Education Business Leadership for Australia's Autonomous Schools: Perspectives From School Business Managers

• In Event: Park Central Roundtable Session 4
  In Roundtable Session: Global Perspectives on Educational Leadership

Abstract

This paper discusses Australia’s autonomous schooling policies and the new imperatives and accountabilities delivered in their wake. The spotlight is now on education business leadership competency and the increasingly essential role of school business managers – employees traditionally elided from education leadership programs and research attention. In light of autonomy policies, school business managers are in the sights of governments as a means of reducing school business and governance risks. This paper discusses the rationale for autonomy policies and the outcomes policymakers are hoping to achieve, before turning to current policy outcomes, consequences and emergent issues. In this paper, discussion focuses on Australia-wide interviews with school business managers using a grounded theory building approach.

Author

• Karen Elizabeth Starr, Deakin University