In education, we often look outward to learn inward. For years, Finland has been a guiding light — its public education system admired globally for its innovation, student success, and deep commitment to equity. Researchers, policymakers, and educators have studied it closely, hoping to understand how a small Nordic country became an educational superpower.
But Finland is no longer alone in this spotlight.
British Columbia has quietly — and confidently — joined the ranks of the world’s most respected education systems. Our province has consistently performed at the top of international assessments, and in 2019, the OECD chose BC to host its Future of Education and Skills 2030 meeting — the first time this global gathering was held in North America. That moment wasn’t just symbolic. It was a recognition of the work we’ve done together: educators, families, and communities building a system that values both excellence and equity.
Yes, we’ve learned from Finland. But, we’ve also forged our own path.
One of Finland’s most influential voices, Professor Pasi Sahlberg, has long championed the idea that public education must be both excellent and equitable. Currently a professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Melbourne in Australia, Sahlberg has worn many hats — teacher, researcher, policy advisor — and through it all, he’s remained steadfast in his belief that education is a public good. He reminds us that schools are not just places of learning; they are pillars of democracy, equity, and opportunity.
His message is clear: we don’t have to choose between high achievement and fair access. We can — and must — pursue both.
Here in Saanich, we see this every day:
In classrooms where students are encouraged to think critically and creatively.
In schools where staff work tirelessly to ensure every learner feels seen, supported, and challenged.
Where we recognize that Indigenous students are not achieving to the same level as their non-indigenous peers and, as such, continuing to focus on this inequity.
In families and communities that partner with us to nurture not just academic success, but well-being, belonging, and purpose.
The work is not easy. But it is essential.
As we look ahead, let’s continue to ask ourselves these questions:
Are we creating spaces where all students can thrive?
How do we continue to value our educators and support staff as the professionals they are?
Are we building a system that reflects the diversity, complexity, and potential of every learner?
Equity and excellence are not opposing forces. They are twin pillars of a strong public education system. And when we commit to both, we create something powerful — not just for our students, but for our entire community.
There’s so much I am grateful for as Superintendent. But if I had to name just one thing that stands out, it’s this: I get to be part of a professional community that never stops striving to be better. Every day I’m surrounded by people who challenge and inspire me to grow — people who believe deeply in creating spaces where every learner can thrive. Together, we’re not just educators. We’re leaders. And we’re building something meaningful.
Like everywhere else, our district is affected by global issues. The global social and political realities of today are significant and impacting us in unexpected ways. In some of my previous posts I have commented on things such as the current political turmoil, economic uncertainty and social media biases — where we have seen the marginalizing of people because of their beliefs and personal preferences. I have blogged about the problems of racism, bigotry and hatred — because they are important topics for me — areas where we need conversation and action against them. As a school system, we have an obligation to combat these intolerances and be strong in our belief of being the places of kindness and understanding — the places where students feel welcomed, safe and included.
Tucker catching up on some critical down time
These are some of the current influences that are shaping my thinking and wonderings. With this as a backdrop, I’ve compiled a short list of 4 areas of personal reflection that I’d like to share — areas where I’ve spent some time — at work, on my drive home or perhaps walking Tucker:
Student Success
Artificial Intelligence & Education
Political and Economic Upheaval
A Personal Perspective
Student Success
We are 1/2 way throughStrategic Plan 2022-2027 — and making some good progress in:Literacy; Indigenous Learner Success; Mental Health & Wellness; and Global Citizenship.
School Plans, Personal Growth Plans, Long-Range Facilities Plans, staff recruitment, the Information Technology Plan, budget planning and many other areas are all examples of how we align our efforts to the Strategic Plan, building on what we know works well as well as trying new things to make us better.
Overall student literacy rates are showing improvement including for students with complex learning needs. There is still a difference in literacy rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, but the gap is narrowing.
Overall, students are feeling welcomed and safe at school. There has been a significant improvement of Indigenous students feeling a sense of belonging.
It is clear that having an adult with whom every child feels connected makes a tremendous difference in students’ sense of safety, as well as feeling valued for who they are in this world.
Graduation rates for all students continue to show a steady increase, with the biggest increase seen for the 6-year Indigenous student graduation rate increasing from 56% (2022-22) to 73% (2023-24).
These are just a few of the trends we are seeing. I encourage you to look over the entire Reportwhen you have some time. While there is still much work to be done — especially as it relates to building equity — it is important to acknowledge the efforts our staff are providing in building successful learning opportunities for the students in our care.
Artificial Intelligence and Education
This is an exciting time to be in K-12 education.
In the words of a friend and colleague, “The AI you’re using today is the worst it’s ever going to be.” Being the most recent ‘disruptive technology‘, AI is altering the educational landscape — changing how we lesson plan, increasing accessibility to the curriculum, as well as how we assess student progress. It also provides opportunities within the business side of our system.
But, this newest of technologies also comes with questions and worries. We’re not ignoring these, but instead we’re building a foundation of understanding that is continually evolving alongside of the technology. By embracing the conversation, we have the best opportunity to leverage its possibilities, while being cognizant of ensuring its appropriate use.
In Saanich, we produced a foundational document (Framework for Generative AI in Saanich Schools) that provides some of the ‘bumper pads or guiderails’ for AI in our schools. It is not the final word on how we use AI, but it does give us the foundation from which to build awareness and understanding, as well as increase our system capacity in capitalizing on this new, and evolving tool.
We hosted two staff GenAI Think Tanks this year as well as a virtual Parent Information Evening with 300 parents registered.
Our goal in these ongoing conversations is to share our current knowledge and progress, ask questions and continue our learning journey. We don’t have all of the answers. By asking questions and spending the time charting a path forward, we remain committed to being informed and progressive. We see the possibilities that AI can bring to our teaching and learning environments.
Stay tuned for continuing updates next year.
Political and Economic Upheaval
I have never intended for this blog to serve as a political platform—that has never been its purpose. Yet, remaining silent in the face of today’s turbulent political, social, and economic climate would be to ignore the wild uncertainty that surrounds us. This global instability is reverberating across all levels of governance — national, provincial, and local — leaving no community untouched, including here in British Columbia. Government budgets are in a state of flux, and school districts are not immune from the effects of this global uncertainty.
A Personal Perspective
Life is filled with moments that take your breath away and remind you there is a bigger picture . This past year, one of those moments was the birth of our granddaughter, Ophelia. What a pure bundle of joy! And, she just had her first birthday.
Baby Ophelia – 1 year old
Her brightness and inquisitiveness, the pure joy when she tastes new food, the giggles when you play peek-a-boo, and the screams of delight when you blow bubbles in her neck — they all put into perspective life’s priorities.
While there are many pressure points in our professional lives — in the end, what matters most are the people.
It is Ophelia and others like her who bring the greatest meaning to our lives and our priorities — both personally and professionally.
See you in September!
For those of you returning next year, I look forward to connecting with you again in our schools and district office. And, if you are off to new adventures thank you for being part of our community of learners. I wish you well.
Thank you to everyone who has entered my world this year — you have made an impact and a difference. I wish all of you a summer of rejuvenation, and opportunities to do the things that may get pushed aside during the busy school year.
Dave
(This post was written without the support of Artificial Intelligence.)
I’ve been doing a lot of recent wondering about the large amount of loud, social media noise that is crowding out more rationale thoughts and ideas. Part of my musing is how the education system should be responding to it in a way that builds a capacity in students to be able to discern truth from fiction — facts from opinions.
Let me go back a few years to my late teens and early 20s.
My undergraduate training in science provided me with an excellent set of tools to understand the world — to find reasons or explanations for a lot of things:
Why is the world’s climate changing so quickly?
What happens to our brain when we read?
What does trauma do to a person’s ability to learn?
Science uses The Scientific Method which, at its heart, is about ‘careful observation coupled with rigorous skepticism‘. Science uses a systematic process of working to disprove a current understanding about something, until the overwhelming evidence points to the truth — to an accepted fact.
I also love that science remains open to being wrong — that it challenges our assumptions and beliefs to ensure that bias is not part of the explanation.
REALITY IS MORE THAN FACTS
Yet, as I’ve grown in my career and throughout life, I’ve also come to understand that the ‘black and white’ world of science is not the complete answer. Reality is a combination of both the facts in front of us, and our personal experiences — experiences that help to create the context surrounding the facts.
Context: The conditions or situations that give meaning to an event.
Context adds the colour to the ‘black and white’ world of facts. The reality that we each experience lies enveloped in our own personal history and context.
The Facts are Black & WhiteContext Provides the Meaning
How is one’s own personal history influencing the event of today?
What inherent biases are people bringing to what they ‘see’ or ‘hear’?
By taking the time to understand the ‘tapestry’ or colour of the situation you can start to forge a deeper understanding of what lies before you — helping you create a better solution to whatever problem or situation exists.
So, what do context and our own history have to do with public education? I’m glad you asked!
CRITICAL THINKING
If a goal of public education is to ‘have educated citizens who thrive in a changing world’, then preparing them to be critical consumers of their world is essential. Students need to be able to understand more than facts — they need to be able to examine the context in which they observe these facts and be aware that a person’s own history and perceptions may be affecting their understanding.
Critical Thinking is an absolute necessity for our students to be the citizens we need in a world filled with fake news, social media bias and opinions camouflaging as fact:
BC Education: Critical … thinking encompasses a set of abilities that students use to examine their own thinking and that of others. This involves making judgments based on reasoning, where students consider options, analyze options using specific criteria, and draw conclusions.
Sounds great. We want students to critically examine the information before them, ask relevant questions and move their understanding forward.
But, can we objectively measure Critical Thinking? Should we even try?
It’s not like you can easily put a number beside Critical Thinking to see if it improves over time. And, because something isn’t easily measured, it doesn’t mean it isn’t important — As examples, Character, Integrity and Honesty are three traits that I would argue are very important but aren’t easily measured.
Several cognitive experts set out to come to an agreed definition of Critical Thinking at a Learning and the Brain conference. And to save you the time of wondering … No agreement was reached. In fact, they disagreed on a number of issues surrounding the concept.
Curiosity Leads to Thinking Critically
But, here’s some of what they did agree on about Critical Thinking …
Although we can’t agree on a common definition, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t prioritize Critical Thinking in education.
True critical thinkers aggressively question their own beliefs.
Teaching to think critically about something should be done as early as Kindergarten.
Asking questions about a topic is the necessary first step to a deeper understanding.
Be careful in the assumption that students are not already thinking critically, especially if we know that it can’t be easily measured.
Critical Thinking is important — but so are Creative Thinking, Interdisciplinary Thinking, Systems Thinking, and Fuzzy Logic to name a few.
So, don’t start a Critical Thinking Program in schools — that isn’t necessary or reasonable.
Instead, schools should focus on the importance of Curiosity being present. Being openly curious is the path to understanding.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Here are my top 5 take aways to help students be well prepared in distinguishing reality from what is not reality:
Challenge assumptions – don’t assume what you’re observing is accurate,
Watch out for opinions that may be misrepresented as facts – social media is flooded with this reality,
Be reflective on your personal history and bias – it’s more influential on you than you may think,
Be open to being wrong – I’m wrong a lot and admitting it actually helps me move forward, and
Always be curious — because curiosity leads to deeper understanding!
That’s a pretty good list.
Science gives us a foundation;
Critical Thinking can lead to understanding context and its impact on the facts; and
Students become better, more informed citizens.
Important concepts in a world of uncertainty, hyperbole and unsubstantiated opinions. And there’s no shortage of that these days.
The Power of Why 