This document summarizes a presentation given by Chris Kennedy, Superintendent of Schools in West Vancouver, about opportunities and challenges in education. Kennedy discusses optimism in the BC education system with a new government, revised curriculum, additional staff, steady finances, and healthy enrollment. However, he notes tensions between excellence and equity. Kennedy advocates for flexibility in curriculum, respecting inherent logic in disciplines while supporting interdisciplinary learning. He outlines shifts to digital learning and the importance of culture, networks, and celebrating innovation. Kennedy acknowledges challenges around scaling innovation but emphasizes the focus should be on learning, not technology.

1. This is theYear
Flexibility and Networks in a ChangingWorld
March 12, 2018
CHRIS KENNEDY
Superintendent of
Schools,West
Vancouver School
District
Presentation to the
FutureTeachers ofVIU

2. With thanks to Bill Selak: http://www.billselak.com/2012/thingsthatsuck
AWESOME OR NOT!?

3. Your school experience?

4. The opportunities you see now in schools?

5. The opportunities you see professionally?

6. Optimism Like No Other Time
• New Government
• Revised Curriculum
• Additional Staff
• Steady Finances
• Healthy Enrolment

7. The BC Difference

8. Excellence or Equity?

9. Weakness of the relationshipbetweenachievement andfamilybackground (ESCS Index)
Studentachievementinreading,mathematicsandscience(PISA)
Weak equityandlowquality
Strong equityandhigh quality
Strong equityandlowquality
Weak equityandhigh quality

10. • Singapore
Weakness of the relationshipbetweenachievement andfamilybackground (ESCS Index)
OECD, 2016
Studentachievementinreading,mathematicsandscience(PISA)
Qualit
• HongKong
• China
2015

11. • Reduce the prescriptive nature of curriculum
• Allow for flexibility and choice for teachers and student
• Respect inherent logic in disciplines while supporting
interdisciplinary learning.
• Enable teachers to be creative and innovative in their
design of learning experiences
Guiding Principles

12. • Core competencies provide the foundation for the
curriculum
• All core competencies are now posted
• Created on a continuum (not by grade level)
Curriculum – Core Competencies
Curriculum, Assessment & Reporting

18. Working in Two Worlds

19. Transforming involves patience and
time.

22. What
could be

23. DO OLDTHINGS
BETTER

24. “Students today depend too
much upon ink.They don’t know
how to use a pen knife to
sharpen a pencil. Pen and ink will
never replace the pencil.”
National Association ofTeachers, 1907

26. DO NEWTHINGS
YOU COULDN’T
DO AT ALL

27. “If I’d asked my
customers what they
wanted, they would
have told me ‘A faster
horse.’” Henry Ford

28. People prefer things that are easy to think about

29. What many want for their children is the
benefits of digital learning
Relevant, connected,
unlimited

30. Create a new
norm for how
teachers and
students learn

31. Can’t scale and sustain
without technology

32. TOOLS matter, because tools impact the way you
interact.You don’t need to use every tool, but every tool
you use you must use well – Seth Godin

33. Access
Direction

34. Moving to one-to-one opportunities
What does
this mean?

37. MOBILETECHNOLOGY CAN
CHANGE LEARNING
GOOD WRITING STILL MATTERS
USING SOCIAL MEDIA NEEDSTO
BETAUGHT
NETWORKS ARE ESSENTIAL
THE REALWORLD IS ADDICTIVE

38. Google has become
our got-to place and
tool.

39. Wordpress has taken
over our websites.

40. Digital tools like
FreshGrade andTechbook
are growing in popularity

41. Coding and Robotics have
gone from nowhere to
everywhere

42. All of the digital shifts are
part of ONE story

43. WHAT ARE THE DIGITAL TOOLS YOU ARE USING
IN YOUR SCHOOL? WHICH ONES ARE YOU
MODELING? WHAT IS THE STORY YOU ARE
TELLING ABOUT THE MOVE TO DIGITAL?
?

44. ALL ABOUT CULTURE

45. “Culture Eats Strategy
for Breakfast”

46. Focus on a Few
Things

47. INNOVATION IN ACTION
Letter grade
free
assessment
Maker
movement
iPads in
elementary
music class
Reggio Emilia
inspired
programs
Bienalle arts
projects
across
schools
Passion
projects
Heart rate
monitors in
PE

48. What Does Support Look Like?CELEBRATE RISK TAKING

49. SHINE A LIGHT ON INNOVATION

50. Teachers
Schools
Districts
Governments
• Will make it easier
for students...
• Will make it easier
for teachers...
• Will make it easier
for schools...
• Will make it easier
for districts...
To be
FLEXIBLE

51. Yeah, but . . .
?How do you
scale the work

52. YOU DON’T
YOU CONNECT AND BUILD NETWORKS
Think diffusion not replication

53. Learning, not technology, is the driver

56. Personalization
We need to narrow the framework
Digital
literacy

59. Redesigned Curriculum
 Addresses the changing face of education
 Big ideas and enduring understandings
 Personalized learning
 Core competencies
• Thinking
• Communicating
• Social/Personal

61. What we
ARE NOT doing

65. SameThings for everyone

66. TRENDS

69. OverpromiseUnder deliver

70. PERSONALIZED
=
INDIVIDUALIZED
X

72. Luke: I can’t believe it
Yoda: That is why you fail

74. Some Job Market Observations
• We Are All Interested
• Consider Future Opportunities
• Look at Professional Support
• Not All Districts are Created Equal
• Talk to Teachers
• No Matter What Be Involved

76. He says the problem with teachers is
What’s a kid going to learn
from someone who decided his best option in life
was to become a teacher?

77. He reminds the other dinner guests that it’s true
what they say about teachers:
Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.

78. . . .
I mean, you’re a teacher, Taylor.
Be honest. What do you make?

79. This is . . .

80. OUR WORLD

81. OUR LIVES

82. OUR CHILDREN

83. OUR CURRICULUM

84. OUR CHALLENGE

85. OUR WORK

86. OUR ART

87. OUR JOY

141. You want to know what I make? I make kids
wonder,

142. I make them question.

143. I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.

144. I make them write.
I make them read, read, read.

145. I make them spell definitely beautiful,
definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful
over and over and over again until they will
never misspell
either one of those words again.

146. . . .
and if someone ever tries to judge you
by what you by what you make, you give them this.

251. . . .
Here, let me break it down for you, so you
know what I say is true:

252. Teachers make a goddamn difference! Now
what about you?

253. Excerpts from poem:
What Teachers Make
by Taylor Mali
Leading in Learning

254. Where you can find me:
ckennedy@wvschools.ca
604-202-4379
@chrkennedy
cultureofyes.ca
westvancouverschools.ca