Blogs and Messages

WA Branch News: December 2025

By Rachael Lehr posted 4 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
Let Your Leadership SPARKLE: Reflections on My First Year as ACEL WA Branch President As 2025 draws to a close and I complete my first year as ACEL WA Branch President, I’ve found myself looking back with equal parts gratitude, pride and deep reflection (along with a touch of weariness, if I am honest!). This year has been full of stretch moments, luminous learning, unexpected challenges, and most importantly, countless opportunities to see the brilliance of educational leaders across Western Australia. What stands out most for me is not the events, the meetings, or the milestones themselves, but the people and the connections, along with the ...
0 comments

VIC Branch News: December 2025

By Annette Rome posted 4 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
2025 was another year of global challenges. Changes in leadership around the world have often heralded inappropriate decisions regarding the purpose of education and reflection on who our ‘masters’ are or should be. At a national level, education continues to be a political football that divides states and territories, sectors and communities. To this end, the strategic decision for ACEL to be more vociferous regarding our role as professionals in this discussion has been welcomed by many at ACEL, and we are excited about the efforts to come that will enable us to play an increased role in education decisions across the country. I know every educator has ...
0 comments

QLD Branch News: December 2025

By Bruce Addison posted 4 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
A wonderful book I discovered this time last year is Edward Abbey’s (1968) Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness . The following quote is apposite: I wait. Now the night flows back, the mighty stillness embraces and includes me; I can see the stars again and the world of starlight. I am twenty miles or more from the nearest fellow human, but instead of loneliness I feel loveliness. Loveliness and a quiet exultation (pg. 34). As 2025 draws to its inevitable close, the concept of seasonality embraces us all. Schools and institutions of learning have an inevitable rhythm echoing well-established patterns within their own unique settings. ...
0 comments

NSW Branch News: December 2025

By Paul Kidson posted 4 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
Our past, our future, our choice Just where did 2025 go? It seems only a shake of the head ago that we were welcoming in a new year, full of promise, hope, and possibility. How has your 2025 unfurled? Was it more than you expected? Less? Much the same? More importantly, why do you think this is the case? Here we are in the first few days of summer…lengthening days…languid afternoons…early sunrises that break through the curtains and call many of us to rise earlier than we’d like. It seems not much more than yesterday we were reflecting on shortening days as the summer of 2024-2025 began to disappear and we ramped up for Term 1 of 2025…a quarter of a ...
0 comments

Message from the CEO, Term 4 2025

By Lisa Newland posted 11 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
The following is a Message from the AEL Journal Volume 47 Issue 4 In this edition of the Australian Educational Leader , we are reminded that leadership in education is both a privilege and a responsibility—a responsibility to nurture purpose, connection, and hope in every learning community across Australia. As I begin my journey as CEO of ACEL, I am deeply conscious that our shared work takes place in a moment of profound transition: one where rapid technological change meets enduring human values, and where leadership requires the capacity to effectively support others through complexity and uncertainty. The President’s message ...
0 comments

Message from the President, Term 4 2025

By Elizabeth Foster posted 11 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
The following is a Message from the AEL Journal Volume 47 Issue 4 Together, as leaders in our profession, we find ourselves at a remarkable inflection point in Australian education, a moment where the challenges we face are matched only by the unprecedented opportunities before us. In this edition of the Australian Educational Leader , we consider the purpose and meaning of schools. How will we lead our school communities with authentic, experiential and lifelong learning at the forefront? What will be our actions as leaders that place value on positive and productive relationships, learning alongside AI and ensuring ethical leadership in education? These ...
0 comments

WA Branch News: November 2025

By Rachael Lehr posted 04-11-2025
Be the first person to recommend this.
Kind vs Nice: Leadership Grounded in Clarity, Courage and Connection As has become my norm, I am listening to a Spotify audiobook on my short commute to work each day. At the moment, it is Brené Brown’s latest work, Strong Ground, which has captured my interest. My musings from my listening are not dissimilar to the focus of my ACEL WA newsletter a few months back when I was reflecting on Jacinda Ardern’s leadership and the idea of leading with kindness. If anyone has heard me present on the work that Dr Ray Boyd and I have done, and are doing, at Dayton Primary School, you would have heard me share Brené’s well known catchphrase, “clear is kind.” It ...
3 comments

School Capitals and School Success

By David Gurr posted 04-11-2025
Be the first person to recommend this.
School Capitals and School Success This week I was at a presentation where Jenny Chesters, Stanley Koh, Annie Gowing, Alison Childs and Mindy MacLeod at the University of Melbourne reported on research about resource allocation in Victorian schools. They are doing this by accessing publicly available school financial data through MySchool. The research is not published yet, but they noted considerable ambiguity about, and variability in, the funding schools recieved when comparing schools of similar educational advantage; they reported variations of up to $1,000 per student in government funding for similar schools. To fully understand this variability, ...
0 comments

QLD Branch News: November 2025

By Bruce Addison posted 04-11-2025
Be the first person to recommend this.
Annual ACELQ Awards Ceremony: Celebrating Passion, Diversity and Herculean Commitment! Last month, we held our annual ACELQ Awards Ceremony at Ormiston College. It was a great evening of celebration and collegial recognition. Below is my brief introduction to the evening. At the core of ACEL’s mission is its commitment to cross-sectoral collegiality and learning, irrespective of positionality or career longevity. It is a space where the early career teacher can sit comfortably beside the distinguished Emeritus Professor. Tonight’s Awards Ceremony bears witness to this mission. We have educators from a myriad of sectors, with colleagues representative ...
0 comments

NSW Branch News: November 2025

By Paul Kidson posted 04-11-2025
Be the first person to recommend this.
It’s been a big month for education in Australia. It seems like each month brings change and possibility which demand we take stock of where we are, and where we’re headed. The beginning of October brought hundreds of colleagues to Sydney for our annual ACEL National Conference. You probably saw a lot of the publicity of the event, and rightly so. What’s often less evident is the outstanding contribution made by ACEL National Office staff to make it all flow smoothly. Thank you so much to our dedicated staff who do so much that is often unseen, but not unappreciated. And then, at the culmination of the conference, it was time to say a huge “thanks” to Dr ...
0 comments

A Message from Our New CEO, Lisa Newland

By Lisa Newland posted 22-10-2025
Be the first person to recommend this.
Hello everyone, It’s a genuine honour to introduce myself as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL). Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside incredible educational leaders — across every state, every sector, and every corner of Australia. Their passion, grit, and commitment to shaping better futures have deeply influenced the way I lead and the way I see our collective purpose. As I step into this role, I do so with humility and an immense sense of responsibility. ACEL has a proud history of amplifying the voices of leaders and shaping the national conversation ...
2 comments

Message from the President, Term 3 2025

By Elizabeth Foster posted 21-10-2025
Be the first person to recommend this.
“There are rare moments in time when you can feel a shift, when you know something extraordinary is unfolding.” These words were spoken by our Chief Executive Officer, Dr Barbara Watterston, at the conclusion of the inaugural ACEL Middle Leadership Summit held earlier this year. With the landscape of contemporary education standing at a pivotal juncture, traditional paradigms that have previously served our educational institutions are being challenged, reformed, and reimagined. At the recent Middle Leadership Summit, there was a positivity in energy around educational leadership and a feeling of momentum building around shared purpose. We witnessed a professional ...
0 comments

NT Branch News: October 2025

By Ranae Graham posted 14-10-2025
Be the first person to recommend this.
Hello Darwin Leaders and Educators My name is Ranae Graham; I am the NT Branch President for the Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL). Like many professional associations the pandemic impacted the ways in which we connect however ACEL has not waivered from our vision, mission, and purpose. ACEL’s positioning as an association, and the valuable contribution we bring to the national conversation is that ACEL is more than an acronym – it’s a place of purpose, advocacy, learning and belonging. On behalf of the ACEL NT branch, I would like to invite you to connect with other NT leaders in education, with a focus on the pillar of creating a ‘Dynamic ...
0 comments

QLD Branch News: October 2025

By Bruce Addison posted 14-10-2025
Be the first person to recommend this.
Seeking Out Ideas that Challenge – Yes Please! Ideas matter. We all know we are living in a fractured world and there is no point articulating the litanies of disruption yet again. Extremism, no matter its origin, is unfathomably problematic, shattering, and epoch defining. That is our reality. Our future rests on our ability to think and reason, probably more so than ever before – to think and to challenge. Technology, no matter what its name or source, hopefully will never be able to fully intuit, reason, and deduce. That is what humans do. We lose it, belittle it, or trivialise it at our peril. Somehow, we need to come together as one humanity ...
0 comments

WA Branch News: October 2025

By Rachael Lehr posted 14-10-2025
Be the first person to recommend this.
The October school holiday break has certainly been both a busy and intellectually stimulating one for me. I was privileged to attend the ACEL National Conference in Sydney to kickstart the holiday break, before taking solitary time away to work on my doctorate studies. I must say that I came away from the 3 days of learning at the conference with a very full brain and also a full heart. The theme of the conference, Amplifying Every Voice , really hit the mark and we heard from so many diverse voices with incredibly important messages. Above all, the pleasure of connecting with other passionate educators and leaders who are leading and learning with ...
0 comments

SA Branch News: October 2025

By Martyn Anderson posted 14-10-2025
Be the first person to recommend this.
Dear ACEL SA, The recent ACEL National Conference in Sydney was a powerful reminder of the importance of staying curious, connected, and courageous in our leadership. It was also fantastic to see so many South Australians in attendance, contributing to the national conversation. One of the standout presentations was a provocative and entertaining presentation from Dr Sandra Peter and Dr kai Riemer both from the University of Sydney. They unpacked the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence and its profound implications for education, leadership, and society. Key Takeaways: AI is not what we expected. It doesn’t “think” ...
0 comments

From Control to Curiosity

By Cameron Paterson posted 14-10-2025
Be the first person to recommend this.
From Control to Curiosity When Dr Richard Owens accepted the Hedley Beare Educator of the Year Award at the ACEL Victorian Awards in August, he shared a definition of leadership from his friend and mentor, Dr Peter Senge: “Leadership is the ability of a community to move towards its preferred future.” This vision of leadership — collaborative, relational, place-based, systemic, and human — feels urgent in a world grappling with climate change, conflict, polarisation, threats to democracy, and widening inequity. At the same event, Victorian Branch President Dr Annette Rome reflected on how trust in the profession is often tested. Schools stand at ...
1 comment

CEO Farewell

By Barbara Watterston posted 09-10-2025
Be the first person to recommend this.
It’s been an incredible privilege to serve as ACEL CEO over the past five years. I step down with deep gratitude and immense pride in our profession. During this time, we have navigated a landscape of profound change - through challenge, disruption, and transformation - and emerged stronger, more connected, and more purposeful. Educators across the nation have demonstrated extraordinary courage, innovation, and compassion, reminding Australia of the vital role our profession plays in shaping a just and hopeful future. What an honour it has been to walk alongside you on this journey. My heartfelt thanks go to the Board members and Presidents with whom I’ve ...
2 comments

VIC Branch News: September 2025

By Hayley Dureau posted 12-09-2025
Be the first person to recommend this.
ACEL Victoria Awards 2025: A Celebration of Leadership Across Sectors On Thursday 7 August 2025, the ACEL Victoria Branch hosted our annual Awards Ceremony at Wesley College. The event brought together educational leaders from across the Catholic, independent, and government sectors, and tertiary education, in a powerful celebration of leadership, collaboration, and impact. Guests and award recipients gathering to acknowledge colleagues whose contributions continue to shape the future of education in Victoria and beyond. Several of the Victorian National Award Winners and New Voice Scholars (to be formally recognised later this month ...
0 comments

QLD Branch News: September 2025

By Bruce Addison posted 02-09-2025
1 person recommends this.
Tell ’im he’s dreamin Recently, I was aware of a week of stark contrasts. Earlier in August, ACELQ co-hosted an evening for early career teachers at Fairholme College. It was an evening of affirming collegial richness. This was in stark contrast to the industrial unrest experienced by our state-sector colleagues seeking a more equitable enterprise agreement. The contrast was palpable. The right to withdraw labour is a fundamental human right. It is sad that in 2025 it still comes down to this – perhaps it always will be. No doubt it will be resolved in time with the usual negotiated argy-bargy. When thinking about the issues underlying this industrial ...
2 comments