Ken Coates

April 19, 2023
7:00 p.m. ET

The Role of Public Education in Furthering the Indigenous Discussion in Canadian Society

With the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Canada entered a period of transformational relationships with First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples.  From the outset, Indigenous peoples worried that national commitment would be shallow and short-lived, and that lasting and significant change would be minimal.  The country appears determined to support the creation of new, trust-based and mutually-beneficial relationships that allow Canada to finally recognize, overcome and move beyond its colonial past.  The hard part — and this is where public schools play a vital role – is moving beyond rhetoric and promises.  Schools work with children and young adults and can, if the effort is done properly, ensure that the next generation can move forward in more positive and supportive partnership with Indigenous peoples.  This work must be done thoughtfully, for bringing the imperatives of reconciliation into the schools and classrooms in ways that are awkward, confrontation or ill-prepared can become counterproductive.  This talk focuses on strategies for successful adaptation and cultural innovation in public schools.

Jennifer Fraser, Ph.D.

April 20, 2023
8:30 a.m. ET

School Health and Safety Starts in the Brain

Extensive research documents the vulnerability of the brain to all forms of bullying and abuse. The physical harm to brains can be seen on brain scans. Our understanding of safety changes when we factor in neuroscientific research. The brain’s neuroplasticity – ability to change – empowers school leaders to design and create brain-safe schools that foreground brain-health (mental health).

Jennifer Fraser is the founder of The Bullied Brain (www.bulliedbrain.com). She is an award-winning teacher of 20 years, an international presenter, and a published author. She earned a PhD from the University of Toronto in Comparative Literature which trained her to take different discourses and put them into dialogue. 

Jennifer’s evidence-based approach extends a ladder to those trapped in the dark well of bullying and abuse. As an abuse-survivor, she understands what’s it like to feel trapped. She knows all too well the sense of learned helplessness.

Join Jennifer as she uses story-telling, lived experience, and most importantly science to help you climb out of the well and into a world enlightened by research.

Catherine E. Clifford, STL; Ph.D.

April 20, 2023
10:30 a.m. ET

For a Synodal Church: Ancient Tradition and New Ways of Proceeding

More than fifty years after the establishment of the International Synod of Bishops during the Second Vatican Council, Pope Francis calls us to revive the practice of synodality in the local churches and invites bishops to be more fully engaged in listening to the baptized people of God. The synodal process upon which Catholics throughout the world embarked in 2021, and culminating in 2024, is revealing how very far we have yet to travel as we learn new ways of proceeding.

Vince MacDonald, Ph.D.

April 21, 2023
8:30 a.m. ET

Leading the Way: Catholic Supervisory Officers as Leaders for School Board Effectiveness and the Achievement of Students

The leadership of Supervisory Officers for the achievement of students is supported with a compelling body of empirical literature on district effectiveness. What does the research conclude about district leadership that makes a difference in the achievement of students and classroom conditions that support equity of outcomes? This session will present a practical summary of research on system leadership practices that matter for the achievement of students with implications for strategic directions and district effectiveness.