PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
Directors' Networks: Thinking Together for Student Achievement
A Different Kind of Leadership Network
Facilitated peer learning for Directors and Senior Leadership Teams from comparable school districts
What Is This?
Many directors are asking the same questions right now:
- What are boards like ours doing to improve achievement?
- How are others making sense of recent provincial achievement results and other student learning data?
- Where can we have honest, substantive conversations that help support critically-thoughtful leadership?
We are convening small, facilitated networks of comparable districts to create exactly that space.
Designed and facilitated by The Critical Thinking Consortium (TC²), this is a short-term, purposefully designed peer network where leaders from four similar boards meet to learn with and from one another. This is not a conference, webinar, or one-off presentation. It is a structured opportunity for real dialogue, shared problem-solving, and collective sense-making.
What's the Focus?
While each network shapes its own emphasis, common areas might include:
- Understanding trends in achievement and other student learning data
- Exploring the constellation of strategies used by the leaders of successful systems
- Leadership learning, capacity building, and system coherence
- Identifying valuable lessons from leadership moves in different contexts
How Is This Different?
- Networks are intentionally grouped by board size and contexts
- Facilitation ensures conversations go beyond surface sharing
- Led with and alongside experienced system leaders
- Grounded in real practice , not prepackaged solutions
- Creation of a trusted space for sense-making during complex moments
- Participation is intentionally limited to ensure quality and relevance.
Who Is This For?
- Senior-most leaders including directors, superintendents and senior teams from school districts and systems who are seeking thoughtful, collegial professional learning
What are the Outcomes?
- Clearer understanding of how comparable boards are approaching improvement
- Stronger professional connections with peers who face similar leadership challenges
- New perspectives that can guide and inform local decision making
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Expanded repertoire of leadership tools and enhanced leadership capabilities
What Might Participation Look Like?
- Three online sessions (1–1.5 hours each)
- Focused on the needs of Directors and other similar systems leaders
- Can designed to align with existing senior team meeting times and include superintendents if desired by the network
- Sessions facilitated by Usha James to support focus, depth, and productive exchange
Who Is TC²?
The Critical Thinking Consortium is a renowned and widely respected not-for-profit educational organization that has supported teachers, school districts, ministries of education, and other non-profit agencies in Canada and internationally for over 30 years. Our approach is founded upon a research-based conceptual framework that enriches and enhances the collective efforts of teachers, schools, districts and organizations by ensuring that high quality thinking is at the core of all initiatives.
TC² framework for nurturing quality thinking
We welcome a conversation about how these options can serve as a valuable investment for your district.