Dr Jordana Hunter

General: Dr Jordana Hunter is one of Australia’s leading thinkers on school reform. She has advised Australian governments on a range of system reforms and worked directly with schools and educators on practical changes to strengthen the teaching profession and embed evidence-based instruction.

Academic: Jordana holds Honours degrees in Law and Commerce (Economics), a Diploma of Modern Languages (Indonesian) and a PhD in public policy from the University of Melbourne. Her PhD research examined how the design of large-scale policy initiatives to strengthen quality teaching shapes school improvement efforts on the ground.

Career and professional activities: Jordana began her career at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, focusing on international economics, before joining the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, where she specialised in competition policy, market design and regulatory strategy. In 2013, she left government to focus on school education policy at the Grattan Institute, a national, non-partisan think tank. As Director of Grattan’s Education Program from 2021 to 2025, she published a series of major reports setting out a reform agenda to strengthen evidence-based teaching, improve teacher training and drive system improvement, innovation and excellence.
In 2026, Jordana joined the McKinnon Foundation as its Program Director for Education. The Program combines robust research with practical, on-the-ground support for schools, governments and sector-leaders to embed ambitious reforms.

Board or Advisory Committee Experience: Jordana is currently a member of the Tasmanian Government’s Multi-School Organisation Steering Committee and the School Leadership and Teaching Expert Standing Committee for the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership. In 2023, she was appointed by the Federal Education Minister as a Member of the Expert Panel to Inform a Better and Fairer Education System, which reported to Australian education ministers in 2024 on national reforms to lift student outcomes. Jordana also served as a Ministerial appointee to the Board of Victoria’s Tweddle Child and Family Health Service in 2015-2018. Jordana completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ Company Directors Course in 2016.

Connection to Haileybury: Jordana’s eldest daughter graduated from Haileybury in 2025. She has two other daughters who are currently studying at Haileybury (City campus).

Values:Jordana has a passionate commitment to creating a robust and equitable school system that empowers young people, establishes a strong foundation for future learning and cultivates the skills and character necessary to embrace opportunities. She values honesty, rigour, and practical thinking. She is ambitious for Australia’s young people and energetic in her pursuit of better outcomes.