Our Board

The ACARA Board was announced in May 2009 and held its first meeting on 21–22 May 2009. The ACARA Board has a Chair, Deputy Chair and 11 other members, nominated by the Australian Government and all education streams (independent, government and Catholic) across states and territories. 

 ACARA Board 

Derek Scott

Mr Derek Scott

Chair

Derek Scott is the CEO | Principal of Haileybury with schools in Melbourne and Darwin and programs in China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Derek is one of Australia’s most highly regarded education leaders. He is on the Federal Government’s International Education Council, the Victorian Government’s International Education Expert Advisory Group and is the Chair of the Associated Public Schools of Victoria. He was also one of four members on the panel conducting a review of Initial Teacher Education in Australia in 2021. He has an extensive background in curriculum development and prior to joining the teaching profession had a career as a journalist.

Derek Scott was awarded the Australian Principal of Year at the 2019 Australian Education Awards.

 

Norm Hart

Mr Norm Hart

Deputy Chair
 

Norm Hart is former president of the Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA), appointed to APPA in January 2011. He began his teaching career on Palm Island, Queensland, in 1975 and was appointed as a primary school principal in 1978. Over a thirty-year period, Norm Hart led small one-teacher schools through to large schools with over 700 students. He has also held the positions of the president of the Queensland Association of State School Principals and the Australian Government Primary Principals Association. Until his retirement on 31 December 2014 as APPA president, Norm Hart represented principals in government, Catholic and independent primary schools across Australia.  

 
Board member
 Mr Tony Luttrell
 Former Director, Strategic Data Management, Department of Education, Tasmania
 nominee of the Tasmanian Minister for Education
 Mr Paul Martin 
 Chief Executive Officer, NSW Education Standards Authority
 nominee of the NSW Minister for Education
 Dr Neil McGoran 
 Director, Catholic Education South Australia 
 nominee of the National Catholic Education Commission
 Dr Fiona Mueller
 Adjunct Scholar, Centre for Independent Studies
 nominee of the Commonwealth Minister for Education
 Ms Jackie Roberts
 Principal, Bakewell Primary School
 nominee of the Northern Territory Minister for Education
 Ms Sharon Schimming
 Associate Director-General, Early Childhood and State Schools, Department of Education
 nominee of the Queensland Minister for Education
 Ms Deonne Smith
 Executive Director Curriculum and Learning, Department for Education
 nominee of the South Australian Minister for Education
 Ms Jane Simmons PSM
 Deputy Director-General, ACT Education Directorate
 nominee of the Australian Capital Territory Minister for Education
 Mr Andrew Wrigley

 Executive Director, Association of Independent Schools of the ACT
 nominee of Independent Schools Australia

 Board members may be reappointed.
 The maximum period of appointment cannot exceed six years.