School board director proudest of ‘soft skills’ development
Bilingual kindergarten also a career milestone, outgoing Adams says
The director of Ottawa’s largest public school board says she sees signs of what she considers her proudest accomplishment every time she visits a school and watches kids huddled in hallways and corners, working intently on group projects.
Jennifer Adams, who will leave her position as director of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board at the end of the year, said she worked hard during seven years in the top job to reinforce the importance of “soft skills” such as working with others and being both a critical and creative thinker.
Under her tenure, the board developed 10 “exit outcomes” that guide everything from programs to teaching styles.
The 10 skills and characteristics each student should strive for are being goal oriented; an ethical decision maker; academically diverse; an effective communicator; resilient; digitally fluent; innovative and creative; globally aware; a critical thinker; and collaborative.
“It provides a framework,” Adams said in an interview. “It doesn’t matter if the child is in Grade 1 or in Grade 11, it doesn’t matter what subject area, every teacher should be looking at how they are teaching in the classroom. How is that helping kids develop these characteristics and skills?”
The approach is increasingly common around the world, she said.
“That’s where the world is going, the kind of skills, irrespective of technical skills, the social and emotional skills that will help kids be successful.”
At the OCDSB, that has meant changes in teaching styles and even how physical spaces are used.
“When I walk into a school, one of the things I look for is how learning is taking place,” Adams said. “There’s been a huge move toward creating spaces in hallways, in vestibules, in libraries, where kids can get together and learn and work together, and it’s the same in classrooms. It’s really transformed the way that learning looks.
“Our employers tell us that students need to be collaborative when they are coming in (to the workforce).”
Adams singles out the introduction of bilingual kindergarten as another milestone moment in her career. The change was controversial. Some parents of children headed for the English program stream worried it would be too difficult for their children to master French. Other parents who were strong supporters of French immersion were upset that the amount of French in senior kindergarten would be reduced.
Adams says bilingual junior and senior kindergarten makes it possible for every child to get a two-year taste of French and gives parents a little longer to consider whether to enrol their children in French immersion or English instruction. The start of French immersion, which used to be senior kindergarten, was moved to Grade 1.
She is also proud of the board’s development of before- and afterschool daycares at schools that serve 6,000 children. “Kids get to stay in their school. They aren’t being shuffled from place to place.” The program is also popular with parents because it’s flexible and allows them to buy only the care they need, she said.
Adams, who began her career as a core French teacher in Thunder Bay, arrived in Ottawa in 2005 and worked her way up from superintendent to the director’s post, overseeing 120 elementary schools and 30 secondary schools.
It’s a challenging job, running an organization with a budget of $973 million while balancing the demands of students, teachers, trustees elected to oversee the board and passionate parents.
Adams has sat at the board table and in public meetings with parents who weep, yell or just argue vociferously about policy changes and school closures.
She’s unfailingly polite and professional. It’s important to model respectful behaviour, Adams says.
She will leave with 18 months remaining on her contract. Adams says every organization needs a change in leadership, and the timing seemed right.
A new board of trustees will be elected in the fall and the board will start work on a new strategic plan.
She’s not sure what’s next for herself, but says she may explore other job opportunities. “I haven’t made any definite plans. I still feel like I have a lot to give.”
When I walk into a school, one of the things I look for is how learning is taking place.