Sustaining Principal Learning Through Inquiry and Integrative Thinking
One of the most important leadership decisions made in the Toronto District School Board’s Learning Networks 21 and 22 - with over 50 schools and 100 school leaders - was to refine the purpose of the Learning Network monthly meetings. This collaboration was 2017 - 2023.
Leading this work were Superintendents Jane Phillips-Long and Mike Gallagher. They decided that their monthly meetings were not going to focus on operations that could be covered in emails. Operational matters, if unavoidable, were kept brief and placed at the end of meetings. The majority of time was protected for learning focused on school improvement. This choice changed the experience of Vice-Principals and Principals. Learning Network meetings became places where they could slow down, learn, and engage meaningfully with one another.
From the outset, Jane and Mike ensured strong alignment with Board priorities, the Multi-Year Strategic Plan, and School Improvement Processes. They reinforced that this learning was not an “extra,” but core to the work of Principals.
I-Think played a critical role in designing and facilitating this learning. The I-Think facilitators, Josie Fung and Nogah Kornberg, brought structured Integrative Thinking frameworks and intentionally designed learning arcs across the school year so ideas could be revisited, refined, and applied over time. They were guided by three design principles:
Frameworks for problem solving | First, participants learned Integrative Thinking tools - the Pro-Pro, Ladder of Inference, Causal Model and Assertive Inquiry - that gave them shared language and disciplined ways to surface tensions and identify levers for change.
School Improvement is a process | Second, learning was grounded in the Six Key Conversations, a board-wide framework that described recurring cycles of school improvement and aligned closely with School Improvement Plans.
Application to their roles immediately | Third, principals applied these tools to challenges they were actively facing in their schools.
One session reflects the impact of this approach. The Toronto DSB was changing its special education structure. After principals had worked through Pro-Pro Charts related to special education redesign, central special education staff joined a session expecting a traditional format: Central Staff presented, school leaders ask questions reflecting their frustration. Instead, there was no presentation. The session was driven by thoughtful Principal questions. The visiting staff remarked that this felt different from other system meetings, where frustration often dominated.
Learning did not end in meetings. Through regular school visits, Jane and Mike provided ongoing mentorship, helping principals bridge learning directly into practice. The work was made visible. Pro-Pro Charts, Ladders of Inference and Causal Models were shared, posted, photographed, and revisited. When everyone shared common language and frameworks, conversations during school visits moved quickly beyond surface issues to the nuances of implementation. Principals felt supported as they tested ideas in real time.
Research shows that collaboration with peers is one of the most powerful drivers of improvement in education. The experience of Learning Networks 21 and 22 demonstrated that collaboration paired with thinking frameworks and sustained implementation support to lead to long-term meaningful change.
In the years since, Principals and Vice-Principals from these networks still use Integrative Thinking tools and Pro-Pro Charts with teachers, parent councils, and school teams. Many continue to reach out to I-Think as a source of critical thinking partnership and support.
