David Phipps was appointed the Regional Director of Western Sydney, Department of Education and Training in 2011.
David grew up in Wagga Wagga and from a young age was inspired to become a teacher by his father, a school principal, who had a decisive influence on his aspirations and helped develop his strong social conscience.
David commenced his teaching career South West Sydney in 1975 after graduating with a Diploma of Teaching from the Riverina College of Advanced Education. His love of teaching ensured that he continued with his studies and he attained his Graduate Diploma in Curriculum Studies in 1981.
During the next decade David continued his teaching career, gaining invaluable experience in a range of schools and working in a number of executive positions. He took up his first appointment as principal of Claymore Public School in 1990 and was appointed as principal to John Purchase Public School in 1993. He was awarded his Master of Education in Planning and Policy from the University of Wollongong in 1994.
David's first appointment to Western Sydney was as District Superintendent for Penrith District in 2001. He was a founding School Education Director in the newly formed Western Sydney Region in 2004 before moving to the Illawarra and South East Region where he worked as a School Education Director in the Shoalhaven and Wollongong school education groups. During this time he had a strong involvement in Professional Learning and with the Creative and Performing Arts. He led the trial for the School Learning Support Program and managed the independent evaluation of the trial.
David is a strong advocate of public education and identifies it as the cornerstone of any equitable and just society. His career has featured a commitment to the development of leadership capacity of school executive and to building the capability of teachers through professional learning. He has a strong belief in having a quality teacher in every classroom and in teachers knowing their students as both learners and as people. He believes that by developing our teachers and future school leaders we are investing in the future of Public Education.
