ABSTRACT
This chapter captures the mixed messages and key tensions of Australian educational policy through the eyes of leadership. We draw on discussions with Paul, an executive working in the survival school, and how he grappled with neoliberal pressures. Paul's words highlight the struggle of the school site to survive within a competitive marketplace. In exploring these tensions, we are interested in how the school – specifically its governing body – provides a counter-narrative to the pressures of new public management (NPM). NPM holds significant implications for the conduct of the school leadership team as they negotiate government regulations.
