148 high achievers step into teaching roles in classrooms in priority schools around the country

As Australia continues to grapple with teacher shortages, 148 new educators have commenced teaching in low-SES schools where teacher shortages are most concentrated, through Teach For Australia’s Leadership Development Program (LDP).

More than half of the 2026 cohort (52%) are mid-career professionals who graduated more than five years ago, reflecting a growing pipeline of career changers Australians moving into teaching. Participants bring experience from industries including business, science, engineering, mining, health, and the creative arts.

Teach For Australia Chief Executive Officer Edwina Dohle said bringing experienced professionals into classrooms strengthens the teaching workforce and enriches learning experiences in our schools.

“Experienced career changers bring a wealth of real-life experiences and real-world applications that boosts students’ engagement and understanding of their subjects,” Ms Dohle said. “More than half of this year’s cohort are career professionals bringing much needed subject-specialist expertise from business, science, engineering and other industries directly into classrooms.”

Among the new cohort is STEM teacher Madalena (Maddy) Russo, who has commenced at Cobram Secondary College in rural Victoria after relocating from Melbourne. Maddy originally studied a Bachelor of Science and majored in Engineering, followed by a Masters of Mechatronic Engineering.

Maddy’s transition to teaching Maths is due to her love of problem solving and desire to make a difference.

“I’ve always known that I wanted to go into teaching eventually, but I wasn’t sure how to go about that. Teach For Australia’s [mission] really resonated with me,” said Ms Russo.

71 STEM qualified teachers (48%) are part of Teach For Australia’s latest cohort, helping address critical workforce shortages. Like Maddy, many of this year’s TFA teachers (45%) will be teaching in rural, remote and regional areas of Australia.

“We’re seeing more and more talented Australians choose teaching through Teach For Australia’s programs – a choice they make because they are passionate about creating a brighter future for young people,” Ms Dohle said.

Founded in 2009, Teach For Australia is a pioneering non-profit tackling educational inequity by recruiting and developing exceptional teachers and leaders for Australia’s schools with the greatest need. Since inception, TFA has placed almost 2000 teachers into classrooms in areas experiencing disadvantage.

Teach For Australia’s employment-based model allows participants to earn a salary while completing their teaching qualification, making it possible for talented professionals to transition into teaching without stepping away from the workforce.

Media contact: Samantha Allemann, Media and Communications Coordinator samantha.allemann@teachforaustralia.org