Harvey Bischof is the President of the Ontario Secondary School Teacher's Federation. Erika Shaker is the Director of The Education Project at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. In this conversation we use the current Pandemic context as a backdrop to talk about the policy conversations that need to be having if we are going to adequately address the many equity issues that are staring us in the face these days.

The inspiration for this conversation was a piece that Erika wrote for Behind the Numbers, the CCPA blog. Her entry called for us to consider the deeper equity issues that have been laid bare by the current crisis. You can find Erika's writing here: http://behindthenumbers.ca/2020/04/15/park-it-wi-fi-access-is-not-educational-equity/

In 2007, the World Health Organization released its report, A Safer Future—Global Health Security in the 21st Century. It would seem that not all of the recommendations, especially those around Pandemic planning were heeded.

Drs. Marilyn Leask and Sarah Younie (DeMonfort University) join us today to talk about a chapter on pandemic planning in education that will be included in a new book that they are writing on System Design in education.

When Werklund School of Education Associate Dean, Dr. Amy Burns, learned that field placement for teacher candidates would be threatened due to the COVID-19 shutdown, she put her team to work to create an alternative experience.

Dr. Burns is joined today by Dr. Astrid Kendrick, Director of Field Experience for the Community-based Pathway and teacher Candidate, Deanna Parker about how the creation of the Pandemic Field Placement.

We learn how it was created, how it was implemented and how it might inform future practice at Werklund.

Find out more about the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary by visiting https://werklund.ucalgary.ca/

According to the Institute for Learning Innovation, just 5% of what we learn in a lifetime takes place in school. In this conversation, ILI Executive Director, John Falk, talks about the other 95%. We talk about free-choice learning in the context of the current pandemic and we also explore how challenging the common assumptions about "learning loss" might help us leverage learning opportunities in a new way.

Find out more about John's work at https://instituteforlearninginnovation.org

In this LIVE radio conversation, educator, author and systems thinker, Michael Fullan is joined by former CEO of the Canadian Education Association, Ron Canuel to talk about the signals, signs, challenges and opportunities emerging in this time of COVID-19. We talk about the shifting policy landscape as well as new demands for a different type of education leadership moving forward.

Today on In Conversation, we head to Dorset UK to catch up with author Gail Aldwin. Gail has just returned from a 4 month Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO International) placement working in the Ugandan refugee settlement of Bidibidi. It was an experience focused on the area of early childhood access to education. In this conversation we find out about that work and how it has impacted her work as a writer.

Judith Koke is the Deputy Director and Director of Professional Development Institute for Learning Innovation, an organization committed to reshape the learning landscape by catalyzing innovation in lifelong, free-choice learning.

In this conversation, we talk about the work of the organization and the opportunities for authentic learning in this time of pandemic and isolation.

Learning more about Judith's work and the Institute for Learning Innovation by visiting https://www.instituteforlearninginnovation.org/

Timm Holmes is an Ottawa-based writer and storyteller who has a real passion for teaching kids how to weave and tell stories. Hear about the connection between "telling" and "writing", a little about Timm's own history as a writer and a special excerpt from Peanut Butter & Dragon. (You're going to love this!)

Find out more about Timm's work at http://timmholmes.com/

Dr. Ken Saltman, Professor of Education Leadership, UMass is joined by Erika Shaker, Director of the Education Project at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. We continue to dig deeper into issues around the privatization and corporatization of the Canadian public education space.

How is the current COVID-19 crisis impacting students who are already marginalized by the traditional structures of schooling? Are there ways of rethinking our current approach to remote learning to embrace the principles of culturally relevant pedagogy?

Alison Gaymes is Centrally Assigned Principal for Principal Coaching, Equity & School Improvement with the Toronto District School Board.

Ramon San Vicente is a principal with the Toronto District School Board, educational activist, and author of various texts.

Both Alison and Ramon have a passionate commitment for exploring critical pedagogies and challenging oppressive practices in schools. Follow him on Twitter at @RamonSanVicent2.

Alison and Ramon recently co-authored an article for the Beyond the Numbers, the blogspace of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Read "Schooling for equity during and beyond COVID-19" at http://behindthenumbers.ca/2020/03/27/schooling-for-equity-during-covid-19/