Jason was elected as the Federal Member for Blaxland in 2007. In June 2009, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Employment. In September 2010, he was appointed Minister for Defence Materiel. In December 2011, he was appointed Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Justice. Following the 2013 election, Jason was appointed Shadow Minister for Communications. In July 2016, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Trade and Investment as well as Shadow Minister for Resources and Northern Australia. In June 2019, Jason was appointed Shadow Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government and Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness.

"Our education system is the most powerful cause for good in this country. Run well, it can ensure that every child has the opportunity to reach their potential. It is the great equaliser in an unequal world. If we are serious about equal opportunity for men and women, for rich and poor, for indigenous and multicultural Australia, then let it begin with the youngest Australians."

Sarah is a Liberal senator for Victoria in the Australian Parliament and Shadow Minister for Education.

She is passionate about the role of education in advancing our nation, building a shared sense of national identity, and giving young Australians the best chance to learn, thrive and help contribute to society and our place in the world.

Meg Brighton commenced as Deputy Secretary, Schools with the Department of Education in March 2023.

Prior to joining the Department, Meg was the inaugural Head of the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service (PWSS) – an independent and confidential function that was established in response to high profile, complex and highly sensitive issues in Australia’s Parliament House. The function is focused on strengthening the workplace culture in Commonwealth Parliamentary workplaces.

Meg has also held a number of senior roles in the ACT Government. As the Deputy Director-General in ACT Health she had a senior role in the ACT Government’s COVID response as well as being responsible for leading strategic policy, health funding reform, system planning and jurisdiction-wide approaches to clinical leadership, education and health research.

Prior to this, as Deputy Director-General and Acting Director-General of the ACT Education Directorate, Meg was responsible for strategic policy and service delivery reform, education programs, school funding and the operations of all the ACT’s public schools.

Meg has more than 20 years’ experience across economic and social policy portfolios, regulation, corporate services and service delivery in the ACT, NSW and Canadian public sectors. She has also held a number of non-executive director roles in the non-government sector and has served on the Boards of ACARA and the ACT Teacher Quality Institute.

Meg holds a Master of Commerce (major in Law) and a Bachelor of Arts (major in Public Relations).

As Acting Director-General, Sharon provides strategic leadership in the development and implementation of a range of state-wide initiatives to improve outcomes for Queensland's children - from early childhood through to high school - and represents the department on a range of national and state boards and government working parties.

Sharon has more than 30 years' experience in education, with 20 years of Principalship, Regional Director of North Queensland, Deputy Director-General of Early Childhood and Educational Improvement, and most recently Associate Director-General, Early Childhood and State Schools.

As the former Deputy Director-General of Early Childhood and Educational Improvement, Sharon led complex reforms within the department, resulting in effective and efficient administration and operations within the Early Childhood and Education Improvement division. Sharon has been instrumental in the development of the whole-of-government Early Years Plan, inclusive of the government's first cross-agency initiative, Connect for Children. She has represented the Department of Education on a range of national and state consultations, internal and external boards, and government working parties.

Sharon has successfully led negotiations with state and territory regulatory authorities and the Australian Government to effectively revise and streamline legislative and regulatory frameworks that support the ongoing reform agenda. As Chair of the department's Continuity Disaster Management Committee, Sharon led the department through complex and challenging scenarios.

Martin was appointed Chief Executive of the Department for Education in April 2022, following a successful 4 years as Chief Executive of the SACE Board.

Martin has worked extensively with education systems and other organisations in using evidence to inform policy, practice, innovation and impact in education. 

He was a Chief Investigator in the national Australian Research Council (ARC) Science of Learning Research Centre, and has worked with UNESCO using evidence to inform strategic planning of education in the Asia-Pacific region.

In 2018, Martin received the prestigious Australian Council for Educational Leaders’ (ACEL) Gold Medal, awarded for the most outstanding contribution to the study and practice of educational administration and leadership.

In 2007 Martin and his family moved to South Australia where he took the position of inaugural Director of the Flinders Centre for Science Education in the 21st Century and then Strategic Professor in the Science of Learning at Flinders University. 

Martin completed his degree and PhD at Cambridge University and was a Research Fellow at Lincoln College, Oxford University in biological chemistry.

Penny was elected in the federal election on 21 May 2022. Her portfolios are Primary & Secondary Education, Transition & Regional Development, Social Services, Government Services, Older People and Sport. 

She passionately believes that every Queenslander deserves what they need to live a good life: a great education, quality healthcare, a secure income and an affordable home.

Mr Gniel joined ACARA in November 2023, bringing to ACARA a wealth of knowledge, expertise and experience in education having held senior leadership roles in both Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory in early childhood, schools and post school portfolios with both policy and operational priorities.  

Stephen is a committed educational leader, having started his career as a primary school teacher and principal before moving into senior education system leadership roles. He is also the immediate national past president and chair of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders, a position he held for six years between 2016 and 2022. 

Chris Bonnor is an education writer, speaker, advocate and former NSW principal. He has served as President of the NSW Secondary Principals’ Council and is author of The Stupid Country and What Makes a Good School, both written with Jane Caro.

Dr Jenny Donovan is the inaugural CEO of the Australian Education Research Organisation. Prior to this role, she established and led the Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (CESE) as Executive Director for 8 years.

Dr Donovan began her career as a high school teacher in Sydney’s western suburbs. She has worked in a number of education roles in operational and policy areas, including some years as Deputy Director of a not-for-profit education assessment agency at the University of New South Wales.

In 2024, she was a member of Professor Mark Scott’s Teacher Education Expert Panel which delivered recommendations for reform to Initial Teacher Education that were accepted by Australia’s Education Ministers. As a result, an evidence-based core curriculum will be implemented in all initial teacher education.

Jenny holds a Bachelor of Arts with a Diploma of Education from Macquarie University, an MA (Hons) from UNSW and a PhD in history from the University of Sydney.

Tim graduated from the University of Tasmania in 1994 with an Arts/Law (Hons) degree. He initially worked as a lawyer in the Office of the Solicitor-General, before transitioning into policy whilst working in the United Kingdom.   

From 2004 to 2016, Tim held various policy roles for the Department of Premier and Cabinet and commenced as Deputy Secretary Policy in 2014. During this time, he played a key role in education initiatives, leading the development of Tasmania’s Child and Family Learning Centres, and negotiating the ‘Gonski’ schools funding agreement.

Tim joined the Department of Education in 2016 as Deputy Secretary Strategy and Performance and was appointed as Secretary in 2018.

In 2022 Tim was appointed as Secretary of the Department for Education, Children and Young People. In this role Tim oversaw the bringing together of child safety, youth justice, and education into a values-based organisation that provides all children and young people with a bright life and positive future, through being known safe, well and learning.

Tim has been appointed to the role of AITSL CEO for a 5-year period, commencing 21 October 2024.

Andrew is CEO of Education Services Australia, a not for profit education technology company owned by all Australian education ministers. ESA develops and deploys national education infrastructure, develops digital education resources and provides technology-based services to the education sector.

Andrew has qualifications in education, science and business and brings to the role of CEO extensive experience and expertise in strategic leadership in the education, training and not-for-profit sectors. Having started his career in the classroom, Andrew’s previous roles include Vice President (Engagement) at Swinburne University and CEO of the Australian Council for Private Education and Training.

Born in Sydney, I have a rich background in physical education and sports management. After completing a Bachelor of Education at the University of Canberra, I began my career in the Catholic education system before embarking on an enriching journey in London as a supply teacher and a cricket player for Middlesex County. Upon my return to Sydney, I transitioned from a PDHPE teacher to a Head

Teacher Wellbeing while pursuing a Graduate Diploma in Sports Management at the University of Technology Sydney. In 2010, I made the move to Newcastle, taking on regional Student Wellbeing consultancy roles and eventually serving as Deputy Principal at Hunter Sports High School in 2011. By 2012, I assumed the role of Relieving Principal, later becoming the substantive Principal in 2016. My tenure at Hunter Sports High School has been marked by innovation and transformation. I led the school through a significant rebuild while maintaining operations, a remarkable achievement recognised with the NSW Department of Education Secretary’s Award for Service in 2020. A trailblazer in education, I played a pivotal role in establishing the Big Picture Academy at the school and contributed to the development of the International Big Picture Learning Credential. My commitment to innovative educational approaches has yielded tangible improvements in student outcomes and wellbeing, earning distinctions such as recognition for transformational leadership on the 2023 Edleaders Impact List. At Hunter Sports High School, I have championed an Academy structure that places students at the forefront of their own learning experiences, fostering agency and community connections. This model aligns with our school motto of Personalising Pathways for all students, aiming to equip learners with the skills, knowledge and character traits necessary to thrive in a dynamic world. Continuously dedicated to identifying strengths and guiding students towards purposeful pathways, I am driven by a passion for finding the best educational opportunities for all learners.

Viv White AM is co-founder and CEO of Big Picture Education Australia (BPEA), a non-profit company established in Australia in 2006, whose core business is ‘re-imagining education’ in response to a rapidly-changing world. Big Picture’s innovative and internationally recognised design for personalised, student-driven learning is being implemented in over 40 schools around Australia. BPEA is Australia’s only international reform and redesign Network.

In 2018 Viv was appointed to the Order of Australia for her services to education and to the reengagement of young people in learning for life.

Viv’s dynamic public speaking skills, combined with her networking and advocacy with government and education systems, has seen the Big Picture design for learning create breakthrough opportunities for thousands of young people around Australia. For example, in 2017 she established a new pathway to tertiary education, known as the Graduation Portfolio, which sees Big Picture graduates negotiate entry to a network of over 12 universities around Australia without requiring an ATAR. Prior to leading BPEA, Viv was CEO of the Victorian Schools Innovation Commission and CEO of the Australian National Schools Network. She has a thirty-year history of international work in educational reform, research, policy and practice. Viv taught primary and secondary education for 13 years, worked in tertiary research for five years as a research fellow at Macquarie University and Victoria University, and served as an adjunct professor at the
University of Western Sydney.

Viv is a Fellow of the Australian Council of Education and was admitted in 2014 to the Australian Businesswomen's Network Hall of Fame.

She is currently working with the University of Melbourne on establishing a system of micro-credentials for Big Picture secondary students that will measure and accredit achievement.

She is Sydney-based but regularly travels interstate as part of her role as CEO of BPEA.

Pasi Sahlberg is Finnish educator, teacher, and author. He has worked as a schoolteacher, teacher-educator, academic, and policymaker in Finland, and he has advised schools and education system leaders around the world.

He served as a senior education specialist at the World Bank (Washington, DC), lead education specialist at the European Training Foundation (Torino, Italy), director general at the Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture (CIMO), and visiting professor of Practice at Harvard University. He is a recipient of several awards for his lifelong service in education, including the 2012 Education Award (Finland), the 2014 Robert Owen Award (Scotland), the 2016 Lego Prize (Denmark), Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Resident Fellowship in 2017, and Dr Paul Brock Memorial Medal in 2021. In 2013 his book “Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland” won the Grawemeyer Award (U.S.) for an idea that has potential to change the world. 

Enterprise Professor Sandra Milligan is Executive Director of Melbourne Metrics at the Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne. Sandra has an unusually wide engagement with the education industry and in educational research. Originally a teacher of science and mathematics, she is also a former Director of Curriculum in an Australian state education department and has held senior research, management and governance positions in a range of educational organisations, including government agencies, not-for-profits, small start-up businesses and large, listed, international corporations. Sandra’s current research interests focus on assessment, recognition and warranting of hard-to-assess learning. She directs several research partnerships with school networks and organisations working to develop Learner Profiles for their students. She is lead author of Future Proofing Australian Students with New Credentials report, outlining methods to reliably assess and recognise the level of attainment of general capabilities, and of Report 1: Recognition of learning success for all

She was co-founder of The Good Universities Guide series, and has a background in technology commercialisation in education. She is the Convenor of a Melbourne University MOOC targeting professional learning for teachers in the area of assessment and teaching of 21C skills, which has to date has enrolled over 30,000 teachers worldwide

Glenn Savage is a policy sociologist and Professor of Education Futures in the Faculty of Education.

Glenn is a leading researcher and public commentator on education policy and reform. His book, ‘The Quest for Revolution in Australian Schooling Policy’ (Routledge 2021), provides a detailed history of schooling reform in the Australian federation and offers a strong critique of failed attempts to improve national schooling outcomes.

Glenn began his career as a music journalist, after which he became a secondary English teacher and worked in diverse school settings in Australia and England. Motivated by a desire to examine the politics of educational inequality, he pursued an academic pathway, which led him to develop a critical interest in how knowledge and evidence are used in wide-scale system reform.

Glenn has extensive research experience, including large-scale research and teaching grants with the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL), the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership (VATL), Orbis (South Australian Department for Education), the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), and more. He has been awarded three Australian Research Council (ARC) projects as Lead Investigator, including a current ARC Discovery Grant that is examining ways to improve collaboration and co-design between government agencies in the development of national schooling reforms.

Glenn regularly collaborates with school and system leaders to apply strategic and participatory design methods to tackle educational challenges and drive meaningful change.

Dr Paul Kidson is an Associate Professor 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 Master of Education (Honours) degree in philosophy of education, for which he was awarded a university medal, was completed at the University of New England, and his doctoral research in principal leadership, school culture, and leading in complex social environments was completed at the University of Sydney in 2018. His teaching and research adopts 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 to deputy principalship or head of campus leadership roles.

Dr Caroline Hughes AM is a proud Ngunnawal woman and the Executive Director, Collections Services Group. She has made significant contributions to the field of education throughout her career, which spans over 30 years. She came to AIATSIS from the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) where she was the Director of the CIT Yurauna Centre of Educational Excellence for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. 

Aunty Caroline empowers others to achieve their dreams through the power of education and employment. As practitioner, manager and leader of VET programs in community development and client support services she ensured that cultural heritage has been the essence of all. Caroline has led the design and delivery of cultural programs that have strengthened the cultural capability of individuals and teams across organisations - within government and private sectors. Aunty Caroline grew partnerships and improved engagement with governments, private sector and community to improve business outcomes as well as increased the commercial income to support profitable operations and outcomes. Her leadership has contributed to policies, strategies, compliance and business acumen.

Under Aunty Caroline’s leadership she established long standing respectful partnerships that were formed with Indigenous culture at the foremost of all activities, an example is the establishment of an Early Learning Centre in partnership with Northside Community Services – winning national awards in the early child care sector. These initiatives reduced barriers to education for parents and caregivers to improve employment outcomes.

Aunty Caroline has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of University of Canberra, a Bachelor Adult Education as well as Graduate Certificate in Leadership & Management and Graduate Certificate Leadership in the VET Sector.

At AIATSIS Caroline plays a leadership role ensuring that the institute is a responsible custodian of all items held in the unique and diverse AIATSIS Collection, guiding the strategic management and long-term safekeeping of all materials held in it.

Caroline was shortlisted as a nominee for 2021 ACT Australian of the Year and was a recipient of the ACT Women’s Honour Roll in 2018. 

In recognition of her significant service to the Indigenous community of Canberra, Aunty Caroline was made a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours. 

John Cleary is an experienced former principal and system executive, leading school and system improvement reform in the Northern Territory (NT) Department of Education, Australia. His experience as an educator stretches from Manchester and London (UK) to some of the most remote schools in the world during his 17 years supporting students and educators across 1.35 million square kilometres of the NT. John has also been recognised as a Gold Medal Recipient (2024) and National Fellow of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders (FACEL) and was named as a National Teaching Fellow (Schools Plus) for his work leading improvement in the Katherine Region.

He is an advisor and contributor to policy design for organisations at the state, territory and national level, including the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), Learning Creates Australia, Ochre Education and the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO). John is a Doctoral candidate at the Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne, with his work exploring the factors that contribute to a successful partnership with students in leading improvement at the school and system level.