Our Team

Joni Heard is a seasoned educator who rose through the teaching ranks and is deeply committed to the application of research-based practices and processes within the realm of educational leadership.

Having served in a number of leadership roles, Joni’s upward career trajectory includes being a consultant at the district level, vice Principal and principal, education officer, and seconded to the Ontario Ministry of Education for province-wide leadership development.

As an instructor with ISL, Joni oversees a portfolio that includes: classroom instruction, online courses for current and aspiring educational school leaders, developing workshops for international education study tours and Government and Ministry relations.

On the work and its impact, it’s the opportunity to build the capacity of leaders around the world that continues to drive Joni. Providing her clients with the skills and knowledge, and also the dispositions around effective leadership at the school and systems level is a valuable part of the process.

For the programs to succeed, the work has to be contextualized to the participants’ setting. Case in point: Malmö, Sweden, where she helped the Malmö Elementary Schools implement a system-wide strategic plan. The jurisdiction determined a plan for improvement that centred on three key forces: system leadership, structural and process changes, and professional learning for all leaders. On its effectiveness, Anders Malmquist, School Director. Malmö Elementary Schools had this to say: “The learning and commitment have increased for everyone involved and by the power of collective learning we have built capacity within our teams.”

Joni deeply values the relationships forged within the international education community. Being part of a network that boasts a professional presence in terms of global leadership is very important to her. She loyally supports her clients and encourages them to carry on with the work long after she has left her mark. Joni is always willing to support and coach them along the way as the process depends on trust. Building relationships fosters trust, which is essential to creating impactful and lasting outcomes.

A commitment to learn from those she works with is a guiding principle and she firmly believes that it has made her a more effective leader because of it. Joni is optimistic about how our new reality can be an opportunity to affect outcomes. For her, this is a time to engage with leaders and leverage a lot of the existing work to help prospective leaders move forward.

Her enthusiasm for the work is shared by those who have benefitted from the instruction, while her love for the people involved cements her status as a sincere and committed instructor. Outside of ISL, she values spending time at her lake house and keeping up-to-date with a busy sports calendar.

Stephen McCombe has spent his life using his personal and career experiences to improve the lives of children. With a decorated career in education spanning 35 years, he remains committed to making a difference at the school-level through his work at International School Leadership (ISL).

Stephen never loses sight of student achievement, especially in the face of adversity. Having successfully guided several schools through difficult transitions, he’s well positioned to make a difference at the school and system level. That work, coupled with his board-level commitment to professional learning, resulted in provincial-level involvement as an educational consultant in professional learning with the Ontario Principals’ Council (OPC) and ISL.

While the Ontario model has proven to be an excellent blueprint for success, he knows there is no single approach that works for everyone, so he continues to educate himself on emerging research and contextualize the work to provide the most comprehensive program that works for each of his client’s needs.

The reach of Stephen’s work extends globally, with the impact realized in Vejle, Denmark and Malmö, Sweden among others, and leading workshops around the world. Significant contributions to Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) highlight collaboration and the ability to improve capacity. He was a major contributor to The Principal as Professional Learning Community Leader, publishing an article in the Danish publication Canadisk Paedagogik i Skolen (2015).

One of Stephen’s greatest achievements is the work done on Manitoulin Island in northern Ontario. He spent considerable time examining equity issues in Wiikwemkong Unceded Territory. Working alongside members of the Wiikwemkong Board of Education, Stephen sought to better understand their priorities and drafted a plan of action contextualized to their culture. He conducted interviews with band elders and a community historian to incorporate the local First Nation perspective in each document. The proposal, crafted at the board level, was widely adopted and met with immense gratitude for its thoroughness and thoughtful approach. The work ensured that each document reflected the values and beliefs of the Wikwemikong people.

Stephen strongly encourages prospective school leaders to push their thinking beyond the classroom. He takes great pride in knowing that what they learn can be applied to their own setting immediately. He has facilitated numerous online modules for teachers, school owners, vice principals and principals from around the world. Leveraging those online resources is even more prescient now and Stephen is filled with promise for how to apply those learnings year round and in a virtual setting.

The direct impact of ISL’s work on student learning is a persistent and powerful motivator. For Stephen, knowing that the administration is actively working with its teachers and the teachers are actively working with students, is an accomplishment that cannot be overlooked.

Collaborative work is destined to improve student learning and the ‘Seek First To Understand, Then To Be Understood’ (Stephen Covey) mentality resonates with him and his work.

He earned his Bachelor of Arts degrees at Western University and the University of Windsor respectively, and holds a Master’s of Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. So taken with the nature in northern Ontario, Stephen and his wife have carved out a piece for themselves and he relishes spending more time there with his five grandchildren.

An entrepreneurial mindset, coupled with 30 years of education, places Bruce Barrett firmly at the intersection of education and business. As an instructor with International School Leadership (ISL), Bruce leverages his experience as a classroom teacher, school administrator (secondary and elementary), and Superintendent, to meet the needs of school and system leaders alike.

Bruce firmly believes that any educational system, its school, or component parts, is measured by achievement, well-being, and safety. His work with school administrators is designed to drive student achievement and engagement by leveraging the analysis of class, school, and system data. For the programs and participants to succeed, a commitment to ongoing conversations and regular monitoring visits is required. Those are key drivers to continuous improvement and that visibility is the gateway to positive relationships. A system of checks and balances keeps Bruce engaged with his clients.

In addition to his work at ISL, Bruce also serves as an Accreditation Officer for the Council of International Schools, managing programs at 1000 elementary and post-secondary institutions across 115 countries.

The seeds for a career in education were planted at an early age. Growing up in West Africa, Bruce demonstrated a level of enthusiasm and curiosity that continues to drive him today in the disciplines of school reform, leadership development, and athletics.

Bruce stays current and leverages technology as part of effective instruction, school improvement and student success — the chief indicators of high performing systems. His visibility on networking platforms, including Twitter and LinkedIN, fosters engagement. Correspondence with prospective clients allows him to develop a program based on the voice of the stakeholder. Bruce continually moderates communal work, produces instructional videos for review and speaks broadly on the topic of the effective use of the Teacher Performance Appraisal as a tool for continuous growth.

Addressing equity issues and gaps is a foundational piece in his quest to bring clarity and action to the system leader. It serves as a chief catalyst to the student achievement agenda. This notion of equity has been recognized as the most significant gap to address when trying to improve student achievement. The basic theme of equity is so pervasive and important for the historically disenfranchised. He has worked extensively with Indigenous communities and system leaders in both Ontario and Canada’s North, including the Wikwemikong Board of Education. At its core, the work was about co-developing effective policies and procedures.

His current work in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines seeks to strengthen school and system leadership. Bruce and his team are delivering the contextualized school and system level leadership programs, with foundational support including the development of a handbook for school leaders and a mentoring program to provide sustained support.

Bruce is cognizant that we are currently at an important intersection in education — a convergence of technology, voice, and pedagogy. His work is about cultivating the environment that maximizes the opportunity and innovation in the very centre of this intersection.
He is a proud husband and grandfather who sharpens his focus through woodworking, travel and being out in nature.