Authors
Avis Glaze
Avis Glaze, Ed.D., one of Canada’s outstanding educators, is currently president of her company, Edu-quest International Inc. She is an international leader in education, having won numerous awards, including the Order of Ontario, for her innovations in areas such as leadership development, student achievement, school and system improvement, character development, and equity. She has served as Ontario education commissioner and senior advisor to Ontario’s minister of Education. As Ontario’s first chief student achievement officer and founding chief executive officer of the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, she played a pivotal role in helping to improve student achievement. She served on the Royal Commission on Learning (1995), which significantly influenced the direction of education in Ontario. She has worked at many types of schools, including public, Roman Catholic, urban, and rural. Avis co-chaired the development of Realizing the Promise of Diversity: Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2009), now being implemented in schools, and co-authored Towards Freedom: The African Canadian Experience (Umbrella Press, 1996). Her early research on the career decision-making of Ontario high-school girls led to the development of many programs directed at young women. A tireless advocate for human rights and equity, she now builds capacity in school systems across the globe. She has been appointed advisor to the minister of Education in New Zealand.
Ruth Mattingley
Ruth Mattingley, M.Ed., is an associate with Edu-quest International Inc. She has provided leadership in education provincially, nationally, and internationally. She has given keynote speeches and led workshops in the areas of leadership development for equity, improving student achievement for all students, special education, and a range of other topics. Throughout her career, she has focused on equity issues and supporting educators to improve outcomes for all students. Ruth has served as senior executive officer of the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat. In this role, she assisted with the development of Ontario’s strategy for improving achievement in literacy and numeracy for elementary school students, with a major emphasis on closing gaps in achievement. She has experience as an elementary teacher, principal, and superintendent of education. She is past-president of the Canadian Association of School Administrators (CASA) and of the Ontario Public Supervisory Officials’ Association (OPSOA).
Ben Levin
Ben Levin, Ph.D., is professor and Canada Research Chair at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto. He was named Outstanding Educator for 2010 by Phi Delta Kappan International, University of Toronto Chapter, and was recently awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Ottawa. In addition to a distinguished record as a researcher, with six books and more than 200 other publications, Ben has more than a dozen years of service as a senior public servant, including deputy minister of Education in Manitoba (1999–2002) and in Ontario (2004–2007; 2008–2009). He speaks and consults on education issues around the world. Ben’s interest in equity is long-standing and is reflected in many of his studies and publications, including How to Change 5000 Schools: A Practical and Positive Approach for Leading Change at Every Level (Harvard, 2008) and a forthcoming book with Jane Gaskell on poverty and urban education in Canada (University of Toronto Press). His current work focuses on the impact of poverty and inequality in education; advancing the role and use of research in shaping education policy and practice; and building on recent experience in Ontario to improve understanding of large-scale improvement in education.