Board membership
The ACARA Board was announced in May 2009 and held its first meeting on 21–22 May 2009. Professor Barry McGaw AO is Chair of the Board and Mr Tony Mackay is the Deputy Chair of the Board. The ACARA Board has 11 other members, representing the Australian Government and all education streams (Independent, government and Catholic) across states and territories.
Chair, ACARA
Professor Barry McGaw AO, PhD 
Professor Barry McGaw is a Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne and Chair of the Board of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority.
Prior to returning to Australia at the end of 2005, he was Director for Education at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). He had earlier been Executive Director of the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and Professor of Education at Murdoch University. He was originally a science teacher in Queensland secondary schools. He holds BSc, DipEd and BEd(Hons) degrees from the University of Queensland and EdM and PhD from the University of Illinois.
Professor McGaw is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, the Australian Psychological Society, the Australian College of Educators and the International Academy of Education. He is currently President of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. He received an Australian Centenary Medal in 2001 and was appointed an Officer in the Order of Australia in 2004. He was the 2005–2006 recipient of University of Illinois International Alumni Award for Exceptional Achievement.
Deputy Chair, ACARA
Mr Tony Mackay 
Tony Mackay is Director of the Centre for Strategic Education, Melbourne, Australia; Deputy Chair of ACARA; Chair of the recently announced Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, immediate Past President of the Australian Curriculum Studies Association; Board Director of the Australian Council for Educational Research; Board Member of the University of Melbourne, Graduate School of Education and Australian College of Educators 2006 medallist.
Internationally, Tony Mackay is President of the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement (ICSEI); Founding Member of the Governing Council of the National College for School Leadership in England; Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Innovation Unit. Ltd; England; OECD Senior Consultant for Projects on Schooling for Tomorrow, School Leadership and New Models of Learning; and a DEMOS International Associate.
He is currently working on ‘Next Practice Projects’ on educational reform in Australia/New Zealand, UK, Europe, US/Canada and Asia.
Tony’s work focuses on strategic thinking and facilitation for Government bodies, education agencies and think tanks.
Board membership
- Mr Tom Alegounarias, President, Board of Studies New South Wales
- Dr Brian Croke, Executive Director, Catholic Education Commission, New South Wales
- Ms Lesley Englert, former Assistant Director General, Curriculum, Queensland Department of Education and Training
- Ms Deborah Efthymiades, General Manager, Strategic Executive Services, Northern Territory Department of Education and Training
- Mr John Firth, Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
- Mr David Hanlon, former Deputy Secretary, Tasmanian Department of Education
- Mr Angus James, consultant
- Ms Dianne Kerr, Curriculum Advisor, The Le@rning Federation
- Mr Garry Le Duff, Executive Director, Association of Independent Schools of South Australia
- Professor Bill Louden, Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Western Australia
- Ms Helen Wildash, Executive Director, Curriculum, South Australian Department of Education and Children's Services
