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Dean Shareski interviews leaders from coast to coast to coast discussing innovation, change and the role leaders play in providing Canadian students with a world class education
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7 APR 2026 · Saskatchewan Teachers Federation
In this episode,I reconnect with Meredith Rhinas, a senior administrator at the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation, to discuss her journey from classroom teaching to union advocacy and leadership. Meredith shares how she built a large social media following as a content creator after her third child, how her platform evolved during COVID into advocacy—especially for women’s heart health after her 2018 open-heart surgery—and how viral videos explaining Saskatchewan bargaining helped put her on STF’s radar. She explains her current role supporting teachers with employment and labour issues, serving on committees and the bargaining team, and describes the emotional weight of absorbing others’ difficult experiences. Meredith reflects on teaching overseas, navigating leadership as a young woman, the importance of difficult conversations, professionalism amid deprofessionalization, and credits her father, Milton Block, as a key influence.
00:00 Embracing Hard Conversations
01:01 Meet Meredith Rhinas
03:02 From Baby to Colleague
04:09 Content Creator Origins
07:05 COVID Shift and Advocacy
10:13 Teachers and Social Media Risks
15:28 Professionalism and Values Online
17:53 Inside the Teachers Federation Role
21:37 The Emotional Weight of Advocacy
24:30 Career Journey Begins Overseas
28:11 Finding the Right Path
29:32 Funding Shifts and Classroom Complexity
33:43 Supporting Teachers Through Process
35:40 Overseas Leadership Trial
40:34 Leading Through Listening
42:30 Advice for Emerging Leaders
46:01 Gratitude for a Mentor
47:02 Studying Deprofessionalization
50:10 Reality TV Reset
51:02 Local Hidden Gem
52:06 Closing Reflections
31 MAR 2026 · Dean interviews Dr. Christopher Fuzessy, superintendent of Foothills School Division in High River, Alberta, about making “flourishing” a central system focus and why it is ongoing, mutual work rooted in interconnected community rather than a checklist. Fuzessy draws on research including Martin Seligman, Robin Wall Kimmerer’s idea that “flourishing is mutual,” and Michael Ungar’s reframing of resilience as “stepping back” supported by redundant systems. They discuss reflective practice, workplace wellness as a system responsibility, and Fuzessy’s self-reflective book Emanate and related partnership with the University of Calgary on leadership support frameworks. The conversation also covers Foothills’ AI journey, including in-house tools to reduce administrative burden and increase time for relationships, student and parent perspectives, and creating flexible AI guardrails, plus Fuzessy’s move from Quebec to Alberta and examples of community-based flourishing in schools.
00:00 Defining Flourishing
00:47 Why Education Changed
02:52 Foothills F Word
05:49 Flourishing Research Roots
06:31 Resilience and Community Support
10:24 Reflective Practice Habits
12:47 Book Emanate Overview
16:31 Flourishing in Schools
21:50 Local Agency Against Anxiety
25:47 AI and Human Flourishing
26:54 Building In House AI Tools
31:40 Early Feedback and Concerns
31:54 Student Driven AI Skills
33:08 Building Division AI Vision
34:14 Parents as AI Partners
36:38 Guardrails and Flourishing
38:52 From Quebec to Alberta
43:22 Government and CAS Support
48:55 Gratitude for a Mentor
50:34 Reading for Systems Change
53:16 Unwinding and Building
54:54 Hidden Gems and Farewell
24 MAR 2026 · Dean's guest is Katherine MacIver, Director of Education at Hastings Prince Edward District School Board in Eastern Ontario, about leadership in education amid constant “noise” and competing demands. MacIver describes focusing on the “big rocks” and keeping conversations centered on students and achievement, while staying connected to classroom learning through tough, curious questions. She emphasizes a skill-based approach grounded in literacy and numeracy, notes qualitative community feedback and improving results in achievement and graduation, and highlights a simple, one-page strategic plan. The discussion explores building culture and trust through everyday interactions, de-siloing central teams, and communicating the “why” repeatedly and with purpose and audience in mind, including practical examples like cybersecurity password changes. MacIver also discusses buffering staff from rhetoric and governance challenges, developing leadership through opportunity and mentorship, and credits mentor Mary Ann Bishop for shaping her approach.
00:00 Why Explain The Why
01:28 Meet Director Katherine
02:18 Blocking Out The Noise
04:19 Staying Close To Classrooms
06:40 Skills First Literacy Math
07:38 Measuring Life After Graduation
10:36 Keeping Talent Local
12:57 Pride Strategic Plan Wins
15:25 Building Trusting Culture
18:49 Communicate Nine Times
20:50 Purpose And Audience
22:31 Parent Focused Messaging
23:15 Staying On Mission
27:32 Calm Under Pressure
29:40 Developing Future Leaders
32:21 Biggest Career Jump
34:37 Mentor Who Shaped Me
36:20 Quick Hitters And Wrap
17 MAR 2026 · Dean talks with ed tech consultant Andy McKiel as an example of innovative professional learning that happens outside traditional workshops and even outside education, then they recall first meeting at the 2007 Manitoba Ed Blogger Con focused on early social media and virtual connections. Andy describes moving from a Grade 4 teacher to a district-level digital learning coach role supporting K–12 teachers, and reflects on how classroom technology use has shifted from learning tools to bigger pedagogical purposes, including supporting increasingly diverse and high-needs learners. They discuss critiques that technology hasn’t changed schools, the value of inquiry learning, and how COVID-19 required rapidly training hundreds of teachers on Microsoft Teams and new communication systems. The conversation centers on building community through social, network-driven PD like Ignite events, challenges to in-person participation post-pandemic, and advice for aspiring coaches
00:00 Learning Beyond the Bubble
02:42 Meeting Andy in 2007
05:02 From Classroom to Coach
07:04 How Teacher Tech Use Evolved
09:19 Has Tech Really Changed Schools
12:49 Rethinking Professional Learning
18:41 Post Pandemic PD Challenges
25:18 Collaboration Culture in Schools
28:41 Pandemic Leadership Test
31:06 Live Event Momentum
31:57 Post Pandemic Tool Hangover
32:47 Sharing Culture in Teaching
34:09 Advice for Aspiring Coaches 37:34 Curiosity and Vulnerability
39:10 Gratitude for Ryan Miller
42:20 ISTE Award Backstory
44:53 What Im Reading and Watching
48:39 Winnipeg Hidden Gems
10 MAR 2026 · Dean reunites with retired Ontario educator Rodd Lucier (“the Clever Sheep”) to unpack seminal professional-learning experiences that shaped their work, from early networked learning and the unconference-style Edcon to the creation of Unplugged in 2012. They describe gathering about 30–39 educators from across Canada (and later beyond) to travel from Toronto to an offline retreat at Northern Edge Algonquin, where participants—self-selected, like-minded, and already leading without titles—built relationships, collaborated in small groups, and wrote and published a book in three days using pre-work and story videos. They discuss why the setting, disconnection, shared responsibility, and informal “hallway” time made it transformative yet hard to replicate, note resources like photos, blog reflections, and a facilitation guide, and reflect on today’s fragmented online spaces, AI, robotics, and the enduring need for human connection in education.
00:00 Leaders Before Titles
00:22 Writing A Book Together
01:03 Seminal Learning Moment
03:19 First Meeting At Edcon
05:54 Rodd The Clever Sheep
09:00 Edcon Joy And Tribe
12:13 Unplugged Origins
13:20 Designing The Retreat
17:49 Measuring Long Term Impact
21:26 Shared Moments Matter
21:52 Six String Nation Metaphor
26:25 Facilitation Guide Takeaways
30:26 Allstar Team Professional Learning
38:09 AI Raises Human Stakes
39:08 What He Reads Now
42:33 Advice to Teachers Try Stuff
43:12 London Hidden Gem Nature Walk
3 MAR 2026 · In this podcast episode, Dean interviews Cadmus Delorme, former First Nation chief (elected at 33) and the 10th Chancellor of the University of Regina (appointed July 2025), about leadership that models calm, heart, and relationship-building. Delorme explains the chancellor’s ceremonial and governance duties, shares how his education, upbringing with residential school survivor parents, and golf shaped his leadership, and describes staying composed during the 2021 unmarked graves discovery to avoid triggering survivors and demonstrate reconciliation. He discusses gaps in Canadians’ education about truth, the need for provinces to treat First Nations and Métis as rights holders, mental health as foundational to leadership, collaboration between on- and off-reserve schools, language preservation challenges in Saskatchewan, advice for young leaders amid social media, parenting approaches, and his One Hoop consulting work on reconciliation and economic inclusion.
00:00 Duty to Reconcile
01:25 Meeting Cadmus Delorme
03:55 Chancellor Role Explained
05:57 Becoming a Young Chief
08:31 Early Leadership Roots
10:43 Leading With Heart
15:19 Collaboration in Education
18:00 Unmarked Graves Response
22:35 Policy and Funding Realities
27:16 Schooling Then and Now
31:52 Language as Relationship
33:23 Humor and Harmony
34:23 Saskatchewan Language Map
36:13 AI and Cultural Tradeoffs
36:54 Advice for Young Leaders
38:10 Social Media and Focus
39:10 Everyday Leadership Habits
40:42 Parenting in the iPad Era
45:06 Mentors Who Shaped Me
48:42 One Hoop Consulting
49:56 Golf Course Favorites
51:22 Books and Learning Habits
53:47 Binge Watching Picks
55:49 Hidden Gems to Visit
56:34 Powwow Invitation and Wrap
24 FEB 2026 · Superintendent Tom Hamer (Palliser School Division, Lethbridge) discusses Canadian education and leadership, emphasizing that leaders must model the best parts of the job. He compares Quebec and Alberta as similarly proud and “distinct,” but with different approaches: Quebec relies more on government laws and rules embedded in education (including the move from Catholic/Protestant systems to English/French with no religious links in schools), while Alberta emphasizes parent and community choice—reflected in Palliser’s small-school “boutique” mix, K–12 models, a national sports school in Calgary with 19 alumni headed to the Winter Olympics, and both Christian and Islamic schools. Hamer shares how he moved from Quebec to Alberta at 44, his early-career experience in Quebec’s Eastern Townships during one-to-one laptop innovation (and its challenges), and how those lessons helped Palliser shift from computer labs to mobile tools and respond quickly during COVID. He also outlines a leadership approach centered on culture and climate: clear mission/values, making urgent decisions when needed, and creating safe team spaces for disagreement, iteration, and shared problem-framing. He notes his pride in staff resilience after an October Alberta “blip” that harmed teachers, and closes with rapid-fire personal topics and a Lethbridge recommendation (Galt Museum area and coulee trails to Helen Schuler Nature Centre).
00:00 Quebec vs Alberta Mindsets
04:29 From Quebec to Lethbridge
08:16 Quebec Tech Innovation Era
13:47 One to One Lessons Learned
16:56 Pandemic Readiness Playbook
20:48 Leading Culture at Palliser
25:41 Decision Speed and Triage
28:02 Leading Through Resistance
30:09 Proud After the Blip
35:02 Autonomy and Identity
37:24 Mentor Shout Out
39:10 Rapid Fire Personal
40:13 Running and Longevity
42:33 Books and Binge Picks
46:30 Hidden Gem Lethbridge
48:09 Closing Thanks
17 FEB 2026 · Ainsley Rose on Leadership, Learning, and Rethinking School
In this episode,I speaks with education consultant and former principal Ainsley Rose about leadership, professional learning, and why school systems need to be rethought. Ainsley explains how consulting began unexpectedly on the day he retired, giving him more freedom to speak boldly about teaching and learning. He challenges the traditional “grade-level boxes” model, arguing that linear teaching contradicts continuous progress and can fuel disengagement when students are ahead or already know the material. The conversation covers persistent assessment challenges, the mismatch between collaboration and school hierarchies, and the need to elevate student and teacher voice. Ainsley emphasizes that leaders must model the positive, instructional parts of their role—principals as instructional leaders rather than administrators—and shares his non-negotiables for professional learning: focus on only three priorities, reduce initiative fatigue, and build PD that strengthens existing practice. He also recounts a formative leadership moment in a large bilingual high school, where an “I believe” speech, clear decision-making, and consensus-building shifted school culture. The episode closes with advice for aspiring leaders—clarify your values, read widely, and listen well—plus a mentor shout-out, current reads, and a few personal quick hitters.
00:00 Why the ‘grade-level boxes’ model fails kids (and fuels misbehavior)
01:08 Meet Ainsley Rose: bold leadership, second-half strengths, and a different lens on schools
02:57 Retirement that wasn’t: the phone call that launched his consulting career
11:56 System redesign: structure, assessment, collaboration, and real teacher/student voice
17:10 Professional learning that sticks: the ‘triangle’ focus and non‑negotiables
28:00 From Phys Ed Teacher to Principal: Thrown Into a 5,000-Student Bilingual School
31:43 The “I Believe” Speech Showdown: Union Pushback, Staff Meeting, and a New Direction
38:24 Advice for Aspiring Leaders: Values, Influence, Reading, and Listening
43:03 Shout-Out Mentor: Gordon El Hard and the Discovery of Human Talent
44:37 Quick Hitters: What He’s Reading, Guilty Pleasures, and Okanagan Hidden Gems
10 FEB 2026 · In this episode, we delve into how leaders can maintain and model positivity even during challenging times. The conversation features Dean MacInnis, Principal of Sir John Franklin High School in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. We discuss his journey, the challenges of northern education, strategies for retaining staff, and the vital role of principals in fostering a positive school culture. Dean also shares insights about his role as president of the Canadian Association of Principals (CAP) and the upcoming CAP conference in Regina. Join us as we uncover the essence of effective leadership in the face of adversity.
00:00 Introduction to the Diverse Staff
00:46 Longevity in Education: Pros and Cons
01:32 Conversation with Dean McInnis
03:34 Life in Yellowknife: Embracing the Northern Climate
06:50 Navigating Education in the Northwest Territories
09:10 Challenges and Changes in Curriculum
14:21 Recruitment and Retention of Teachers
19:27 Leadership Challenges and Reflections
29:15 Building Respect and Overcoming Challenges
30:50 The Importance of Positivity and Authenticity
32:25 Gratitude and Mentorship
34:25 Introduction to CAPS
35:32 CAPS' Role and Impact
43:44 Upcoming CAP Conferences
47:21 Personal Interests and Recommendations
50:28 Hidden Gems of Yellowknife
52:04 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
3 FEB 2026 · In this episode, we explore the insights and experiences of Stephen Whiffin, Assistant Superintendent in Coquitlam, British Columbia. Stephen elaborates on his journey from political science and technology to educational leadership, highlighting key moments that shaped his career. He emphasizes the importance of balancing innovation with security, the role of champions in systemic change, and the strategies for successfully integrating technology in schools. Additionally, Stephen shares his focus on supporting students with exceptional needs and navigating new challenges. This discussion provides valuable perspectives on leadership, technology adoption, and maintaining safe learning environments in today's evolving educational landscape.
00:00 Balancing Innovation and Safety in Education
00:37 Introducing Stephen Whiffin: A Multi-Talented Leader
02:36 Stephen's Journey: From Political Science to Education
03:46 Early Technology Adoption and Influences
06:11 Building a Career in Education and Technology
11:23 Leadership and Systemic Change in Education
14:17 Navigating Risks and Failures in Technology Implementation
21:58 The Role of Champions in Systemic Change
24:29 Managing Change: Go Slow to Go Fast
25:22 Building a Support Team for Educational Change
27:31 Developing Leadership in Education
30:31 New Challenges and Expanding Portfolios
35:14 The Role of Technology in Inclusive Education
40:23 Personal Reflections and Influences
42:47 Quickfire Questions and Recommendations
Dean Shareski interviews leaders from coast to coast to coast discussing innovation, change and the role leaders play in providing Canadian students with a world class education
Information
| Author | Advanced Learning Partnerships |
| Organization | voicEd Radio Canada |
| Categories | Education |
| Website | alplearn.com |
| dean@alplearn.com |
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