Toronto Principals' Centre homepage - "A Community of Learners for Principals and Vice Principals"


		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 OPPORTUNITIES

WINTER INSTITUTE

On this page:

An Idea of What to Expect

What Can Our Centre Provide?

Organizational Structure

International Network of
Principals Centers

Announcement

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

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 professional learning community with a variety of experiences for school administrators to build on their craft knowledge.
	To facilitate the exchange of practical, school-based information.
	To develop new skills, encourage risk-taking and foster collaboration.
	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.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT...

	Breakfast and Lunch-and-Learn Sessions at a variety of Toronto area schools.
	Seminars and "Conversations" on school improvement and the latest educational research.
	Site visits and resource exchanges.
	Workshops & seminars for administrators based on their needs.
	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.

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 relies on the active participation of its members as consultants, sharing their experience, knowledge and skills with one another.

From our local community, a professional learning network of principals and vice principals oversee the work of the Centre and will be responsible for:

		Programs and Activities
		Communication
		Finances
		Membership

Convenors and Executive Members

Chair

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

Program Chair

Andrea Hicks
Vice Principal, Jarvis Collegiate

Treasurer

Helen Harela
Business Services, Toronto District School Board

Toronto Principals' Centre Executive

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

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 AI Specialist, Former Principal, Toronto District School Board

Diana Panagiotopoulos Principal, Victoria Park Collegiate Institute

Debbie Perrin Former Principal, Toronto District School Board

Katharine Rowland Vice Principal, Western Technical Commercial School

Jackie Scroggie Former Principal, Toronto District School Board

Cindy Zwicker-Reston Principal, Bendale BTI

Additional Professional Learning Community Members

Alison Kelsey Principal, TDSB

Anne Kerr Superintendant of Schools, Southeast 5

Allyson McLelland Former Principal, TDSB

Cate Spidle Principal, TDSB

Webmaster

Randal Boutilier
12thirteen Communication Design

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. Visit the INPC website here.

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

Click here for information regarding the
INPC Annual International Conversation
(June 21, 22, 23, 2010)
The Principals' Center at Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

A Talk with Ursula Franklin