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Recent headlines . . .

School 'bullied' into accepting funding: allegations

VIC - Hallam Valley Primary School council president, Mark Ogden, has said the school was pressured into taking almost two million dollars less in funding than it was entitled to from the Building the Education revolution program.
Read newspaper report

International education industry at risk

NATIONAL - Recent changes to the skilled migration program by the government may turn international students away from studying in Australia.
Read newspaper report

Expulsion power extended for principals

QLD - Queensland principals have been given the right to expel students without seeking departmental approval, to allow principals to act quickly in a situation where other students may need to be protected.
Read newspaper report

Claims school is 'worse off' with stimulus funding

VIC - The community at Mount Martha Primary School is divided over Federal Government school stimulus funding, which since its introduction, has seen parent donations to the school drop by over one quarter.
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iPads not coming to schools anytime soon

NATIONAL - NSW Department of Education and Training chief information officer, Stephen Wilson, has said iPads will not be introduced as part of the education revolution laptop scheme for schools. A spokesman for the ACT Department of Education and Training also said, 'The iPad is also not capable of supporting the diversity of software currently being used by ACT public schools'.
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Missing the point...

NATIONAL - Grace Fava, president of the Autism Advisory and Support Service, has said that schools that discouraged underachieving students to stay home from school on the day of the test, may find their actions backfiring, as the NAPLAN results are used to determine which schools need extra help and funding.
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More NAPLAN cheating claims

NATIONAL - An investigation will be held into claims that two Brisbane high schools altered some students answers in the recent NAPLAN test.
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Students travel interstate for 'better' education

QLD - Approximately 200 students are travelling from Queensland to New South Wales daily to attend Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School. Lindisfarne principal Chris Duncan said, 'Local universities tell me NSW students are better prepared for university than Queensland students because generally they're six months older and, secondly, they've had a more academic grounding in Years 11 and 12.'
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Sexuality research comes under fire

VIC - Psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg has voiced his disapproval of a study on childhood sexuality, that asked pre-school students about flirting and kissing.
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Absentee rates publicly listed

QLD - An Education Queensland list has publicly ranked state schools on their absentee rates.
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Opinion . . .

Gillard in Australia's top job?

NATIONAL - The 'Herald Sun' looks at Education Minister, Julia Gillard, as a potential prime-minister to replace Kevin Rudd.
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Good news . . .

School excited over new additions

VIC - Concongella Primary School is one of the schools thrilled to receive new buildings from the Building the Education Revolution project.
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International

Music to your ears

AFGHANISTAN - The National Institute of Music in Kabul is teaching a new generation of students the pleasure of music, just under a decade after music was deemed legal to play in the city.
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Nutritious school meals labeled 'draconian'

UK - 'Draconian' healthy eating rules may be turning Glascow students against nutritious food, and towards junk food bought off school grounds.
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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 ...
"Leadership should be more participative than directive, more enabling than performing." - Mary D. Poole