Presentation for the Canadian Association of Principals' Annual Conference in Whistler, BC

1. INNOVATIONTHAT STICKS
Real Examples From Real Schools
May 2, 2014
CHRIS KENNEDY
Superintendent of
Schools,West
Vancouver School
District
Connecting Leaders –
Inspiring Change
#cap15
CAP 2015
National
Conference

2. ALL ABOUT CULTURE

3. “Culture Eats Strategy
for Breakfast”

4. A Culture of
Innovation
A Culture of
Yes
More than
just trying
stuff –
disciplined
inquiry
Feeling
permission
takes time

5. Focus on a Few
Things

6. Inquiry
• No one “model”
• It is more than just
asking questions
Self-Regulation
• Start to focus at the
younger grades
• Looking across
domains
Digital Access
• Start with teachers
• Modernize classrooms
• Embrace BYOD in the
context of equity

7. Common secondary
timetable
• One District Campus
• Joint Ownership of
students and learning
School Wide
Signatures
• Every school needs an
elevator pitch
• They don’t need to be
the same but need to
be part of a coherent
network
STRUCTURES

8. ALIGNING RESOURCES
Learning Teams
 Dedicated
$100,000 for
teams to use –
micro-budgeting
 Meet inside and
outside the
school day
 Work with a
mentor
 Ends with a
celebration
ALIGNING RESOURCES

9. “So if you ever wondered if the
innovation grants were making a
difference – just take a look at what’s
going on here! There is a massive shift
in teaching and learning”
Elementary School Principal

10. DISCUSSION
What are the structures in your
school and district that are promoting
a culture of innovation?

11. NEW ROLE FOR PARENTS

12. Parents are part of the process not just
observers of the polished product

13. 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

14. What is
something that is
“sticking” in your
school and / or
district that didn’t
exist 3 years ago?
DISCUSSION

15. What Does Support Look Like?CELEBRATE RISK TAKING

16. SHINE A LIGHT ON INNOVATION

17. MATTERS
WHERE LEADERS SPEND THEIR TIME MATTERS

18. 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

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

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

22. 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?

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

24. . . .
I mean, you’re a teacher, Taylor.
Be honest. What do you make?

25. This is . . .

26. OUR WORLD

27. OUR LIVES

28. OUR CHILDREN

29. OUR CURRICULUM

30. OUR CHALLENGE

31. OUR WORK

32. OUR ART

33. OUR JOY

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

88. I make them question.

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

90. I make them write.
I make them read, read, read.

91. 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.

92. . . .
and if someone ever tries to judge you
by what you by what you make, you give them this.

197. . . .
Here, let me break it down for you, so you
know what I say is true:

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

199. Excerpts from poem:
What Teachers Make
by Taylor Mali
Thanks for Leading
Learning.

200. Where you can find me:
ckennedy@sd45.bc.ca
604-202-4379
@chrkennedy
Chris Kennedy
cultureofyes.ca
www.sd45.bc.ca