Association for Philosophy in Schools Inc
Executive Members
Kirstie Fitz holds a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education degree from Curtin University and a Master of Education degree from Murdoch University, is a Level 3 Classroom Teacher and the Philosophy Specialist Teacher at North Harrisdale Primary School.
She has been teaching for almost eighteen years and has a keen interest in Educational Neuroscience and Philosophy for Children, since first being introduced to P4C in 2011 at the International Conference on Thinking in Belfast, Northern Ireland, by James Nottingham. Kirstie credits James for being her proverbial white rabbit who led her down a rabbit hole of devouring everything she could find on Philosophy for Children, leading to completing training in P4C with both APIS (WA) and SAPERE (UK). She is absolutely committed to ensuring all children have the opportunity to philosophise and be critical, creative, collaborative and caring thinkers.
You’ll usually find Kirstie with her head buried in numerous books, writing or running around after her four-year-old son, who is asking a million questions daily and keeping her on her toes!
Alison Freeman
Vice Chair
Alison Freeman is the Associate Principal at Geographe Primary School in Busselton. Alison has been leading a whole school approach to Philosophy in Schools for six years at Geographe Primary and prior to that lead a whole school approach at Pemberton District High School.
Alison is an accredited Level 2 Teacher Educator in Philosophy and has been running Level 1 workshops in Western Australia for 14 years now. In 2013 she won the Outstanding Professional Service Award for her contributions to the Association for Philosophy in Schools (WA).
She is currently the Head facilitator for the South West Philosothon and each year has the honour of awarding the most promising philosopher of the evening the Alison Freeman trophy.
Sarah Hill
Secretary
Sarah has been a teacher for more than 15 years , teaching years Kindy to year 10. She was a curriculum consultant, principal advisor for online testing, and principal education consultant specialising in the Technologies curriculum for the Western Australia Department of Education.
Sarah is also an Apple-distinguished educator and ISTE-certified educator and has been a content creator for companies such as Apple, Scitech, Showbie, and 7West (The West Australian).
Sarah has taught K-10 and held leadership roles in primary and district high schools, and for many years, has run her own education consultancy business.
Sarah is currently the Learning and Development Manager for K2 Audio Visual where she works with schools to intergrate Technology effectively.
Kara Mathews
Treasurer
Bio to come
Committee Members
Andrew Rogers
Andrew is the former Chair of APIS, having been elected in 2020 and stepping back at the end of 2024. Prior to this, Andrew was Secretary of APIS from 2016 – 2019. Andrew is also the current Chair of SCSA Curriculum Advisory Committee (CAC) for Philosophy and Ethics – a position he has held since 2019. Andrew was recently awarded the title of ‘Australian Teacher of the Year’ (Secondary non-government) in the Australian education awards.
Andrew currently teaches Religion, Philosophy and Ethics at Guildford Grammar School. Prior to this he taught at St Mark’s Anglican Community School where he worked since 2013. He has taught Philosophy and Ethics at ATAR and General level, and he has coached schools to compete in the Perth Philosothon, the Australasian Philosothon and the West Australian Ethics Olympiad.
Andrew gained his ‘Advanced Practice’ Philosophy in Schools qualification in 2020, building on his ‘Introduction to Philosophy in Schools’ qualification in 2015. Andrew currently teaches Philosophy and Ethics to Years 10, 11 and 12, following the WACE ATAR and General courses, as well as teaching Philosophy to Years 4 and 5 extension students. He is originally from the UK where he completed a Masters Degree in Jewish-Christian Relations, specialising in Jewish responses to the Holocaust and a Bachelor of Divinity (BD) degree in Theology from University of Wales, Bangor. He has previously taught in Secondary Schools in the UK for 13 years, which included eight years as a Subject Leader of Religious Studies, Philosophy and Ethics.
Andrew previously sat on the UK Government’s Regional Standing Advisory Committee for Religious Education and has had articles published in The Journal of Philosophy in Schools (JPS) and has an article published in ‘Common Ground, the Journal of the Council of Christians and Jews’.
Shelley Smith
Shelley has four grown children and teaches at Methodist Ladies College. She is Head of Religious Studies as well as a Philosophy teacher.
Isobel Stevenson
Isobel graduated with degrees in Philosophy, History and Education from Murdoch University. She particularly enjoyed studying Philosophy units in Ethics, Love and Friendship with Peta Bowden, Epistemology with Paul McDonald and Critical Reasoning with Lubica Ucnik.
Isobel is the teacher in charge of Philosophy and History at Willetton Senior High School where she teaches the ATAR Philosophy classes. She also coaches the Willetton Philosothon team which has achieved success in both the Perth and Australasian Philosothons.
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Isobel is a Level 3 Classroom Teacher and is passionate about engaging with the broader Philosophy teaching community. She has worked with APIS on exam creation and has been appointed to the SCSA Curriculum Advisory Committee.
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She has two young children, and she is enjoying nurturing the natural philosopher that exists in all young children.
Dr Kaz Bland
Kaz discovered philosophy in her 30's as an undergraduate student trying to escape cooking for the rest of her life. She graduated with a doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Adelaide in 2019. Over the years she has taught casually at several universities across Australia. She now holds her first real job as a lecturer, and philosophy for children (P4C) practitioner at the University of Western Australia.
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Kaz sees philosophy as very practical, a method of thinking carefully and critically about big problems. She enjoys the fact that there may be no solutions, there are better and worse ways of thinking things through.
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Her philosophy in community practice focuses on using the community of inquiry methodology as an educational tool. Exploring ideas and engaging with contemporary issues for people of all ages. By our powers combined, she hopes philosophy will take over the world!
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Linc Murray
Bio to come
Rachel Cook
Bio to come
Nina Pschorn
Bio to come
Jenni McRae
Jenni is a Learning Extension Teacher specialising in gifted education—aka wrangling deep thinkers, perfectionists, and kids who ask mind-bending questions before she's had her coffee! She designs enrichment programs, preps students for academic competitions, and advocates for inquiry-driven learning.
Lately, she has been dabbling in university lecturing, adding another layer of chaos (the good kind) to her teaching life.
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Philosophy for Children (P4C) is the most powerful teaching tool Jenni has ever used. It turns classrooms into idea playgrounds, where kids challenge assumptions, think critically, and learn that changing your mind is a strength.
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With a Master of Education in Gifted Education, Jenni is dedicated to fostering student voice, supporting social-emotional development, and equipping students with strategies to navigate academic challenges with confidence.
