As a new member of school leadership I am introducing myself with this first post outlining both my professional and personal interests.

I am a former Superintendent of Schools With the York Region School Board, followed by the completion of a doctorate at Ontario Institute for Education. I am currently teaching courses at York University on social justice and equity issues in schools and communities.
I take an annual solo backpacking trip each year after my last class. In 2011, from Capetown to Cairo,overland alone, last year from Istanbul through Iran and all the central Asian countries to China and this year from the tip of India to the roof of the world in Katmandu.
I can be reached at jdiakiw@edu.yorku.ca

My interests:
1. High school reform. Google my article in Ed Week,
"Time for a new kind of high school"
2. Reading recovery: google my article in the Journal of Reading Recovery, " Reading Recovery: A social justice intervention.
3. Leadership. check out the book documenting my leadership style "A champion of innovation in Education: A life history study of Jerry Diakiw" by Gordon Cavanaugh kindle edition.
4. International education comparisons. Google my article, "Hold on to your bragging rights Canada. In Education Canada
5. Multiculturalism and the immigrant experience. google my article "Growing up Ukrainian in Toronto" Toronto Star.
6. Teacher memoirs: google my article
" Remembering Joel: A story of resilience" in Education Canada
7. Canadian Culture and Identity. Google my monograph "Commonplaces of Canadian culture and identity "
8. Teaching. Google my first ever article and my students' most favourite article "Give them the trombone"
9. Native issues. Google my article from the Toronto Star, " The native roots of our Canadian Culture"
10. Engaged reading: forthcoming in Education Canada. The true meaning of reading. An examination of how engaged reading is the best predictor of who goes to university and life success, the deleterious effect of playing video games, especially for boys on both reading and school achievement And how reading fiction has a powerful effect on prosocial character development.

Other interests
A. Backpacking: google my article " I'm 74 and i just backpacked across Africa, alone. Toronto Star.
Or
Kidnapped by a Somali Gang from my travel blog
B. Photography
Google my article "From kodak box camera to iphoneography"
C. My photos at flickr yaroslwd