Jun 01

Another Residential School Tragedy

Like any with a heart, the discovery of 215 children in an unmarked gravesite at the Kamloops Residential School hit me hard. I was born in that city and although I didn’t grow up there, I spent almost every summer visiting my grandparents. I knew there was a residential school there and I even attended a midnight mass, when my family was there for Christmas back in the late 60s. The unfortunate part, is that I really didn’t know about residential schools until I was a superintendent beginning in 2009. For almost 50 years I grew up with a belief that residential schools, although not perfect, were overall, a pretty good idea. HOW WRONG I WAS!!!

I remember giving a presentation where I spoke about the very dark history of the government and the Church regarding residential schools. After my talk, one of the attendees approached me to say that all things at the residential school were not bad. Her perspective was that of a teacher in a residential school. While she may have been a very caring and great teacher and there may have been many more who fit that description, the very nature of and reason for residential schools was purely evil! Let’s put things into perspective and go back to the spring of 1883 and read the words of Canada’s first Prime Minister, John A. Macdonald:

“When the school is on the reserve, the child lives with its parents, who are savages. … He is simply a savage who can read and write,” he said, as quoted in the record of debates in the House of Commons. Indian children should be withdrawn as much as possible from the parental influence, and the only way to do that would be to put them in central training industrial schools, where they will acquire the habits and modes of thought of white men.”– Toronto Star

Talk about arrogant white thinking back then and sadly in many people today, it still remains!

It is not ever acceptable to try and eradicate a population. We scream outrage for the extermination of the Jewish people under the Nazi regime and when there are examples of other genocides around the world we protest. But in Canada, where we experienced our own genocide, we “whitewash it” or simply ignore. Even when the history is as evil as the experiences of residential schooling, we need to educate our children in our classrooms. It cannot be swept under the rug like it has for far too long. True truth and reconciliation requires truth first and to present our history from an only very narrow colonial perspective is not helpful for our future generations. When visiting Germany a number of years ago, I was told that as part of the national curriculum, every grade 9 student visited a concentration camp. Germany has a terrible history under Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich but it is remembered for future generations to learn from and not merely omitted in order to save face!

In April 2017, I wrote an article for the Lethbridge Herald entitled, Foundational Knowledge of First Nations, Metis and Inuit. In it I shared how one might feel if their own children were apprehended by authorities and removed from their parents. But let me paint the picture more clear as the uninformed and ignorant would suggest that the removal of those children were for their own sake! We have two grandchildren, ages 5 and 3. They are living a life that is their norm. They have loving parents and extended family. They already have beliefs and traditions they follow and a language they speak. Now imagine that a new government came to power and decided what was best for MY GRANDCHILDREN! What if they simply took them away from everything they know and were told their parents and families were savages, their traditions/beliefs/customs were evil and their language was never to be spoken again? And then, let’s remember that their parents would be jailed if they tried to “rescue” their own children and be further biased simply because of their race!

While it shouldn’t take us getting so personal to see how the residential school system’s goals were so devastating, it might be the only way to get to truth and reconciliation. We have a very dark history in Canada and we can no longer make excuses for the past. Instead, we must acknowledge the attempted genocide of our indigenous people and ensure that the truth is taught in our schools.

215 children! The youngest child found was just 3 years old. How is that not close to home and how can anyone not be on the side of change!

May 02

Maybe we should talk about curriculum!!!

I’ve sat on this blog post for weeks now, but figured it was probably time to get my viewpoint out on curriculum. I would never consider myself an expert, but I’ve been well involved over the years in working with Alberta Education, as part of numerous teams overseeing the development and/or implementation of new curriculum. That said, I’m unapologetic in saying I know a hell of a lot more than people like David Staples! For expert analysis of the draft K-6 curriculum being considered by this government, I would suggest checking out the works of Dr. Robin Bright, Dr. Richelle Marynowski or Dr. Carla Peck. Each of these content and pedagogical experts provide excellent reviews without much partisan politics. I’ve worked with two of the three and have great respect for their expertise.

Rather than be specific about this draft, I intend to make some broad strokes about curriculum. First of all, curriculum needs to prepare students for their future and not our past. Knowledge is not the same thing as understanding and a curriculum based solely on “facts” does nothing to prepare students for an ever changing future. This does not mean that foundational skills in literacy and numeracy are not essential. In fact, it is highly critical that students have a sturdy foundation in “reading, writing and arithmetic.” However, students and ultimately society cannot function with that superficial level of curriculum. A more robust curriculum where students are taught to infer, think critically, problem solve and ultimately know how to learn is where one must go!

One of the best examples of forward thinking for curriculum development was initiated by former Education Minister and 15th Premier of Alberta, David Hancock, as part of Inspiring Education. The goal was to develop students who were “Engaged Thinkers, Ethical Citizens with an Entrepreneurial Spirit.” Now that is forward thinking! Unfortunately, the “Ministerial Order on Student Learning” that followed that vision didn’t align with the curriculum at the time. However, the notion of being innovative in the classroom and looking for ways to better support a focus on competencies, improved student engagement and a stronger commitment to inclusive learning was born. These are some of the major pieces that we should be looking at when developing curriculum! It has to move students and ultimately society forward rather than maintaining the status quo or worse taking a step back into the dark ages.

Any curriculum developed needs to be age appropriate. It is unethical to demand students to learn concepts when they are not intellectually ready. There is a reason that toy manufacturers put ages on their products. I watched my own grandson become frustrated with a toy given to him as a gift because it was beyond his development. This is especially important in the early years. Children are born with a natural curiousity and some of the quickest ways to destroy it are to provide no choice, unbending structure and non-age appropriateness. Discovery, (which seems to be a swear word when you add it with math) is a wonderful way for children to begin to learn. And dare I say…play is serious learning! Learning is on a continuum with some students excelling at different ages and stages of life. It makes organizational sense to set students up in cohorts based on their ages (grades) but it makes no sense from a pedagogy perspective. That however, is a blog for another time but regardless, curriculum must be designed to support the research on child development.

New curriculum must also be aware of limits on outcomes. While I still believe in the process of large scale stakeholder input, everybody’s wishes can’t be taught in schools. That was probably my greatest frustration working on curriculum development teams where someone from a stakeholder group would insist on the inclusion of an outcome before signing off. I applaud the addition of financial literacy into the new curriculum (even though it is already in the current curriculum) but then what is deleted to allocate that time. We already have too many outcomes forcing teachers to cover curriculum rather than allow time for “deep learning.” High end students may be able to keep up with that pace but we’ve built a system (not perfect yet) that is to be based on inclusion and therefore, learning should be the non-negotiable, not time. If we really want learning to be the non-negotiable, we need to scale down the number of outcomes and give time for students to learn deeply. Less curricular outcomes may also allow students time to explore their interests which really improves engagement.

I want to go back to a curriculum for inclusion. One of the loudest cries for the “back to the basics” move is because Alberta student results have plummeted. I would say that is an exaggeration at best and possibly closer to a lie. But let’s assume that our results have either dipped slightly or at worse remained relatively the same. What other measures are we looking at to evaluate our system because if it is just marks from standardized tests we are woefully lacking in a full understanding. An important fact, is that we successfully educate more students today than ever before and allow them to write those exams. Years ago, students who would not do well on those exams would be exempted or “missing on that day!” Now, as long as it is not harmful for the child, opportunities for those exams are welcomed even though government officials and so called education media evangelists lament at the crisis in our classrooms. Given a harsh accountability system, schools and divisions accepted the intense practice of streaming kids even though it never promoted a more inclusive environment. While I’m a firm believer of being data informed, I’ve learned that there is always a story behind the data and more importantly being “data driven” should never be in conflict with the move toward increased inclusion.

Finally and this is critical, curriculum must instill a better sense of community. In other words, it must help children and future generations understand diversity and combat against racism. This has never more evident in Canada than with our indigenous people. There are recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that speak specifically to education. The new standards for teachers, leaders and superintendents all have a specific competency to support our First Nations, Metis and Inuit students, families and communities. We cannot have another generation of students grow up not knowing the negative impact of residential schools or not understanding the truth of our history even as horrific as it is, period! And the Black Lives Movement is not just for our neighbours south of us, it is here in Canada too! We talk about building better communities into the future and that must start by acknowledging our grievous errors in history within our curriculum.

Alberta has had a rich history of excellent curriculum and outstanding results. While I’ve not always agreed with all party politics, I cannot say anything negative about the curriculum development of previous governments until now! I’m a retired superintendent and that means, I don’t have children in school anymore but I will have grandchildren entering next year and in two years. I want them to be fully engaged in school and to simply love to learn. I don’t want them to just regurgitate knowledge that they acquire but rather to shift their minds as below. Curriculum needs to be for our children’s needs NOT our own!

7 Competencies for Deep Learning | A Parents' Guide to 21st Century Learning

Apr 11

High School Programming Now and into the Future

Last week, I had the pleasure of moderating a C21 Canada webinar entitled, “The A, B, Cs of High School Programming.” The webinar featured five Superintendents/Directors from across Canada. The two main questions that framed the discussion were:

  1. What pandemic opportunities have occurred in high school/secondary program models that encourage a deeper look at pedagogy? 
  2. What challenges or barriers need to be overcome to further implementation?

There were a few common themes from all of the speakers with the first being the implementation of a blended learning strategy. While we’ve highlighted for years the importance of technology in the classroom (virtual or not), the pandemic has acted as an accelerator to infuse its use into current pedagogy. High quality digital resources and platforms throughout this pandemic have been essential in continuing the learning journey of students. Pedagogy that leverages effective education technology cannot be seen going forward simply as “nice to have” but for the sake of future generations, it must be a “NEED TO HAVE.”

This need or the equity issue was another theme that crisscrossed through the country. When students are in school and in class, the equity issue is somewhat addressed. It is not perfect because most public schools do not have the ability to offer 1 to 1 continually, but until ALL students have access to a device during ALL hours of school, it won’t be. However, the inequities became blatantly obvious when students weren’t in the school. Marginalized populations without devices or internet access or both were highly disadvantaged when schools went to at home learning. One province, had the leadership (with some cajoling) to implement a full BYOD program for all high school students. While connectivity may still be an issue, having devices in all students’ hands is certainly a great move forward. The bottom line however, is that governments need to support this type of approach if we truly want equity throughout our systems. Where you live should not define high quality learning!

The last theme that was prevalent might be best described as an increase in flexibility in programming and for student voice and choice. The increase of outdoor learning activities was music to my ears. Real life and practical experiences amplifies student engagement and improves learning results. Many divisions have also altered schedules to better fit student needs with structural changes like alternate day attendance or quarter system timetabling. One concern that I’m well aware of is that just because you change the structure doesn’t necessarily mean that innovation is automatic. What this flexibility is truly about is increased student voice and choice and improved pedagogy with the assistance of technology. All of these moves supports the work of Daniel Pink who suggested that motivation comes from increased autonomy, mastery and purpose. Many of the approaches to high school programming are now addressing these three characteristics in one form or another.

Motivation - Conversion Uplift

We know, or at least we should know, that returning to what we used to do in high school programming post pandemic is not acceptable. As I’ve suggested in an earlier post, the window for change will only be open during this time and one of the challenges all of the leaders shared is the fear that we go back to the “normal” when the pandemic is over. The gains made during this pandemic in regards to modern learning and digital platforms cannot be lost. It would be extremely disheartening if the way we used to do things returns and the lessons learned are lessons lost.

Continuous improvement is always a goal of systems, schools and professionals and what I saw and heard from these leaders, it is certainly occurring in their areas. Well done!

Apr 05

Leadership and the rules of the game

A couple of weeks ago, veteran NHL referee Tim Peel was caught on a live microphone wanting to call a penalty on a team. He was subsequently released as the NHL believed strongly that the integrity of the game was at stake. There has been a lot of discussion on his punishment and whether it was warranted or not. “Even up” calls are not unheard of in sports; it is just that they are typically not as blatant as this one given the live microphone.

Everybody has an opinion on the issue but one comment that I heard during Saturday Night Hockey was in regards to the difference between calling the game black or white or managing the game. The best referees seem to manage the game and are almost invisible. I find that those who like adherence to strict rules, hence it is or it isn’t a penalty, only favour this position when it is beneficial for their team. If officials were instructed to call everything that they saw, sporting events would be dragged down to a snail’s pace and the entertainment value would be lacking to say the least. There are blatant infractions that will always need to be called and good referees know when, but they also know when to “put away their whistles too!”

The same can be said about leaders. Most poor leaders live in an either/or world because it is easier. The tight structure of right or wrong provides them the ability to lead without any emotional intelligence. Their mentality is, “You cross the line, you pay the price!” Many old style managers held this tyrannical type of leadership as their way to control. They tend to use the excuse that such rigidity is fair, yet we know that fair is not always equal. Plus, a lack of grey in their decision making contradicts what is most appreciated in leadership qualities, relationship!

I’ve often talked about how difficult it is to be an effective leader because you have to live in the grey and still be consistent in your approaches and decisions. Grey doesn’t mean wishy washy but rather an understanding that the threshold may be slightly different depending on the situation. Leaders know that there are the untouchables and they usually are around breaking the law or for organizations, ignoring a collective agreement. But breaking the law and bending the rules are very different. Organizations only improve when their people have some freedom to step outside of the line and try something new. Either/or leaders don’t allow that type of culture to develop and flourish.

Most rules have some flexibility and as leaders, it is critical to implore that flexibility for the sake of the organization and the people within. Bending rules for self is never acceptable but for the benefit of others, that is part of a leader’s job. Most people, like most fans want “black or white” when it suits them, but true leaders see grey in just about everything. In some instances, the threshold may be a little wider than in others and in others there is no options. As a gifted leader you need to name your untouchables (those that you have no tolerance for) and be transparent with your thresholds. Your people need to see your consistency (even in the grey) and that will provide them with confidence in your leadership.

Mar 21

The future of professional development

I was most interested following my social media feeds during virtual Teachers’ Conventions this year. The pandemic has certainly changed the way that professional development has been offered. There will be an end to the pandemic but with that end, what will become of professional development as we know it?

I remember one of the first posts I read, “Went to three sessions today. One great, one okay and the other terrible!” That comment could have been just as easily posted for a normal in-person conference. Virtual or not, the content or speaker or even the technology can make or break the satisfaction level. Most of the comments however, seemed to talk about the relaxed atmosphere and especially with the recorded sessions, the ability to hit pause and grab a bite to eat, something to drink or hit the washroom without waiting in line!!! Some people expressed disappointment with not being able to see friends and colleagues from different schools and divisions and just the lack of energy that large crowds gathered can instill. Regardless, the virtual component of education will require some deep thought coming out of this pandemic.

As a superintendent, I loved the opportunity to get all of our staff together in one place. It reinforced the community aspect that I believed was essential in maintaining a strong culture. I always tried to position myself near an entrance so that I could interact with as many staff members as possible. My preference as a superintendent and as a presenter has always been live and in person. I love the excitement, the energy and the ability to read the body language of those who I’m presenting to and learning with. But that is my preference and from that angle… Having also been involved from the other side and not presenting, the comforts of my home office are also pretty nice.

We have heard for years that professional development does not have cookie cutter solution. One size does not fit all! But at the same time, a smorgasbord of options is usually impractical and highly expensive. You just can’t have enough sessions to satisfy everyone! There are times when you need all staff to hear the same message and learn the same thing, in person or virtual, and there are times when the choice of professional development both what and how it is delivered are paramount. We live in a world that seems to gravitate to an either/or paradigm when we know that and/both is most often the best way forward. A blended approach where some face to face in person is offered, virtual components and on your own time must be the way that we offered professional development now and into the future.

If the pandemic has taught us one thing in education, it is that we can’t just simply go back to the ways things used to be. We know that from a teaching of students perspective and we need to understand that from a teaching of adults too! I like my virtual meetings/webinars where I don’t have to travel but I also miss those personal interactions. The question will always revolve around when to offer each because solely one or the other cannot be the way. We need to find a balanced blended approach to ensure high quality professional development is the rule and not the exception and that will be the future!

Feb 18

Schedule the important

A number of years ago I was introduced to a daily blog entitled “Leadership Freak.” The author, Dan Rockwell’s tag line is, “Empowering leaders 300 words at a time.” I’ve shared the link to many of my colleagues, as well as to former students of graduate classes who I taught. When time is tight, which it always seems to be for leaders, it is welcomed to gain some great insights in this 3 minute read.

Earlier this week, Dan wrote the following blog: The Urgency Illusion: Are You Running Around With Your Hair On Fire? Here’s Why? The premise of the blog was understanding the difference between important and urgent in relationship to tasks. While distinguishing between important and urgent is essential in the world of leadership, it has great parallels in many aspects of life as well. Point in case, I referenced the visual below in a faith presentation I did earlier this week.

Everyone moves through these quadrants during different times of the day or week. From my perspective, if you stay in the first quadrant very long, you are in crisis mode and headed toward burnout. If everything is important and urgent, then you are not likely managing your priorities well or not allowing your team members to be involved in tasks. Successful leaders try not to spend an inordinate amount of time in Quadrant #1. They also don’t live in the fourth quadrant often, as it is neither healthy nor productive.

However, for the purpose of this blog post, focusing on Quadrant #2 is my main topic. Scheduling the important needs to be almost non-negotiable for leaders. Without that commitment, urgent takes over and not only do your priorities slide away but your organization sees a detour in what you deem as important.

What is important in your words must be followed by what is important in your actions.

As a Superintendent of Schools, I believed that being visible in schools and the work of instructional leadership were important. Meetings in my world had the potential to consume my days if I didn’t block off time to get out of the office and into our schools. I wouldn’t say that my schedule was inflexible, but it was important to me that once I provided it weekly to trustees, school and system administration, only major emergencies could derail it. It was seldom urgent to get into a school but it was always important! My scheduling of the important also provided role modeling for my colleague administrators and mostly eliminated the excuse, “I don’t have time!”

Any task, that you deem important must be scheduled or it gets lost quite quickly in the busyness of the day. Quiet time, prayer time, getting exercise, going to church or even spending time with a loved one needs to be scheduled, especially if you are a busy person.

Emergencies and crisis come up, but it is not sustainable to be constantly putting out fires. Leaders and ultimately everyone needs to ensure they know what is important in their lives and jobs and then schedule around those priorities. Commit whenever possible to living in Quadrant #2 and enjoy your important schedule!

Feb 05

Ambition vs. Leadership

I love reading nuggets from Simon Sinek. His quotes and books on leadership have certainly been influential in my life as a leader and on my ongoing development of leaders. Recently, I came across the quote below from his Linkedin account causing me to be reflective on not only my own career but on those who I’ve mentored (or not) or simply those I watched grow.

Although I’ve titled this blog post “Ambition vs. Leadership” it is not so much as an either/or decision. To be a successful leader, you need both! However, I think many of our leaders today focus more on their own ambition rather than on the true requirement of leadership, which is to serve others.

I climbed the education ladder fairly quickly. I went into school administration at 29, entered system administration at 39 and took on the role of Superintendent of Schools, which I held for 11 years, at the age of 47. While I loved teaching (and still do), my desire to move into administration was to have a larger impact on more students. Ambition drove me to obtain a graduate degree, enroll in numerous leadership courses to better myself, but the reason for pursuing administration was always about making a difference in the lives of students. Taking a page from Sinek, I always knew my why. I’d be pretty arrogant if I stated that I consistently knew my what and how or that I was never wrong in my leadership, but I did always know my why! While I’ve met a few educational leaders who lean more toward ambition than leadership, the list is small.

Strictly ambitious people are often more worried about title, rank and power. They tend to focus more on the position and less about how the position supports others. In my words…

“Leadership is a journey. Ambition is a destination!”

In Sinek’s…

Image result for simon sinek quotes on leadership

Serving others, while we believe we all do it, is just not that common in our world today. That is likely why leadership is harder than simple ambition and why we truly have so few aspirational leaders around the world or even in our own backyards. As I’ve written before, “If leadership was easy, we’d all do it!”

My point isn’t to unjustly dismiss ambition, as there are many great examples of the need for it. But ambition alone, is not enough to establish anybody as a true selfless leader.

In Alberta, municipal elections are a little over 8 months from now. Those elected positions NEED people who care about the act of leadership- serving others and not about their own personal gain and recognition. Leaders, regardless of whether they are elected, appointed or hired, need to understand that their role can never be about themselves but rather about those they serve. Don’t give up your desire to succeed if you want to lead, but always remember what your why is and that is to always serve others!

Jan 28

Supporting wellness through instructional leadership

In all three Alberta quality standards, Teaching, Leadership and Superintendent, the first competency focuses on relationships. That should not come as a surprise, since education is a people business. Indicators highlight fairness, respect, integrity and a genuine concern for staff and students. The Leadership Quality Standard has a specific indicator that speaks directly to the importance of health and wellness.

” Demonstrating a commitment to the health and well-being of all teachers, staff and students.”

This competency and these types of indicators were established pre-pandemic, demonstrating the importance of effective relationship building. However, it is safe to say that their importance has risen sharply in this COVID stage of education.

I was recently involved in a cross country dialogue with ERDI that featured Dr. Catherine Zahn. Dr. Zahn is the current President and CEO of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). It was affirming to hear her talk about strategies for supporting mental health that many in school and system leadership typically do as standard practice. Certainly connecting with your staff and students is central to ensuring that they feel valued and supported. The importance of demonstrating empathy and ensuring accountability of behaviour were mentioned, as well as understanding the role of stress and grief in our workplaces. Key for all, but especially leaders who understand the significance of service to others is finding ways to renew oneself. Leaders can’t give what they don’t have so, they need to support their own health too!

While her keynote didn’t specifically address teacher practice, a follow up small group discussion spoke about the link between it and wellness. I was proud to hear from a respected colleague of mine, here in Alberta, who said clearly that instructional leadership continued to be a focus in her division. It is (and has been) my strong contention that a focus on instructional practice is especially important during this time and fits hand in glove with a commitment to the wellness of staff and students. Let me explain.

This past year, the education world has been turned upside down. From the many switches of in-school to at home learning and back, to the constant “threat” of positive cases within a school community, educators have been required to be more nimble in their instruction than ever before. It has become their new normal and is vastly foreign from the way most use to teach pre-pandemic. With that in mind, why wouldn’t leaders commit to supporting teachers in their instructional practice? This pandemic has taken many teachers far our of their comfort zones and without support many can be left fledgling alone…not really very good for wellness!

Instructional leadership often takes a bad rap because it is wrongly linked to evaluation. Supervision of instruction (a term I don’t really like) or rather coaching (as I prefer) is essential to addressing teacher practice, ultimately improving instruction and developing stronger efficacy. My experience as a retired superintendent working with school leaders and current coaching sessions has proven invaluable in stabilizing teachers’ fears about the process and building more resilience and adaptability in the classroom. Teachers who feel that they are making a difference in their students’ lives tend to demonstrate a more positive outlook and that is why wellness and instructional leadership are so closely linked.

Instructional leadership should not be seen as negative and should never be employed as punishment. It is an essential component of what school and system leaders should do, and especially now, cannot be placed on the back burner until the timing is better. Leaders who schedule this practice consistently into their calendar and do so in a mode of support are assisting their teachers in ways that they should. Who a child’s teacher is, matters, and so developing the practice of all teachers through a non-threatening coaching model improves learning and supports the well-being of both teacher and student. Now is not the time, to limit your instructional leadership practice. Healthy, confident and adaptable teachers are required, especially now, and while some can achieve those capabilities without support, most cannot. Be the leader that “demonstrates a commitment to the health and well-being of all teachers, staff and students” by excelling in the practice of instructional leadership.

For more information on the coaching process please read the following blog post, Supporting Principals as Instructional Leaders or contact me directly as cdsmeaton@gmail.com

Jan 12

If leadership was easy, we’d all do it!

It is hard to not find articles, editorials or social media posts on leadership abilities in our world today. Everybody seems to have an opinion and most often, “they” seem to articulate a negative perspective of the job being done. We have witnessed some of the worst leadership internationally, nationally and provincially during this pandemic, but to be fair, we’ve also witnessed some of the very best in this time of crisis. Unfortunately, we focus much more on the negative aspects of leadership instead of holding high and celebrating the many positive impacts of great leaders.

While I certainly don’t support many of the recent decisions made by government officials, I also need to recognize that we are in a crisis currently and not everybody can lead in a crisis. But maybe even more important, is that leadership is extremely difficult and not everyone can be a leader. Arm chair critics usually have no “skin in the game” and so it is easy for them to condemn decisions made by leaders.

What most of those arm chair critics fail to realize is that put in the same position they would likely fail miserably and in fact, have outcomes far less desirable than the current state.

I think there is a right to expect our leaders to act with honesty and integrity, be focused on service, not self-serving and not have an arrogant attitude. Those characteristics should be cornerstone to our leaders and if not evident, then we should be vocal (respectably) about our displeasure. But there is a difference between addressing character flaws and simply attacking someone because of a tough decision needing to be made.

Leaders, always need to make tough decisions and some are just not that popular…period! Poor leaders tend to make poor decisions and worse, weak leaders make no decisions. The unfortunate part of this is that while we may be frustrated with our leadership, most of the public would be poor or weak leaders at best! Opposition parties in politics tend to get voted out of power because they weren’t that good either!!!

In most cases, leadership like many roles in life are experiential, you have to live in them before you truly understand them. Have you ever heard a non-parent give a parent advice on raising his/her own children? The general public loves to comment on what they believe a teacher does on a daily basis simply because they’ve gone to school and you know how that is received. There are exceptions, but getting advice from one who has “not walked a mile in your shoes” tends to ring pretty hollow.

One of the advantages I had as a Superintendent of Schools is that I’d experienced the life of a teacher from K-12, taught provincial achievement test and diploma exam classes, been both a vice principal and principal as well as held a number of different portfolios in senior administration. All those experiences didn’t make me an expert but certainly provided me with a first hand look at the positions and ultimately the decisions required at the level. Even my closest colleagues didn’t fully understand the complexity of my role because they had not lived it.

So while I don’t believe we should tolerate the bad behaviour we have witnessed in some of our political or other leaders, I also don’t believe we should simply hang them out to dry because they are making tough decisions. If we want better leaders, we need to provide them an opportunity to be vulnerable and allow them to say a mistake has been made without crucifying them. Any of us would want the same given the option. So I think we should continue to be hold our leaders and politicians to a high standard but always through a fair lens. Pointing fingers when you really have no idea what the magnitude of the position is…well that’s just ignorant… which by the way is a trait you’d not approve of for yourself as a leader!

Jan 03

My Retirement Year in Review

Today, January 3, 2021 marks the first anniversary of my retirement as Superintendent of Schools of Holy Spirit Catholic School Division. I must admit, I’ve done retirement pretty well, much to the surprise of many, including our two children who thought I would be back working within three months. While there have been some offers to be busier, I’ve chosen to remain fairly unstructured in terms of a work life.

The truth is that I’m loving retirement and all of the “free” time it has provided. That is not to say that I did not enjoy my almost 35 year career in education and couldn’t wait to get out. Quite the contrary, I loved my work, especially leading a school division for my last 10+ years. I’m filled with much satisfaction as I look back on my career. Did I complete everything I wanted…hell no, but I was able to accomplish much working with some incredible people throughout my tenure as lead learner. That is not to say that I didn’t have a few sour notes along the way but, I will always believe that those hiccups made me a stronger person and a better leader overall.

I gave my notice to the division a full year ahead of my retirement date. It allowed the Board of Trustees time to search for my replacement and me time to transition and work alongside the new leader. My decision came with my realization that while I still loved the job, I knew I was coming closer to ending my ability to keep up with the intense pace required. I always maintained that you should retire while you are still at the top of your game and will be missed rather than be despised because you stayed too long. Sticking around without being able to keep up with the demands of the job would have been unfair to the entire division, especially the committed staff, who always gave me their best.

So in a nutshell, I don’t miss the job and especially not during this pandemic. Teacher organizations have rightly affirmed the great work of principals and other school leaders during this time but often, central office leaders are left with few accolades for their work. I had great success as a superintendent and received many affirmations throughout but I really do not believe that I could lead any better than what system leaders are doing today. I still keep connected both provincially and nationally and what I’ve witnessed by superintendents/directors and other system leaders has been truly remarkable. Well done!

While I don’t miss the job, I do miss some of the work especially around coaching and instructional leadership. It is my strong belief that the system we put in place around coaching and the standards was possibly the best work to enhance instructional practice. It affirmed the professional and focused on reflective practice. I’ve done some minor work with a few school leaders around this process and the feedback continues to be positive. This might be one avenue of work I pursue once this pandemic subsides.

My wife is often asked how I fill my days given the long hours I worked pre-retirement? I was probably most worried about not having a set schedule in retirement as I have always been a routine person. The truth is, I found a schedule that was flexible and allowed me to attend to new priorities, namely home. Simply having three meals a day with my wife, going for daily walks and yes, yard work have all been a welcomed change. And now, that we live in the same city as our grandchildren, their presence is most precious!

I always had the love of family as a priority in my life but I didn’t ensure time with my family as that same priority. Thank goodness my wife Donna understood my work commitments and provided the support I needed to do my job well. Most importantly she kept the home fires warm and safe and our family intact. Whenever I had the opportunity to affirm my leadership team’s spouses, I did, because I knew how much support they provided to the work that we all did. Donna was so exceptional in the support she provided, that even my Board of Trustees expressed their gratitude to her on numerous occasions.

So now, I get to spend more time with her and we have the blessing of being part time caregivers for our grandchildren. Grammy and Grandpa daycare is a pretty rewarding gig and so while I may do some coaching work in the future, it will never again be at the expense of time with my wife and family!