Blogs and Messages

WA Branch News: July 2025

By Rachael Lehr posted 10 days ago
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I recently posted a photo of 3 new books I had purchased on LinkedIn and asked for advice as to which one I should read first. ‘Let Them’ by Mel Robbins was the favoured choice, so I have been reading it to start my days while waiting for it to be light enough to walk my dog Pickle, who finds the shadows of breaking day disarming. As I have read the book, I have been relating the learnings to my roles in education, and to my life more generally. As educators and leaders, we often carry the weight of trying to manage everything: how our students behave, how our colleagues perceive us, how parents respond, how our leadership decisions land. We want to ...
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A mid-year reflection to consider

By Amanda Conray posted 10 days ago
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A mid-year reflection to consider As we reach the halfway point of the academic year, educational leaders are often at a key reflective milestone about many aspects of their work including student progress, the impact of professional learning, performance and development reviews, and team strategic planning. These reflections often demand administrative and bureaucratic requirements that sometimes drive a mechanical task-oriented response from leaders. At this halfway point educational leaders describe pending deadlines. These sentiments ripple across the many staff rooms and offices of our many educational institutions. For educational ...
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QLD Branch News: July 2025

By Bruce Addison posted 10 days ago
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Recently Fairholme College hosted our annual Dinner on the Downs event. It was an evening of great collegial warmth as colleagues shared a meal and enjoyed each other’s company. Our time together was so reflective of ACEL’s ability to bring people together professionally and socially. At the start of the evening Fairholme’s principal Dr Leigh Hobart spoke briefly about the concepts of clarity, empathy, courage and conviction. It was a thoughtful and engaging way to start the evening, setting the tone for some rich collegial fellowship. These four words struck a chord, and I have been thinking about them ever since. It may well be that the essence ...
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Reimagining Schooling: Why We Need Activist Educational Leaders

By Fiona Longmuir posted 10 days ago
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Reimagining Schooling: Why We Need Activist Educational Leaders In December 2024, I had the honour of delivering the ACEL Victorian Branch Patron’s Oration. I used this opportunity to reflect on the state of Australian schooling nearly two decades after our patron, Professor Brian Caldwell’s influential book Re-imagining Educational Leadership was published. His call for imagination in leadership remains as urgent as ever, but the challenges we face today demand not just imagination, but action. First of all, let me clarify, when I speak of “schooling,”I’m referring to the systemic structures, policies, and traditions that shape education in Australia, ...
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ACEL Chief Executive Officer: Thank you Dr Barbara Watterston

By Elizabeth Foster posted 17 days ago
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ACEL Chief Executive Officer: Thank you Dr Barbara Watterston Dear ACEL Members, On behalf of the National Board, I write to inform you that Dr Barbara Watterston notified the Board of her intention to conclude her service as Chief Executive Officer of ACEL in the latter part of 2025. We will deeply miss her exceptional leadership as she transitions to the next chapter of her distinguished career. During her tenure as CEO, she has been instrumental in strengthening ACEL’s position as Australia’s premier organisation for educational leaders. Her unwavering commitment to a visionary approach for professional learning has seen our organisation thrive. ...
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Teacher Quality is more than Standards

By Kirsten Macaulay posted 04-06-2025
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Teacher Quality is more than Standards. As the debate around ‘teacher quality’ continues to dominate educational discourse in New South Wales and beyond, it is timely to reflect on what we truly value in our educators. Recent research has rightly challenged the narrow metrics often used to define excellence in teaching, urging us to look beyond professional standards and measurable outcomes to the many personal attributes that underpin great teaching (Simpson, White & Cotton, 2025). Much of the prevailing narrative, fuelled more by anecdote than by evidence, has focused on deficit—on what teachers allegedly lack—rather than the rich complexity ...
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Leading for an Uncertain Future—Why Knowledge Still Matters

By Ashley Pratt posted 04-06-2025
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Leading for an Uncertain Future—Why Knowledge Still Matters In a world increasingly defined by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, the role of educational leaders is crucial for preparing the next generation to engage with this environment productively. As we grapple with AI proliferation, climate disruption, and geopolitical tension, the question becomes: how do we prepare our students, not just for what we know, but for what we cannot predict? The answer may lie not in the pursuit of more skills, but in the deliberate revival of knowledge. Deep, durable understanding stems from a knowledge-rich foundation. Far from being conservative ...
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ACT Branch News: June 2025

By Sandra Darley posted 04-06-2025
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Dear Colleagues, Members, patrons and friends of ACEL gathered on 23 May at the National Portrait Gallery for the 12th Annual Ministers Breakfast. This is one of our premier events in the ACT and each of our sectors were represented this year by their leaders who included Jo Wood, Pam Betts, Andrew Wrigley, Martin Watson, Dr Tony Bracken and Angela Spence. The University of Canberra was represented by Dr Michael Brown and ACU was represented by Dr Judith Norris. Deputy Chief Minister Yvette Berry has continued to be a generous supporter of the Minister’s Breakfast over a number of years and delivered a powerful address. She was very ...
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QLD Branch News: June 2025

By Bruce Addison posted 04-06-2025
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As I write this article there is only one week left until our Middle Leaders Summit on the Gold Coast. Much work has occurred in both the conception and hosting of this event. Two colleagues from our Queensland Executive have been instrumental in this. Dr Tania Leach and Mr Adam Kuss have brought their well-honed expertise and boundless enthusiasm to the planning and execution of the Summit experience. Ms Susan Garson, a new member of our Executive, has also contributed significantly sharing the findings of her soon to be completed doctoral research focussing on middle leader identity. The talent of our Executive group is profound. In preparation ...
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WA Branch News: June 2025

By Rachael Lehr posted 04-06-2025
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Lately, I’ve been reflecting on the power of our words. They matter. Often more than we realise. At school, this idea has been a central theme in recent conversations with our students, even shaping our most recent assembly. We’ve been discussing the impact of words, not just what we say, but how we say it. Whether in casual chats or more intentional mentoring and coaching conversations, the words we choose influence the culture of our school. I also shared in our staff newsletter: The words we speak shape the culture in our school — this goes for the adults as well as our students. Importantly, the tone of our school isn’t set ...
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The Rise of the 21st-Century Educational Leader

By Gary Racey posted 04-06-2025
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The Rise of the 21st-Century Educational Leader In an era marked by rapid technological advancement, global interconnectedness, and shifting societal needs, educational leadership is undergoing a profound transformation. Today’s educational leaders are no longer expected to simply manage operations or ensure compliance—they must be adaptive, forward-thinking innovators equipped with the skills to lead learning communities through complex, evolving landscapes. Central to this new leadership paradigm is the integration of 21st-century skills into the very fabric of leadership practice. According to Thompson (2016), effective educational leadership ...
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TAS Branch News: June 2025

By Jacqui Lawless posted 04-06-2025
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ACEL Tasmanian Awards We congratulate our Tasmanian ACEL Awardees for 2025 Early Career Teacher Leadership Liv Prenter - Hobart City High Lauren Angus - Hobart College Kristy Harrison - Dover District Jesse Bowden - Jordan River Learning Federation Brooke Everingham - Collinsvale Primary School Raymond Mouchet - Hobart College Alison Hartley - Northern Christian School Alex Stokes - Hellyer College Teacher Leadership Yvette Jones - Hobart College Josh Salter - Burnie High School James Clifford - Hobart City High Erin McCormick Robotham - St Brigids Catholic School Bridgette Bye - ESchool Anna Smee - Hobart ...
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Message from the President, Term 2 2025

By Elizabeth Foster posted 27-05-2025
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The following is a Message from the AEL Journal Volume 47 Issue 2 As the Australian Council for Educational Leaders, we continue to be encouraged by the strength of our community. With unprecedented attendance at our National Conference last year, State and Territory Branch professional learning opportunities also continue to attract exceptional numbers of participants. We celebrate both our longstanding members and new educators joining the ACEL community. For those reading the Australian Educational Leader (AEL) for the first time, we warmly welcome you to this journal. The Australian Educational Leader (AEL) is a nationally and internationally ...
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Message from the CEO, Term 2 2025

By Barbara Watterston posted 27-05-2025
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The following is a Message from the AEL Journal Volume 47 Issue 2 As I reflect on the significant activities shared throughout this issue, I am reminded of the centrality of our learning ecosystem – a vibrant, inclusive community that unites and lifts us all. In a time where polarities threaten to fragment the educational landscape, the spirit of pluralistic leadership that defines ACEL stands as a beacon of hope and strength. If our collective experience within our community is any indication, then we are indeed a microcosm of the depth, breadth, and extraordinary diversity that makes our profession so vital and transformative. At the heart ...
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Your voice matters: Share your insights at our ACEL National Conference 2025

By Barbara Watterston posted 08-05-2025
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Dear colleagues, In case you missed it in this week's social media posts, I wanted to personally highlight that the call for papers is now open for our 2025 National Conference, taking place in Sydney from 29 September – 1 October 2025. This year with the NSW Department for Education as our conference partner, we will build on the reimagining of our future from last year's conference by Amplifying every voice, shaping our story and empowering all learners. This theme is your invitation – to lead, inspire and contribute your voice to a national conversation. I warmly encourage you to consider submitting an abstract to present a ...
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WA Branch News: May 2025

By Rachael Lehr posted 06-05-2025
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On the recent school holiday break, our ACEL WA Leadership Book Club met to discuss James Nottingham’s new book Teach Brilliantly: Small Shifts that Lead to Big Gains in Student Learning . This was a departure from our usual leadership-focused selections, often broad and beyond the classroom. Instead, this book brought us back to the heart of education — the classroom, where small instructional shifts can significantly impact student learning. As instructional leaders, everyone in the room had valuable insights to share — takeaways from reading the book that they planned to bring back to their teams. We began by watching a video message from James ...
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Rethinking Creativity: More Than a Talent

By Krystal Mcknight posted 06-05-2025
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Rethinking Creativity: More Than a Talent Creativity today is no longer limited to artistic expression or abstract thought. It is now recognised as a complex cognitive skill that involves the ability to define problems, think divergently, imagine alternatives, and evaluate solutions (Reiter-Palmon & Illies, 2004). This kind of thinking, termed ‘creative thinking’ , is necessary for students to thrive in both their professional and personal lives in our twenty-first century world (Lucas & Spencer, 2017; OECD, 2022; Sternberg, 2003). Research has highlighted that creativity requires a high level of cognitive processing, as it involves ...
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Reflections on Leading with Purpose: Tools to Support Joy, Focus and Change in Schools

By Kara Baxter posted 06-05-2025
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Reflections on Leading with Purpose: Tools to Support Joy, Focus and Change in Schools As a school leader, I often find myself reflecting on how we can best support not only our students' growth but also the wellbeing, clarity, and sense of agency among our educators who lead that learning. In fast change and increasing complexity, two questions always come to mind: How can we help our staff and leaders feel more energised and fulfilled in their daily work? And how can we navigate these changes with confidence, clarity, and a reliance on evidence? Recently, I’ve come across two books that have really resonated with me as I think through these questions. ...
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TAS Branch News: May 2025

By Jacqui Lawless posted 06-05-2025
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We hope you’ve started this term feeling rested and prepared for the exciting challenges ahead. As educational leaders, we know that our roles can be unpredictable, but we are committed to being the best we can be. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who nominated colleagues for the ACEL Awards. The committee has been busy reviewing the applications and has been truly impressed by the quality of nominations, the diversity of settings, and the wide range of regions represented. Your efforts are greatly appreciated! Mark your calendars for our Awards Evening on Thursday, June 26th, at the University Club. We look forward to celebrating and acknowledging ...
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SA Branch News: May 2025

By Martyn Anderson posted 06-05-2025
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Dear colleagues, It is with great pleasure that I announce the 2025 ACEL SA Award Winners. This year, we received a record number of nominations, a testament to the outstanding leadership and dedication exhibited in South Australia. Our 2025 Awards winners are: Alby Jones Gold Medal Steve Byrne ACEL SA Fellowship Heather De Blasio Marcel Rijken Dr Bev Rogers ACEL SA Education Leadership Award Dr Kylie Booker Marg Clarke Sylvia Groves Ian Kent The Distinguished Contribution to Research in Educational Leadership Award Dr Bev Rogers Pip Field Emerging Leaders Award Harvey Watson Candice Fergusen ...
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