Visiting Australian Professor Alastair Dow to Speak October 27

Alastair Dow, superintendent of intragovernment relations in the department of Education & Children's Services in Adelaide, South Australia, will speak to faculty and students on Wednesday, October 27 from 3-4:15 in Room 306 in Aderhold Hall.

Dow's presentation will be on, “Attracting and Retaining Disenfranchised Students through Joined Up Government: An Optimistic Skeptic's Perspective.”

Dow's discussion will explore the unique characteristics of joined up government in South Australia, the impacts of publicly declaring improvement targets on school retention, and the dilemmas faced in improving the life chances of the most marginalized students and communities.

Dow began working in education as a drama and English teacher in the late 1970s. He has since worked in high, area and primary schools and has served as a primary and secondary principal. From 1997-99, Dow was district superintendent of the Central West District and was responsible for bringing together children's services and school education. He has also served as superintendent in curriculum and worked to establish and manage statewide projects, including the Science and Mathematics Strategy, Dicey Dealings Responsible Gambling Education Strategy, Artssmart, and the Second International Middle Schooling Conference.

In Dow's most recent role as superintendent, he helps ensure the effective collaboration with other government agencies and key boards in actioning strategic government priorities.

Dow earned his master's and Ph.D. in education. His thesis, “Collaboration and Resistance at Gallipoli High School: The Work of Teachers in a Post-Fordist Era” studied and analyzed the impact of workplace reforms on the work of high school teachers in South Australia.

Wednesday, October 6, 2004

WRITER: Nicole Richardson, 706/583-0811, nrichard@uga.edu
CONTACT: Bob Fecho, 706/542-4615, bfecho@coe.uga.ed