On Thursday April 26, 2012 I took 4 students to present at the OPSAO conference at the Sutton Place Hotel in Toronto. OPSOA is The Ontario Public Supervisory Official's Association. It is made up of Directors of Education from school boards across Ontario as well as Superintendents. The theme this year was "Inspire, Improve, Innovate and Integrate". Sessions focused on bringing innovation and creativity into our school systems.
Our delegation from the HWDSB included John Laverty, Superintendent, Jenn George our former VP at Dundas Central, Audrey Henson, our current VP and former Literacy Improvement Teacher, Barry Morlog our current Principal, myself and 4 students.
Side note: The commuter train was late and we had to race through Union Station to the subway and from the subway to the hotel. The event was already underway as we made a grand and noisy entrance in a "Here come the rumpled teachers on a school trip," kind of a way. Disrupting education indeed!
It was very exciting for us to be invited to participate in this conference. Classroom teachers and students typically have very little contact with decision makers in our school systems. Because of the national and international recognition my students and I have received, we've found ourselves in a rather unique position. We have a voice. We've bridged the communication barrier and those "above" are listening.
In bridging that communication barrier, I have to say that what I found was not what I expected. For the first time I was able to see my place as a classroom teacher within a broader system. Teachers don't typically see themselves as part of an educational ecosystem; we tend to think in terms of our place within the limited boundaries of our schools. After my experience yesterday I see this as a problem. By not seeing one's place within a system, one is left with a sense of unintended powerlessness. This is the Ontario Leadership Framework for education. It is important that teachers claim their professionalism and see their place within it.
The delegation from our board was organized by John Laverty and the purpose was to share how each level in our board is working towards a common goal. This can't be understood without mentioning our fabulous new Director, John Malloy. Under John's direction the HWDSB has undergone a tremendous cultural shift. In very simple terms it can be summed up as what John stopped and what he started.
John stopped the initiative upon initiative madness where we were constantly subjected to the latest educational bandwagon, where nothing was ever dropped and where we never had a chance to fully implement anything before the next program wave hit.
Instead he developed a 5 year strategic plan in conjunction with schools in which achievement, equity and engagement matter. Any programs or initiatives that did not fit under that umbrella were eliminated. He also shifted the leadership culture within the board; administrators began using a different vocabulary when working with staff. Teacher training became centered on effective practices and high yield strategies. Every level within the board was expected to work within this framework. All of this was experimental - we were asked to do things that we didn't fully understand, and there was a great deal of resistance initially. We had no idea that we were developing a new model of education for the province of Ontario. (Note to self: read the documents!)
What John is doing is capacity building:
Capacity building is a conceptual approach to development that focuses on understanding the obstacles that inhibit people, governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations from realizing their developmental goals while enhancing the abilities that will allow them to achieve measurable and sustainable results
The Ministry of Education for the province of Ontario is committed to the process and this the reason why Ontario is so highly regarded internationally. The Ministry is bringing about system change. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/capacityBuilding.html
The process has not always run smoothly. Teachers were resistant initially and there was a great sense of confusion, fear and of being judged as we were asked to change our practices. Administrators fumbled and at times were awkward in guiding us as they too learned how to lead in a different way. I think many of us interpreted the message as "you are inadequate" rather than the non-judgemental "research shows that what we are asking you to do will make learning better for children" that was intended. No matter how much we questioned and resisted, the expectation to make changes and align our practices with the strategic plan remained. For a while we felt very micromanaged and that was difficult. For a while our practice became very narrow and extremely teacher directed which killed student engagement. Eventually, though, we began to understand and appreciate the changes because of the impact they were having on learners.
What I learned at OPSOA was how every level within our board fits into the process. John Laverty explained his role as Superintendent, Jen explained her role as school admin, Audrey explained her role as LIPT, I explained my role as teacher, and the students shared their experience of learning in ways more appropriate for the 21st century. I am grateful to have had this opportunity. If it hadn't been for the conference, we would never have taken time to consider the larger story of our board and what we've accomplished to date. What I recognized at OPSOA is that the role of administrators has changed and they are there to support what we are trying to accomplish in our classrooms. I left with an exceptional level of respect for our Director and what he is attempting to achieve.
I also realized it was time to let go of the Mike Harris years scars and embrace what education in our province is becoming. I was thrilled that the topics of conversation were about innovation and creativity and student engagement. It was a relief to know that even though most of the people at the conference are not involved in the global conversation occurring through social media (seriously, there was not even a hashtag for the conference), the concerns and topics of discussion are the same. More importantly, these leaders are ready to embrace a new model for student engagement.
Which brings me to my students. We showed our Mind Share Learning Video and then each student had two minutes to share openly and honestly their experiences of being globally connected learners. Ryan G, Dexter C, Bianca K and Taylor B - you were outstanding! Your voices were heard and you at your young age have directly affected policy and decision making in the province of Ontario. Many people came up afterwards to share how inspired they were by your words.
I know that this experience had a tremendous impact on my students. For the first time they saw their place and contribution within a larger framework. I have no desire to put words in their mouths. I will let them process their thoughts and then perhaps do a podcast interview so they can share their insights.
I also have a second post to write about a conversation I had with John Malloy after our presentation at OPSOA. We discussed that we are only at the beginning of the transformation that needs to occur and that he has a problem and needs help solving it. More to follow ...
Our delegation from the HWDSB included John Laverty, Superintendent, Jenn George our former VP at Dundas Central, Audrey Henson, our current VP and former Literacy Improvement Teacher, Barry Morlog our current Principal, myself and 4 students.
Side note: The commuter train was late and we had to race through Union Station to the subway and from the subway to the hotel. The event was already underway as we made a grand and noisy entrance in a "Here come the rumpled teachers on a school trip," kind of a way. Disrupting education indeed!
It was very exciting for us to be invited to participate in this conference. Classroom teachers and students typically have very little contact with decision makers in our school systems. Because of the national and international recognition my students and I have received, we've found ourselves in a rather unique position. We have a voice. We've bridged the communication barrier and those "above" are listening.
In bridging that communication barrier, I have to say that what I found was not what I expected. For the first time I was able to see my place as a classroom teacher within a broader system. Teachers don't typically see themselves as part of an educational ecosystem; we tend to think in terms of our place within the limited boundaries of our schools. After my experience yesterday I see this as a problem. By not seeing one's place within a system, one is left with a sense of unintended powerlessness. This is the Ontario Leadership Framework for education. It is important that teachers claim their professionalism and see their place within it.
The delegation from our board was organized by John Laverty and the purpose was to share how each level in our board is working towards a common goal. This can't be understood without mentioning our fabulous new Director, John Malloy. Under John's direction the HWDSB has undergone a tremendous cultural shift. In very simple terms it can be summed up as what John stopped and what he started.
John stopped the initiative upon initiative madness where we were constantly subjected to the latest educational bandwagon, where nothing was ever dropped and where we never had a chance to fully implement anything before the next program wave hit.
Instead he developed a 5 year strategic plan in conjunction with schools in which achievement, equity and engagement matter. Any programs or initiatives that did not fit under that umbrella were eliminated. He also shifted the leadership culture within the board; administrators began using a different vocabulary when working with staff. Teacher training became centered on effective practices and high yield strategies. Every level within the board was expected to work within this framework. All of this was experimental - we were asked to do things that we didn't fully understand, and there was a great deal of resistance initially. We had no idea that we were developing a new model of education for the province of Ontario. (Note to self: read the documents!)
What John is doing is capacity building:
Capacity building is a conceptual approach to development that focuses on understanding the obstacles that inhibit people, governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations from realizing their developmental goals while enhancing the abilities that will allow them to achieve measurable and sustainable results
The Ministry of Education for the province of Ontario is committed to the process and this the reason why Ontario is so highly regarded internationally. The Ministry is bringing about system change. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/capacityBuilding.html
The process has not always run smoothly. Teachers were resistant initially and there was a great sense of confusion, fear and of being judged as we were asked to change our practices. Administrators fumbled and at times were awkward in guiding us as they too learned how to lead in a different way. I think many of us interpreted the message as "you are inadequate" rather than the non-judgemental "research shows that what we are asking you to do will make learning better for children" that was intended. No matter how much we questioned and resisted, the expectation to make changes and align our practices with the strategic plan remained. For a while we felt very micromanaged and that was difficult. For a while our practice became very narrow and extremely teacher directed which killed student engagement. Eventually, though, we began to understand and appreciate the changes because of the impact they were having on learners.
What I learned at OPSOA was how every level within our board fits into the process. John Laverty explained his role as Superintendent, Jen explained her role as school admin, Audrey explained her role as LIPT, I explained my role as teacher, and the students shared their experience of learning in ways more appropriate for the 21st century. I am grateful to have had this opportunity. If it hadn't been for the conference, we would never have taken time to consider the larger story of our board and what we've accomplished to date. What I recognized at OPSOA is that the role of administrators has changed and they are there to support what we are trying to accomplish in our classrooms. I left with an exceptional level of respect for our Director and what he is attempting to achieve.
I also realized it was time to let go of the Mike Harris years scars and embrace what education in our province is becoming. I was thrilled that the topics of conversation were about innovation and creativity and student engagement. It was a relief to know that even though most of the people at the conference are not involved in the global conversation occurring through social media (seriously, there was not even a hashtag for the conference), the concerns and topics of discussion are the same. More importantly, these leaders are ready to embrace a new model for student engagement.
Which brings me to my students. We showed our Mind Share Learning Video and then each student had two minutes to share openly and honestly their experiences of being globally connected learners. Ryan G, Dexter C, Bianca K and Taylor B - you were outstanding! Your voices were heard and you at your young age have directly affected policy and decision making in the province of Ontario. Many people came up afterwards to share how inspired they were by your words.
I know that this experience had a tremendous impact on my students. For the first time they saw their place and contribution within a larger framework. I have no desire to put words in their mouths. I will let them process their thoughts and then perhaps do a podcast interview so they can share their insights.
I also have a second post to write about a conversation I had with John Malloy after our presentation at OPSOA. We discussed that we are only at the beginning of the transformation that needs to occur and that he has a problem and needs help solving it. More to follow ...
Hello Heidi,
ReplyDeleteThis seems like a very good place to go to get more information about the education system and what changes are occurring. Also, it seems like a good way to get views from other educators.
Hello Rodney,
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to have another EDM310 student from Alabama visit my blog. Good luck with your studies. It's an exciting time to be an educator.