Democratic Dialogue as a Process to Inform Public Policy: Reconceptualizing a Supervisory Officer’s Qualification Program

• Main Authors: Deirdre M. Smith, Jessica Qua-Hiansen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Simon Fraser University 2015-06-01
• Series: International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership
• Online Access: http://journals.sfu.ca/ijepl/index.php/ijepl/article/download/454/145

An exploration of the collaborative reconceptualization of a provincial Supervisory Officer’s Qualification Program (SOQP) through the use of dialogic approaches is the focus of this inquiry. The stories, perspectives, and lived experiences of supervisory officers, principals, teachers, parents, students, and members of the public in Ontario were included as essential voices and information sources within policy development conversations. These narratives of experience revealed the forms of knowledge, skills, dispositions, and ethical commitments necessary for effective supervisory officers today and in the future. They also illustrated the transformative nature of narrative dialogue to enlighten, deepen understanding, and alter perspec- tives. The policy development processes used in this publicly shared educational initiative serve as a model of democratic dialogue. The inclusive and dialogic methods employed to collectively reconceptualize a supervisory officer formation program illustrate an innovative framework for developing policies governing the public good.