A Community of Learners
for Principals and Vice Principals		  
TORONTOPRINCIPALS' CENTRE
  Our vision is to create a community of learners where admnistrators
take responsibility for their own learning through skill development,
personal renewal, and professional exchange.
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIESSUMMER INSTITUTECONVERSATION 2006MEMBERSHIPCONTACTS & LINKS
 
On this page:

Centre Philosophy

Centre's Goals

An Idea of What to Expect

What Can Our Centre Provide?

Organizational Structure

International Network of
Principals Centers

  THE PHILOSOPHY OF OUR CENTRE:

We believe that in order to strengthen schools, school leaders must be active, visible learners, involved regularly with their own professional development.

Inspired by other centres around the world, including the original one at Harvard University, our centre is based on a simple idea -
"If we can provide opportunities for school leaders to reflect thoughtfully on the work they do, to clarify their thinking through spoken and written word, and to engage in conversation with others about their work, they will bettter understand their complex schools and the tasks confronting them. Understanding practice, we believe, is the central most important condition for improving schools."

- Roland Barth, founder of the Harvard Principals' Center and the International Network of Principals' Centers
The Toronto Principals' Centre is grateful for the on-going support and
encouragement of Dr.Ken Leithwood, Associate Dean of Research, OISE/UT, and
Dr.Paul Begley, Centre for the Study of Values and Leadership, OISE.
 
 

A Talk with
Ursula Franklin

Watch event video.

 

"At the school level, teaching and learning improve, for example, in response to small school size, stong school leadership and collaborative professional cultures."

- from "The Schools We Need: Recent Education Policy in Ontario:
Recommendations for Moving Forward."
Ken Leithwood,
Michael Fullan and Nancy Watson
"I would urge new teachers to speak often of their reasons for choosing teaching as a career. They need to go back to their vision of and idealism about becoming a teacher: too often in the everyday work of a teacher these values become lost. Ask them to record their experience, perhaps anonymously, and then make these required reading for those who run the school."

- Myrna Mather, Founding Member of the Toronto Principals Centre, in "Reflections of First Years Teachers on School Culture: Questions, Hopes and Challenges"
  THE CENTRE'S GOALS

To provide a variety of experiences for school administrators to improve their craft knowledge..
To facilitate the exchange of practical school-based information.
To provide personal support for each other in developing new skills, encouraging risk-taking and fostering collaboration.
To support each other professionally and personally.
To use existing practitioner knowledge in planning for change.
To participate in the International Network of Principals' Centres.
To blend theory and practice in everyday work.
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    AN IDEA OF WHAT TO EXPECT...

Breakfast, Lunch and Learn Sessions at a variety of Toronto area schools.
Seminars and "Conversations" on school reform and the latest educational research.
Sharing best practice.
Access to the Centre's small lending library.
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    WHAT CAN OUR CENTRE PROVIDE?

Site visits and resource exchanges.
Workshops & seminars for administrators based on their needs.
A clearing house for conferences, new books and experimental approaches lending library.
Professional development in the form of "conversations" where information provided by an educational leader is discussed in small groups in order to make it relevant and meaningful to practitioners.
Informal networking and mentoring.
Small group learning, reflective discussions at workshops, breakfast meetings, etc.
Sharing best practice.
Opportunities to access the International Network of Principals' Centers.
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    ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

The organizational structure reflects the vision of the Toronto Principals' Centre as a community of learners who accept responsibility for their own professional growth.

The success of the Centre will depend on the active participation of its members as consultants, sharing their knowledge and skills with one another.

From the community, a coalition of principals and vice principals will oversee the work of the Centre and will be responsible for:
Programs and Activities
Communication
Finances
Membership

The day to day operations will be supported by a facilitator through an office located at the Centre for the Study of Values and Leadership at OISE at University of Toronto.

Convenors and Coalition Members

Co-chairs

Christine Anderson
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto

Nancy Nightingale
Principal, Toronto District School Board

Treasurer

Helen Harela
Business Services, Toronto District School Board

Coalition Members

Christine Anderson Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto

Annie Appleby Superintendant of Schools

George Denny Principal, Toronto District School Board

Susan Hearn Vice Principal, Regal Road Junior Public School

Andrea Hicks Vice Principal, Jarvis Collegiate

Anne Kerr Superintendant of Schools, Southeast 5

Carolyn Moras Phi Delta Kappa, University of Toronto Chapter

Nancy Nightingale Principal, Toronto District School Board

Diana Panagiotopoulos Principal, Victoria Park Collegiate Institute

Debbie Perrin Principal, Toronto District School Board

Katharine Rowland Vice Principal, Western Technical Commercial School

Jackie Scroggie Principal, Toronto District School Board

Kim Woods Vice-Principal, Georges Vanier Secondary School

Cindy Zwicker-Reston Principal, Bendale BTI
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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      INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF
PRINCIPALS' CENTRES

This is a network of vision, support, leadership and learning established in 1982 to provide educational leaders with opportunities to improve their craft. Housed at Harvard University, it is an information centre helping members to discover and learn about each other's programs and practices.

An annual spring "Conversation" is held and membership in our Centre will provide access to this organization.

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Last Modified 27 August, 2008