Alderman Jenny Branch

Personal Background and History

My name is Jennifer Branch; I am 49 years of age with two children named Georgie (19 years) and Alex (17 years of age).

My Passion to get involved

My involvement with Parents & Friends Associations and School Councils first began when my daughter Georgie was in kindergarten. Back then, I could see a need and a challenge in public education and felt I could somehow contribute to not only the students, but also the school and the parents whom I quickly realised are a vital part of any school community.

Career History

• Past President - Australian Council State School Organisations
• Past President - Tasmanian Council of State School P & F Associations
• Past Exec/Chairman - KidSafe Tasmania board
• Past Member - Kidsafe Australia national board
• Member - Assessment, Monitoring & Reporting reference group Department of Education, Tasmania
• Past President Claremont High School Association
• Past Member Abbotsfield Primary School P & F/School Association
• Past Member - Tasmania Together Benchmarking group - "Benchmarking for Tasmanian education 2020"
• Past Chairman- School/Community Ministerial Taskforce for Tasmania.
• Past Member Curriculum Corporation Board- National
• Present- CEO Kidsafe Tasmania
• Alderman for the City of Glenorchy 2008-Present
• Member Australian Standards Committee- Toys
• Vice-President Carers Tasmania
• National Board Member Carers Australia
• Initial and designing member of the Family School Partnership Bureau

Involvement in Key Areas

• 2001 facilitated the amalgamation of two local primary schools into a new identity primary school.
• 2001-2004, actively assisting in the development of the Tasmanian new curriculum "Essential Learning's" ensuring a parents perspective.
• 2004 receiving a "Regional Award for Educational Excellence" from the Tasmanian Minister for Education
• 2004 receiving a "State Award for Educational Excellence" from the Tasmanian Minister of Education.
• 2005 Presentation of my paper entitled "What Parents want to know about reporting" to an audience of 500 educational delegates at the Curriculum Corporation 2005 Annual Conference.
• 2006 Ministerial Taskforce Chairman- Involving Communities in schools
• 2006 Ministerial Taskforce-Member-Reporting to Parents
• 2006 Curriculum Corporation Board Member (National)
• 2006 Personal Tax Advisory Group (National)
• 2006 Appointed to- Women's Council of Tasmania
• 2007 Member Chaplaincy Reference (National)
• 2008 Highlight- Participant in The Prime Ministers 20/20 Summit
• 2009 Board Member Carers Tasmania
• 2010 Board Member Carers Australia

The above positions reflect my commitment from the all important "grass roots level", working together with parents and principals at the primary, high school and colleges at the local level, through to the state level working with business executives, minister, ministerial advisors, media, and the Tasmanian Dept of Education. My three years as President with ACCSO(Australian Council of State School Organisations) has shown that my enthusiastic passion to get the best educational outcomes for all Australian school children is well and truly proven.

I believe this vast depth of local, state and national knowledge and the all-important stakeholders they represent, have provided me with a balanced view of the Australian public education system and the challenges we must face in this 21st century. Over time I have continued to raise the profile of education and ensuring parents have a strong voice and representation at a decision making level and in the development of public education in Australia. I have a very strong position on education and I hope it will contribute to building and strengthen and shape public education in this state in a positive way. The first six months of my term was dedicated to working with a very intelligent group of vice-presidents (each represent a State or Territory) to provide an infrastructure that will provide a very strong platform of operation for the organisation. From there I was able to interject, highlight and take forward the objective of ACSSO. Politicians to directors of education, other stakeholders and interest groups; I have developed strong relationships to maintain and represent the beliefs and values of Australian parents as vast and varied as that is at times to guarantee their voice. I have enjoyed my time in public education but now have completed my terms and I am ready for new challenges. My work with Kidsafe Tasmania has given me a broad range of contacts in Health, Road Safety and both National and International Child Injury Prevention Organisations. I have also worked extremely hard as a Alderman for the City of Glenorchy to drive positive change for the community.