Tashi Kirincic
Coordinator of Inclusive Literacy Practices, Secondary Schools (SD 37)
Tashi Kirincic is a teacher-leader in the Delta School District, located on the traditional territory of the Tsawwassen and Musqueam People. She is passionate about cultivating and sustaining spaces where teachers can connect, get curious about teaching and learning, and work together to create powerful and inclusive learning environments. Tashi is the Coordinator of Inclusive Literacy Practices for Secondary Schools in Delta. She received her Masters of Language and Literacy Education from the University of British Columbia and is a graduate of UBC’s Transformative Education Leadership Program.
Lori Burger
District Vice Principal of Indigenous Education, Equity and Excellence & Director of Instruction
Lori Burger is from the Nisga’a Nation, from the community of Gitlaxt’aamiks in the Nass valley. She is Giskaast (Killerwhale), from the house of Wisin xbiltkw, and Cree from Treaty 6 territory in Saskatchewan on her mother’s side, as well as settler heritages on her father’s side. Lori is committed to uplifting Indigenous voices and passionate about Indigenous representation both professionally and personally. She cares deeply about Indigenous representation and reconciliation learning, and is actively involved in evaluating Indigenous literatures and resources for use in the K-12 public school system. She has worked with the Association of Book Publishers of BC Indigenous Books for Schools and the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) on authenticating First Peoples resources.
Lori has been involved in Indigenous education for over twenty years in roles spanning from Support Worker to Teacher, to Vice Principal and District Administration. Lori is currently the District Vice Principal of Indigenous Education, Equity and Excellence and also Director of Instruction in School District 52 in Prince Rupert. Her personal and professional focus continues to be equity and empowerment of Indigenous youth, and Indigenous education for all.
Ron Berger
Senior Advisor, EL Education
Ron Berger is a well-known national and international keynote speaker focused on inspiring a commitment to quality, character, and citizenship in students. He is the Senior Advisor at EL Education, a nonprofit school improvement organization that partners with public schools and districts across America, leads professional learning, and creates open educational resources.
Ron is the author of best-selling education books, including: An Ethic of Excellence, A Culture of Quality, Leaders of Their Own Learning, Transformational Literacy, Management in the Active Classroom, Learning that Lasts, and We Are Crew: A Teamwork Approach to School Culture. He was a professor at Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he did his graduate work. He founded and directs the website Models of Excellence: The Center for High-Quality Student Work, which holds the world’s largest collection of beautiful K-12 student work.
Ron was a public school teacher and master carpenter in rural Massachusetts for over 25 years and received the Autodesk Foundation National Teacher of the Year award.
Jo Chrona
Speaker, Education Consultant and Advocate, and Author
Jo Chrona is a speaker, education consultant and advocate, and author of Wayi Wah! Indigenous Pedagogies: An Act for Reconciliation and Anti-Racist Education (2022). Jo Chrona is Ts’msyen, and a member of the Kitsumkalum First Nation. She also has European ancestry. Jo’s professional experience includes over 25 years teaching in both the K-12 and post-secondary systems in BC, working as a Policy Analyst and Curriculum Manager for the First Nations Education Steering Committee, an Advisor to the BC Ministry of Education, and a Faculty Associate in SFU’s BC Teacher Education Program. Jo has also been involved in curriculum development and resource writing, professional learning through inquiry networks, and Indigenous and anti-racist education. She participated in aspects of educational transformation in BC’s K-12 system, as well as managing and contributing to the development of authentic Indigenous teacher resources.
Jo has a Bachelor of Arts from SFU, a Diploma in Education and Master’s Degree in Educational Technology from the University of British Columbia (UBC), and completed UBC’s Transformative Educational Leadership Program (TELP). She also maintains her BC Teacher Certification. In between speaking, consulting, and providing professional learning sessions that focus on the intersections of Indigenous and anti-racist education, and how Indigenous pedagogies and high-expectations relationships create stronger educational experiences for all, Jo is co-writing a book focussing on the intersections between assessment, equity, well-being, and Indigenous pedagogies.
Judy Halbert & Linda Kaser
Co-directors, Networks of Inquiry and Indigenous Education
Co-leaders, Transformative Educational Leadership Program, UBC
Dr. Judy Halbert and Dr. Linda Kaser are co-directors of the Networks of Inquiry and Indigenous Education (NOIIE) and co-leaders of the Transformative Educational Leadership Program at UBC (TELP). They have served as teachers, principals, district leaders and have seconded directors at the Ministry of Education. Judy and Linda consult extensively with school systems internationally, and are deeply committed to achieving equity and quality for all learners—and to networking for innovation and improvement across systems.
Judy Halbert and Linda Kaser were identified by the Big Change Organization as Pioneers for their work with NOIIE and in 2019, along with Debbie Leighton Stephens, they were awarded the Cmolik Prize for the enhancement of public education in British Columbia.
Judy and Linda are co-authors of Leading Through Spirals of Inquiry (2022), The Spiral Playbook (2017), Spirals of Inquiry for Equity and Quality (2013), Leadership Mindsets: Innovation and Learning in the Transformation of Schools (2009) and with Helen Timperley, A Framework for Transforming Learning in Schools: Innovation and the Spiral of Inquiry (2014).
Jillian Lewis/DJ GrooveHeart
Education Consultant & DJ
Jillian Lewis is an educator with over 30 years of experience teaching, learning, and leading in British Columbia. She has served as a classroom teacher, elementary school principal, and now independent education consultant, and has always had a passion for building community and facilitating collaborative inquiry. Jillian is deeply committed to nurturing the social and emotional well-being of all learners and those who care for them. She is a life-long learner and a self-taught photographer and musician. Her most recent field of study has been behind the decks as a DJ, sharing joy through music and dance.
Kath Murdoch
Seastar Educational Consulting
Kath Murdoch is a teacher with over 40 years experience working with children and educators. The author of many popular books for teachers, Kath works around the world to share and explore her passion for the power of inquiry to transform teaching and learning in schools.
Leona Prince
Director of Instruction for Indigenous Education, School District 91
Siy Leona Prince sadnee. Lhts’umusyoo habilh dzees zilh. Lusilyoo haba dza gel dzut. Sne’ Joyce Prince tl’a Sbeb Gordon Barfoot habatnee. Leona Prince is a Dakelh woman from the Lake Babine Nation and Nak’azdli and belongs to the Lhts’umusyoo Clan. She is a descendant of Stiche and Chief Kwah. She is the mother of three amazing children and is a passionate award-winning educator.
In 2017, she was awarded the Alumni of the Year award for Professional Excellence by the Alumini Association of UNBC, her alma mater. She also received an Indspire Award for Educational Leadership at the 2018 Guiding the Journey Educator Awards. Leona is a sought-after speaker and has authored two children’s books, A Dance Through the Seasons, and Be a Good Ancestor which was released in the spring of 2022.
