Blogs and Messages

WA Branch News: November 2025

By Rachael Lehr posted 4 days ago
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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 ...
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School Capitals and School Success

By David Gurr posted 4 days ago
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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, ...
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QLD Branch News: November 2025

By Bruce Addison posted 4 days ago
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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 ...
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NSW Branch News: November 2025

By Paul Kidson posted 4 days ago
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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 ...
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A Message from Our New CEO, Lisa Newland

By Lisa Newland posted 17 days ago
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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 ...
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Message from the President, Term 3 2025

By Elizabeth Foster posted 17 days ago
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“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 ...
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NT Branch News: October 2025

By Ranae Graham posted 25 days ago
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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 ...
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QLD Branch News: October 2025

By Bruce Addison posted 25 days ago
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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 ...
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WA Branch News: October 2025

By Rachael Lehr posted 25 days ago
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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 ...
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SA Branch News: October 2025

By Martyn Anderson posted 25 days ago
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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” ...
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From Control to Curiosity

By Cameron Paterson posted 25 days ago
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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 ...
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CEO Farewell

By Barbara Watterston posted 30 days ago
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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 ...
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VIC Branch News: September 2025

By Hayley Dureau posted 12-09-2025
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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 ...
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QLD Branch News: September 2025

By Bruce Addison posted 02-09-2025
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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 ...
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NSW Branch News: September 2025

By Paul Kidson posted 02-09-2025
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It’s a busy time here in NSW. Last Friday our annual awards were hosted generously at the NSW Department of Education’s offices in Parramatta, with more than 120 in attendance. Each year the event grows in positivity, energy, and warmth, and this year kept that trend going. Parramatta turned on an exquisite evening for the welcoming drinks and canapes, setting the scene for an evening of collegial conversation across all three school sectors, and with award recipients coming from across the wide educational leadership landscapes of early childhood, school, and tertiary education. A highlight is always our guest students who provide some musical support to ...
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WA Branch News: September 2025

By Rachael Lehr posted 02-09-2025
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“Kindness has a power and strength that almost nothing else on this planet has.” ~ Jacinda Ardern On my short commute to work, I have taken to listening to audiobooks or podcasts, as I find this to be the only time in my day where I have a moment to sit and listen. Recently, I have been listening to Jacinda Ardern’s memoir, A Different Kind of Power. I have been enjoying this immensely to the point that the 12-minute drive goes by too quickly and I often sit for minutes listening in my driveway when I arrive home as I don’t want to cut my listening short, curious to hear the end of the story being shared. The audiobook on Spotify is narrated by ...
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Help shape the future of school leader wellbeing with headspace and ACEL

By Barbara Watterston posted 02-09-2025
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ACEL and Headspace Schools & Communities are partnering together to develop a nationally consistent mental health and wellbeing initiative for school leaders and their staff. Supported by our key association stakeholders, we’re inviting all school leaders across Australia to help shape a groundbreaking national pilot. What is Reflective Practice for school leaders and teams Reflective practice enables school leaders to critically examine personal experiences, decisions and professional practice within a highly supportive and focused framework. They are safe, structured conversations, led by experienced facilitators, and recognised as a highly ...
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Time for reflection

By Sarah Gunn-Glazebrook posted 20-08-2025
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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 Ms Sarah Gunn-Glazebrook for sharing her thoughts with us. In an era where there is a chronic teacher shortage in an era of substantial societal change, how we care for our new colleagues is of vital importance. Sarah’s insights are both interesting and important. I was entrusted with my first substantive leadership position a decade ago. In a large and busy school, it was my role to support and develop early career teachers. It was a job I loved. I felt grateful ...
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WA Branch News: August 2025

By Rachael Lehr posted 05-08-2025
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ACEL WA August Newsletter Well, I hope this email finds you staying warm with this chilly start to Term 3! This month, I have decided to share with you some tips I offered a colleague who was starting in a new school leadership role recently (a massive congratulations to them for this!). They wanted some advice to support them in taking on this new leadership role, and I thought it may be helpful to share with others; whether you're just beginning your leadership journey, have been leading for a while, or are supporting others who are starting their journey, these reflections from my own leadership journey (expanded on below) might serve as timely ...
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Balancing the Load: The Promise of Reflective Supervision and Executive Coaching in School Leadership

By Phil Collins posted 05-08-2025
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Balancing the Load: The Promise of Reflective Supervision and Executive Coaching in School Leadership The 2024 Australian Catholic University (ACU) Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey underscores the demanding realities faced by school leaders across Australia. Increasing workload, complexity and the emotional labour involved shine a spotlight on the ongoing challenge of sustaining leaders’ wellbeing within these high-pressure roles (ACU, 2024). Reflective supervision is becoming recognised as a promising support approach for school leaders. It provides a safe, confidential space where leaders can consider the emotional ...
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