Michael N King, Director QLA

BE (Hons), MBA, Grad Dip Education, Grad Dip Science (Statistics)

 

Michael KingMichael is passionate about improving the quality of learning in our school education systems. Working with school systems over the past 20 years, Michael has repeatedly observed that schools derive significant benefits from the adoption of a structured approach to improvement.

Before focussing on the school sector, he consulted in quality improvement to a variety of clients ranging from small businesses to large corporations and government agencies.

In 1996, Michael was instrumental in establishing and responsible for leading the Australian Quality Council (AQC) Quality in Schools initiative. Initially a joint initiative of the Victorian Department of Education and the AQC, it was later adopted by the South Australian Department of Education and Children’s Services. These programs were to involve over 500 schools and preschools in the five years between 1997 and 2002.

In 2002 Michael founded Quality Learning Australasia (QLA). QLA works almost exclusively in the schools sector, directly serving over two hundred schools in Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, Western Australia, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory.

Michael’s skills and experience include:

  • Extensive experience in the design and implementation of organisational improvement frameworks and initiatives, based on proven approaches to quality improvement. This includes several years’ experience as the manager of the Australian Business Excellence Framework review and improvement process
    Internal consultant and independent evaluator for corporate quality awards. Michael played a lead role in validation teams that would visit business units, validate their self-assessment, provide a feedback report (strengths and opportunities for improvement) and make recommendations regarding recognition through awards.
  • Extensive experience in the application of quality improvement theory and practices to school education at the school and system level, resulting in demonstrable improvement in school culture and learning outcomes. This includes experience as executive manager of the Victorian Quality in Schools and the South Australian Quality and Improvement in Schools and Preschools initiatives, as well as QLA’s Foundations in Quality Learning.
  • Lead External Validator, with Jane Kovacs, for the statutory validation process for schools in the Australian Capital Territory 2012 – 2015. The lead external validators have been responsible for training and supporting panels of school leaders charged with validating and reporting on schools’ self evaluation of performance and improvement over the past four-year planning cycle.
  • Co-author Improving Learning: A how-to guide for school improvement.
  • Proven capacity to establish effective, long term, professional relationships.
  • Extensive experience in the writing and publishing of high quality training materials, procedural documents, reports and video case studies.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills with a capacity to engage in effective communication with senior executives, principals, teachers, students and school support staff.
  • Member of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders Audit and Risk Management Committee.
  • A commitment to ethical standards of the highest degree.