Parent advocate Madonna King brings a wealth of knowledge and influence to her new role with Catholic School Parents Australia
Catholic School Parents Australia (CSPA) is delighted to welcome award-winning journalist, author and media commentator Madonna King as the new Chair of the national council.
Ms King is well known for such roles as her TV appearances, six years as a presenter on ABC radio in Brisbane, her Fairfax column, and for chairing the Queensland Anti-Cyber Bullying Taskforce in 2018.
Madonna is looking forward to working with CSPA and spoke in glowing terms about her predecessor.
“I’m delighted to follow in the very big shoes of Karl Rodrigues, and work with parents in our Catholic schools, to ensure their voice is heard and that our children’s education and welfare are paramount.”
Having written in depth about education and politics, Ms King takes on the role with a thorough knowledge of the issues affecting families with children in Catholic schools. “COVID, for example, and the legacy it continues to provide, presents ongoing and serious challenges, but so do many other issues.”
With a teenage daughter completing Year 12 at a Catholic school in Brisbane, and having written four books on the education and welfare of teen girls, she realises how vital it is for parents to be engaged in their children’s education.
“Our children’s education has never been more important, and the home-school partnership plays a vital role in this,” Madonna noted.
During the AGM, held last weekend in Sydney, Ms King was formally appointed as CSPA Chair. As a sign of the times, the Council met her via videoconference as she is at home in Brisbane recovering from COVID – all wished her a speedy recovery.
Ms King is an in-demand MC and compere for everything from legal hypotheticals, medical conferences, university and political debates, to government seminars, property forums, community summits and charity events.
Madonna’s professional experience, including her media skills, engagement with parents and work with people across a broad range of contexts, is certain to enrich CSPA’s work as a national parent body.