Frank O'Connor has been awarded the honour of 2011 Canada's Outstanding PrincipalTM. During the Canada's Outstanding Principals Executive Leadership training program held at the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, The Learning Partnership asked him about the impact of the program on his role as a leader.
Q1: What is an innovative strategy that you have implemented at your school?
Every Friday morning we hold a “No holds barred” meeting to discuss how we can engage the struggling learners. We brainstorm ideas for creating better opportunities to help them succeed.
Q2: What is a challenge that you face as a principal of your school and how are you addressing it?
The biggest challenge that I face is to guide a group of teachers who do find difficulty in engaging students, and in particular, the struggling learner. To address this issue, I meet individually with teachers to discuss their role to find the best solution for all students.
Q3: What does being awarded the honour of Canada’s Outstanding Principal mean to you?
Primarily, it means two things:
1. Being affirmed for our efforts by The Learning Partnership along with same strong community members
2. The opportunity to gain and then continue a dialogue with talented colleagues
Q4: What part of the Executive Leadership Management Program stands out for you?
1. The fact that I share so many common goals with business people in regards to public education
2. The wealth of information provided by guest speakers like Dr. Fisher and Mr.Alan McGibbon.
Q5: How will you transfer this experience to your role as principal when you return home?
I will share the golden nuggets with my colleagues and I’ll work to ensure that I stay in touch with my new professional learning community.
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