ABSTRACT
The political landscape of the early childhood sector in Australia has undergone significant changes whereby its workforce has been brought into compliance by stealth with national laws and regulations, curriculum frameworks, and quality assurance processes in unprecedented ways. In 2012, the government-established position of the “educational leader” came into effect to oversee the implementation of policy reforms including innovations in curriculum and pedagogy within early childhood centers across Australia. This chapter examines the context in which educational leaders are working and demonstrates how neoliberalism impacts the way their leadership role is evolving. It explores how resistance can be liberatory and why engagement in critical reflection is essential in breaking away from neoliberalist control to regain authority as early childhood leaders in control of their professional practice. The chapter describes resistance as professional reflection which analyzes the disjuncture between what hegemonic expectations/standards/learning outcomes specify as relevant for an individual child and what professional discretion determines as most appropriate.
