Blogs and Messages

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ACEL National conference in Queensland The conference is getting close! Just a few weeks before we will be: “Celebrating 50 years: Learning from the past, leading for the future”. September 27th – 29th 2023 Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre We hope you have had a chance to check out the conference program and to finalise registration It is exciting to have this special 50 th celebration conference in Queensland this year and we look forward to sharing this privilege with so many of our Queensland ACEL members. A team of ACEL Qld Branch Executive members and colleagues have been planning a highly interactive and participative opportunity ...
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Dear Members, As always, I hope this newsletter finds you well. This is my last newsletter for ACEL ACT, and as they say, it has been an honour and privilege to be the President. In keeping my farewell short and on point, what follows are several thanks yous and a snapshot of 2020-2023. Thank you to the team at the ACEL Head Office and the national board. The last few years has been a difficult time for educational leadership, and being part of a team responsible for the stewardship of a member based not-for-profit organisation has not been without its challenges. Working with you at both a national and local level will be sorely missed. As far as challenges ...
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A highlight of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders Victoria Branch is the annual celebration and presentation of awards. ACEL VIC honours those educational leaders who in the view of their peers have made a significant contribution to the understanding and practice of educational leadership. To assist in this process, we urge all ACEL VIC members to consider nominating worthy candidates for recognition of their leadership and service to education. The award nomination process is confidential until completed, and nominations have been approved. The ACEL VIC Awards committee will evaluate nominations with respect to the essential criteria. The ...
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Significance Matters Education is not just a profession; it is a calling to do work of significance . Every lesson you teach, every heart you touch, every teacher you enable, and every mind you inspire holds the power to shape a brighter future. In your hands lies the potential to ignite a lifelong love for learning, to cultivate empathy and resilience, and to empower generations to come. This month’s ACEL WA newsletter is focused on the theme of significance . Please read further to find out how this theme connects to: Networking at the ACEL National Conference The next ACEL WA Educational Leadership Book Club Our last Leading Innovation in Education ...
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Announcing ACEL Directors and Branch Presidents Please join me in congratulating the following group of talented, committed and esteemed educators who have been elected as our new Branch Presidents in each state or territory. Their formal term begins on October 1, 2023 during which time they will also serve as Directors on the Board of ACEL, for a three year period. In addition to Branch Presidents, as per the Constitution the ACEL Board has the option to appoint up to 4 Members as Independent Directors. Independent Directors have specific skills, capabilities and/or experience that the Board believes are appropriate for the Board in terms of diversity and ...
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In July, the ACEL Victoria Patron's Oration marked a momentous occasion—the celebration of ACEL's 50th Anniversary. Dr. Frank Crowther, ACEL National Patron, eloquently traced ACEL's remarkable journey, acknowledging the undeniable influence Victorians have had on its growth from the very beginning. This milestone event offered ACEL members a unique opportunity to connect across generations with inspirational educators like Frank, whose pioneering efforts paved the way for the present and future. ACEL has seen remarkable growth, with around 80,000 members since inception. Throughout its history, prominent figures have left indelible impacts and invaluable lessons. ...
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Our Annual Awards evening was held on Thursday the 7th of September. The ceremony celebrates Educational Leadership with friendship and joy. This year we are delighted the ACEL CEO Barbara Watterston has been able to join us. Thank you for everyone who took the time to nominate colleagues for recognition as an outstanding Educational Leader in their field. Our recipients are a diverse group, representing different areas of our beautiful state, different sectors and certainly a broad range of purposeful work. Congratulations to our award recipients for 2023 ACEL TAS Branch Fellowship Deb Day Malcolm Elliott ACEL TAS Eminent Educator Award Clair ...
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As we find ourselves hurtling through another term, the ACEL National Conference looms on the horizon, offering an invaluable opportunity for educational leaders like you to participate. The conference, as always, boasts an impressive lineup of speakers and provides a platform for networking with peers. However, this year is particularly special, as ACEL commemorates a significant milestone - our 50th anniversary. This occasion prompts us to pause, reflect on our journey thus far, acknowledge our achievements, and, with eager anticipation and curiosity, chart a course for the next fifty years of educational leadership. The conference kicks off on Tuesday, September ...
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Ask The Kids

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It’s easy to see why our schools sometimes feel under siege. It seems that everyone these days has an opinion on the ‘failing’ education system and how to solve the challenges. Naturally this fuels perceptions that education is in a state of constant crisis and in need of drastic reform. Having spent more than four decades in education, I’ve seen just about every reform rolled out. Despite the massive investment of money and time, few if any, have delivered the universal outcomes sought. The recurring theme has always been to impose narrow assessment and reporting regimes or link education funding to student or teacher performance. Such responses fail to recognise ...
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A highlight each year is our NSW ACEL Leadership Awards. I would like to congratulate the 2023 awardees who were nominated by their colleagues and successfully awarded as part of a rigorous selection process- Murat Dizdar (Dr Paul Brock Medal), Professor Br David Hall (Dr Paul Brock Medal), Dr Jenna Price (Traditional and Social Media Award), Anna Dickinson (Leadership Award), Michael Egan (Leadership Award), Michele McDonald (Leadership Award), Dale Palmer (Leadership Award), Robyn Pemberton (Leadership Award), Denise Lofts (Leadership Award), Stuart Ryan (Leadership Award), Nicholas Saunders (Leadership Awards), The Catholic Education Diocese of Bathurst Learning ...
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This edition of Australian Educational Leader captures a defining moment in our organisation’s history, as we celebrate half a century since the founding of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL). Fifty years of growth, of challenges, of successes. Fifty years of investing in the lives of those who have contributed profoundly to our profession. In this edition of AEL, and in leading up to our celebratory national conference, we honour our founders, and those who have contributed to ACEL, making it the organisation and community it is today. Those who had the courage to stand up for our profession, and speak out for education, for teachers, for ...
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Here at ACEL, we are in celebration mode: 50 years of leading, learning, and shaping the future together. So far, we have had an incredible year of acknowledgement and recognition of our professional association; an association to which all of you are an integral part. As I write this piece, we have launched our online community, the ACEL Members’ Lounge. The engagement and commentary are already indicative of high levels of connection at the deepest level that a platform like this provides. We have received very positive messages of congratulations, support, and endorsement. The quote below captures some of the strong affirming sentiments that underscore ...
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Dear ACEL colleagues, I hope this newsletter finds you well. This will be my penultimate newsletter, as I will be departing the ACEL ACT executive following the national conference this year. It has been one of the most rewarding endeavours to be the president of ACEL ACT and national director over the past few years, and I thank you all for your support! I hope in my last newsletter in the coming month to share some of the highlights. Incoming ACEL ACT Executive I would like to introduce the incoming ACT Executive who will take up their roles in October. Congratulations and welcome to two new executives to the ACT Branch Tracey Taylor and ...
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Good day I hope that Term 3 or Semester 2 has started well for you. During the July school holidays we held our customary ACEL WA holiday Educational Leadership Book Club. I thought I would share a few quick insights form the book that we discussed this time, Holly Ransom’s book “The Leading Edge: Dream big, spark change and become the leader the world needs you to be”. The book is an easy read, covering a wide variety of leadership ideas structured into two sections framed around leading self and leading others. Each of the 28 chapters is only 10 – 12 pages long, so great to dip in and out for bite-size reading or perfect to use as provocation for school-based ...
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How to communicate your authenticity in an interview One of the aspects of my job that I particularly enjoy is interviewing leaders. Having interviewed over 4,000 educational leaders, nationally and internationally, I have been reflecting on the qualities that set some leaders apart. As educational leaders, we navigate through an ever-evolving educational landscape where we are expected to guide, inspire, and influence those we serve. Central to fulfilling these roles effectively is authenticity in leadership. Authenticity stems from a deep-seated commitment to values such as humility, honesty, integrity, and purpose. These are the character qualities that ...
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Welcome back to term 3 I hope you managed to get some well-deserved rest over the holiday period. A Night of Celebration The ACEL SA Annual Awards Ceremony took place at The Sanctuary: Adelaide Zoo on Wednesday, 28 June, where more than 75 distinguished guests gathered to celebrate the brilliance of South Australian educators. The presence of the Honourable Blair Boyer MP, Minister for Education, Training, and Skills, added significance to the occasion, emphasising the valued support our state branch receives from the government. New Branch Executive At the start of September, ACEL SA will be supported by the following new Branch Executives: ...
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A new term is underway, and it’s extraordinary to think we’re already halfway through this academic year! And what a year it is for education! It’s been a very long time since we’ve seen so much high-level activity and conversation covering just about the full scope of the profession: A Productivity Commission inquiry into Early Childhood Education; A review of Initial Teacher Education; A National Teacher Workforce Action Plan; A review of the National School Reform Agreement; A report into the University Accord. It’s exhausting keeping up with reading even just the Executive Summaries and media commentary. Their scope speaks to a keen interest ...
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Term 3 has already been eventful for ACELQ celebrating the 5th birthday of ACELQ Pivotal People, involvement in the Toowoomba and Darling Downs ‘Voices from the Field – Creating a Leadership culture’ panel, planning underway for the ACEL Qld Awards ceremony, and excitement building for the National Conference to be held in Brisbane in September. Date claimers: Tuesday 22 August 2023: ACELQ Awards Ceremony Details and registration here Tuesday 26 September 2023: ACEL Pre-Conference workshop Brisbane “Leading by learning: leading conversations that build trust for collaboration and improvement” Wednesday 27 – Friday 29 September 2023: ACEL ...
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Are you keen to have the opportunity to contribute to the future of the teaching profession in collaboration with the Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL)? ACEL is a community of educators on a mission to connect, support, and inspire current and future leaders in education across Australia and beyond. We want to highlight diverse millennial voices from across all parts of the country – early career teachers and leaders from all sectors and varying roles representative of a range of educational settings. Our vision here at ACEL is to create a dynamic and collaborative learning community, where educators come together to share ideas and work ...
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Time for Reflection

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Time for reflection Over the past few years, members of the ACEL Qld Branch Executive have volunteered to write a personal reflection piece for our State members. This term, we thank Dr Bruce Addison for sharing his thoughts with us. I have been in the teaching profession for thirty-three years. More of my career is behind me than is in front of me. Recognising this is precious, as it evokes much deep reflection. In the first ten years of my career, I taught some significant events, issues and ideas in History and Legal Studies classes, including the principle of Terra Nullius, the 1967 referendum, both the Mabo and Wik decisions of the High Court, ...
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