Dr Deborah Netolicky is an award-winning educator, researcher, author and school leader with more than 25 years of experience teaching and leading in schools across Australia and England. She is Principal of Walford Anglican School for Girls in Adelaide, Adjunct Senior Fellow at Adelaide University, and a Board Member of the Australian Council for Student Voice.

Deborah’s work sits at the intersection of educational research, policy and practice. She holds a PhD in education, with expertise in educational leadership, professional identities, professional learning and effective school change. She is interested in the complexities of school leadership and improvement, including the interplay between evidence, context, relationships and the human dimensions of educational change. Her approach to leadership is grounded in high care and high challenge, and a commitment to cultures of trust, inclusion, learning and excellence.

Deborah is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and contributes regularly to educational research, academic publications, conferences and public conversations about education. Her research, writing and leadership have been recognised through numerous awards, including the American Educational Research Association’s Educational Change SIG Emerging Scholar Award (2021), the Australian Council for Educational Leaders’ Hedley Beare Award for Educational Writing (2023) and SA Media Award (2024), and recognition as a ‘Principal of the Year – Non-Government’ Excellence Awardee in the Australian Education Awards (2024 and 2026).

She is author of the book Transformational professional learning: Making a difference in schools, co-Editor of Flip the System Australia: What matters in education, and Editor of Future Alternatives for Educational Leadership: Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Democracy.

Through theeduflaneuse blog and The Edu Salon podcast, Deborah explores research, ideas and experiences in education, bringing a critical, curious and reflective lens to the work of teaching and leading.

Connect with Deborah on Instagram at @theeduflaneuse, @theedusalon and @walfordprincipal, or explore her academic publications on Google Scholar.

Awards

2026. Principal of the Year – Non-Government – Excellence Awardee, National Education Awards. Most Influential Educator, The Educator Australia .

2025. Most Influential Educator, The Educator Australia .

2024. Principal of the Year – Non-Government – Excellence Awardee, National Education Awards. ACEL SA Media Award, Australian Council of Educational Leaders SA.

2023. ACEL Hedley Beare Award for Educational Writing, Australian Council of Educational Leaders. Hot List and Most Influential Educator, The Educator Australia. Emerald Publishing Award for Excellence – Outstanding Paper – for ‘Defining and exploring pracademia: identity, community, and engagement’.

2022. Hot List and Most Influential Educator, The Educator Australia. 

2021. Certificate of Excellence in Educational Leadership, Australian Council of Educational Leaders WA. The Michael Fullan Emerging Scholar in Professional Capital and Community Award, Journal of Professional Capital and Community. Educational Change Emerging Scholar Award, American Educational Research Association.

2018. Research in Educational Leadership and Management, Australian Council of Educational Leaders WA.

2017. Emerald Publishing Award for Excellence: Emerald Literati Highly-Commended Paper Award for ‘Coaching for professional growth in one Australian school: “oil in water”‘, published in the International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education.

2016. Outstanding Research Award in Cognitive Coaching, for PhD dissertation, Thinking Collaborative. ‘New Voice’ In Educational Leadership Research Scholarship, Australian Council of Educational Leaders.