When Do You Move Fast and When Do you Go Slow?

Superintendent Tom Hamer (Palliser School Division, Lethbridge) discusses Canadian education and leadership, emphasizing that leaders must model the best parts of the job. He compares Quebec and Alberta as similarly proud and “distinct,” but with different approaches: Quebec relies more on government laws and rules embedded in education (including the move from Catholic/Protestant systems to English/French with no religious links in schools), while Alberta emphasizes parent and community choice—reflected in Palliser’s small-school “boutique” mix, K–12 models, a national sports school in Calgary with 19 alumni headed to the Winter Olympics, and both Christian and Islamic schools. Hamer shares how he moved from Quebec to Alberta at 44, his early-career experience in Quebec’s Eastern Townships during one-to-one laptop innovation (and its challenges), and how those lessons helped Palliser shift from computer labs to mobile tools and respond quickly during COVID. He also outlines a leadership approach centered on culture and climate: clear mission/values, making urgent decisions when needed, and creating safe team spaces for disagreement, iteration, and shared problem-framing. He notes his pride in staff resilience after an October Alberta “blip” that harmed teachers, and closes with rapid-fire personal topics and a Lethbridge recommendation (Galt Museum area and coulee trails to Helen Schuler Nature Centre).00:00 Quebec vs Alberta Mindsets04:29 From Quebec to Lethbridge08:16 Quebec Tech Innovation Era13:47 One to One Lessons Learned16:56 Pandemic Readiness Playbook20:48 Leading Culture at Palliser25:41 Decision Speed and Triage28:02 Leading Through Resistance30:09 Proud After the Blip35:02 Autonomy and Identity37:24 Mentor Shout Out39:10 Rapid Fire Personal40:13 Running and Longevity42:33 Books and Binge Picks46:30 Hidden Gem Lethbridge48:09 Closing Thanks