Executive
Michael Brett
Principal - Bundaberg Special School
President
Ric Day
President
Claremont Special School
Narbethong Special School
Claremont Special School
Narbethong Special School
Claremont Special School
Narbethong Special School
Claremont Special School
Narbethong Special School
Claremont Special School
Narbethong Special School
Vice President
Ray Hack
Vice President
Current Location: Metro Regional Office
Professional Interests & Experiences: Age-appropriate Pedagogies including Walker Learning, DDG Principal Congress Member, Book week dress up champion.
QASEL contributions: Long term member since 2005, QASEL Submission to the Royal Commission.
Western Suburbs Special School
Tracy Cronin
Vice President
Current Location: Townsville Community Learning Centre – A State Special School
Professional Interests & Experiences: Student voice and communication access for all students. Engaging, authentic differentiated curriculum access for complex learners. Developing middle leaders and aspirants
QASEL contributions: Active QASEL management member since 2014. QASEL Conference Committee member since 2015. QASEL representative on the QCAA Senior Secondary Curriculum, Assessment and Certification Committee as the QASEL ‘Diversity and inclusive education representative’. QASEL CON Townsville North Qld Co-organiser.
Vice President (HOSES/DP Special ED)
Karen Collishaw
Vice President (HOSES/DP Special Ed)
Current Location: Edens Landing State School
Professional Interests & Experiences: Developing positive relationships and high expectations for all learners; seek opportunities to collaborate with colleagues to continually improve practice; value the many experiences of being a team member..
QASEL contributions: Member since 2009, State Councillor since 2010, Contributor to the QASEL Constitution, long term QASEL Conference committee member.
Acting Principal
Simone Coogan
Secretary
Current Location: Ascot State School
Professional Interests & Experiences: adult learning, the intersection of professional standards and our practice in schools
QASEL contributions: Served on Management Committee since 2016, Conference MC since 2014, Service Award
Treasurer
Renae Somerville
Treasurer
Current Location: Ipswich West State Special School
Professional Interests & Experiences: Developing the next school leaders, DOE Health Safety and Wellbeing Executive Committee- Principal Representative, Metropolitan Regional Health, Safety and Wellbeing – Special School Principal Representative, Teaching and Learning Branch, Manager C2C – English, mathematics, science and HASS (SWD), Head of Special Education Services across high school and P-12 locations
QASEL contributions: Long term member since 2006, State Councillor and Management Committee member, Treasurer since 2021
Head of Special Education
Steve Leese
Deputy Principal
Current Location: Townsville Community Learning Centre
Professional Interests & Experiences: Inclusive practices, experience in special school, primary and high school settings.
QASEL contributions: member for over 10 years including as state councillor, management committee, resident heckler of the Mic Captain at QASEL CON
Principal
Natalie Petersen
Head of Special Education Services
Current location: Nursery Road Early Childhood Development Program
Professional interests and experiences : Early intervention, early years curriculum, transitions to school, family-centred practice. Contributor to Metropolitan ECDP Working Party, Yuggera Culture in Community Cluster, local early years networks.
QASEL Contributions: Member since 2020. Secretary of QASEL ECDP Sub-committee.
Aspley Special School
Nicole Rouen
Principal
Awaiting information
Secretary
Eliza Watt
Head of Student Services / Head of Inclusion
Current Location: Holland Park State School & Seville Road State School
Professional Interests & Experiences: inclusive practices and supporting equitable access for all students alongside their peers, forming and strengthening parent partnerships, supporting successful transitions for all students and families
QASEL contributions: Member since 2020
Acting Principal
Bronwyn Paxton
Principal
Current Location: Woody Point Special School
Professional Interests & Experiences: Early Intervention, organisational wellbeing, positive education, student centred approach to pedagogy and engagement
QASEL contributions: QASEL member since 2008, State/ Regional Councillor 2010-2012, 2018-2020
Ipswich Special School
Steve Roberts
Principal
Current Role: Principal
Current Location: Kuraby Special School
Professional Interests & Experiences: Building capability to support outcomes for students with disabilities in all settings.
QASEL contributions: Long term member. QASEL presentation in 2021 with Caroline de Hennin “Intention Collaboration for Inclusive Practices”
Mitchelton Special School
Sarah Lockwood
Principal
Current Location: Nursery Road State Special School
Professional Interests & Experiences: Ensuring all children have access to individualised, quality curriculum delivery and all leaders have the ability to and understand the necessity to differentiate and individualise education experiences. Principal Advisory Working Party Student Wellbeing Package. Special School Representative for Teacher Learning Centre. Teacher Learning Centre Rep for Metro Teaching and Learning Advisory Group. Active member of the QTU Special Education Committee.
QASEL contributions: QASEL member since 2008, executive committee member, conference committee member since 2010, QASEL rep Infrastructure advisory group, QASEL rep WPHS advisory group
Principal
Rachel Dougherty
Principal
Current Location: Red Hill Special School
Professional Interests & Experiences: Comprehensive Literacy Instruction for all, Inclusive Practices Advisory Group- Metro Region, firm belief that Special Educators transform Teaching & Learning so that SWD achieve lives of choice not chance.
QASEL contributions: Member since 2015, QASEL Presentations 2015- ‘Leading AAC implementation through Action Research- Master Teacher’ and 2016- ‘The power of an Instructional Coaching model to build capability from within.’
Beenleigh Special School
Robyn Ferguson
Deputy Principal
Current Location: Forest Lake SHS
Professional Interests & Experiences: quality pathways for all students, quality consultation with parents and young people to ensure fully informed decision making, engaging curriculum and pedagogical practices, developing leadership and staff capacity.
QASEL contributions: QASEL member since 2013, Management Committee Member, Chair of DP Special Committee, QASEL representative on DoE QCE systems PRG and QCAA senior secondary committee
Vice President
Andrew Thompson
Principal
Current Location: Redland District Special School
Professional Interests & Experiences: Senior school student pathways post school, Building staff capability and supporting aspirants, Member of selection panels for Principal and Deputy Principal positions, Linking ECDP staff with other early childhood settings
QASEL contributions: Member since 2007, Vice President 2014-2020, Management Committee 2009- current, Conference Convenor 2016- current, QASEL Rep to ASEPA Management Committee 2019- current
Management
Regional Councillors
Alicia Smith
Far North QLD
Awaiting Information
Samantha Ilic
Far North QLD
Current Role: Head of Special Education Services, locally known as Head of Inclusive Education
Current Location: Trinity Beach State School, Far North Region
Professional Interests & Experiences: Inclusive education and high expectations for all students, Early Years Pathways and transition, AAC, working with children with autism, instructional leadership, PACE framework.
QASEL contributions: first time Regional Councillor, QASEL member since 2018.
Michelle Eriksson
Far North QLD
Awaiting Information
Claire Cheyne
North QLD
Current Role: Principal
Current Location: Burdekin School
Professional Interests & Experiences: NQR Health, Safety and Wellbeing team member, QASSP Student Services Chair, finding new ways for our kids to access, engage and achieve.
QASEL contributions: Member since 2016, QASEL Safe and Respectful Schools Roundtable representative, QASEL panel representative.
Jenny McLeod
Central QLD
Current role: Head of Special Education Services
Location: Biloela State School
Professional interests: Multi-class athletes and fostering their sporting pathway. Building professional networks in Central Queensland.
QASEL contributions: Member for 17 years, Vice President (HoSES), Regional Councillor.
Erin King
Central QLD
Current Role: Principal
Current Location: Rockhampton Special School
Professional Interests & Experiences: CQ Principal Forum, Building close relationships with neighbouring schools and working collaboratively for engaging students with disabilities.
QASEL contributions: Member for a few years now, QASEL Councillor, Representative on the Leadership pilot (dare to lead) and representative for safe and respectful school community roundtable.
Glenn Gatehouse
Darling Downs South West
Awaiting information
Lynne Madle
North Coast
Current Role: Deputy Principal Special Education
Current Location: Kepnock State High School
Professional Interests & Experiences: Creating an inclusive culture and awareness of diversity. Building networks and bringing colleagues together, staff and student well-being.
Creating a collaborative school and community mentoring partnership with Central Queensland University that will progress effective pedagogical practices, differentiated teaching and classroom management for pre-service teachers before they enter the classroom.
An opportunity for pre-service teachers to work with educators in the classroom, making links with pedagogy and receiving constructive feedback while also benefitting our staff through reflection and developing their own practices.
QASEL Contributions: Member since 2016 and Regional State Councillor.
Janet Firmstone
North Coast
Current position: Acting Principal
Current Location: Hervey Bay Special School.
Professional Interests and Experience: Inclusive curriculum; Positive behaviour for learning; Developing teachers as leaders, Head of Special Education Services across primary and secondary settings.
QASEL Contribution: State Council member since 2019.
Nicholas Alexander
North Coast
Current Role: Principal
Current Location: Palmview State Special School
Professional Interests & Experiences: Early Intervention of AAC, Taught in the UK for 7 years, DP over three schools, more superhero outfits than suits.
QASEL contributions: Member since 2014, QASEL presenter at QASELcon, Always last to find a table at the QASELcon dinner.
Alastair Hanna
Metropolitan
Current Role: Acting Principal
Current Location: Claremont Special School
Professional Interests & Experiences: Experience across both Special School and Mainstream Settings. Parent and Communty Engagement. Student Learning and Well-being. Most Improved Christmas Dress Up Competition
QASEL contributions: First Time Regional Councillor. Part of the QASEL Communications A Team Strikeforce. Reluctant Dancer.
Tony Egan
Metropolitan
Current Location: Runcorn State High School
Professional Interests & Experiences: Long Serving Secondary School HOSES, Specialisation as a Teacher of the Deaf, Currently Junior Secondary Deputy Principal but still with a keen interest in special education.
QASEL contributions: QASEL Regional Councillor for 4 years
Megan Cameron
Metropolitan
Current Location: Geebung Special School
Professional Interests & Experiences: Part of the leadership team across 3 special schools, Curriculum, Engagement and pedagogy, Positive Behaviour for learning
QASEL contributions: Member since 2019, new to the position of Regional Councillor
Steven McKnoulty
Metropolitan
Awaiting information
Angela Armstrong
South East
Current Location: Loganholme State School
Professional Interests & Experiences: I am an experienced school LEADER having served as a small school Principal, a primary school HOSES and currently as Deputy Principal. I have supported individuals and teams to transform practice and realise an equitable and inclusive vision that holds students at the heart of every thought, word and action. I courageously challenging the status quo and look for opportunities to provide feedback and engage in tasks that improve conditions for students, teachers and leaders across the education system.
QASEL contributions:
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2022 Service Award Recipient RAR Model OneSchool User Testing
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Member of HOSES sub-committee
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SER Regional Councillor since 2021
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Establishing mentor/mentee partnerships between members
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Feedback on DoE policy and procedure reviews
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Contribute to the development of QASEL position briefs
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Participate in reference groups to address workforce planning
Tracy Hall
South East
Current Location: Park Ridge State High School
Professional Interests & Experiences:
I have worked through all areas of Special Education in High School, from teacher aide to Administration Officer to Teacher to Response to Intervention Coach to HOSES to Deputy Principal. My professional interest is to ensure students are prepared for post schooling options by supporting them to engage proactively in the school community, with the ultimate goal of providing a strong foundation which allows students to develop into independent productive members of society.
QASEL contributions:
Newbie to QASEL (2021)
2022 Service Award Recipient RAR Model OneSchool User Testing
QASEL wishes to thank and acknowledge our Platinum Business Partner:
QASEL wishes to thank and acknowledge our Gold Business Partners:
QASEL wishes to thank and acknowledge our Silver Business Partners:
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Get In Touch
Members are encouraged to use the Contact Us form for all non urgent, financial or technical inquiries. Otherwise, please contact our President directly or by mail.
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Postal:
PO Box 16079, City East, Queensland, 4002
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