About Us
Sharing Best Practice (SBP) is a dynamic grassroots movement comprised of educators and allied health professionals. Our mission is to foster a community dedicated to sharing best practice pedagogies and scientifically-backed methods. Through our conferences and events held across Australia, we provide a platform for collaboration, learning, and the dissemination of current, evidence-based practices.
Purpose
At SBP, our purpose is to empower educators and allied health professionals by providing them with access to the latest research and practical strategies. We are committed to enhancing educational outcomes through evidence-based practices, with a particular emphasis on the science of reading. By creating opportunities for professional growth and knowledge exchange, we aim to support educators in delivering high-quality, effective instruction that benefits all students.
We focus on “what works” and are dedicated to disseminating this knowledge through our national conferences. All discussions at our events are conducted in a constructive and respectful manner, fostering an environment where healthy debate is welcomed.
NFP / Transparency
As a not-for-profit organisation, Sharing Best Practice is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of transparency and integrity. We believe in the importance of accountability and are committed to ensuring that all funds are used effectively to support our mission. Our conferences are designed to be affordable, making it possible for a wide range of educators and professionals to participate and benefit from our events. We regularly publish financial reports and updates to keep our community informed about how resources are allocated and used.
Join us at our next event and become part of a vibrant community dedicated to improving educational outcomes for all students.
History of SBP
Ten years ago, Dr Catherine Scott created a Facebook page for her Melbourne university students called ‘teachers who like to talk about teaching.’ As her students left university they stayed in touch with Catherine on this page as she shared research and evidence. The page became immensely popular with many teachers becoming aware of the resources and joining. The page changed its name to Sharing Best Practice.
Today Sharing Best Practice has become incorporated and has over 17000 followers and this year has 22 conferences scheduled. Evidence based, grassroots professional learning by teachers for teachers and for students. For teachers who want to learn and want to make a difference.
Our Team
Jeanette Breen
Communications Officer
Jeanette is a founding member of Sharing Best Practice & assists with communications and advertising. She is an experienced education practitioner from Victoria, Australia. Jeanette currently shares her role between Templestowe Heights Primary School and UK based writing assessment company No More Marking. She is the bridge for schools exploring reliable, efficient, and innovative assessment techniques, including Comparative Judgement and Multiple-Choice Questions.
In addition to her education role, Jeanette is an occasional blogger, writer, coach, and presenter. She holds a Professional Certificate in Clinical Teaching and Masters in Instructional Leadership.
Dr Catherine Scott
Secretary
Dr Catherine Scott is a former Senior Research Fellow in the area of teaching, learning and leadership at the Australian Council for Educational Research. She is the founder and secretary of Sharing Best Practice. Catherine has taught in both primary and secondary and as a school psychologist. She later worked in initial teacher education where she introduced pre-service teachers to the concept of evidence-based practice. Her aim in establishing Sharing Best Practice was to return control of the professional development to the profession and make quality evidence-based PD to teachers in rural and regional areas.
Dr Lorraine Hammond
Chair/President
Dr Lorraine Hammond AM is an Associate Professor at Edith Cowan University who has worked and researched in the areas of early literacy, high impact instructional strategies, including explicit teaching and learning difficulties throughout her career. Lorraine is an awarded teacher who was recognised by an Australian Government National Teaching Award (2016) for outstanding tertiary teaching and in 2017 the Australian Council for Educational Leadership recognised her work in schools promoting high impact instruction. In 2019, Lorraine received an Order of Australia (AM) for her significant contribution to tertiary education and the community. Since 2017, Lorraine has developed and presented professional learning on evidence-based literacy strategies for the Kimberley Schools Project in the north of Western Australia in regional and remote community schools as well as the Catholic Archdioceses of Adelaide, Broken Bay, Canberra-Goulburn, Melbourne, and Tasmania. In 2024, Lorraine was inaugurated into the Western Australian Women’s Hall of Fame for her work teaching evidence-based reading instruction in schools and at Edith Cowan University.
Tracey King
Treasurer
Tracey is currently the Head of Junior School at St Paul’s Anglican Grammar Traralgon Campus and is in the fifth year of implementation of the Science of Reading and Science of Learning.
Tracey has worked in both primary and secondary settings and state and independent schools during the past 25 years in a range of education and leadership roles. Her passion for improving learning and teaching in schools is fuelled by her determination to make a difference for all students. Tracey believes that language and literacy is fundamental to all learning and every child has a right to learn well and to be successful; what teachers do and how they do it is critical. Tracey is a member of the Sharing Best Practice committee. She is excited to be collaborating with other educators to bring increased awareness of the research and evidence, to provide quality professional learning opportunities and to influence education particularly in regional areas.
Troy Verey
Director
Troy is a deputy principal at Marsden Road Public School (Liverpool NSW) and has over 10 years of teaching and leadership experience in English and Australian schools. His professional interests focus on shifting the culture of education from one based on ideologies to one based on science. Troy’s current projects include developing teacher curriculum content knowledge, cultivating evidence-based pedagogy and improving assessment practices for literacy and numeracy.