asking the right questions. He displays compassion and integrity in all his interactions, and I would recommend his involvement and counsel in any learning environment.
Carl is an innovative educator with extensive expertise in curriculum, assessment and leadership. A constructivist at heart, he is a forward-thinking practitioner whose pedagogy is characterised by keeping students at the centre. When working with schools, Carl is relationally dextrous, strategic and thorough.
Carl is a resourceful and engaging consultant and someone I would highly recommend to any board or leadership team. He has provided clear guidance to the board with regard to governance, proprietorship and the Principal Appraisal Process.
Carl has extensive experience working in the state integrated school sector at nearly every level. An experienced, astute and visionary educator he can provide high-level strategic advice, exemplary governance coaching, and is able to guide schools in the operationalizing of plans, policies, and procedures.
He understands the “ecosystem”of an individual school or group of schools in its myriad facets as a classroom teacher with recent experience, and previous or current roles as Presiding member, proprietor appointee, and proprietor trustee. Carl has an in-depth knowledge of all the roles and responsibilities, and how they should work together.
Carl is an accomplished “troubleshooter” providing empathy and clarity in difficult situations. He has an exemplary working knowledge of the legislation, regulation and Association handbooks.
Carl brings a high level of wisdom and experience to support the different needs within a school context. He comes with senior leadership and recent classroom experience which means his skillset is both relational and relevant to classroom teachers and school leaders alike.
Carl is also a skilled communicator and collaborator. He is always willing to work with others to develop innovative solutions to educational challenges and is skilled at communicating complex ideas in clear and concise ways to both staff, community and Boards. Carl is a true team player, and his positive attitude and collaborative characteristics make him a pleasure to work with.
His expertise, passion, and commitment to leadership and classroom practices make him an invaluable asset to the Tasman Bay Christian School team. Overall, I would highly recommend Carl to anyone looking for an education specialist to support their professional development needs.
Where it all began
It may have started with a near-death experience!
My first scaffolding task, was when my dad got run over by our tractor right in front of me as 5 year old – I thought for a moment he was dead. He got up and needed me to assist by driving the tractor home, as he was in immense pain from his shoulder and upper back.
That may have been the first overt leadership role in my life, where I had to take stock, get hold of myself and get heading to a clear destination (home, then doctor).
I learnt at this young age that I was well-equipped to ‘get us home’. My dad was the farmer, it was my dad’s tractor, and at any other time, I would not have been driving it. But the circumstances made my dad’s pressing need and my ability to step into the situation align. Together we ‘brought it home.’
That’s what I bring with Axis Strategies. I’m here to help an organisation, a board or a visionary leader bring their strategy home. I make sure the framework around the strategy is robust, can withstand challenges, and meets expectations.
Contact us by email as well as the enquiry form carl@axis-strategies.co.nz
