Blog Posts

equity framework pillars
May 23, 2023

Equitable Endeavours through our District's Equity Framework

In previous posts, I have shared my perspectives on the spectre of systemic racism in education, particularly in relation to Indigenous Peoples. I highlighted two interrelated constructs related to this issue: epistemic racism (the idea that there is only one form of true knowledge) and the related “racism of low expectations” highlighted in the 2016 Auditor General’s Report.

equity framework pillars
Hammer and Nails
April 28, 2023

CHAT GPT: Friend or Foe?

O wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in't.

— William Shakespeare, The Tempest

Hammer and Nails
Highschool Students standing and looking at blue tractor Bakerview - Lets'emo:t Program
April 11, 2023

Classroom Reflection

When asked to reflect on a classroom, most of us will envision rows of desks facing a blackboard where a teacher stands. For decades, this image has represented the learning space for millions of students and yet excludes how we learn naturally and daily in non-school environments. True knowing and understanding mean being able to transfer knowledge from one setting to another. This requires a varied approach to teaching and learning, ultimately creating the opportunity for our students to explore their passions.

Highschool Students standing and looking at blue tractor Bakerview - Lets'emo:t Program
Group of students and Superintendent gather on basketball court after playing a game Kevin Group Photo -Basketball
April 11, 2023

Reflections on Shadowing a Student

Earlier this school year I made the commitment to report back on what I had learned as a consequence of my “shadow a student” experience.  Listening to students has been a key part of my practice over the last few years, and shadowing a student is the most recent iteration of this learning journey.

Group of students and Superintendent gather on basketball court after playing a game Kevin Group Photo -Basketball
A group of secondary students gathered for discussion Secondary_Student Voice2023
March 8, 2023

Activating Student Voice in Secondary Schools: A Few Dimensions to Explore

Over the last six months, our secondary schools have launched B.C.’s first-ever Student Community of Practice for Equity (SCOPE). Fifty-two grade eleven students, with teachers and school administration, are exploring a fundamental inquiry: What does it look like to center student voice and leadership through ongoing cycles of listening, uncovering, reimagining and, ultimately, moving forward with action?

A group of secondary students gathered for discussion Secondary_Student Voice2023
Girl choosing healthy lifestyle, practicing yoga near sport equipment, vegetables stock illustration iStock-Healthy Lifestyle
March 8, 2023

More Play: Doctor’s Orders

Earlier this school year, leaders in our organization had the opportunity to learn from renowned psychiatrist, Dr. Shimi Kang on the subject of mental health and wellbeing.

Girl choosing healthy lifestyle, practicing yoga near sport equipment, vegetables stock illustration iStock-Healthy Lifestyle
February 2, 2023

RBSS Student Voice

Our secondary schools in the Abbotsford School District are in the initial stages of reimagining how high school should look and feel. Robert Bateman Secondary School has been working through a process with two student groups. Six grade twelve students started our student voice work last spring.  We have a second group of six grade eleven students working on this project this year, with teaching staff joining.

February 2, 2023

Black History Month & Resistance

“Now let us begin. Now let us re-dedicate ourselves to the long and bitter, but beautiful, struggle for a new world.” -- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

January 11, 2023

Abbotsford Senior Secondary Student Voice

Student voice is an initiative started at Abbotsford Senior Secondary in 2021. Student Voice hosts students from all different backgrounds that encompass the school’s demographics. These students meet every Thursday to delve into school and community-based topics that they identify. Previous topics have included rewriting the school dress code, organizing a better way for grade 9 orientation, and Indigenizing school announcements.  

January 3, 2023

Three Wishes for 2023

It has been my practice for the last few Januarys to make predictions about possible changes in the K-12 sector. This practice goes back as far as 2015 when I highlighted the top ten issues facing our education system and some things to watch for as we sought to transform it.