Mary Anne
Mills
Education Consultant
Qualifications
Master of Education – Deakin University, Melbourne
Diploma of Teaching – Christchurch College of Education
Bachelor of Arts – University of Otago
Professional experience
Mary Anne has extensive professional knowledge and a national reputation from working across the education sector on the design, development and implementation of professional learning and development programmes, particularly focused around curriculum and pedagogical change. She has been involved in strategic leadership of many projects both nationally and internationally.
She has held leadership roles in the secondary and tertiary sector as well as the Ministry of Education as the project manager for the redevelopment of the draft New Zealand Curriculum (NZC).
As the Ministry of Education’s project manager for the NZC redevelopment, Mary Anne was responsible for liaising with every curriculum area and all the educational professional organisations. Mary Anne has worked with the Thailand Ministry of Education on the implementation of their new national curriculum as well as with a NGO and MOE in Cambodia developing a road safety curriculum for years 6–10.
Through Mary Anne’s past work in the Ministry, and present work with Tātai Aho Rau Core Education, she has led and/or facilitated many working groups focused on changing pedagogical practice to raise achievement and prepare young New Zealanders to be successful citizens. As a senior education consultant in Tātai Aho Rau Mary Anne works with senior leadership teams on leading change and curriculum design.
Mary Anne has considerable experience in strategic planning, change management and the use of self-review and change management frameworks. She also works with schools preparing and writing education briefs for the redesign of existing or new buildings. Mary Anne has established strong collaborative relationships with many parts of the education system including the Ministry of Education (national and local), principal organisations and schools throughout New Zealand.
Expertise
Mary Anne has a number of areas of deep professional knowledge.
As a curriculum design specialist she has:
- deep knowledge of the New Zealand Curriculum
- led a number of whole school curriculum reviews (from small primary schools through to large secondary schools)
- designed local curriculum with schools and communities
- worked with schools implementing curriculum and pedagogical change.
She has deep experience in the use of tools:
- self-review frameworks and models including the use and application of tools to identify, map and measure impact and progress and to contribute to review and visioning. Frameworks and models include the Educational Positioning System, the Concerns Based Adoption Model and recently the ERO School Evaluation Indicators.
She works with schools and boards to:
- develop education briefs that outline the vision and pedagogy that drives school planning for rebuilds or new schools
- develop and implement strategic plans with strong focus on achievement outcomes.
