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I have been with the Department of Education for over 25 years and for over a decade I have held a variety of leadership positions. I have been actively involved with the Queensland Association of Educational Leaders (QASEL) for over 10 years and currently hold the position of Interim President. I would be honoured to be able to continue in the role of President to lead and advocate for all of QASEL members, and special education as I have done over the recent months.  

I have also held the role of Vice-President of QASEL and been an active member of the Management Committee for eight years prior to this. During this time, I have represented QASEL in a variety of ways for over a decade. Most recently as one of the Vice-Presidents prior to commencing in the President role. I have also been an active member of the Management Committee and Conference Committee throughout this time. 

I have held leadership positions in four of the eight regions across Queensland and I am currently based in North Queensland Region. I will remain based in North Queensland if I am elected as the President of QASEL.

I always place students and school leaders at the core of strategic decision making and leadership. I have a passion for the capability development of middle leaders across the special education sector as well as distributive leadership and women and leadership.  

Leading

During the QASEL/ASEPA conference the Honourable Minister Grace Grace announced the formation of a Special Education Leaders Reference Group. This announcement is a result of my advocacy work as the Interim President of QASEL. Following on from this statement and in collaboration with key members of the Education Futures Institute this group will commence in term four 2023. This group will collaboratively seek to raise the capability development of special education professionals. A draft of this work has recently commenced.  

The Director General, Michael De’Ath announced at the recent conference the formation of a Response to the Royal Commission Review of Disability. This will be co-chaired by the President of QASEL. Since this announcement I have worked with the Assistant Director General, Disability Inclusion and Student Services, Hayley Stevenson.  We will ensure that this committee is formed to respond to recommendations from the review in timely manner. 

I facilitated and hosted a Comprehensive Review of Resourcing in Schools - Heads of Special Education Services (HOSES) Focus Group. The goal of this body was to enable HOSES from all regions to give feedback on current resourcing models ensuring that the review is cognisant of the work of HOSES across the state. 

I organised an opportunity for special school principals to feedback to the School Resourcing Review regarding future special school needs.  

Linking 

During my work as the interim President of QASEL I have developed positive working relationships with both the Honourable Grace Grace, Minister for Education and Michael De’Ath, the Director General.  

I have worked to maintain the relationship between QASEL and various members of the department. I have also formed productive working relationships with presidents of other key associations including Queensland Association of State School Principals (QASSP), Queensland Secondary Principals Association (QSPCA) and School Business Managers Association Queensland (SBMAQ). 

In my previous role as QASEL Vice President I strived to promote the work of the association in North Queensland. Over a two-year period, I developed strong relationships with the Regional Director, Regional Counsellors, Director - North Queensland Regional Office, and local primary and high school principals and HOSES.  

Learning 

I coordinated the recent QASEL and ASEPA conference, Together Towards Tomorrow, as a member of the conference business team. I worked closely with Cvent to ensure a smooth-running conference and collaborated with keynote speakers on the content of their sessions. 

I co-organised the Townsville QASEL conference in 2021; the first QASELcon held in North Queensland. In 2021 there were only 8 members of QASEL in the North Qld region. The conference resulted in a significant increase in membership in North Queensland and a greater understanding of the role of QASEL. 

I advocated for a Central Office Curriculum Information session for HOSES to ensure they have the most recent and up-to-date information regarding changes to implementation of Individual Curriculum Plans. This will occur early in Term 4 with invitations being distributed soon via a range of communication channels. 

I coordinated a Resource Allocation Review session with the ADG DI&SS for special school principals to give feedback on the new allocative model. 

Leading, Linking and Learning in 2024 and 2025 

If elected to the position of QASEL President during 2024 I will lead the review of the QASEL Strategic Plan in consultation with the members of the State Council and with feedback from our members. I will ensure that the reviewed strategic plan builds on current and past QASEL achievements and aligns with the Equity and Excellence strategic focus of the department. 

If elected I will:  

• Strengthen the partnership between the Education Futures Institute and QASEL. 

• Maintain productive relationships with the Minister for Education and the Director General. 

• Continue to advocate for students with disability across all schooling contexts in Queensland. 

• Support the members of the sub-committees: Early Childhood Development Programs, HOSES, Deputy Principal Special and First Nations. 

• Remain actively engaged with a diverse range of boards and committees in the Department of Education on behalf of QASEL. 

• Continue to advocate for and support the work of HOSES. 

• Continue to collect and share data as pertains to the ongoing development and improvement of special education across Queensland. 

• Maintain links with our national association, ASEPA. 

• Continue to regularly visit schools and celebrate the work of QASEL members. 

  
  

  
  

I am excited about the possibility of continuing to represent and support the efforts of hardworking and passionate special educators in our pursuit of successful leaders – successful learners. 

Thank you for your consideration,  

Tracy