Welcome to ACEL Victoria in 2026
A warm welcome to all as another school year starts. I am always surprised by what can change over a break, and this time, sadly, was no exception. Within hours of the school break commencing, our country was witness to one of the most awful attacks of modern times on our soil. While many better thinkers and writers than I will reflect on these events, I wanted to reemphasise that our education community will operate consistently to support the safety and well-being of all our young people. Schools bear a huge responsibility to determine a culture that is based on respect for all. We are charged with ensuring, as best we can, that young people can develop attitudes, values, behaviours and beliefs that support all humanity and the planet. Further challenges overseas, including events in Iran, the USA and Syria , as well as the bushfires at home, all add to mental stress and emotional fatigue. As a professional association, member well-being is paramount. If you believe there is something ACEL Vic can offer to assist you and your colleagues, please email me directly at romea@smbg.vic.edu.au.
Victorian Events
Our first event in 2026 will be on February 16 with Prof. Alex J Bowers, Professor of Education Leadership at Columbia University where he will present on:
Leading with Evidence in Schools: Bridging Research, Data, and Practice for Continuous Improvement
How can education leaders and researchers effectively use data and evidence to drive meaningful improvement in PK-12 schools? In this interactive workshop, participants (P-12 school and system leaders) will explore strategies for strengthening evidence-based improvement cycles that bring school system data closer to stakeholder evidence-based improvement goals
REGISTER NOW
ACEL Vic Networking Drinks and Welcome:
The ACEL Vic Committee welcomes fellow educators to a networking session at the Notting Hill Hotel (the Nott), on Thursday 19 March, 260-262 Ferntree Gully Rd, Notting Hill VIC 3168, 5.30pm - 7pm.
This is a chance to meet members of the ACEL Committee and share thinking on hot topics in education in a casual, open environment. Buy own drinks, nibbles provided. ACEL Members and friends welcome. RSVP here: ACEL Networking Drinks RSVP – Fill out form
Seminar: Navigating the politics of disruption in education
Presented by Prof. Fazal Rizvi
Tuesday 21 April at 6pm, kindly hosted by Lowther Hall, 17 Leslie Rd, Essendon VIC 3040
Fazal Rizvi is an Emeritus Professor of Global Studies in Education at the University of Melbourne, as well as at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has written extensively on issues of identity and culture in transnational contexts, globalization and education policy, internationalization of higher education, the politics of India-Australia research collaborations, and Australia-Asia relations. A sequel to his widely acclaimed book, Globalizing Education Policy (Routledge 2010) has recently been published under the title, Reimagining Globalization and Education (Routledge 2022). He is an editor-in-chief of the 4th edition of International Encyclopedia of Education (Elsevier 2022). Fazal is currently researching educational reform in Bhutan. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Social Sciences, a past Editor of the journal, Discourse: Studies in Cultural Politics of Education, and a past President of the Australian Association of Research in Education.
Booking details to come.