Message from the President

Australian College of Educators

Message from the Queensland Branch President

Australian College of Educator Members

The following provides you with an important invitation to attend the Biennial Bassett Oration (Friday 14 October 2011), extending congratulations to our ACE Fellow recipients for 2011, news about the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer and National Office Staff and relocation to Melbourne, and the inclusion of some recollections from our history booklet Australian College of Educators Queensland Branch Celebrating the First 50 Years: 1960-2010.

ACE Members and guests are warmly invited to attend the Biennial Professor GW Bassett Oration on Friday 14 October, from 5.30 - 8.00 p.m. at the Mary Ward Centre, Loreto College, 415 Cavendish Road, Coorparoo.

Our 2011 Bassett Oration will be delivered by The Honourable Kevin Rudd MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs.  Sworn in as Minister for Foreign Affairs in 2010, former Prime Minister Rudd was born in Nambour and educated at Eumundi Primary School, Marist College Ashgrove and Nambour State High School.  He gained his Bachelor of Arts (Asian Studies) First Class Honours from the Australian National University.  Mr Rudd is one of the 19 members of the United Nations Secretary-General’s High Level Panel on Global Sustainability.  Relevant international themes will be woven into the address and Rudd will have participated in the United Nations’ General Assembly prior to presenting this Oration.

Importantly, Mr  Rudd is a strong advocate to improve education standards worldwide. The former Prime Minister also holds many deep insights related to previous and current educational policy and initiatives through his significant leadership and policy roles relating to the Education Revolution, Building the Education Revolution, Digital Education Revolution, My Schools website, Closing the Gap, National Partnership Projects, and the Australian Curriculum. This is a ‘must attend’ event and there will be time for the audience to ask questions and discuss substantial matters arising from the presentation.

You are most welcome to extend this invitation to your colleagues and guests.  Details and registration for this event are provided at http://austcolled.com.au/event/2011-professor-gw-bill-bassett-oration-ho....

Please note that a Certificate of Attendance will be provided for those participants seeking College of Teachers' Continuing Professional Development Standards recognition.

Fellowship of the Australian College of Educators is one of the highest honours that the College can bestow, and should be seen by College Members and Fellows, and by the wider education community, to be a recognition of outstanding and distinctive contributions to the advancement of education. Awards will be made to this year's recipients at the Bassett Oration:

Mr Craig Bassingthwaighte, Queensland

For an outstanding contribution to student learning and engagement, and to the enhancement of professional practice for educators, particularly in regional education.

Mr Peter Hauser, Queensland

For demonstrated contributions to leadership in Australian secondary schools, particularly in the education of boys, and to the broader educational community.

Miss Leesa Jeffcoat, Queensland

For sustained and quality leadership of education within Queensland especially in curriculum development and delivery, and commitment to the quality of student outcomes.

Ms Karen Spiller, Queensland

For an outstanding contribution to education and particularly the education of young women and the encouragement and nurturing of women leaders.

Our ACE National President, Dr Lyndsay Connors, in succeeding the leadership by Professor Denise Bradley, has provided much personal time, energy, hard work and wisdom to provide a determined focus for a positive future for ACE. Dr Connors, in association with the equally hard working Margaret Clarke, outgoing Chief Executive Officer (CEO), have kept members up to date with ACE developments. In particular, members have been informed about the transition of the ACE National Office from Canberra to Melbourne, and the appointment of Debra Goldfinch as the new Chief Executive Officer of ACE and we look forward to working with Debra. Debra will be attending the Bassett Oration, and this will provide an opportunity for you to meet Debra.

Debra has provided the following information for members:

“This is an exciting time for the college. We have just appointed a new talented team of staff with a broad range of skills including management, fundraising, membership services, events management and public relations.  Our new team, who will all be in place by Monday 10^th October, will work with members to ensure the college provides a strong voice for the education profession and leads the professional growth and development of educators across the country.   I look forward to introducing them to you in the next few weeks.

As we are moving to our new national offices based at the University of Melbourne’s Graduate School of Education, from Monday 26^th September 2011, our contact details will be as follows:

Our 1800 number remains the same: 1800208 586

Our new fax number is:  03 8344 8612

Our new local phone number is:  03 9035 5473

Our postal address is:

Australian College of Educators

PO Box 73

CARLTON VIC  3053

Our street address is:

Australian College of Educators

Level 3

234 Queensberry Street

CARLTON VIC 3053

I look forward to representing you all in the future and to bringing you many exciting opportunities that are coming our way.”

To stay in touch with national ACE developments and education agendas, members receive copies of The Professional Educator and Education Views as well as news from National office, and updates are provided at the ACE website at austcolled.com.au.

Queensland Specific Events and Activities

Members are encouraged to bookmark and visit – http://austcolled.com.au/qld for

·         Announcements

·         Education News

·         Upcoming Queensland Events

·         Recent Activities

ACE National Conference Theme - Education Equity:  Connecting for Change brought together excellent educators with a passion for equity. Prior to the Conference The Professional Educator had the cover heading – An equity revival Will the policy rhetoric about equity in education ever be realised? The subsequent issue, after the Conference, was titled Connecting for change Shining a light on what needs to be done to address education inequity made for compelling reading and , as Margaret Clarke indicated, it shone “a light on the work that needs to be done”.

To mark our 50^th Anniversary of ACE in Queensland, we launched the publication Australian College of Educators Queensland Branch Celebrating the First 50 Years: 1960-2010. This was an attempt to capture some of the rich history of ACE in Queensland. Access to this document is available at http://austcolled.com.au/ace-queensland-branch-history-1960-2010.

The following is taken from that publication, and reflects the vision of the early founders, which each of us as members have a responsibility to ensure that their ACE legacy continues to prosper.

“ACE Queensland was first formed on the 15 July 1960, at a meeting at the University of Queensland. The College Foundation President, Dr (later Sir) James Darling chaired the meeting. A Chapter Committee was formed with Professor (later Sir) Fred Schonell as Chairman and Dr (later Professor) Frank Olsen as Secretary. One hundred prominent Queensland educators were invited to become members of the Chapter, and at its first Annual General Meeting in July 1961, the membership was 103 and the credit balance $75. The Chapter was on its way.

... The Chapter owes a great debt to Professor G. W. Bassett for help and guidance during the early formative years. He was a Foundation member of the College, a member of the College council from the beginning (1959) until he resigned in 1982, was made a Fellow of the College in 1961, was President of the College 1967 – 1969, and was made an Honorary Fellow of the College (the only other Queensland Honorary Fellow being Sir Zelman Cowen). He is the only Queenslander to have won the College medal and he was editor of Unicorn for many years.”

I trust that you can find the time to join us by attending the Bassett Oration on Friday 14 October 2011. The Guest Speaker, The Honourable Kevin Rudd MP, is one of a very select few, who can claim to have been born and educated in Queensland and to become Prime Minister of our nation. Born in 1957, he would have been turning 3 at about the time when ACE was being formed in Queensland in 1960. Please find the time to join ACE colleagues to hear The Honourable Mr Kevin Rudd present the 2011 Bassett Oration.

Associate Professor Glenn Finger

Australian College of Educators Queensland Branch President