Featured Blogs and Messages

Courage Fatigue

By Fiona Roush posted 2 days ago
2 people recommend this.
This month’s article has been written by ACELQ Executive Ms Fiona Roush. Fiona is currently Dean of Teaching at Sunshine Coast Grammar School. There was a genuine sense of community at the March ACEL Aspiring and Early Career Teacher Breakfast. A splendid gathering of early‑career educators and mentors sharing their experiences and thoughts of the joy of teaching. The event originated from the conceptual work of ACELQ Executive members Adam Kuss, Tania Leech and Bruce Addison. Head of St Hilda’s Learning Institute and ACELQ Executive member Majda Benzenati’s keynote address offered a compelling reflection on her teaching journey, affirming the ...
0 comments

Pacing the Pause in leadership

By Fiona Hutton posted 9 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
Pacing the Pause in leadership I find myself in an unusual stage of life. After ten years of founding and building a business, I rewarded myself with the first Long Service Leave that I have been able to take in nearly 35 years of work. This is really only possible because I have an exceptional team working with me at HCA, who insisted that I would benefit from a break, (and did initially disconnect me from Microsoft teams!). I also have a very supportive partner who is a Director of our company and encouraged me to pause . The challenge has been in finding my own daily pace and rhythms in this time of leave. I am a driver. As a leader, I recognise ...
2 comments

2025 ACEL New Voice Perspectives

By Lisa Newland posted 10 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
The Australian Council for Educational Leaders is proud to present the 2025 New Voice Perspectives —a collection that reflects the strength, diversity and future of educational leadership across Australia. Each year, the New Voice Scholarships recognise emerging leaders who are not only excelling in their contexts, but who are also shaping what comes next. These are educators who are thinking deeply, acting courageously, and leading with purpose. Through this publication, their ideas extend beyond their own settings to inform, challenge and inspire the broader profession. What is particularly striking in this year’s contributions is both the urgency ...
0 comments

This year's National Inclusion and Disability Conference in Adelaide is shaping up to be our best yet!

By Lisa Newland posted 18 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
This year's National Inclusion and Disability Conference in Adelaide is shaping up to be our best yet — and that's thanks to you. You asked for less theory and more practice. You asked for sessions that leave you with a tangible takeaway. You asked for the chance to connect with educators who are doing this work well, right now, in real schools. We listened. The 2026 conference has been redesigned from the ground up with that feedback at its heart. Alongside our outstanding keynote speakers — including Professor Linda Graham, Sam Brain from Deloitte Access Economics, and ACARA's Kathryn Tully — you'll find dedicated hands-on workshops, practical sessions ...
0 comments

Message from the CEO, Term 1 2026

By Lisa Newland posted 12-03-2026
Be the first person to recommend this.
Lisa Newland, CEO, Australian Council for Educational Leaders Bold leadership in action: The attitude that says "we can" The opening edition of Australian Educational Leader this year invites us into a timely conversation about the purpose and meaning of schools—and the role leadership plays in shaping that purpose. Across this edition, a clear message emerges — leadership matters not because it holds authority, but because it creates the conditions for learning, belonging, and flourishing. So what does it take to lead boldly right now? Bold leadership is sometimes misunderstood as being loud, forceful, or heroic. Yet the kind ...
0 comments

Message from the President, Term 1 2026

By Elizabeth Foster posted 12-03-2026
1 person recommends this.
The Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL) stands as a community in which we find our professional home. We are a place in which we can learn, challenge one another, grow and collectively advance our profession. ACEL is more than an organisation; it is a living network of educators committed to transformative learning. As we welcome new members, we extend not just an invitation to join, but an invitation to belong and contribute to the collective wisdom that resides within our community. As leaders in education, we understand that our future is not created or designed in isolation yet enabled by the collective wisdom of communities committed to learning ...
1 comment

Using data wisely: A workshop with Professsor Alex Bowers

By David Gurr posted 05-03-2026
Be the first person to recommend this.
Using data wisely: A workshop with Professsor Alex Bowers Educational organisations in Australia and elsewhere are awash with data. However, turning data into useful information which may inform policy and practice is not easy and not often done. There are also cautions about data and just because we can collect data and link it together and analyse it in ways not possible in the past, is not a reason to do so unless you are sure it makes sense and you can mitigate the unintended consequences that can arise. When My School began in January 2010 there was a lot of concern about the positive and negative impacts it might have. I remember an article ...
0 comments

Generative AI briefing for teachers

By Lisa Newland posted 11-02-2026
Be the first person to recommend this.
We are delighted to share an exciting new chapter for ACEL with the announcement of our partnership with the University of Sydney—a collaboration that brings timely, high-impact opportunities for our members and subscribers. This partnership includes free Generative AI sessions for educators , alongside the upcoming AI Fluency Sprint and the micro-credentialled AI Dexterity course. Together, these offerings respond directly to the realities facing today’s leaders and educators, building confidence, capability and ethical fluency in the use of AI in education. The first session begins on Wednesday, 18 February 2026 . Secure your place now for these brief 30-minute ...
0 comments

Tracing the Through-Line: Focus, Coherence and Improvement at Dayton

By Ray Boyd posted 04-02-2026
Be the first person to recommend this.
Over the recent holiday break, and as I often do, I immersed myself in reading. While many were non-fiction, several were educationally focussed. One of these being ‘The Pruning Principle’ by Dr Simon Breakspear and Michael Rosenbrock 's (2024). This was a second read for me to ensure that the content was fresh for an ACELWA Book Club conversation that took place in late January. While reading the book, I found myself making connections to two other books I have read, Viviane Robinson 's (2018) ‘Reduce Change to Increase Improvement (2018) and Peter DeWitt, Ed.D. 's (2022) De-implementation: Creating the Space to Focus on What Works’ ...
0 comments

Welcome to 2026!

By Lisa Newland posted 28-01-2026
Be the first person to recommend this.
Welcome to 2026! As we begin a new year at ACEL, we do so grounded in the strengths that have always defined us: a deep commitment to educational leadership, a powerful national community, and a belief that leadership matters—at every stage and in every context. Building on this strong foundation, we are delighted to share a number of new initiatives designed to support, challenge and connect our members in fresh ways. To help launch into 2026, we are offering a free BOLD LEADER Toolkit , a practical and reflective resource to support leaders navigating complexity with confidence (access it here). We are also excited to share that ACELearn Middle Leaders ...
0 comments

Message from the CEO, Term 4 2025

By Lisa Newland posted 26-11-2025
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 26-11-2025
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

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 received 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

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

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

Help shape the future of school leader wellbeing with headspace and ACEL

By Barbara Watterston posted 02-09-2025
Be the first person to recommend this.
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 ...
0 comments

Time for reflection

By Sarah Gunn-Glazebrook posted 20-08-2025
Be the first person to recommend this.
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 ...
0 comments

Balancing the Load: The Promise of Reflective Supervision and Executive Coaching in School Leadership

By Phil Collins posted 05-08-2025
Be the first person to recommend this.
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 ...
0 comments