Manjula Waniganayake
Manjula Waniganayake is an associate professor at the Institute of Early Childhood, Macquarie University. She is a specialist in early childhood leadership, quality assurance and policy analysis work.
Dr Sandra Cheeseman
Sandra Cheeseman is a lecturer in early childhood policy, leadership and professional experience. She brings to this role extensive experience as an early childhood teacher, director and senior manager.
Sandra was a member of the core writing team of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) for Australia and has since worked as a consultant on a number of related research and professional projects. She has wide-ranging experience in design and delivery of professional learning programs translating theory and research in a practical context. Her recent projects have included: The Quality Interactions Study, NSW DEC Preschools; DEEWR funded Professional Learning Projects (PLP) supporting the introduction of both the EYLF and NQS to the sector; Professional Development to support the pilot project for the introduction of the NSW DEC Transition to School Statement. Sandra is currently investigating the influence of curriculum documents on the experience of infants in early childhood settings.
Associate Professor Marianne Fenech
Associate Professor Marianne Fenech is Director of early childhood programs at the University of Sydney. Marianne is passionate about quality early learning experiences for children and a supported, quality early childhood workforce. Her research focuses on the governing of early childhood services, teacher education, and teachers, and the impact this governance has on the provision of quality and inclusive early childhood education.
Marianne is currently conducting a study with Professor Helen Watt on professional registration for early childhood teachers who work with children in the birth- to five-years old group. She is interested in early childhood teachers’ views about professional registration and, if you are currently registered, would like to know about your experience in relation to your professional development and capacity to provide quality early childhood education.
Following the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership’s (AITSL) review of teacher registration in 2018, she wants to know what you think so perspectives of early childhood teachers can inform developing national policy in this area.
Dr Fay Hadley
Dr Fay Hadley is a Senior Lecturer who specialises in partnerships with families and leadership in early childhood education. She is the Director for Initial Teacher Education in the Department of Educational Studies, Macquarie University. Prior to academia her roles included an early childhood teacher, director, and project manager for larger early childhood organisations. Fay’s main research area is partnerships with diverse families in educational settings. She has been researching in this area for the past fifteen years and in 2008 she was the recipient of the Early Childhood Australia Doctoral Thesis award for her doctoral thesis. The award was established by Early Childhood Australia in 1995 to encourage Australian early childhood research and to recognise the excellence of early childhood research undertaken by doctoral students in Australia. Fay’s thesis examined the role of the early childhood services (from the families’ perspectives) and argued that these spaces needed to be reconceptualised including the role of the early childhood leader. Fay has published widely in journals, book chapters and textbooks. Fay is currently the chair of Early Childhood Australia Publications Committee. She is on the editorial board for Australasian Journal of Early Childhood and was previously the Deputy Editor of the journal.
Wendy Shepherd
Experienced Consultant with a demonstrated history of working in the education management industry. Skilled in Early Childhood Education, Lecturing, Research, Curriculum Development, and Public Speaking. Strong consulting professional graduated from Institute of Early Childhood Macquarie University and University of Sydney .
