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, not any individual schools or educators. I’ve worked with thousands of dedicated teachers and leaders who are doing extraordinary work. But the broader system - the “grammars of schooling,” as Tyack and Tobin (1994) described - continues to constrain innovation and equity.
Despite these decades of discussion about the need for imagination and transformation, our schools remain largely unchanged. The world, however, has not stood still. We face escalating inequality, climate change, and political instability. These global challenges demand bold,creative responses from our education systems. Yet, too often, imaginative ideas are dismissed before they’re even explored.
By way of example of the resistance to thinking differently about schooling arrangements, I’ll share something from our recent research at Monash University’s Education Workforce for the Future Research Impact Lab. Our 2024 survey of over 8,000Victorian educators, asked about the possibility of a four-day work week as a possible way to respond to teaching shortages. Sixty-five percent saw potential benefits for both staff and students. Our report of the research did not advocate for immediate implementation, we simply recommended further research and discussion of the idea was warranted.But the public response was swift and hostile. Media headlines read “Teachers demand a four-day week,” and political leaders quickly shut down the idea.There was little interest in the nuance or intent behind the suggestion. This knee-jerk reaction to even considering the idea illustrates how deeply resistant our systems are to change.
Meanwhile, the cracks in the system are widening. Teacher attrition is at crisis levels. Only 31% of teachers intend to stay in the profession until retirement, with mid-career educators—those with 6 to 20 years of experience—most likely to leave. These are the mentors, the middle leaders,the future principals. Their departure signals not just burnout, but demoralisation. They’re worn down by relentless workloads, public scrutiny, and a system that often feels unsupportive and inflexible.
Student disengagement is equally alarming. Around 20% of students don’t complete Year 12, and many more are physically present but disconnected. Attendance is declining, and fewer students report feeling a sense of belonging at school. School leaders are also under immense pressure. Research shows they’re carrying the emotional burden of entire communities, often without adequate support.This cumulative evidence from teachers, students, and leaders makes it clear:schooling, as it currently exists, is not working for too many of the people within it.
So where do we go from here?
I believe it is time for more activist educational leadership. This concept builds on Judyth Sachs’(2000) idea of the “activist professional,” which is someone who challenges corporate models of professionalism and reclaims moral and intellectual leadership. Activist leaders are not content with maintaining the status quo.They are reflexive, critical, and committed to equity and justice. They foster collaboration, amplify diverse voices, and create space for public dialogue about what schooling could and should be.
These leaders are not afraid to ask difficult questions:Whose interests are being served? Who gets to shape the agenda? How can we build trust and inclusivity in our decision-making processes? They embrace“next practice” over “best practice,” recognising that what worked yesterday may not serve today or tomorrow’s learners. They are willing to take risks, to experiment, and to learn from failure, because the alternative is stagnation.
Activist leaders lead with love, care, and solidarity (McKay& Mills, 2022). They understand that education is not just about the academic outcomes of learners, but about nurturing humans. They build schools where students and staff feel valued, heard, and empowered to imagine new possibilities.
We already have many such leaders in our schools. But we need to amplify their voices, support their efforts, and create the conditions that allow them to thrive. Because if we continue down the current path and if schooling looks the same in 20 years as it does today, we risk becoming irrelevant, or worse, we risk damaging our students’ futures.
As Brian Caldwell wrote nearly two decades ago, “Imagination lies at the heart of all that is best in education.” But we have seen that imagination alone is not enough. We need courage. We need action. And we need solidarity between leaders who are willing to stand up, speak out, and lead the transformation our students deserve.
Dr Fiona Longmuir
ACEL Victoria Branch Executive Member