In partnership with the Centre for Leadership and Diversity, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto we are offering a unique learning experience for principals and vice-principals to participate in an inquiry that focuses on leading for equity. Through this four-part series, participants will co-create a program which strengthens their agency, confidence and commitment to leading for human rights, social  justice, anti-oppression and the decolonization of educational spaces. Building on participants' unique experiences and learning needs,  the program will provide opportunities to learn and unlearn, surface assumptions and beliefs and name fears and challenges in order to help participants move their work from transactional to transformational. It will model an anti-racist and anti-oppressive instructional design.

The goals of this program include 

  • supporting administrators to move from theory to action

  • developing the skills to effectively facilitate staff learning

  • supporting resistant and fearful learners

  • building alliances for equity work and 

  • responding confidently to counter-movements and other systemic barriers.  

It will be a responsive experience, acknowledging the ever-changing and iterative nature of the work and the need to celebrate progress, not perfection.

Facilitators: Dr. Ann Lopez and Lawrence DeMaeyer.

Schedule

Session 1: November 29, 2023 – 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST

Session 2: January 17, 2024 – 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST

Session 3: February 21, 2024 - 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EST

Session 4: March 27, 2024 – 9:00 a.m. to 12: 00 p.m. EDT

Location: Online via Zoom

OPC Member Fee: $325 + HST

Non-Member Fee: $375 + HST

Please ensure you register through the correct link.

Facilitator Biographies

 Lawerence DeMaeyer
Lawrence has been an educator for over 30 years.  He started his career as an elementary teacher before moving to secondary school where he spent over a decade as a Business Teacher and Department Head.  He then served for 10 years as a secondary Vice-Principal and Principal.

He has Bachelor's degrees in Commerce, Arts (History), and Education, as well as a Master’s degree in Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

As a Principal, Lawrence held system-level leadership positions as a School Support Officer and Principal of Modern Learning.  He has also served as a Superintendent of Education and Superintendent of Leadership Development and School Support.

Lawrence’s passion for developing people, system learning, and innovation led him to join OPC in February of 2021 in the role of Professional Learning Education Advisor. 
 Dr. Ann Lopez
Dr. Ann Lopez is a Jamaican born professor of educational leadership and policy at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto, Canada. A former public school teacher and administrator she is a leading voice and scholar on anti-racist, decolonizing and equity education in K-12 schooling. She is the Director of the Center for Leadership and Diversity, and Provostial Advisor, Access Programs. Dr. Lopez has recently been appointed as Professor Extraordinarius at UNISA, South Africa. She is a teacher educator and also held the position of Academic Director, Initial Teacher Education at OISE. Professor Lopez has shared her professional and academic work in Canada and internationally. Dr. Lopez research, teaching and scholarly work primarily focuses on antiracist, decolonizing education, equity and diversity in education and schooling, and school leadership across contexts particularly in the global south. Her recent research projects have focused on school leadership in Canada, Jamaica, Kenya and Ghana where she collaborates with local scholars. Dr. Lopez is the author of several journal articles and books including her most recent book entitled, Decolonizing Educational Leadership: Alternative Approach to Leading Schools. Professor Lopez is co-Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of School Leadership and Co-Series Editor, Studies in Educational Administration. Professor Lopez has been honored for her work and is the recipient of the of the OISE 2020 Award for Distinguished Contributions to Teaching, and the 2022 University of Toronto Award of Excellence and Jus Memorial Human Rights Prize – Influential Leader.