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Recent headlines . . .

NAPLAN tests confirmed in Queensland

QLD - Acting Queensland premier, Paul Lucas, has said the mid-may National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests will go ahead, despite threats of a teacher boycott. 'For God's sake, do not penalise school kids and their parents who want information about it', Lucas said.
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NAPLAN tests to go ahead in Victoria

VIC - A memo has been sent from Education Department secretary Peter Dawkins to school heads in Victoria, stating that they are to, 'ensure that the NAPLAN test is fully and successfully implemented', despite a planned boycott by teachers.
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Union publishes a grim warning

NSW - The NSW Teachers Federation has posted a message on its website for casual and retired members regarding the upcoming NAPLAN testing. It reads, 'You should be aware that if you accept the Department of Education and Training's offer, you may quickly find yourself in a hostile environment where the teachers, and in many cases this includes the principal, have refused to administer NAPLAN 2010. These teachers and principals will not thank you for your intervention'.
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NAPLAN learning hinders curriculum: principals

VIC - Principals are concerned that the pursuit of a higher rank on the My School website is narrowing the curriculum.
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School leaver age rise may lead to resentment

NATIONAL - Dr Kitty te Riele has told a public forum that raising the school leaving age may turn students away from the education system. "If you force kids to stay in school who would rather leave, then it can turn what can be fairly neutral feelings about education into really negative feelings, and a wish never, ever to return to education at all," she said.
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Stumbling block for Tasmania Tomorrow

TAS - Education Minister Lin Thorp has said there will no rollback of the Tasmania Tomorrow reforms, despite the Greens and Liberals promising to scrap the program when State Parliament resumes.
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Our indigenous students lag behind

NATIONAL - An analysis based on NAPLAN figures has broken the news that four out of every ten Aboriginal students sitting the tests are failing them. Independent researcher and co-author of the study Mark Hughes, said, 'There are massive amounts of resources being directed [at improving the issue] very ineffectively.'
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Australia proves too pricey for Chinese students

NATIONAL - Some Chinese graduates are choosing to study in Europe or in the US, instead of in Australia, due to the cost of living and higher education.
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Opinion . . .

Education crisis for indigenous students

NATIONAL - Helen Hughes writes that indigenous students are struggling in terms of reading, writing and literacy, and that the current targets for improvement by the Rudd Government in the matter are not high enough.
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The consequences of a lack of education: opinion

NATIONAL - This opinion piece in 'The Drum Unleashed' describes Australia as a 'poorly educated and politically disengaged nation', and describes the repercussions this has on issues such as climate change and asylum seekers.
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Time travel to 2011...

NATIONAL - This controversial opinion piece takes a 'humourous' look at the day in the life of a teacher in the winter of 2011.
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Good news . . .

'Blind' ambition wins students a trip to California

PALESTINE - Three students at a United Nations funded girls' school have invented an obstacle-detecting cane for the blind. The young inventors will now travel to San Jose, California to compete in the International Science and Engineering Fair.
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Education dreams come true

NATIONAL - Annabelle Chauncy is a co-founder of the United Future Foundation and is about to realise her dream of building a school in Uganda. Information on how to help the initiative is included in the article.
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International

More university places in Serbia

SERBIA - The number of university places funded by the government has been increased by 1.17% for the 2010/2011 academic year.
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Students take charge at unique school

UK - The William Glassner Quality School in Trim, Ireland, is a school with no rules, where students choose what they study, take a role in hiring teachers and attend staff meetings.
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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

Final words ...
"Delegating work works, provided the one delegating works, too." - Robert Half