1 April 2021

In a first for Victorian educators, 12 teachers from Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne have been recognised as Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers (HALTs) at an event at the Catholic Leadership Centre.

The first HALTs were certified, joining the national HALT network and forming Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) own HALT network. The HALT program aims to:

• create a professional pathway of national significance
• raise the profile of the teaching profession
• build a professional growth culture
• facilitate collaboration through a HALT network that will focus on the sharing of expertise to enable others
• develop instructional leaders with externally validated credibility to lead conversations about improving professional practice and impact.

Executive Director Jim Miles says MACS wants to better recognise and empower its lead classroom teachers. ‘National HALT Certification is a voluntary and portable process that recognises and promotes quality classroom teaching’, he said. ‘The program provides opportunities for senior teachers to reflect on their practice and, through rigorous judgment, provides a reliable indication of quality teaching that can be used to acknowledge teachers at the Highly Accomplished and Lead career stages of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.’