With a career spanning over 35 years in education as a teacher, principal and executive, Mark has a passion for improving the quality of teaching and school leadership in Australia, seeing firsthand the positive impact it can have on students in the classroom. Mark has presented extensively on topics such as the importance of teacher quality, the role of school leaders in driving student outcomes, and the need for ongoing professional development in education.

Since joining AITSL in 2019, Mark has focused on working across all systems and sectors, partnering with ministers, education employers and other key stakeholders to support teachers and school leaders in delivering lasting, positive outcomes for learners.

Prior to joining AITSL, Mark held various senior leadership positions within the NSW Department of Education. Mark combines his executive experience and his background in schools to lead complex, integrated strategic initiatives, which have included school improvement measures, teacher quality and professional development programs, and needs-based funding for all schools.

Mark has a strong commitment to making a significant contribution to education in Australia and to the lives of children and young people across the country.

Professor Michele Simons is the Dean and Head of the School of Education at Western Sydney University. She is a graduate of the University of South Australia and the South Australian Institute of Technology. Before joining Western Sydney University late in 2013, Michele was based at the University of South Australia where she held roles as a Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor and Head of School/Dean of Education.
At Western Sydney University, Michele has been involved in University-wide projects supporting university- schools engagement, equity pathways to university and partnerships between vocational education and training and universities. Michele has a strong interest in changing trends and shifts in the ways in which education can be challenged to work for the interests of all learners – from early childhood education, children and young people in schools and learners in a wide range of community/post-school institutions and in the higher education sector.

Michele has been an active researcher for more than three decades. The common threads across her work is an interest in workforce planning, learning in the workplace and initial and ongoing professional learning for teachers, leaders and other professional staff employed across all sectors of education. Her most recent projects examined the role that school principals play in retaining teachers and an evaluation of initiates to enhance career education in secondary school settings.

Michele has been an active contributor to a number of national educational organisations including the Australian Association for Educational Research and the Australiana Vocational Education and Training Research Association. This service has included terms as President, Secretary, Treasurer and convenor of national conferences. She currently sits on the boards of a number of organisations in the higher education, early childhood, and secondary schools sectors.

Michele is the current President of the Australian Council of Deans of Education which is a peak organisation for all Higher Education Providers conducting teaching and research in the discipline of Education. Michele’s ambition for ACDE is that it becomes a visible advocate for the discipline of education in its broadest sense in the current and future higher education sector in Australia and that this is achieved in collaboration with the profession and government partners.

Professor Donna Pendergast is Director, Engagement in the Arts, Education and Law Group and former Dean and Head of the School of Education and Professional Studies at Griffith University, Australia (2009-2023). She commenced her career as a secondary school teacher. Her expertise includes student engagement and teacher professional learning. Donna works at state and national levels in shaping education policy including as: a member of the Board of the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) (2018-); Chair of the Teacher Education Expert Standing Committee (TEESC) of AITSL (2019-); and in the former roles as Chair of the Queensland Educational Leadership Institute (QELi) (2018-2022); Chair of the Queensland Council of Deans of Education (QCDE)(2016-2022) and Vice President of the Australian Council of Deans of Education (ACDE (2021-2022). Donna is also a member of the National Council for Be You, the school based well-being arm of Beyond Blue (2021-). Donna has been acknowledged for her leadership impact and is the recipient of the Vice Chancellor’s Research Supervision Award for Excellence (2016) and in 2018 was awarded the Australian Council for Educational Leadership Miller-Grassie Award for Outstanding Leadership in Education. In 2022 Donna received the Australian Council of Deans of Education Award for Outstanding Service to Education and the Council.

Associate Professor Duncan Driver is an experienced educator with an extensive background in academia and the performing arts. He is currently Associate Dean Education for the Faculty of Education at UC. His PhD research investigated aspects of Shakespeare studies and movements in literary criticism, leading to articles for Melbourne Scholarly Publishing and Iona College’s Shakespeare Newsletter (New York). More recently, Duncan has published in English in Australia, Changing English, and has co-authored two books on Secondary English teaching, the most recent of which was about the teaching of Shakespeare in Australian schools.

We are transitioning from a time when the design of schooling and university education in Australia and the Western world was based on success for some. The goal of learning and teaching in places called ‘schools’ and ‘universities’ will be success for all and preparation for life – not exams.

Professor John Fischetti has worked within this kind of transformational school reform, rethinking schooling, revamping teacher education and modernising transdisciplinary leadership preparation for the past 35 years.

Newcastle hosts one of Australia’s largest schools of education and it sits in the top 150 in the world as measured by the QS rankings. John led the University’s School of Education for six years before taking on the role of Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Education and Arts.

Today he is Pro Vice-Chancellor of the College of Human and Social Futures comprising the Newcastle Law School, the Newcastle Business School, the School of Humanities and Social Science, the School of Creative Industries and the School of Education. The College has taken on the challenge to promote equity-minded excellence throughout the social sciences and creative disciplines. As we negotiate the evolving machine-driven world, John’s goal is to revision the future of humanity

He is the immediate Past President of the New South Wales Council of Deans of Education.

Prior to joining the University of Newcastle, John served as Dean and Professor of Educational Leadership at the College of Education and Human Development at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. Prior to that he was a Doctoral Program Chair and Department Head at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. And earlier in his career we was Professor of Education at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, where he helped lead the evolution of the Professional Development School model of teacher education.

John received his doctorate in education in professional development, school reform and educational leadership for change in 1986 at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He completed his Masters in Secondary Education and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and American Government from the University of Virginia. John holds his teaching certificate in secondary social studies and has taught high school history, economics and political science.

John’s key research interests include: School Reform, Preparing Leaders for New Roles/Responsibilities, Secondary Teacher Education Global Educational Issues, Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Technology and Education Research in Teaching and Learning.

His work over the last 35 years focusses on rethinking pedagogy, assessment, schooling and teacher education. John’s equity-driven message is incorporated in his work with undergraduate, post-graduate and PhD students and his leadership of his School and College.

Board of South Australia. The Board is the state’s statutory authority that establishes and maintains the teacher registration system and professional standards to ensure members are competent and are fit and proper persons to have the care of children.
Ms Paulson brings a vast range of knowledge and experience to the role, having spent time operating within tribunal settings as a Crown lawyer, and holding Directorships in the guardianship, health, legal and child protection sectors in Northern Territory and Queensland, including drafting and implementation of new legislative schemes.
Ms Paulson works across all education sectors and as an experienced legal practitioner, Ms Paulson holds a bachelor of laws.

Susan Ledger is Head of School – Dean of Education at University of Newcastle. She is an educator who has a passion for connecting people, places and projects. She has had a range of educational experiences in both primary, secondary and tertiary settings around the globe. Her recent publications explore how rural and international fields of study complement and compete with each other. She recently introduced simulated classrooms into the preparation of graduate teachers. SimLab@Murdoch (Mursion) offers a platform to practice and rehearse teaching, interviews and general interactions.

Andy Mison is the President of the Australian Secondary Principals’ Association; the peak body working for the professional interests of Australian secondary principals and the advancement of the school communities they lead.

Andy has worked in a variety of educational settings as a teacher and school leader in NSW, the Northern Territory, and the ACT. His experience includes teaching in remote, regional, and metropolitan schools, as well as serving as principal of a year 5-12 performing arts school, a split campus 7-12 High School, a large P-10 ‘super-school’, and a year 11-12 senior secondary college. In the latter role he was concurrently the Chief Executive Officer of Belconnen Training, an ACT RTO delivering VET pathways for students from seven secondary schools in the ACT.

Andy’s broad experience in education leadership includes his role as the Executive Producer of the Northern Territory’s Combined Schools performing arts program, and his conception and establishment of the successful long-running VAMPtv series supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. As a former Director of School Improvement in the ACT Education Directorate Andy also played a leading role during the rollout of remote learning for ACT schools and vaccination programs for special schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Andy has been a writer of the Australian Curriculum in the arts, a consultant on digital education for AITSIS and developer of Australia’s first fully online primary school music course to support remote classroom teachers.

Driven by a deep commitment to public education and positive futures for Australia’s young people, Andy is highly regarded for his advocacy and leadership within the education sector.

Theresa (Terri) Bourke is a Professor at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). She has held various coordination roles including Undergraduate Research Pathways Coordinator, Course Coordinator (Bachelor of Education), Academic Program Director (Pre-service Programs) and now Academic Lead Research . Her research focuses on three main areas: (1) professionalism, professional standards and quality in Initial Teacher Education (ITE); (2) assessment in geography education; and (3) teacher educators’ epistemic reflexivities for teaching about/to and for diversity for which she has an Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery grant. Most recently along with other C4IE colleagues, she is a member of a successful ARC Linkage project related to career change teachers and an ARC Discovery about hard to staff schools and teacher shortages. Terri is the current President of the Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA).

Adam Kruger is an accomplished education professional and Teaching and Learning Specialist at Clyde Secondary College. With previous experience as an Assistant Principal, Head of Mathematics Faculty, Numeracy Leader, Curriculum Developer, and other leadership positions, Adam possesses a comprehensive understanding of educational leadership and curriculum development. In addition, he is recognised as a pioneering leader in integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into education, harnessing AI technologies to optimise student engagement and personalised learning experiences. Adam’s commitment to preparing students for the digital age is evident in his dynamic approach, which fosters innovation and equips students with the essential skills for success in the future. With a track record of impactful leadership and a passion for cutting-edge educational practices, Adam is dedicated to shaping the future of education at Clyde Secondary College.

Professor Michele Simons is the Dean and Head of the School of Education at Western Sydney University. She is a graduate of the University of South Australia and the South Australian Institute of Technology. Before joining Western Sydney University late in 2013, Michele was based at the University of South Australia where she held roles as a Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor and Head of School/Dean of Education.
At Western Sydney University, Michele has been involved in University-wide projects supporting university- schools engagement, equity pathways to university and partnerships between vocational education and training and universities. Michele has a strong interest in changing trends and shifts in the ways in which education can be challenged to work for the interests of all learners – from early childhood education, children and young people in schools and learners in a wide range of community/post-school institutions and in the higher education sector.

Michele has been an active researcher for more than three decades. The common threads across her work is an interest in workforce planning, learning in the workplace and initial and ongoing professional learning for teachers, leaders and other professional staff employed across all sectors of education. Her most recent projects examined the role that school principals play in retaining teachers and an evaluation of initiates to enhance career education in secondary school settings.

Michele has been an active contributor to a number of national educational organisations including the Australian Association for Educational Research and the Australiana Vocational Education and Training Research Association. This service has included terms as President, Secretary, Treasurer and convenor of national conferences. She currently sits on the boards of a number of organisations in the higher education, early childhood, and secondary schools sectors.

Michele is the current President of the Australian Council of Deans of Education which is a peak organisation for all Higher Education Providers conducting teaching and research in the discipline of Education. Michele’s ambition for ACDE is that it becomes a visible advocate for the discipline of education in its broadest sense in the current and future higher education sector in Australia and that this is achieved in collaboration with the profession and government partners.

Jackie has worked as a classroom teacher, school leader and curriculum advisor with the Education Department of South Australia for over 30 years. She has led implementation of the Australian Curriculum, policy development and national and state-based initiatives in countering racism, multicultural education, and Studies of Asia. Over the past seven years she has been a lecturer and teacher at Flinders University and Director of Professional Experience. The program has been developing mutually beneficial partnerships with sectors and sites through opportunities for collaborative research, professional learning, and post graduate study. Within the current context, the professional experience program has been constantly adapting and responding to external and internal challenges and requirements, requiring innovative responses that meet site priorities and foster pre-service teachers’ passions, interests and success.

Chrissy Monteleone is a Senior Lecturer in Curriculum and Teaching at the Australian Catholic University (Strathfield). She is an experienced early childhood and primary school teacher. Chrissy leads the NSW Professional Experience Partnerships Hub initiatives at ACU and is the Deputy Head of School (Strathfield). Chrissy’s research focuses on critical mathematical thinking in young students and partnership development.

Simone White is Professor and Dean of the School of Education at RMIT. She is a leading expert in teacher education and professional learning, focusing on the best ways to prepare teachers for diverse contexts, in particular rural, regional and remote. Her research explores the fields of teacher education policy, teacher learning, professional experience and building and maintaining university-school/community partnerships. Simone is a Past President of the Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA) and has held a number of leadership roles, including Director of Professional Experience at Deakin University, Chair of Teacher Education at Monash and the Associate Dean (International and Engagement) at QUT before taking on her current role as Dean of Education. Simone has been involved in a number of teacher education research projects. She was a key member of the ARC Discovery project titled, Teacher Education for Rural and Regional Australia (TERRAnova) and the ARC Linkage project Studying the Effectiveness of Teacher Education (SETE). Most recently Simone led the Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT) federal grant focused on supporting teachers to engage and partner with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and caregivers. Through her collective work, Simone aims to connect research, policy and practice in ways that bring together and break down traditional borders between academics, policy makers, communities and practitioners.

Dr David Turner has a diverse career in educational leadership in the school sector as principal and Director of Professional Learning, and in the university sector as Head of Campus, Head of School and currently, Project Lead in endeavors to reimagine Initial Teacher Education.

He is interested in the mindsets necessary to enable us to thrive in a rapidly changing world and unleashing the creative potential in all learners.