Flip the System Australia ― What Matters in Education

This is a book by educators, for educators. It grapples with the complexities, the humanity and the possibilities in education. In a climate of competing accountabilities and measurement mechanisms; corporate solutions to education ‘problems’; and narratives of ‘failing’ schools, ‘underperforming’ teachers and ‘disengaged’ students; this book asks ‘What matters?’ or ‘What should matter?’ in education.

Based in the unique Australian context, this book situates Australian education policy, research and practice within the international education narrative. It argues that professionals within schools should be supported, empowered and welcomed into policy discourse, not dictated to by top-down bureaucracy. It advocates for a flipping, flattening and democratising of the education system, in Australia and around the world.

Flip the System Australia: What matters in education brings together the voices of teachers, school leaders and scholars in order to offer diverse perspectives, important challenges and hopeful alternatives to the current education system.

Deborah M. Netolicky has almost 20 years’ experience as a teacher, school leader, and researcher in Australia and the UK. She is Honorary Research Associate at Murdoch University and Dean of Research and Pedagogy at Wesley College, Perth. Deborah blogs at theeduflaneuse.com and tweets as @debsnet.

Jon Andrews leads his school’s staff professional development program, system of teacher coaching and feedback, beginning teacher mentoring and staff engagement with professional learning.

Cameron Paterson is responsible for the strategic leadership of learning and teaching, innovation, and promoting excellence in teaching practice at SHORE School in Sydney. He is closely connected to Harvard’s Project Zero. In 2016, he received the 21st Century International Global Innovation Award for Teaching.