Simone White

Simone White is Professor in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership in the Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). She is a leading expert in teacher education and professional learning, focusing on the best ways to prepare teachers for diverse contexts – in particular rural, regional and Indigenous. Her research explores the fields of teacher education policy, teacher learning, professional experience and building and maintaining university-school/community partnerships.

Over the past three years Simone has led the development of a suite of micro-credentials for education. See https://www.qut.edu.au/education/engage/professional-development for the learning pathway design and set of fully accredited suite of topics.

Simone has held previous leadership roles at Monash University where she was the Chair of Teacher Education and Head of School of Education at the Gippsland campus. Simone has also been a key advisor to the Teacher Education Expert Advisory Committee, for the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership and the President of the Australian Teacher Education Association. Simone was recently awarded the SPERA Rural Education recognition award for her dedication to rural education.

Simone’s publications, research and teaching are focused on the key question of how to best prepare teachers and leaders for diverse communities (both local and global). Simone recently led an Australian government grant focused on improving the preparation of future teachers to work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and caregivers.

Through her collective work, Simone aims to connect research, policy and practice in ways that bring teachers and school and university based teacher educators together and break down traditional borders between academics, policy makers, communities and practitioners.