Anyone who knew me as a superintendent knew that I was very committed to early learning and play-based education. Some of my previous blog posts were: Grandparents and Early Leaning, Early Learning: A Great Way to Start, and Developing the Young Brain. During my time at Holy Spirit, we created a play charter with the City of Lethbridge, built an outdoor natural play centre and established an early learning centre for staff and parents. I certainly didn’t have that expertise when I started in my role but with the help of the early learning team and specifically, Michelle MacKinnon, I learned about the importance of it and became an avid supporter.

There is tremendous research about early intervention and so as a division, I fully believed that an investment in early learning paid off in later grades. I remember in one of our budget sessions, a wise principal of a junior high said something like this, “I need to advocate for my school, but I know that the funds being directed to early learning will eventually support my school too.” While the results at the early learning levels are exceptional, there is an even greater payoff in later years. And I might add that the results for students who are in marginalized situations are even more dramatic!

The reason that I’m writing about early learning is because I’ve just recently read the OECD Report, “Reducing Inequalities by Investing in Early Childhood Education and Care.” Additionally, I’ve had some great conversations with early learning teachers and coordinators and as a result, my passion has been reignited.

Many governments like to look at education through a strict business model. They like to make an investment (usually far less than it should be) and then look for the results which are generally based on standardized tests. While I don’t necessarily agree with the process, I understand that any “business” and education is still a business wants a return on investment. I would suggest that maybe the investment needs to be made more significantly at the early learning level. Given all of the research, the “return” would be significant!

Before I retired, Alberta Education officials travelled the province to seek direction on a new funding framework. Standard requests were always around predictability, sustainability and adequate dollars. While our division agreed with those characteristics, our biggest ask was to increase funding to support Pre-K to Grade 3 learning. In Alberta, Program Unit Funding (PUF) is allocated to identified students from age 2 1/2 years old for a maximum of three years. Our suggestion was to increase that level of funding up to six years and expand the criteria ensuring that any student requiring additional support would receive it. The additional funding would provide support for students to be able to meet acceptable literacy and numeracy levels by the time they reached grade 3. We were advocating for more front end loading of the available funding. Two sad realities came out of those meetings: (1) PUF dollars were not increased and (2) At the time of the meeting with the Minister’s team, no other divisions had advocated for increased early learning funding.

The old adage, “You can pay now or pay later but if you wait until later, it is going to cost you more” rings so true here. Forget research, common sense should prevail when you establish a strong base.

I would implore governments to rethink their position on early learning and all education organizations to start to advocate for more direct funding to support early learning. To finish, I quote Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills, Special Advisor on Education Policy to the OECD Secretary-General.

“Governments should act now and take a more comprehensive approach to their early years policies to better support children and families and give a real boost to those who need it the most. Investing in the early years is not just a moral imperative; it is an economic and social one. The cost of inaction is too high.”

About a week ago I placed the following on my LinkedIn feed.

“It is perplexing how often we toss the word leader around especially in the political realm. Many of our so called “political leaders” in both Canada and the United States are far from leaders. They have power, financial backing and authority, but they do not have many of the core leadership traits that we really need. We are living in a leadership vacuum politically. There are few “leaders” that demonstrate compassion, show empathy and live humbly. Brashness, egotistical and downright rude seem to be descriptors of many. In a world that has become so angry and with no longer any real sense of community, this is where true leadership has to shine. Unfortunately, we deserve what we get. We allow people with power, money, and authority to make decisions that we should never accept. But…we do! This is not about being left or right but rather what is right or wrong. It is time for us to respectfully demand more from our leaders.”

Since writing this short post, there have been numerous posts and articles highlighting true leadership abilities. Organizational success begins with a cohesive vision of many not of only one. It is enhanced with collaboration, humility, and openness to diverse thoughts and opinions. It is “eco-centric” not egocentric.

In my work assisting boards evaluating their superintendent not once have I heard, “I sure wish he/she was more of an a**hole!” Every board understands that relationships are critical to nurture, integrity is essential, and compassion and empathy are non-negotiable for their leader. And the higher the relational trust, the tougher the conversations can be had, and the more difficult decisions can be made. Accountability is high, but not simply because of positional authority, it is always about and through leadership.

At one time management was enough to deal with a complicated world. But our world is not longer just complicated, it is complex, and leaders are required. The boss mentality of yester years is insufficient today. We need leaders!

I will be speaking at the upcoming uLead 2025 pre-conference on the topic, “Leading from the Classroom Out.”  The premise of my presentation is that leadership is not a position, and positional authority has little to do with true leadership. Leaders throughout an organization are required to move away from the notion that it is about a single position. It will always be about leadership of which we seldom see in our political leaders of today. What a sad statement but also how true!!!

Many years ago, I had the pleasure of working closely with Wayne Hulley. In one of his keynote presentations, he began with some thought provoking statements. It certainly got the audience thinking and was an excellent “starter.”  Since then, I’ve often used a similar format to help set the stage. Last week while working in northern Alberta, I began my workshop with some thought provoking statements and a short commentary on each. I know I can attribute number 2 directly to Wayne, while the others are statements, I’ve previously heard or edited for my liking along the way. Here they are:

1. Change rarely happens on your preferred timetable!
   • Wouldn’t life be so much better if the changes required happened when you wanted them to happen? The assumption so many change leaders make is that the change required will automatically improve the situation. Change is difficult, as we are asking people to move away from their norm. While the individual at the forefront of the change may see the many benefits, that is rarely the universal view. While change requires persistence, it also requires time, and it is seldom on the timetable you wish.
2. When the horse dies, dismount! Don’t drag it!
   • How often do we stick with something that hasn’t worked for a significant period of time? The horse has died but we just want to keep on dragging it with the belief it will miraculously revive itself and we will be back in the saddle again. When something consistently doesn’t work, we need to do something different. Albert Einstein’s famous quote, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results” applies here. It is important to review all practices and ensure they are moving you forward and if not, just stop!
3. The speed of trust and the depth of relationship will impact the pace of change!
   • We’ve already established that change is difficult. The level of trust within an organization and the depth of relationships will always impact the pace of change. When there are strong relationships and a trusting environment, change can be accelerated. Without, there is an awful lot of feet dragging and for good reason. If you want change to be quickened, make sure trust and relationships are high.
4. If you’re not vulnerable you can’t lead well!
   • Unfortunately, so many leaders, especially political leaders, walk around with great bravado and people assume that is leadership. One of the most underrated leadership skills is the ability to be and show vulnerability. Brene Brown is masterful about talking about the importance of vulnerability in leadership and life in general. Her book should probably be part of every leadership course or at the very least a view of her TEDx talk should be mandated.
5. Life happens whether you want it to or not!
   • There may be a time that the sun doesn’t rise everyday but not now. Life happens and that is just how it is. While there may be many things that we can be proactive about, there are things that are out of our control. Deal within your circle of influence, because outside of our circle, is going to happen period!
6. Until you look at your own behaviour and actions, don’t point fingers!
   • So often we point a finger at someone or something without recognizing that we have three fingers pointing back at ourselves. We’ve really developed into a blame society and a sense that it is everybody else’s fault. What we need is more self leadership, which is about self awareness, self control and self reflection. There is no doubt people commit terrible acts against others and the blame is accurately aimed. But in many cases, reactions and re-behaviours are a result of our first action and behaviour. Be aware of your own behaviour and actions first.
7. Positions are temporary. Ranks and titles are limited. But the way you treat people will always be remembered.
   • There is probably no more important trait in leadership than the ability to foster effective relationships. The unfortunate part of this is that people think that being relational is a weakness and leads to poor and indecisive decisions. Relational people still make tough decisions, but they always do it with compassion and empathy. It is not about being friends but rather being friendly. Strong relational leaders will always be remembered fondly and likely will have been part of our directly led some of the greatest innovations in the organizations.

Sometimes it is important to “stir the pot” and allow participants to think outside of their own perceptions, opinions and beliefs. That is why some thought provoking statements can be an excellent opener for your next workshop or presentation.

I woke up early this morning with cascading thoughts on what I wanted to write about this week. Some of my desire to share comes simply from my desire to share, while there is also a certain amount of frustration that I need to “write” out!

Let’s begin with a statement that I used to make when I met with parents whether that be at engagement evenings or school council meetings, “The education you received may have been good enough for you, but it is certainly not good enough for your children.” And this is not a slight on our educators today or even our leaders, it is just simply the box we’ve been put into and how we tend to respond.

The reason I used that statement so often was to assist parents to understand that the education system that they grew up with and was their norm, didn’t support the students of today. Ultimately, we should want better! But since the norm, the widespread or usual practice, procedure, or custom of “school” is so engrained in our society, we often like to just do better at the wrong thing.

Part of the issue is that governments usually have little foresight or willingness to shake things up especially if it is contrary to their voting public. Instead, they add a couple of new revolutionary ideas (not really) but play to the masses of “the good old days.” They increase standardized testing, add accountability and expand an already burdensome curriculum without “in real dollars” adding financial support. And when results don’t change, they don’t look for the root causes which may force them to rethink their views but rather, increase standardized testing, add accountability and expand an already burdensome curriculum without “in real dollars” adding financial support.

The result is that systems react and stay pretty central in the confines of the box established. While there are some innovative practices throughout systems, the box we operate in continues to be a limitation for more. I had the luxury of leading a smaller school division for 11 years, situated a long way from the provincial capital. It allowed me and more importantly the staff to think creatively, learn, unlearn, relearn and welcome innovation. While I still had to play by the rules within the box, I was able to get to the outer limits, stretch it a little and sometimes, even break out of the box. Part of my time as superintendent was during the Government of Alberta’s Inspiring Education where our goal was to develop “Engage Thinkers, Ethical Citizens with an Entrepreneurial Spirit.”

How I wish for those days again in our schools. Why…because it was countercultural, it was against the norm and most importantly it was about “educating students for their future and not our past. The box was certainly bigger back then and there were actual partnerships between government and superintendent, trustee, parent and teacher organizations. It wasn’t perfect but it allowed for a hard look at what the graduate of 2030 would require to be successful. Standardized testing and accountability were still present but formative assessment and assurance were heightened and programs like AISI (Alberta Initiative for School Improvement) allowed for new research to enhance and improve teaching and learning.

People that don’t want any change and people who want change but are unwilling to change keep the system box pretty small.

I have little hope that any government will innovate on a large scale, but I do believe that leaders committed to improving the educational experience for students and enhancing teaching and learning can at the very least move to the outer limits and stretch the norm. Education is no longer just complicated it is extremely complex and without creative solutions, we will keep climbing a ladder that is on the wrong wall!

Today marks my 5-year retirement anniversary as Superintendent of Schools for Holy Spirit Catholic School Division. Just like today, it was a Sunday, and I remember walking around St. Basil’s Catholic Education Centre one last time before I left my keys on my desk, closed my office door and said goodbye to a place that I will always hold close to my heart.

During those five years, we lived through a pandemic and while many survived, I’m not sure we came out of it very well. While anxiety and anger were heightened during that time, I wrongly expected that they would eventually subside. Oh, how wrong I was! We still continue to be an angry society, a “me” generation and unable to rethink our own decisions, values and opinions. As Adam Grant communicates in his book, “Think Again” we are too busy being preachers, politicians and prosecutors to ever think like scientists and search for the truth especially when it goes against our own belief system. Stay tuned for a future blog on this topic.

What if we tried to be just 1% better each day…just 1%???

While the mental health needs of our students were increasing prior to the pandemic it is soaring out of control now. To complicate the issue, adults are suffering these same anxieties at an alarming rate too! In late 2024 I listened to Senator Stan Kutcher, say the following, “”Well being and wellness has often become not about self care but rather self-indulgence!” We keep setting ourselves up to believe that we should “feel good” all the time. This is problematic especially in our schools with children. Stress is not necessarily a bad thing and the inability for kids and adults to deal with it or worse avoid it is exasperating the problem. To avoid stress and feel good all the time is unrealistic. It is a fantasy! More to follow…

Finally, the last five years has demonstrated that leadership more than ever before is in high demand. We no longer have a complicated education system that needs to be managed but a complexed education system that needs to be led. Never before have we experienced a more complex world both within and outside of our classroom and it can not be simply managed. Returning to Adam Grant’s book, “Think Again” this is where we need leaders to not just learn but unlearn and not just think but rethink. The complexity needs a paradigm shift and not more of the same. Again, look for a future blog post.

Let’s hope that in the next five years we can build a society that is more hopeful, more helpful and more… your wish!

It is pretty unreal that we have already come to the end of 2024. Time certainly passes quickly as you get older but also it passes quickly when life is good. I continue to feel very blessed with the life that my wife Donna and I have and the closeness we have to our own children and our grandchildren.

This past year as been busy (not compared to the life of a superintendent) as I continue to support the work of school boards and board associations. Governance, leadership, strategic planning and evaluations tend to be the focus of my work. A couple of boards have asked me to stretch myself and provide a workshop outside my norm and I’ve certainly appreciated that opportunity. With municipal elections being held in October 2025, I’m expecting a fair amount of work in terms of board orientations. In fact, I already have three dates in my calendar for post election.

It is really affirming to see the work of boards, senior administration and ultimately in the classroom during the most complex times in education. The boards or at least the majority of trustees on boards that I have the pleasure to work with are committed to increasing the governance knowledge, abilities and practices. I appreciate how these boards are interested in being “pushed” to be better and not simply wanting a pat on the back. Kids are too important for governance and administration not to want to improve!

My work has allowed me to travel the province and see the nuances of each community and then how it is reflected in board strategic plans and actions. I’ve also had the pleasure of working in Yellowknife multiple times which is a beauty in itself. Work has also taken me as far west as Kelowna, BC and as far east as Montreal, Quebec. WestJet has become my new best friend!!!

One of my most affirming contracts is with Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council Education Authority (KTCEA). When I first began, my sole work was to act as a board mentor and support effective governance. I’m so proud of their work and in my learning around Indigenous governance and the impact it is having on the students. While I continue to support the work of the board, I’m also working with school and system leaders on instructional practice. One of the highlights in the draft development of specific KTCEA teaching and leadership quality standards. With these documents in hand, school leaders are focused on teaching practice when they are in classrooms. I spend four days a month in schools, working with principals and assisting them in their continued development as instructional leaders.

I still act as an Education Advisor for Nelson Canada and provide about a day a week to support their many products including Edwin. Having experienced Edwin as a superintendent and knowing the lack of quality, safe, curated and curriculum aligned resources, I fully support the implementation of this digital backpack in all divisions across Canada. Simply put, it is a game changer for not only teachers but students too!

Next year looks to be as exciting as this year with a number of contracts in place and others to be finalized shortly. I’m already booked for a couple of presentations at uLead and the Mental Health Summit, which if anybody knows me, is certainly my “jam.”  Anytime I can talk or teach about leadership, I’m all in!

For those wanting to follow me beyond this blog, LinkedIn has become my preferred business social media connection, and I’ve also started an Instagram account @cdsmeatonconsulting. Unfortunately, “X” has not lived up to what “Twitter” was and so I’ve dropped that social media platform.

On a personal note, Donna and I celebrated 41 years of marriage this past year and we love living close and being part of our grandchildren’s lives. We have an athlete and an artist, and both are exceling in school. We had to move my dad into a home this past summer as his dementia was at a point where it was not safe for him to be at home. The transition has gone well for both he and my mom. I can’t be too busy as I played some 50 rounds of golf this past year and as of yesterday, already played 27 games of hockey this season with my old timers crew.

With that, I say goodbye to 2024 and send my best wishes to all for a joyous 2025!