Maxine Galante is passionate and innovative teacher and leader. Since finishing her Master of Teaching (Primary) at Melbourne University, Maxine has dedicated her career to working in communities of socio and economic disadvantage. She is inherently driven by the notion that education is the gatekeeper to empowerment. As a result, Maxine works tirelessly to ensure that children in her school community are not hindered by postcode or mindset, but empowered through equity, inclusion and innovation. In the final year of her Masters, Maxine was awarded the Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar Award for Outstanding Academic Results and Practicum Performance. This initial acknowledgement acted as the cornerstone for Maxine’s career. As a public education advocate, Maxine has worked in Victoria, Western Australian and the Australian Capital Territory. While working in Melbourne as a graduate teacher, Maxine established a music program and netball program, as well as fulfilling her classroom teacher role. Maxine coached the team to the Netball State Finals and campaigned through local radio to acquire a pair of runners for every child in her school, alongside netball uniforms and equipment. Additionally, the school’s choir and percussion group performed at an end of year showcase at a local theatre. Community feedback to these experiences reflected the formative impact this had on both children and their families. Within three years of teaching, Maxine was already well-respected through her capacity to lead and inspire.

In 2016, while working at Challis Community Primary School (WA), Maxine stepped into her emerging leadership journey. In response to the school’s vision and mission, Maxine, along with other practitioners, engaged in a secondment to California, U.S.A., to learn more about curriculum design, high-impact practice and innovation in schools. This visit served as an inspirational opportunity to discover settings such as High Tech High, while also visiting schools in California to experience district-level initiatives that supported migrant families and EAL/D learners. While at Challis Community Primary School, Maxine achieved Level 3 Teacher status (AITSL Lead Teacher Equivalence) and was appointed as an Academic Coach to develop practice, build capacity and improve learning outcomes in both Literacy and Maths across the school. In addition, she produced her first paper which was used by other schools in the Perth Metropolitan Network to inform pedagogical approaches and learning structures.

Maxine is a published writer, presenting and writing for system-level, national and international audiences. As part of the ILETC Conference (Melbourne University) in 2019, Maxine published the paper, ‘Being comfortable with being uncomfortable’ and presented at the international conference. Maxine’s paper was centred around innovation in education and how leaders can establish the cultural and environmental conditions to enact change within a school. In 2022 alone, Maxine presented a TED-style talk at the ACT Bi-Annual Public Education Symposium to advocate for equity and innovation in education. Maxine shared her work at Margaret Hendry School as a case-study to invite educational leaders into a discussion around education reform. As an active member of the Future Schools Alliance, Maxine was also invited to participate in the 2021 initiative, ‘New Leaders, Future Paradigms’. This resulted in her presenting the inaugural keynote presentation in 2022. Most recently, and in response to Maxine’s inspiring and high-impact leadership and advocacy at Margaret Hendry School, Maxine was awarded a place on The Educator’s Most Influential Educators List for 2022.

In 2021, Maxine was appointed as Deputy Principal at Margaret Hendry School (MHS) after acting in this role for 12 months and being a founding member of the broader leadership team. The school opened in 2019 and was the first school in the ACT Education Directorate built in response to the 10-year Future of Education Strategy. Margaret Hendry School is classified as an Innovative Learning Environment and therefore requires forward thinking, relevant and responsive leadership to realise a personalised learning pedagogy to re-imagine education for all stakeholders. While at MHS, Maxine has taken on the University of Canberra (UC) Affiliated Schools Coordinator role and has worked continuously to provide placements for pre-service teachers (PSTs). Maxine believes as both a leader and community member, she has a moral imperative to grow and support future teachers. As a result, she has provided induction, support, and guidance to over 100+ PSTs while they attend practicum placements or group-based teaching clinics at MHS. Additionally, Maxine has presented at the UC Affiliated School’s Annual Conference in 2020 on the innovative and personalised pedagogy being co-evolved at MHS. This reflects her relentless determination and willingness to share practice and facilitate professional learning to ensure meaningful change is realised in schools.

The above outlines Maxine’s inherent passion and drive for education. Furthermore, it reiterates the level professional credibility and trust she has established in a short period of time. But most important to Maxine’s work is the success she has achieved in improving outcomes, so that the children in her care are given the best possible start in life. Since working at MHS, Maxine has developed a response to student need team which has seen over 100+ children be represented in the NCCD. This reflects the level of adjustment and support in place for learners at a whole-school level. Moreover, Maxine has established an inter-disciplinary triage team to provide wellbeing support and intervention to the school community. Maxine has collaborated with clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists and community organisations to ensure that children and families get what they need. She has led and worked alongside the team to develop plans, provide coaching, and develop school-wide systems so that every child gets what they need. Maxine’s work in wellbeing and student support services has been shared within the ACT Education Directorate to showcase exemplary practice of inclusion.

Through Maxine’s effective leadership, she continuously builds capacity, shapes culture and ensures that student outcomes continue to improve. She has impact daily, and she always seeks to make a difference. Teams feel empowered when working alongside Maxine. She continuously seeks to strengthen public education and has mentored aspiring leaders into promotional positions both within schools and beyond.