Pauline
Scanlan

Qualifications

Master of Arts (First Class Hons) English and Education – University of Canterbury
Certificate in Te Ara Reo Māori (Level 2) – Te Wānanga o Aotearoa
Certificate in Company Direction – New Zealand Institute of Directors
Bachelor of Education (Hons) English – University of Cambridge

Professional profile

Pauline's responsibilities encompass strategic communications, relationship management, engagement initiatives, and philanthropic funding.

She was a member of Te Kāhui Hautū (Core's senior leadership team) until the beginning of 2024 and, prior to that, was a senior consultant in the company. Before joining Tātai Aho Rau in 2013 Pauline held the roles of executive director and co-owner of a successful educational publishing company for a decade, with offices in Sydney and Christchurch. Her professional journey began as an English teacher in a secondary school in the UK.

She has also been a head of department (English) in a large secondary school, an English adviser, an education consultant, a director in the not-for-profit sector, and ran an education communications consultancy for 10 years.

Pauline’s education work has also covered a broad range of strategic projects across a number of organisations including the New Zealand Ministry of Education, the Asia New Zealand Foundation, the Eastern Metropolitan Region of the Department of Education, Victoria, and the Department of Human Services South, Victoria. She has spent time in Southern India working with teachers on an intensive professional learning project.

She is a highly experienced leader, facilitator, content developer and editor.

Expertise

Pauline has expertise in the following areas:

• strategy and problem solving
• synthesising and shaping ideas to achieve coherence and clarity
• developing education stories and case studies
• qualitative research
• workshop design and facilitation
• strategic communications
• community consultation
• community engagement
• resource development
• writing
• publishing
• not-for-profit governance.

Awards/Fellowships/Scholarships

Fellow of the Capital Area Writing Project, North Carolina State University.

Personal statement

I grew up on a council estate in Sheffield, England. I think I epitomise the life-changing impact that a decent state school and committed teachers can have on our most under-privileged children. My take on transformation? Equity, social justice and inclusion are a good start.