New Zealand Teachers Council Members
The Ministerial appointees are:
Chair - Alison McAlpine
Alison has held many and varied roles across all sectors in a long and distinguished career in education, most recently as Principal of Nelson College for Girls, but also as a School Inspector, Curriculum Adviser and Resource Writer. Recent Ministry of Education contracts have included Intervention work and she has represented the school sector both nationally and internationally on SPANZ External Reference Groups, and on representative missions to the Pacific and Asia through UNESCO. Recognition for services to education has come in the form of a Woolf Fisher Scholarship, Queen's Service Order and the Annie Aitken Continuing Education Fellowship from Otago University. Alison is currently on the Board of NZQA, is a Nelson City Councillor and has also held governance roles in the Hillary Commision, JP Association, Q Youth, Cancer Society, EEA and the Lotteries Committe for Nelson/West Coast. She is also a member of the Institute of Directors.
Kevin Knight
Dr Knight's career spans education leadership and management, teacher education, classroom teaching, school psychology and education consulting. His professional development for teachers has focused on behaviour management, teacher appraisal and establishing mentoring systems for teachers. He is currently a director of the New Zealand Graduate School of Education (NZGSE), Christchurch, a private teachers' college he co founded in 1996. In 2004, he acted as Principal of Hornby High School at the request of the school's statutory managers.
Evelyn M Tobin, MNZM, JP (Ngāti Manu, Ngā Puhi)
Evelyn's career features mātauranga Māori and Māori medium education specialisation from the inception of kura kaupapa Māori in 1985 and through governance roles on the Library and Information Advisory Commission, the Aotearoa People's Network Kaharoa, the Mā te Reo board, the NZQA Whakaruruhau Reo Māori, the Komiti Māori for the National Library and Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori.
She is a graduate of Te Panekiretanga i Te Reo Māori, registered translator and interpreter, and company director that provides tailored kaupapa Māori services including interventions work for school trustees, teachers, and communities. Evelyn received a royal honours award for services to te reo in 2009 to be inducted as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Peter Ferris
Peter has been the principal of Ilminster Intermediate in Gisborne since 1994, following a long career as a primary school principal. He has 34 years experience in the education sector encompassing principalship, teaching, advising, and administration. Peter has been a member of several Working Parties, including A Vision for the Teaching Profession from 2009-2010.
Peter has a strong background in mentoring, having mentored five new principals from 2009-2010. Prior to his role as principal he was a Rural Schools Adviser for the Waikato School of Education. Peter has a Diploma of Teaching and a Diploma in School Management.
The nominees from NZEI, PPTA and NZSTA are:
NZEI - Louise Green
Louise is currently the principal of Khandallah School in Wellington. She has been an active member of NZEI for many years and is currently serving a fourth year on the national executive. Louise has more than 20 years' primary school teaching experience both in the classroom and in leadership and management positions in city, rural and integrated schools.
PPTA - Diane Wills
Diane is a trained secondary school teacher working in the English and Social Sciences Departments at Hagley Community College, Christchurch. She is a former member of the Post Primary Teachers Association Executive, with an involvement in contract negotiations, and a 3-term board of trustees member. Diane was involved in reviewing primary, secondary and early childhood centres during a year's secondment to the Education Review Office. She is currently a member of the Post Primary Teachers Association Staffing Committee.
NZSTA - Malcolm Jones
Malcolm is the New Zealand School Trustees Authority representative. He has been actively involved in education since 1988, and for the past 20 years has been a technology teacher at Central Southland College. Malcolm is a member of a number of boards including the Aurora College Board of Trustees. He is Chair of the Disciplinary Committee at Aurora and the Aurora Property Committee. He is also Chair of the NZ School Trustees Council and is Deputy Chair for the Southland Trustees Executive. Malcolm's involvement in education extends to the community, as he has been on the REAP Board since 1998, currently as Board member. As a carpenter by trade, Malcolm is Chair of the Central Southland College (CSC) Property Committee and is on his 4th - 5th term as Dean at the CSC.
The elected sector representatives are:
Early Childhood - Jenny Varney
Jenny works in the kindergarten sector as Team Leader: Senior Teacher Team at Wellington Kindergarten Association. Jenny has 20 years experience in positions in kindergarten, Education and Care and the tertiary sector and has held executive positions for NZEI Te Riu Roa and ASTE. Her professional activities include early childhood representative on the New Zealand Teachers Council and board member for New Zealand Kindergartens.
Primary - Shelley Gibson
Shelley has over 25 years experience as a primary school teacher throughout New Zealand. She has been the deputy principal of Lower Moutere School in the Tasman area since 2002, and is also a classroom teacher, special needs coordinator, student success teacher, and literacy teacher. Shelley has just completed her Masters of Education and has a Bachelor of Teaching and Learning, Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Leadership. She has been an active member of NZEI as a member of the career pathways long term working party, negotiations, Area and Branch Chair.
Secondary - Megan Cassidy
Megan is Assistant Principal Pastoral Care at Villa Maria College is Christchurch. She has been teaching for over 20 years in private, state and integrated schools and was seconded to the Canterbury College of Education in 2004, lecturing in the Pre-Service Teaching Programme. Megan has served on a primary Board of Trustees for six years, two as Chairperson. She is on her second term as an appointed member of the Teachers Council Disciplinary Tribunal.
Principals - Pat Newman
Pat, Kai Tahu, has been a principal since 1982, at a range of schools throughout New Zealand, sole charge to current school Hora Hora (U5) in Whangarei. Pat is a retired National Executive Member of the New Zealand Principals Federation, with 13 years experience representing principals at both a national and international level. He was National President from 2005-2006. He is the current President of the Tai Tokerau Principals Association.