Schools and other educational institutions need to pay far greater attention to what they can in fact change and less attention to perceived limits. Nowadays, it is unfortunately better to be a stupid rich kid than a bright poor one but such findings obscure more optimistic views and possibilities. While poverty certainly influences outcomes it does not determine them. And while schools can't do everything - they can do something. The key for schools and by extension other institutions is to figure out that something and do it well.
Brian O’Leary is a career educator who is currently Superintendent of the Seven Oaks School Division in northwest Winnipeg. Brian is a past president of the Manitoba Association School Superintendents and a member of the national council of the Canadian Education Association. Under Brian’s leadership Seven Oaks has seen its enrolment increase twenty five percent and its graduation rate climb from seventy percent to over ninety percent. Absenteeism has been cut in half and Seven Oaks School Division’s level of student engagement is among the best in Canada. Brian has helped Seven Oaks to become a recognized leader in aboriginal education, in measures to promote equity, in arts education and in the inclusion of students with special needs.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx
29 сен 2024
