More on our Board members

Margery is a lecturer in the University of Western Sydney's School of Education. She lectures in ESL (English as a Second Language), Drama and Literacy across preservice and postgraduate programs. Margery was Principal of a primary school and has also taught both ESL and mainstream classes in early childhood, primary and lower secondary settings. Her research interest is in the area of educational drama and literacy. She is interested in how this drama methodology enhances children’s language and literacy development - particularly ESL children in mainstream classes

Graeme is Principal of Woolgoolga Public School located on the North Coast of NSW. He has experience in curriculum development, writing for both the NSW English K-6 (original and revised) project and the Science and Technology syllabus. He is featured in, and contributed to the NSW Department of Education and Training's State Literacy Strategy. He has been a member of the Primary English Teaching Association Board for six years.

Alyson is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Education and Social Work (University of Sydney). She lectures in topics associated with English such as children's literature, children's language development, visual literacy and integrating literacy across the KLA in pre-service and postgraduate teacher education programs. She is an active teacher educator who works in research partnerships with schools. Alyson published her first book with Primary English Teaching Association on how to encourage children's passion for reading in 2008.

Jon is an experienced teacher, having worked in primary schools, universities and in professional development for teachers. He has been teaching tertiary classes in the areas of primary English and multiliteracies, as well as areas of pedagogy and social justice. As a professional literacy consultant, he has worked alongside teachers in their classrooms, both in Australia and the United States. His research interests include children’s picture books, visual images, using digital media and promoting exemplary classroom literacy practices. He has recently completed a doctorate (Ed. D) in the area of visual literacy. He is passionate about engaging an equitable education for all his students.

Robyn has worked for the NSW Department of Education and Training as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, literacy consultant and senior curriculum officer in the Early Learning Unit. She works part-time at Macquarie University in the Education Faculty and the Institute of Early Childhood and at the University of Sydney.

Sharon is a lecturer at the Koori Centre, the Indigenous Unit of the University of Sydney. Sharon began her career in 1976 when she graduated as a teacher from Kedron Park Teachers’ College, in Queensland, as one of only two Indigenous teachers graduating that year. In 1990 she became the Aboriginal Resource Teacher at Cleveland St High School, going on to teach Aboriginal Studies with the first cohort of students to sit for the subject in the Higher School Certificate. In 1993 Sharon took up a position as Senior Education Officer with the Aboriginal Programs Unit of the NSW Department of Education and Training to help develop the Aboriginal Education Policy (1996) for implementation throughout all public schools in NSW. Sharon has a thorough knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal education issues and a commitment to providing educational opportunities for indigenous students.

Val is currently working as a Principal Liaison Officer for the NSW Department of Education and Training. Val was Principal of Crown Street Public School in Surry Hills, Sydney, from 2000-2007. She has worked in schools and universities and been a consultant for the NSW Department of Education and Training in multicultural and English as a Second Language education. Val has written, edited and contributed to many publications for the teaching profession. She is very interested in leadership development and school based action learning.

Kim is Deputy Principal at a large western Sydney school and has taught for 18 years in schools with high student populations from non-English speaking and low socio-economic backgrounds. She has extensive experience in literacy education at a school, district and state level including as district ELI(Early Literacy Initiative) consultant and working on developing and trialling the Starting With Assessment documents. Kim recently worked in Literacy Test Development for the NSW state wide Basic Skills Test (BST) and English and Language Literacy Assessment (ELLA) and has worked on the National Testing Program (NAPLAN). In 2004, she worked as visiting teacher lecturer in literacy at the University of Western Sydney.

Kerrie is an experienced teacher, who has worked in catholic primary schools across the Archdiocese of Sydney. Kerrie currently works in the Curriculum Directorate of the Catholic Education Office, Sydney in the area of professional development as Project Officer for a literacy program. This program, Language Features of Text Types for ESL Learners, requires Kerrie to work with teachers and leadership teams in the development of whole-school structures and processes that focus on assessment, planning and programming for ESL students.

In addition, Kerrie has had considerable experience in the field of early literacy. As an Early Literacy Intervention teacher she has worked with classroom teachers, students and parents to improve student learning outcomes.

At present, Kerrie also works part-time with undergraduate students at the Australian Catholic University in the School of Education at Strathfield.