Professional Learning Sessions
Indigenous Leadership Series
This program will provide professional learning cohort opportunities to further participant's growth and leadership capacities. Please see the Indigenous Leadership overview for more information and the 2024-25 program dates.
2024-25 Virtual Sessions
All sessions will be from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. on the session date. A Zoom link will be sent to all participants the day before session.
Please note that registration closes two days before each session date
Session 1, Sep 27/24: Generative AI in Schools
Chris and colleagues from West Vancouver will share promising approaches to using emerging artificial intelligence tools in classrooms as well as policy considerations for schools and districts.
Chris Kennedy has been superintendent of schools in West Vancouver since 2009. In 2016, Kennedy was named Canada’s Educational Technology K-12 Leader of the Year. He completed his Doctorate in Education at the University of Kansas in 2021 and Mindshare Learning named him as one of the Top 23 Newsmakers of the Year in Learning and Technology for 2023. He currently serves as the BCSSA Rep on the Ministry of Education and Child Care's Technical Table for AI.
Session 2, Oct 11/24: Strategic Planning and Observable Impact
All our strategic plans have lofty goals, but it can be hard to see the actual impact in our schools and classrooms. Peter will give a tour of the Observable Impact planning model and show how the Qualicum School District is aligning classroom plans, school plans, and operational plans with the district strategic plan, and how they are creating ways to see, gauge, and guide success.
Peter Jory has worked in six school districts across British Columbia and is currently the superintendent of the Qualicum School District. Peter is known for data-driven decision making, enthusiasm for the BC Curriculum, and for supporting leaders in doing what is right rather than what is good. His B.Ed and M.Ed are from the University of Victoria, and his Ed.D is from the University of Kansas.
Session 3, Nov 8/24: Continuing to Move Inclusive Education Forward
Our thinking around inclusive education continues to shift and expand, but a gap remains between our beliefs and our actions when it comes to consistently providing inclusive environments. This session will look at inclusive education through the lens of learner support and special education, focusing on how district decisions are made when it comes to aligning policy and practice. We will look at key legislative and policy requirements and recommendations will be provided on considerations for supporting the work to continue to move inclusive education forward in your district.
Cathy van der Mark is a recently retired Director of Instruction, Inclusive Education. Most of her 33 years as an educator in BC were spent working at the classroom, school, district, and provincial level helping to move the system along the continuum of inclusive education.
Session 4, Dec 6/24: An Intersectional Approach towards District Leadership
Balan will discuss the importance of having an intersectional approach to inclusive education and addressing the needs of marginalized communities. By sharing his research findings and insights which captures the voices and experiences of Indigenous women in our educational system, Balan will provide system leaders with practical strategies and tools to lead their schools and districts with an approach that is aligned with the principles of inclusive education and equity.
Balan Moorthy is an experienced educational leader with a PhD in education focusing on truth and reconciliation, anti-racism, and equity. With a deep understanding of the challenges and complexities facing system leaders in today's diverse and inclusive education landscape, Balan is dedicated to helping leaders navigate these challenges effectively.
Session 5, Jan 10/25: Wellness and Leadership: Cultivating Healthy and Effective Leaders
This presentation aims to empower leaders with the knowledge and tools to prioritize their well-being, build resilience, and foster a supportive and healthy work environment. Participants will leave with practical strategies to enhance their personal wellness and lead more effectively, aligned with the BCSSA Spirit of Leadership Competencies.
In her role as Deputy Superintendent of Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School District, Cheryl is deeply committed to her work in the areas Aboriginal Education, Equity and Racial Inclusivity, Compassionate Systems and Social and Emotional Learning. Her twenty-seven years in education have provided her with a breadth of learning and leading experiences from elementary to secondary. Throughout these years Cheryl has focused on strengthening educator and student learning by leading professional development opportunities, leadership workshops, and deepening student voice. Central to all her work is fostering a collaborative culture and aligning district decisions with strategic goals to support all learners.
Cheryl's passion for lifelong learning extends to her colleagues, creating growth opportunities within the educational community. Her strategic leadership, grounded in integrity, compassionate systems, and a visionary mindset, aims to enhance student and staff wellness, promote equity, and drive systemic change.
Session 6, Feb 7/25: Resistance, Resilience & Renaissance: The Full Measure of Black History in Our Schools
How do classrooms in your district deal with Black history? As system leaders dedicated to stewarding the future of all children, it is important that we "Ensure that each child values diverse peoples and seek justice in their communities and beyond" (Spirit of Leadership). Black history, and specifically Canadian Black history, is an important opportunity for us to ensure that what and how we teach supports all children on their path to being citizens. In this session you will be challenged to reflect on what we know about Black history and culture in Canada, how it is reflected in our districts, and how as system leaders we might catalyze Black history to sustain places of healing, belonging and care for all children.
After a thirty-six-year career in education, thirteen of which were as superintendent, Dr. Kevin Godden recently retired from his former district. Nonetheless, he continues to fulfill his purpose. He has dedicated his life to educational justice, both as a classroom teacher, school and district administrator. As a lifelong student of inclusive education, he continues to consult, teach and learn about how schools can be more welcoming places for all the children in our care.
Session 7: Mar 7/25: Standing Up for SOGI-Inclusive Education
Beyond his professional expertise, Chris brings an intersectional perspective to the table as an openly gay district leader. His lived experience allows him to juxtapose the privileges associated with his identity as a white male with positional power against the backdrop of rising anti-SOGI sentiment in our communities. Through a multifaceted lens of diversity, legislative and policy insight, and systems leadership, Chris aims to provide participants with practical advice and actionable strategies to empower district leaders to stand firm against bigotry and ignorance, and stand up for inclusivity and equity in their respective districts.
Chris Nicholson (he/him) is Superintendent of the Sea to Sky School District (SD48), which is on the unceded and ancestral territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw and St'át'y'emc Nations. In his 30th year of public education, Chris draws from his previous teaching experience in the Richmond School District, district leadership experience in the New Westminster School District, and in his prior role as Assistant Superintendent in his current district.
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