Conference Speakers

Jane Bertrand

Jane Bertrand, an Early Childhood Educator, is the executive director of the Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development at OISE, University of Toronto. Jane is also a faculty member in the Early Childhood Education program at George Brown College in Toronto, advisor of the Council for Early Child Development, founded by Dr. Fraser Mustard and the chair of Ontario's Best Start Expert Panel on the Early Learning Program

Currently, Jane is a member of the Toronto First Duty research and development team, piloting a new multimedia curriculum resource (The Science of Early Child Development) with first year ECE students and coordinating the revision of the Ontario Early Years Study (McCain & Mustard, 1999). Toronto First Duty is an opportunity to implement early child development and parenting centres that were recommended in the Early Years Study.

Jane has an ECE diploma from St. Lawrence College, a B.A. in Psychology from Queen's University and a M.Ed. (early child development focus) from OISE/UT.

Cathy Diggins

Cathy Diggins is currently the Team Leader for the Families and Communities Team, which is part of the wider operational policy and implementations division, for the Ministry of Education in New Zealand. Cathy's team is responsible for the provision of a number of initiatives and programmes of parent support and development, all of which involve collaboration with non-government agencies, early childhood education providers and other government agencies charged with working with families, young and old.

Cathy has a background in teaching and teacher education and has worked in early childhood, primary and secondary schools before lecturing at Victoria University in Teacher Education. The programmes of Teacher Education included preservice, inservice and postgraduate students.

Cathy has authored and co-authored an extensive list of publications as well as assisting in development for a number of new courses in New Zealand.

Jayne Meyer Tucker

A ‘Sure Start’ to Collaboration – UK Perspective

Key note speech outlining the lessons to be learned around collaboration of early years provision. Delivered by Jayne Meyer Tucker, National Director of Good Beginnings Australia, one of Australia’s most successful organisations of collaborative working in early years provision. Prior to this appointment Jayne directed a Sure Start Local Program in Kent based in the south east region of the UK. Sure Start was a $20 billion early childhood intervention reform of the Blair government. This presentation reflects upon her experience of the introduction of the UK’s Children’s Trust agenda and mainstreaming of Sure Start early years provision into core services across all sectors. A Sure Start to collaboration – UK perspective reflects on the ‘Local Area Agreement’ agenda to improve both the effectiveness and the efficiency of the way in which government works with local authorities and their delivery partners to improve public services for all ages.

Sherry Thompson

Executive Director, Early Childhood and Statewide Services
Department of Education and Children’s Services
South Australia

Sherry leads South Australia’s Early Childhood initiatives, creating new integrated, state of the art Children’s Centres for early childhood development and parenting; an enquiry based Early Years Literacy and Numeracy Strategy; facilitating the Early Development of Aboriginal Children; and supporting children with additional needs throughout their schooling. Sherry has presented at a wide range of national and international forums in Australia, Canada, and overseas. Sherry was appointed Executive Director, Early Childhood and Statewide Services in Education and Children’s Services, South Australia early in 2006. Prior to coming to Australia, Sherry held a number of key positions in Alberta Children’s Services in Canada. Sherry has extensive experience in early childhood development, children’s services, health and community partnerships, and research with a particular interest in improving outcomes for children with disabilities and indigenous children.

Professor Collette Tayler

Collette does cross-national studies of the ways that social, family and educational policies affect early childhood education and care outcomes. Her work addresses access and engagement by children, families and communities; public and private investments; program standards and quality; the curriculum and pedagogy applied in different services; leadership and staff engagement; child and family involvement and program outcomes. Her research seeks to understand and explain both universal principles and contextual variation in the care, education and upbringing of young children. Recently, Collette completed projects including:

Starting Strong II (co-authored with Dr John Bennett) - the report by OECD of the Thematic Review of Early Childhood Education and Care.

http://www.oecd.org/edu/startingstrong2

The Brain and Learning in Early Childhood (co-authored with Dr Nuria Sebastian-Galles) In Understanding the Brain (Vol 2): The Birth of a Learning Science, OECD, Paris. www.oecd.org/edu/brain  

A review of the approach to setting national standards and assuring the quality of care in Australian child care services - A research report commissioned by the Children's Services Sub Committee of the Community Services Ministers' Advisory Council. Australian Government Department of Families.

Dr Sue Gordon, AM

Dr Gordon is a Magistrate in the Perth Children's Court and Chairperson of the National Indigenous Council. She was born in 1943 at Belele Station near Meekatharra, Western Australia. At the age of four, she was taken from her mother and placed in Sister Kate's Home in Perth. In 1961 she joined the Women's Royal Australian Army Corps, and after leaving the army had various administrative posts around Australia.

In the early 1970s she began a long association with the Pilbara region, working mostly in Aboriginal affairs. In 1986 she was appointed as Commissioner for Aboriginal Planning, becoming the first Aboriginal person to head a government department in Western Australia. In 1988 she began her appointment to the Perth Children's Court, becoming the first full-time and first Aboriginal magistrate in the State's history.

In 1990 she became one of the first five appointed Commissioners to run the newly established Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) for a period of one year.

In 2001, the State Government appointed her as chairperson of the 'Inquiry into Response by Government Agencies to Complaints of Family Violence and Child Abuse in Aboriginal Communities', often known as the 'Gordon Inquiry'. The inquiry reported in July 2002, making numerous recommendations to government.

In 1993, she was awarded an Order of Australia – Australia Medal – for commitment to Aboriginal people and community affairs. She has a Bachelor of Laws and in 2003 received an honorary doctorate from the University of Western Australia. She was also awarded a Centenary Medal in 2001 for service to the community, particularly the Aboriginal community. She is the chairperson of Sister Kate's Children 1934-1953 Aboriginal Corporation, vice-patron of the Foster Carer's Association of Western Australia, and patron of the Polly Farmer Foundation

Dr. Tim Moore

Senior Research Fellow
Centre for Community Child Health,
Murdoch Children's Research Centre,
Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne

Tim Moore trained as a teacher and psychologist at the University of Melbourne, subsequently completing his Doctoral studies at the University of Surrey on self-esteem and self-concept in children. He has worked as an educational and developmental psychologist for over 30 years, both in Australia and England, in a variety of mainstream and specialist settings. In particular, he has had a long involvement in the development and delivery of early childhood intervention services for young children with developmental disabilities and their families.

In his current position at the Centre for Community Child Health (CCCH), Dr. Moore works with colleagues from different disciplines in providing advice to state and federal government and non-government agencies on best practices in early childhood, and in conducting research and project work in generalist and specialist early childhood services and in service development. He has been the principal writer on numerous CCCH reviews, reports, and policy briefs, and has also been involved in the development of a variety of training and resource packages for early childhood and family support services. He is also frequently engaged as a conference presenter, and in the delivery of training programs and workshops on a variety of aspects of early childhood services and family-centred practice.

James O'Loghlin

James O'Loghlin is one of Australia's leading comedians and media personalities.

He is the host of 'The New Inventors' on ABC TV and, on radio, of 'The Evening Show' on 702 ABC Sydney and ABC Local Radio around NSW and the ACT. James' background as a commercial and criminal lawyer blended with his live and broadcast comedy has seen him develop into a talented and versatile comedian, entertainer and communicator.

James began performing stand-up comedy in 1990 and has performed across Australia, and been a regular guest on virtually every national television program that has comedians on it, including 'Good News Week', 'Rove Live', 'Sunrise' and 'The Glass House.' He has also written and hosted his own television shows, 'O'Loghlin On Saturday Night' on ABCTV and 'Inside the Arena' on Foxtel's Arena.

In addition, James has written and performed several popular live comedy shows, including "Lawyer Lawyer", about his years as a criminal lawyer and "Caught in the A.C.T."

Critically acclaimed, James' awards include '1999 - Variety Heart Award for Comedy', a Mo Award and a nomination for a Logie for outstanding new talent.