Leadership Talks

Description: As equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) efforts face mounting resistance, how are you uniquely positioned to lead with boldness, care, and clarity? This session invites listeners into a collaborative space to explore how they can apply the three foundational components of courageous leadership in their work, regardless of sector or personal identity. Courage to Act: Courageous leade...

Description: In this episode of  Leadership Talks , Julia Hayes, a principal in the Grand Erie District School Board, reflects on the power of distributed leadership and its role in building a strong, people‑centred school culture. Drawing on her first year as a principal in a new board, Julia shares key lessons about shifting away from “leading alone” toward creating conditions where leadership i...

The Leadership Talks Podcast features Amy Crummer, based as a Principal with Avon Maitland District School Board. Description: When we talk about serving equity-serving or unique populations in a public system - it's not just about doing the work but rather its about doing it intentionally and thoughtfully. A big part of this is listening, being humble, ensuring  safety and a sense of belonging to...

The Leadership Talks Podcast features Gillian Kajganich, based as a Principal at West Ferris Secondary School in Northy Bay with NNDSB, and also welcomes Krista Tucker Petrick who is a Principal at Chippewa Secondary School in North Bay with NNDSB. "Friends don't let friends be a principal alone." Over the course of a 15-year interwoven journey in education, we have cultivated a critical friendshi...

The Leadership Talks Podcast welcomes Nicole Aloise, based in the Toronto District School Board. This session explores targeted interventions of a Scarborough high school that supports the learning and excellence of Black students, centered around anti-oppression and anti-racism. Learning how a whole school journey with a focus on a critical discourse on the impact of race in education, increased...

The Leadership Talks Podcast welcomes France Thibault, former Superintendent with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, for a conversation where she shares her experience leading teachers through the experience of the "Lesson Study". France found the strategies transformative for her professional practice, for the teachers' cross- and interdepartmental  collaboration, for the development of p...

The Leadership Talks Podcast has highlighted a variety of stories and perspectives so far brought forward by colleagues involved in different aspects of the education ecosystem. We are pleased to be able to offer a conversation with Dr. Emily Caruso Parnell, who pursued doctoral-level studies while working as a school administrator with the Rainbow District School Board and has since transitioned...

In this episode of Leadership Talks, we are pleased to welcome Lesley Kennedy from the Peel District School Board. As an administrator, Lesley has consistently found meaningful ways to ensure school and community remain deeply connected in every school she has served. In a time of shifting educational landscapes and shrinking budgets, community partnerships have become more essential—and often mor...

In school and system leadership it is critically important to understand the leadership and learning profiles of our team and what strengths they bring to the table. For this episode of Leadership Talks, Michael Blackburn joins us from Limestone District School Board, to discuss how through a strengths-based leadership approach we can maximize the potential of our school teams and foster a culture...

In this episode of Leadership Talks, Aamer Zuberi, an elementary principal with the Peel District School Board, explores the power of building meaningful connections with local communities. He emphasizes the importance of fostering a reciprocal relationship where school leaders actively listen to community voices and collaborate with an engaged school council. Through this approach, schools can sh...

For this episode, Nina Jaiswal, a former superintendent with the Peel District School Board, consultant, coach and facilitator, joins Leadership Talks to share some of her experiences and insights gained during projects she has been involved in while delivering professional learning to educational leaders in international spaces. Working with a senior team at a district in Sweden on executive lead...

Sara D’Angelo shares her passion for social justice, anti-oppression, and trauma-informed practice in education. She talks about how she models leading from the heart with a focus on building relational trust and offering voice and choice. The intentional use of the school improvement process viewed as a multi-year plan produced results for a school community to arrive at an environment reflective...

In today’s classrooms, educators shape not only academic outcomes but also the emotional and psychological safety of their students—especially those students who have experienced trauma. Dr. Jackie Eldridge, formerly of York Catholic District School Board, joins us on Leadership Talks, to share her personal trauma story, where school became a refuge. This talk will explore the critical role teache...

Joining us for this episode of Leadership Talks is Sheena Yap Chan, bestselling author of The Tao of Self Confidence and Bridging the Confidence Gap with Wiley, and a renowned speaker on leadership and empowerment. Sheena shares how confidence-building strategies can transform leadership potential, especially for women in education. This conversation explores the unique challenges women face in le...

This episode takes us global! We welcome Lisa Piquette, OPC International Learning Lead, and Ana Mena, principal with the Trillium Lakelands DSB, in a conversation about OPC’s International Exchanges which is a  job shadowing experience that immerses administrators in a personal and professional learning journey as they spend time learning with school leaders in other countries, shadowing them in...

This podcast is dedicated to empowering Principals to prioritize their well-being while navigating the challenges of educational leadership.  Vinita Mongia, a recently retired Principal and now a Leadership Consultant for School Leaders, introduces her transformative “CALM” Resilience through Self-Care Framework, designed specifically for Principals. Vinita shares actionable self-care strategies,...

Joining us for this episode is Nicole Andrée Vernon, who shares with us how she explored the ways in which Equity might support the success of our Mathematics classrooms and at the institutionalized level. Teaching Equity and Mathematics (T.E.A.M.) Leadership is a mathematical leadership initiative that she developed in 2022 to monitor instruction, guide student learning, and build on school mathe...

Josh Windsor joins us in conversation with Dr. Alison Yeung to share how they have worked together to educate parents regarding the use of cell phones and the impact of social media on teen mental health. Josh has implemented some school wide flexible policies to support student learning and assist students to self regulate with regards to their use of social media during learning time.    OUR GUE...

Integrating circles is a simple, yet profound, practice to positively impact individuals in a school community. The goal of this podcast is to share information on how circles can be implemented in varied ways. Goals include building a strong sense of community, promoting active listening and restorative practices, and creating safe and inclusive learning environments.    ARTICLES and RESOURCES Us...

This podcast, with guests Linda Cotnam and Sharlene McHolm, will give an overview of the classroom realities, in a way that only experienced educators can bring. They discuss what self-regulation is and what it is not. Together we invite our audience to explore the factors that impact self-regulation for both the child and the adult supporting them. As school leaders, we play key role in addressin...

Students clearly express that they want to see themselves in what they learn . For this episode, Andrea Gill joins us to share some of the student led projects that have taken place in her schools.  By fostering student voice in schools, student interest and goals are centred in their learning. Student census data alongside qualitative data, supports initiatives in learning that reflect student id...

Please note that this episode mentions self-harm and/or suicide. While we don’t want to cause anxiety or stress, we acknowledge that this may be the experience for some people. If needed, we encourage you to reach out for support to a trusted friend or colleague, another personal resource or your organization’s Employee Assistance Program. Included for your reference is TDSB's resource page for Im...

School leadership provides a wonderful opportunity to influence change and growth. Schools naturally foster high achievement and celebrate those that walk our halls. Unfortunately, sometimes the strategies also reinforce perfectionist tendencies, foster self-sabotage and invoke the feeling of being an imposter. As a (former) Principal, Lorraine LaPointe’s passion continues through studying the hea...

Michelle Sigmann is a principal, a certified wellness coach and an author of a book that guides individuals through a framework of setting goals and actionizing their visions. Her leadership style lends itself to authentic ways of teaching and leading. In this conversation with Leadership Talks she touches on her personal story where overwhelm and stress almost had her at rock bottom. The experien...

This conversation is with Dinusha Gunasingham and Samantha Stephen, who join us as representatives of the Transformational Administrators' Network; a group of administrators and educators invested in championing change management. With a focus on whole school implementation (for the benefit of ALL students), this group co-created the Transformative Administrators' Toolkit (TAT) , an administrative...