About ACEL
The Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL) is the major professional association for educational leaders and our views are sought and respected by government and policy makers. ACEL draws its membership from all sectors of education in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the rest of the world.
The structure of ACEL ensures that the strength, breadth and diversity of our affiliates and our affiliation with the Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration and Management (CCEAM) provides a network of colleagues nationally and internationally.
ACEL is a leader in professional development and offers the opportunity to participate in leadership programs, topical seminars and workshops hosted at the national, local affiliate and association level. Membership of ACEL provides leaders with an extraordinary array of benefits, including support from ACEL's international partner, the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).
Membership of ACEL provides leaders with an extraordinary array of publications that include the Australian Educational Leader, Directions in Education, Perspectives on Educational Leadership, EdVines, Leading and Managing and the ACEL Monograph Series. These provide members with regular educational research, theory and best practice, news, and updates at the national and international level. ACEL's publications are available online. All members receive updates on significant forthcoming events and key educational leadership websites, regular educational leadership book reviews and significant materials.
ACEL President
Dr Neville Highett is a freelance consultant with expertise in the education sector. Since 1976 when Neville became an Inspector of Schools, his work has focussed on school effectiveness, school leadership, and school review and school accountability. He has had the unique experience of working for the government school sector at senior executive level in three states (Queensland – Senior Review Officer; New South Wales – Director of Program Evaluation; South Australia - as Director Planning and Accountability and as Executive Director of Schools) plus the experience of being a principal of large independent coeducational day and boarding school.
At the commencement of the 1999 school year he accepted a four year contract as Principal of Immanuel College. While at Immanuel College, Dr Highett developed a process for the 360 degree evaluation of the principal, the College Council and for the evaluation of each individual Council member. This process has generated a high degree of interest across the independent school sector.
He retired from the position of Principal of Immanuel College in January 2003 and established Quality Insight Consulting Pty Ltd and is currently working in Papua New Guinea restructuring their school inspection system.
Company Secretary
Jenny Lewis
M.Ed; B.Ed; Dip.Ed; FACEL; MACE; JP
jlewis@pnc.com.au
Jenny has just completed her principalship of Noumea Primary School, a disadvantaged school in the Mt Druitt District in New South Wales, Australia. Under her leadership the school has been recognised nationally and internationally for its innovative approach to professional development, school and pedagogical reform, and has received national and state awards for assessment, literacy, numeracy, knowledge management, school leadership and the integration of mathematics and technology.
Jenny has recently completed her service as national president of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL), and has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of ACEL. She has been awarded the national Nganakarrawa Award for outstanding leadership and was a finalist in the Telstra Business Women’s Awards. She has been identified as one of the top one hundred most creative and innovative people in Australia by the Bulletin Magazine and has recently been appointed Board Member of the International and National Microsoft Partners in Learning Advisory Boards, the Australian Catholic University National Flagship for Creative and Authentic Leadership, the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement, and is ACEL’s representative to the national board of Teaching Australia. She is the 2006 recipient of the Wyndham Medal awarded by the Australian College of Educators.
She holds postgraduate qualifications in Educational Leadership, publishes regularly in education journals and is asked to present at national and international conferences on the areas of evidence based leadership and building professional learning communities.
