Issue date: 13 April 2010
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Recent headlines . . .

Teachers to boycott national testing

NATIONAL - The Australian Education Union has voted to boycott this year's national literacy and numeracy tests, unless there is a guarantee the results will not be used in league tables. The Federal Government may ask parents to help administer the tests to students.
Read newspaper report

The 'wrong decision': Gillard

NATIONAL - Education Minister Julia Gillard has said a boycott decision made by teachers over the My School website was the 'wrong decision', and that she is considering all options to ensure the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests are held on schedule.
Read newspaper report

Taskforce to investigate school building complaints

NATIONAL - Business leader, Brad Orgill, will lead a taskforce that will investigate complaints about the school building program. The taskforce will publish a public report every six months, with an initial report to be published after three months.
Read newspaper report

Parents concerned over digital discrimination

NSW - The Disability Discrimination Legal Centre has said parents are concerned that the Rudd Government's digital technology initiative does not properly cater for students with disabilities.
Read newspaper report

Taking action after bullying

NATIONAL - After being bullied at school about their sexuality, Keren Palermo Jack Hegarty helped co-found the Whatever Youth Diversity Project, a social action group that combats homophobia and works to provide a safe environment for youth.
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Change school hours for sleepy students: study

SA - A study by researchers at the University of South Australia has analysed the sleep patterns of young people and contended that school hours should be changed to ensure students get enough sleep.
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Swimming legend offers school safety advice

NATIONAL - Swimming champion, Shane Gould, has said that secondary schools need to teach students how to swim in natural environments to help prevent young people from drowning in lakes and rivers.
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Rubgy safety top-of-mind for schools

QLD - Principal of St Joseph's College, Peter Chapman, has said he will consider withdrawing his school's rugby union team from competition, on a case-by-case basis, if he feels members of the team may be injured by playing.
Read newspaper report

Opinion . . .

Fight against censorship

NATIONAL - This opinion piece calls on Education Minister Julia Gillard to 'stare down her opponents, protect the school performance principles that parents broadly share and provide accessible data on schools for all.'
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Good news . . .

Milestone event for education research

NATIONAL - This month the Australian Council for Educational Research is celebrating its 80th birthday.
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International

Push for free education

SOLOMON ISLANDS - Australia is supporting attempts to make schooling free for all students in primary and junior secondary school in the Solomon Islands.
Read newspaper report

Teachers ordered to smile at students

UK - Buile Hill Visual Arts College has sent a memo to staff asking them to smile at students at the beginning of each lesson, as part of an initiative to involve students with how the school is run. The management at the school have reportedly made staff feel 'undervalued' and 'undermined'.
Read newspaper report

ACEL Noticeboard

ACEL's Travelling Scholar: Jan Robertson

Building Leadership and Learning Capacity Through Partnership
In an education context that is typified by change, complexity and challenge, new conceptions of leadership and learning are essential. Turbulent times require a type of education community that can ride the ebbs and flows of multiple discourses and ethical dilemmas – together taking the responsibility for the successes and the challenges still to be taken.

The essence of effective leadership and effective learning is in trusting, respectful relationships within the learning community. Jan’s work on the coaching partnership is acclaimed internationally for the powerful impact it has on educational leadership practice, the facilitation of professional learning, and in the development of formative learning relationships. Partnership is not a concept commonly practiced in education and therefore skill development is essential to this process.
Jan is a highly sought after keynote speaker and workshop facilitator internationally.

The day will include the following content:
• Leadership and learning through partnership;
• Developing pedagogy for changing times;
• Formative learning relationships;
• Developing coaching cultures;
• The leadership of learning;
• Facilitating professional learning and building leadership capacity;
• Coaching skills of active listening, reflective interviewing, self-assessment and goal setting.

This day is a seminar and workshop. Participants will receive a work booklet as a coaching resource and will have many opportunities to reflect on their own professional practice, and will be equally challenged by the expertise in the group to take new thoughts of leadership and learning practice back to their own education communities.

Please click here for more information on this exciting event.


Inspire: ACEL Leadership Program

Are you a highly competent principal? Have you noticed that it’s always your team who get the in-house training budget rather than you? Are you ready to reignite your passion and continue to find purpose in the difference you are making? Are you building your legacy daily?

Mackerel Sky in partnership with ACEL has created the Inspire program. Mackerel Sky has worked with thousands of leaders across a range of industry sectors including IT, engineering, accounting, education and health care. Our programs unpack and name what it is that great leaders do. In this way CEO’s and executives gain insights on their existing strengths and clarity on the development pathways important to them.

In each one of our programs, leaders discover new ways to develop the leaders they serve. They gain clarity around what they do that works so well. Supporting the development of others is easier when you can clearly articulate what it is that has been working for you. Participants are delighted to discover easy to apply models and frameworks that serve as a guide in challenging situations.

The Inspire program sits alone in a market rich with offerings to emerging leaders. This program is uniquely placed to stretch experienced, senior leaders. You will create a powerful network of other strong leaders whilst covering the latest in leadership theory and practice such as:

• Talent management - attraction, retention and engagement across the generations
• Succession Planning – growing leaders from within
• Leaving a legacy – making sure your today is resourcing your tomorrow
• Connecting with Community – making a bigger difference
• Cultural Intelligence – creating cultural competence for leaders
• High Performance Teams – secrets of teams that go the extra mile

For more information on this special event please click here.

ACEL Winter School

The London Centre for Leadership in Learning, Institute of Education works in London, nationally and internationally and offers a vibrant and refreshing learning community to support your learning in the heart of London. The London Centre for Leadership in Learning works in partnership with practitioners and policy makers at the critical edge of research and practice and are at the forefront of developing new knowledge for and about leadership and learning.

In her role as Director of the London Centre for Leadership in Learning, Professor Alma Harris and her team will provide a Winter School during the week of the 5th – 9th July 2010 at the London Leadership Centre.

The Winter School will be built around the ACEL Leadership Capability
Framework and participants will have the opportunity to design the
program of their choice from a menu of opportunities including visits to
schools and workshops that focus on distributed leadership, strategic development in professional learning, coaching - building a coaching culture, emerging leaders, experience leaders, leading for learning, parental engagement, network for learning and deep dive learning sessions with London Leadership Centre consultants and leaders.

Participants will also be provided with pre and post conference learning activities that combined with conference will provide university credit. This program will be designed to support leaders informal leadership positions.

Participants will be invited to join the ACEL Alumni as a result of attending this Winter School and will be recognised in the Class of 2010.

Program Objectives
Participants will:
• Learn about the English educational context and learn from and
with educational leaders in London and the surrounding area
• Engage in participatory, reflective seminars and workshops lead by the London Centre for Leadership in Learning - Institute of Education colleagues
• Participate in the London Centre for Leadership in Learning Annual Conference on July 7th and interact with a wide range of educational leaders from schools in England.
• Personalise their own learning and development through reflection of their own experiences and practice
• Evaluate the impact of the week on their own learning and consider consequent implications for future practice

Click here for more details.

Hosting and Harvesting conference:
Creating the change we wish to see in the world

Held at the Sydney Convention Centre for three days, the 29th – 30th September and 1st October 2010, with a focus on:
»» The art of hosting: conversations that matter
»» Deep learning, rich understandings
»» Learning across boundaries: building bridges
»» Leadership and, for, through, with, by, from learning

Introducing some of our extraordinary keynotes and authors of our lead papers:
- Alma Harris and Andy Hargreaves
- Professor Louise Stoll
- Brian Caldwell
- Dr Carolyn Shields
- Professor Allan Walker
- Dr Neville Highett
- Jan Robertson
- Professor Rehabeam Katengela Auala
- Dr Bob Lingard
- Professor Emeritus Alan Reid
- Dr Brenda Beatty
- Dr Muavia Gallie

Registration fees:

Early Registration – Before 30.06.10
ACEL/CCEAM member: $750.00
Non member: $885.00
Standard Registration – On or after 1.07.10
ACEL/CCEAM member: $850.00
Non member: $985.00

Visit http://www.acel.org.au or click here for further details.
   

Final words ...
"Personally I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught." - Sir Winston Churchill

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