New South Wales Branch

Paul Kidson

ACEL NSW Branch President

Dr Paul Kidson is Senior Lecturer in Educational Leadership at the Australian Catholic University. His diverse educational career includes teaching English and Drama both in low socio-economic multicultural schools in Sydney’s western suburbs and socio-educationally advantaged inner metropolitan schools, curriculum leadership in regional NSW and Victorian schools, 11 years’ as a school principal, and as an Educational Leadership academic since 2017.

His teaching and research adopt a holistic and interdisciplinary approach, drawing on a range of academic disciplines and insights. Through this, he explores how school leaders work within, and critically transform, their complex professional lives. This encompasses broader systems and policies that govern their work and school communities, as well as how they develop and sustain their personal leadership story. He is deeply committed to developing emerging and aspiring leaders, and to date, six of his former staff have been appointed to school principalship, and a further nine of deputy principalship or head of campus leadership roles. He is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Institute for Managers and Leaders.

Sue Bryen

Branch Executive Member

Sue is passionate about student voice, professional learning, and effective implementation for student-centered initiatives. Previously a teacher, instructional leader and principal, Sue now provides professional learning and implementation support throughout Australia and Internationally. Previously a global Master Trainer for Visible Learning +, Sue is now the Director of Learning Services, for the Quaglia Institute for School Voice and Aspirations (QISVA), an organisation founded by the renowned expert in student voice, Dr Russ Quaglia. Sue works with school leadership teams to enhance student voice and agency through co-designing contextually relevant professional learning and implementation strategies. Continually learning from educational research and practice, Sue has developed connections with educators from around the world and is a Fellow of the Leading Educators Around the Planet (LEAP) organisation.

Amanda Conray

Branch Executive Member

Amanda has led state-wide leadership development programs within the NSW Department of Education as a Chief Executive Officer since 2019. Currently working in the department’s School Leadership Institute, Amanda’s role focuses on middle leadership. Prior to this role Amanda has served as a leader in NSW public secondary schools for more than 20 years including as a substantive deputy principal in two schools. As a committed educational practitioner, she has presented at state and national conferences, sharing best practice in school transformation, pedagogy and leadership. Through diverse leadership roles across a variety of educational contexts, Amanda has developed expertise in professional learning, leadership development, student-centred pedagogies and building collaborative cultures focused on school improvement. Amanda has been recognised for her educational leadership and was awarded an ACEL Leadership Award in 2022. 

Simon Crook

Branch Executive Member

Dr Simon Crook is Director of CrookED Science, an award-winning STEM education consultancy founded in 2015, and Honorary Associate at the School of Physics, The University of Sydney. Simon works with primary and high school leaders, teachers and students around many aspects of science and STEM education including running NESA accredited PD for teachers, working with gifted STEM students, and delivering online workshops to HSC science students. He also assists the Sydney University Physics Education Research (SUPER) group liaise with NESA regarding the science syllabuses. Simon is a regular commentator on education in NSW having written nearly 40 journal articles (including for AEL and L&M), and is a reviewer for 4 international STEM education academic journals. Previously, Simon was Senior eLearning Adviser for 7 years at Sydney Catholic Schools, and a high school physics teacher for 15 years. He was made FACEL (NSW) in 2022.

Rhonda Kaidbay

Branch Executive Member

Rhonda is a passionate education leader with extensive experience in leading and managing quality teaching across different curriculum areas and stage groups. Rhonda started her teaching career in 2001 in South West Sydney. Since then she has worked in an American International School in Abu Dhabi teaching the International Baccalaureate curriculum. She returned to Sydney and the NSW Department of Education (DoE) to become a quality teaching and literacy consultant for the Northern Sydney Region. Rhonda has also worked with NESA's assessment branch and the well-being team with the NSW DoE. She was an active member in Project Zero Australia’s steering committee and is passionate about quality teaching and learning and best pedagogical practices. Rhonda is currently a Deputy Principal at Auburn Girls High School.

Kirsten Macaulay

Branch Executive Member

Dr Kirsten Macaulay is the Deputy Head (Quality Teaching K - 12) at St Andrew’s Cathedral School. Her professional interests are both encouraging teacher efficacy and excellence in teaching.

As the Deputy Head, Kirsten leads her team to develop professional learning based on evidence and best practice informed through current research. She also mentors, supervises, and supports teachers to professionally build their capacity through all Accreditation processes and is passionate about connecting educators to learn and grow professionally.

Kirsten’s educational research won the Beth Southwell Award for “Most Outstanding Education Research thesis” (NSW Institute of Educational Research); her teaching excellence has been recognized with awards such as “Dr Paul Brock Medal” from the Australian College of Educators (ACE, NSW) and the “Outstanding Professional Service Award” from the Australian Society of Music Educators (ASME, NSW). Before her current role, Kirsten has 25+ years of experience as an Educational Leader, Head of Department, and teacher.

Larissa Maraga

Branch Executive Member

As the proud Principal of Quakers Hill East Public School, Larissa Maraga is passionate about making a positive difference in students' learning and life outcomes. She has extensive teaching and leadership experience working in public schools as a classroom teacher and in varying school leadership roles. Focused on providing educational opportunities for every student to flourish, Larissa models a personal commitment to ongoing learning. Her passion and belief in the importance of interpersonal leadership skills culminated in her final research paper for her Masters of Educational Leadership. Larissa supports, develops, and strengthens educational leadership capabilities by bringing depth and perspective to developing professional learning opportunities for early career principals and middle leaders. She draws upon best practices, nationally and internationally, through professional collaboration, experience, and the ability to enact her professional responsibilities as a system leader within the NSW Department of Education.

Brenda Quayle

Branch Executive Member

A member of ACEL since 2003, Brenda has been an educational leader in the NSW Department of Education system, serving students across a range of public secondary schools in Western Sydney. Experienced at all levels of school leadership, she has held executive positions with the NSW DP Association and ACEL NSW. She had collaborated on reference groups for the NSW Secondary Principal’s Council, NESA NSW, NOII NSW (Network of Innovation and Inquiry) and the Prevention Education Research Unit (PERU - Western Sydney Health). In 2019, Brenda was awarded an ACEL NSW Fellowship as recognition for the contribution she made as a member of the NSW ACEL Branch. Now an Expert Facilitator for Real Schools, she works with schools across all sectors and states to develop school cultures that embrace restorative practices, working in partnership with schools to develop a culture of collective responsibility to support all students in all contexts. Brenda has a long history of designing and facilitating professional learning opportunities, influencing the development of staff capacity and inspiring colleagues across all stages of their career. Her approach to collaborative professional practice has seen significant shifts in school cultures leading to improved relational strategies and high impact professional learning that directly enhances student engagement and learning outcomes. Recognising that this is a significant time in education, Brenda is deeply committed to every opportunity that allows her to inspire leaders and to illuminate the voice of the profession by contributing to dynamic networks who recognise and empower educational leaders.

Corinna Robertson

Branch Executive Member

Corinna is a principal with the NSW Department of Education School Leadership Institute (SLI) where she leads the work on middle leadership. This includes the development of a middle leader role description and co-design of a middle leadership development program between the NSW DoE SLI, University of Newcastle and University of Wollongong. Corinna has more than 20 years’ experience as a principal, acting principal, assistant principal, and teacher at schools in the Blue Mountains and Sydney’s west. She has numerous qualifications including the Harvard Graduate School of Education Leadership for School Excellence, Master of Education (Educational Leadership), Graduate Certificate in Instructional Leadership, Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Teaching. She is currently studying a Master of Social and Organisational Leadership at Charles Sturt University.

Corinna is in her second term as executive on the Board of ACEL. She is a member of the NSW Primary Principals Association (PPA) Leadership Standing Committee, a facilitator for the NSW PPA Principal Credential and the School Leadership Institutes Aspiring Principal Leadership Program. Corinna was one of the first participants to successfully validate through the NSW PPA Principal Credential and was a member and representative of government school principals from 2019 to 2021 on the NESA Moderating Consistency Committee.

Corinna is the co-author of the Primary Executive Support Group Leadership Exploration and Development (PESGLEAD) program and NSW PPA Middle Leadership Imperative.

Vicki Treble

Branch Executive Member

Vicki Treble is a Principal Coach-Mentor with the NSW Department of Education. She is passionate about the important and critical role that quality professional learning plays in the success of educational leaders in our schools. Throughout her career she has led professional learning networks, focused on the power of mentoring.

An active member of ACEL for almost 20 years, Vicki was previously a member of the NSW Branch Executive and was convenor of the NSW Fellows and Awards Committee from 2014 to 2020.

As a highly successful educational leader and NSW primary school principal, Vicki has been the recipient of a range of awards including: Australian Award for Teaching Excellence – Excellence by a Principal (2009); NSW Government Outstanding Service Award (2012); National Excellence in Teaching Award – Leadership (2010); Fellow of the Australian College of Educators, and the NSW Premier’s Deloitte Leadership Scholarship (2011). She was awarded the Patrick Duignan Award for Leadership in 2020, and is also an ACEL NSW and National Fellow.

Greg Whitby

Branch Executive Member

Greg Whitby is a teacher, advocate, administrator and leader. His mission to transform schooling for every child and young person is driven by a strong commitment to justice and equity.

As a Catholic Education leader in the Parramatta and Wollongong Dioceses in NSW, Greg has led significant cultural change with a focus on innovation, collaboration and investment in teachers’ learning. Prior to this, he was a teacher and school leader in government and Catholic schools. He has also lectured in the faculty of business at Western Sydney University.

Greg’s service to education has been recognised through the 2018 Australia Day Honours list with the award of the Australian Medal (AM) and the award of a Papal Knighthood in the Order of St Gregory the Great in 2013. He has received a presidential citation from the Australian Council of Educational Leaders and in 2017, he was awarded the Australian College of Educators Sir Harold Wyndham Medal for his contribution to the education of young people in NSW.

Over 20 years and particularly the last several years, Greg Whitby has led a system transformation of Catholic Schooling which has influenced the global provision of schooling.

Focusing on improving the outcomes for each student in every learning environment through great teaching he has challenged and driven change of both the learning and teaching and digital enablers to support new and innovative teacher practice.