ACEL QLD Miller-Grassie Award for Outstanding Leadership in Education

The Miller-Grassie Award and President’s Citation acknowledges and perpetuates the memory of the life and work of educational researchers and administrators, Dr Laurie Miller and Associate Professor MacCrae Grassie. Nominees are outstanding educational leaders, or a team, whose achievements and influence on policy and/or practice reflect the spirit of the work of the pioneering educational leaders. The recipient is widely respected in the education community and has contributed significant ideas and practice to educational leadership in Queensland.

Nominees will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Demonstrated record of inspiring, supporting, and advocating for excellence in educational leadership.
2. Demonstrated high-level commitment to the profession of teaching reflective of the values espoused in a Statement of Commitment to the Profession of Teaching..
3. Demonstrated high-level commitment to educational leadership in accordance with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and/or Australian Professional Standard for Principals.
4. Successful experience in educational leadership in any setting/sector.
5. Outstanding contribution to the study and/or practice of educational leadership at state and/or national levels.
6. Impeccable integrity and ethical approach.
7. Demonstrated record of social justice, equity, democracy, and/or human rights achievement.
8. The recipient is widely respected in the education community and has contributed significantly to ideas and practice in educational leadership in Queensland.

ACEL QLD Fellowship

ACELQ presents Fellowships to educational leaders who, over time, have made outstanding contributions to ACEL and/or to educational leadership and have had a substantial and sustained impact at the state and/or national level. ACEL members who receive a Fellowship are entitled to use the post-nominal FACELQ.

Nominees will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Demonstrated record of inspiring, supporting, and advocating for excellence in educational leadership.
2. Demonstrated high-level commitment to the profession of teaching reflective of the values espoused in a Statement of Commitment to the Profession of Teaching..
3. Demonstrated high-level commitment to educational leadership as detailed in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL) and/or Australian Professional Standard for Principals (AITSL).
4. Demonstrated high-level commitment and contribution(s) to the work of ACELQ.
5. Demonstrated contribution(s) to the profession beyond the scope of their employed role.

ACEL QLD Excellence in Educational Leadership Award

The Excellence in Educational Leadership Award recognises outstanding educational leadership through specific projects or initiatives resulting in enhanced student learning experiences and student achievement. Nominees are educators or a group of educators working in classrooms, faculties, schools, tertiary institutions, school boards, systems, or consultancies. The nominees lead the implementation of educational initiatives and/or influence educational policy beyond their work in their own school/workplace.

Nominees will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Demonstrated record of inspiring, supporting, and advocating for excellence in educational leadership.
2. Demonstrated high-level commitment to the profession of teaching reflective of the values espoused in a Statement of Commitment to the Profession of Teaching..
3. Demonstrated high-level commitment to educational leadership in accordance with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and/or Australian Professional Standard for Principals.
4. Acknowledged excellence in leadership by professional colleagues, students, and the community.
5. Evidence of outstanding achievements for school, sector, or system.

ACEL QLD Frank Crowther Inspiring Educator Award

The Frank Crowther Inspiring Educator Award honours educators whose teaching skills, relationships with students and attitude towards their work have inspired young people to enter the profession of teaching. The nominee’s pride in and commitment to the teaching profession and educational leadership have influenced others to become teachers and educational leaders.

Nominees will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Evidence of an inspiring impact and influence on others who subsequently became teachers and/or educational leaders.
2. Demonstrated record of inspiring, supporting, and advocating for excellence in educational leadership.
3. Demonstrated high-level commitment to the profession of teaching reflective of the values espoused in a Statement of Commitment to the Profession of Teaching..
4. Demonstrated high-level commitment to educational leadership in accordance with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and/or Australian Professional Standard for Principals.

ACEL QLD Emerging Educational Leadership Award

This award provides educators in the early stages of their formal leadership career with the opportunity to undertake professional learning in educational leadership. The award recipient(s) has the opportunity to participate in a fully-funded ACEL professional learning event to further their educational leadership.

Nominees will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Demonstrated record of inspiring, supporting, and advocating for excellence in educational leadership.
2. Demonstrated high-level commitment to the profession of teaching reflective of the values espoused in a Statement of Commitment to the Profession of Teaching..
3. Demonstrated high-level commitment to educational leadership as outlined in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and/or Australian Professional Standard for Principals.
4. Demonstrated leadership that enhances student engagement, aspiration, and achievement.

ACEL QLD First Nations Leadership Award

This award recognises an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander educator, or team. This leader or leadership team draws on cultural knowledge, community connections and understanding of student learning needs to create experiences that build respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures and enhance student learning experiences and achievement.

Nominees will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Demonstrated record of inspiring, supporting, and advocating for excellence in educational leadership.
2. Demonstrated high-level commitment to the profession of teaching reflective of the values espoused in a Statement of Commitment to the Profession of Teaching..
3. Demonstrated high-level commitment to educational leadership as outlined in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and/or Australian Professional Standard for Principals.
4. Demonstrated leadership that enhances student engagement, aspiration, and achievement.

ACEL QLD Pivotal People Leadership Award

This award recognises an influential middle leader or team of middle leaders. The middle leader(s) are working as Heads of Department, Heads of Curriculum, Wellbeing, Inclusive Education, or similar roles, as a Highly Accomplished Teacher or Lead Teacher. They are pivotal in generating enhanced learning experiences and achievement for students through their direct and positive influence on teachers’ practice. The pivotal leader leads school improvement in partnership with the school senior leadership team.

Nominees will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Demonstrated record of inspiring, supporting, and advocating for excellence in educational leadership.
2. Demonstrated high-level commitment to the profession of teaching reflective of the values espoused in a Statement of Commitment to the Profession of Teaching..
3. Demonstrated high-level commitment to educational leadership as outlined in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and/or Australian Professional Standard for Principals.
4. Demonstrated leadership that enhances student engagement, aspiration, and achievement.

ACEL QLD Research in Educational Leadership and Management Award

The Research in Educational Leadership and Management Awards acknowledge exceptional academic achievement in educational leadership research studies. Nominated only by Queensland tertiary institutions, the nominees are post-graduate students and need not be members of ACEL.

Nominees will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Created new work that is progressive, innovative, and representative of concepts and ideas that offer insights in education.
2. Generated strategies for critical thinking through research, associated with leading in schools and/or other educational contexts.
3. Demonstrated high-level commitment to educational leadership as detailed in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and/or Australian Professional Standard for Principals.

ACEL QLD Media Award

The Media Award recognises a significant contribution to the positive promotion of the teaching profession and recognition of educational leadership. Nominees are individuals, media outlets, or organisations who create or facilitate depth and balance in public debate and/or profiling of educational matters in the media, such as print, television, radio, or podcasts.

Nominees will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Impact of a single media event or long-term commitment that has elevated the teaching profession and educational leadership.
2. Created work that advocates for recognition of professional education, teaching, and learning.

ACEL QLD Dorothy Andrews and Joan Conway Regional and Remote Educational Leadership Award

Regional educational leadership carries a distinctive set of demands and opportunities that set it apart from metropolitan contexts. Regional leaders navigate the complexities of distance, limited resources, and smaller professional networks, yet they do so with a depth of community connection and relational trust that is rarely replicated elsewhere. Dorothy Andrews and Joan Conway exemplify this spirit. For fifty years, through their unwavering commitment to the Australian Council for Educational Leaders, they have championed the voice of regional educators, fostered networks of support and professional growth, and ensured that leadership beyond the metropolitan centres is recognised, valued, and developed. This award honours educational leaders who, in the tradition of Conway and Andrews, demonstrate excellence in regional educational leadership — those who lead with courage, creativity, and an enduring commitment to their communities.

Nominees for this award should demonstrate sustained excellence in educational leadership within a regional, rural, or remote context. The selection panel will consider evidence against the following criteria:

1. Leadership in a Regional Context: The nominee has held a significant educational leadership role in a regional, rural, or remote setting and demonstrates a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities of leading beyond metropolitan centres.
2. Community Connection and Impact: The nominee has built meaningful partnerships with their local community, fostering trust and collaboration that extends the influence of education beyond the school gate. There is evidence that their leadership has made a tangible difference to educational outcomes for students and communities.
3. Building Professional Networks and Capacity: The nominee has actively contributed to the professional growth of colleagues, whether through mentoring, establishing or sustaining professional networks, or creating learning opportunities that overcome the barriers of distance and isolation.
4. Courage, Creativity, and Resilience: The nominee has demonstrated adaptive, resourceful leadership in response to the demands of regional contexts — finding creative solutions, advocating for their communities, and sustaining commitment over time.
5. Contribution to ACEL and the Broader Profession: The nominee has contributed to the vision  of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders and/or the wider educational leadership profession, ensuring that regional voices are heard.