Assistant Heads' Network

The Assistant Heads' Network – Senior School Division Cohort is an opportunity for senior leaders, whether you are a Deputy Head of School or an Assistant or Associate Head of a school-wide portfolio. We come together each fall to hear some inspiration from a seasoned professional and share best practices dealing with challenges and opportunities in our CISO Senior Schools.

The third annual meeting will take place on Thursday, October 15, 2026 at Upper Canada College from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Agenda

10:00 a.m. - Welcome and Refreshments

10:15 a.m. - 

Interactive Keynote: Words of Wisdom from Future Design School, Leslie McBeth

AI has moved into our schools faster than any of us expected. Over the past three years, Future Design School has worked alongside thousands of teachers, leaders and operations staff to help them proactively address both the challenges and opportunities that AI presents. Most schools have moved past the early stages of fear and excitement. They are now in the messy middle of integration, with pockets of strong practice, staff viewpoints that range from eager to unsure to strongly opposed, and real questions about privacy, academic integrity and what students lose when AI does the thinking for them.

In this interactive keynote, Les McBeth will

• share practical examples from what Future Design School is seeing in the field,
• work through the tensions leaders are facing, and
• guide you to reflect on where your school sits on the AI readiness continuum.

LESLIE MCBETH is an educator on a mission to make learning more relevant, engaging and fun. As Director of Special Projects at Future Design School, Les brings unique expertise on the intersection of design, education and technology to lead cross-functional teams in solving problems in K-12, Higher Education and corporate clients. A widely recognized and dynamic facilitator, Les has created and led impactful learning experiences for more than 25,000 educators and leaders globally on topics such as AI’s impact on education; Journey Based Assessment practices; and human centered design. She has 20 years of experience in both Canadian independent schools as a teacher and leader, and in international organizations in design, public policy and human rights advocacy. Les is a Columbia University Klingenstein Institute Fellowship recipient and was the Lead Design Facilitator for the Google Certified Innovator program globally from 2016-2025.

12:00 p.m. - LUNCH (provided)

12:30 p.m. - “In the Field” Challenges and Successes - Breakout Groups for Conversation

1:50-2:00 p.m. - Final Thoughts