Claire Brown

Education seems to be in my DNA. I am the third generation of educators in my family, and the fourth generation, my son, is now in his second year of teaching. I resisted education for a while. I wanted to be an actress. I saw the long hours my parents worked as teachers, and heard the challenges they faced at the dinner table. I wasn’t sure that was the life I wanted. But somewhere in my last year of a Bachelor of Arts, the penny dropped. As a teacher, I had an audience who returned each day and would demand that I perform at my best every time I offered them learning experiences and support to grow into the humans they would become. To play a role in shaping young lives when they are at their most vulnerable is a privilege and a responsibility I was now ready to accept.

Over 30 years later, I have learned that the art and craft of being an effective teacher is a lifelong learning pursuit. I have worked as an education policy advisor, as a researcher, academic, and best of all, a classroom teacher.

I am now the National Director of AVID Australia at Victoria University in Melbourne. I am grateful that AVID USA has trusted us to adapt the brilliant AVID system allowing us to customise approaches to whole school improvement that are built around AVID’s sophisticated application of professional learning, continuous coaching and resources for teachers, students, families, and communities in schools and tertiary institutions to improve the quality of teaching and learning regardless of students’ zipcodes or circumstances.

I have never met a child who doesn’t deserve the best teaching and learning experience we can provide. And yet, I our systems don’t yet consistently provide the best learning and teaching for every child. For too long, education systems have oversimplified complex and wicked education challenges privileging some children at the expense of others in pursuit of silver policy bullets and one-size-fits-noone policy solutions. I am excited to connect with like-minded educators across the world giving voice to all students and communities equally as we learn better how to collectively address inconsistencies and gaps in our education eco-systems so that every child everywhere can achieve their potential and make our planet a healthier, safer, happier place to live.

AVID Australia
Victoria University