Dean interviews BC superintendent Peter Jory about why leadership is hard and why the purpose of leadership is moving a system from “good” (easy, popular, pleasant, adult-preference) to “right” (ethical, effective, student-success focused). Jory shares examples such as resisting staff spending when budgets should prioritize students, and discusses the nuance of maintaining workplace joy while avoiding decisions driven by popularity. They examine inclusion and the continuum of student needs, including cases where students harm staff and the limits of supporting every student in-class all day. Jory explains BC’s data shift through the Framework for Enhancing Student Learning and tools like Ed Planning Insight for planning and instruction. They discuss proactive graduation tracking, its life impacts, improved Indigenous graduation rates (64% to 93%) through advocates and system changes, approaches to AI policy and student use, and leadership growth through feedback.

00:00 Good Versus Right
00:48 Leadership Is Hard
01:17 Meet Peter Jory
03:33 Defining Good And Right
04:48 Budget Choices For Kids
07:27 Nuance And Workplace Joy
10:40 Inclusion And Resistance
12:56 Continuum Of Student Needs
16:34 Data Tools In BC
20:58 Tracking Graduation Success
24:50 Boosting Indigenous Outcomes
28:26 Caring Adults Matter
29:20 Districts Facing AI
30:28 Building AI Guidelines
33:50 Authenticity and Ethics
35:04 AI at Work Reflections
36:26 Leadership Feedback Lessons
37:33 Leading Through Conflict
42:14 Formative Leadership Books
45:10 Unwinding with Baseball
46:07 Qualicum Hidden Gems
47:15 Closing Thanks