The best educators in Australia in 2026 are not defined by what they know but by what they make possible for others.
That’s the clear thread running through The Educator’s 12th annual Hot List.
The 2026 list recognises dozens of K–12 teachers, school leaders, system advisers and service providers for the impact of their work over the past 12 months.
That kind of leadership has rarely mattered more. Social researcher McCrindle’s May 2026 study of the future education workforce found school leaders are 17 times more likely than classroom teachers to believe staff are already effectively supported – 34% compared with 2%. The same study found 56% of Australian teachers had considered leaving the profession in the previous two years.
This year’s honourees are closing that gap by building coaching cultures, giving teachers time back, setting clear guardrails for artificial intelligence (AI) and opening pathways for students who don’t fit a single mould.
Between June and July, this year, The Educator asked schools to submit nominations for our 12th annual Hot List to identify those who have been at the cutting edge of this noble cause over the past 12 months,
After receiving hundreds of nominations, The Educator began the arduous task of evaluating each nominee based on the overall impact of their work in the K-12 education sector over the past 12 months, demonstrating expertise in linking theory and practice, and designing and implementing innovations that provide students with high-quality educational experiences during these unprecedented times.
In the end, 62 Hot List nominees stood out from the rest as shining examples of educational excellence in action.
So without further ado, here are some of those who made this year’s list.
Amanda Schiavo – Director of Education, The Industry School
Chrissy Gamble – Principal, Kingswood College
Angela Waugh – Director, Y Schools Queensland
Amrita Ahuja – Director of Strategic Initiatives, Westbourne Grammar School
Jeremy Otto – Director of Community Engagement and Advancement, Westbourne Grammar School
Hani Abul Khai – Executive Principal, IQRA College of South Australia
Nate Atkinson – Principal, Northholm Grammar School
Timothy Barraud – Principal, Balmoral State High School
Adam Hand – Secondary Teacher, Acting Assistant Head of Faculty (Science), AI Champion, St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School
Chris Needle – Assistant Principal, Professional Culture, St Aloysius College (North Melbourne)
Deborah Cottle – Learning and Teaching Leader, Middle Years (Data and Systems), San Sisto College
Estee Stephenson – Director of Learning (Academic Progress), St Andrew’s Cathedral School
Ian Morris – Principal, Bomaderry High School
Justin Pembroke – Head of Digital Innovation, Sunshine Coast Grammar School
Kara Baxter – Deputy Principal (Learning and Teaching), Strathcona Girls Grammar
Lorna Beegan – Principal, Strathcona Girls Grammar
Lauren Hall – Teacher & Coordinator of Learning and Engagement, Golden Grove Lutheran Primary School
Meagan King – Deputy Principal, Canterbury College
Tracey Kift – Principal, Penola Catholic College
Vanessa Blaik – Dean of Studies (Primary), John Paul College
To read the Hot List 2026 report and see the full list of winners, click here.