People for Education is a unique organization in Canada: independent, non-partisan, and fuelled by a belief in the power and promise of public education. We create evidence, instigate dialogue, and build links so that people can see — and act on — the connection between public education and a fair and prosperous society.
Public education. Public good.
Annie Kidder
Executive Director
Annie Kidder is the Executive Director and a founder of People for Education. Formerly a theatre director, Kidder became involved in public education in Ontario in the late 1990’s and since then has become an expert on education policy and funding. She regularly provides advice to policy-makers and government, and her writing on education has been published in a range of media. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Ontario Principals’ Council 2004 Outstanding Contribution to Education Award, the Canadian Teachers’ Federation 2005 Public Education Advocacy Award, and in 2018, an honourary doctorate from York University. She has spoken at conferences in Canada, the United States, Europe, Africa and South America. She is regularly quoted in the media as an expert on education issues. She lives in Toronto.
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Kate Blair Hagerman
General Manager
Kate is the General Manager at People for Education.
In her five years with the organization, Kate has supported PFE’s project management, evaluation and learning, planning, and operational efforts.
In her previous roles with the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) and the Evaluation Centre for Complex Health Interventions (TECCHI), Kate honed her research, evaluation and coordination skills. Her work mainly focused on programs in place to support access to education and healthcare for underrepresented groups.
Kate holds a master’s degree from the University of Western Ontario where her thesis focused on the educational transitions of d/Deaf youth in Ontario. She is Mom to two boys (and a little dog), a figure skating enthusiast, and enjoys taking on home renovation projects with her husband. Kate lives in Barrie, ON.
Kymberly Reid
Communications and Design Coordinator
Kymberly is a creative professional passionate about using her skills in design and communications to advocate for a more inclusive world. She is particularly interested in supporting equity in education as well as poverty alleviation through financial inclusion.
Kymberly has an interdisciplinary educational background, including a BA in Anthropology with minors in Communication Studies and Social Entrepreneurship from McGill University. She also completed an MA in Design for Social Impact from Paris College of Art (Formerly, Parsons Paris).
Outside of work, Kymberly loves to dabble in creative hobbies like painting, ceramics, and creative writing. She is also an avid traveler, ever curious about cultural differences and seeking to immerse herself in unfamiliar environments.
Paris Semansky
Director of Systems Change
Paris Semansky is People for Education’s Director of Systems Change.
Sharon Ferdinands
Communications Manager
Sharon is a passionate communication professional who believes that words have the power to motivate and inspire people to take action and that’s what drives her work. She is keen about working towards creating a more equitable society, be it promoting access to education for children of marginalized communities in India or advancing women-owned businesses in Canada through supplier diversity.
Sharon has a Masters degree in Communication from Leeds Beckett University in the United Kingdom. In her free time, she loves to write (mostly inspired by her own life growing up in a small town in India), go on walks and explore the neighborhood with her family.
Steven Begg
Steve is a policy advisor with the Government of Canada. He has over twenty years experience working in federal departments and central agencies on a range of social and economic issues, including education and cultural policy. Steve is the Director of Competition and Strategic Issues with the Department of Finance Canada and holds a Masters in Public Policy from Carleton University.
Steve lives in Ottawa, Ontario, with his wife Ann and their three children, who are proud to attend francophone Catholic public schools. He is an active community volunteer and former Trustee of the Ottawa Public Library.
Dr. Fiona Deller
Fiona is a seasoned specialist with over 25 years of experience in education and higher education policy, research and initiatives. She is the Principal at Fiona Deller and Associates, working primarily with cause driven organizations focusing on education research, strategic planning, program design and operational infrastructure. Fiona has held senior management positions with the Future Skills Centre, the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, and has worked for the Ontario and Federal governments. Additionally, Fiona teaches program evaluation and research design at Toronto Metropolitan University. Fiona is passionate about practical solutions that meet students’ needs, and creating an accessible, user-friendly educational eco-system. Fiona has bachelor’s and master’s Degrees from McGill in History, and a PhD from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at University of Toronto in the field of higher education theory and policy.
Alicia Cameron
Alicia Cameron is Anishinaabe from Saugeen First Nation, but currently resides in Sturgeon Falls, ON with her husband and four daughters.
She has a background focused strongly in Indigenous education and holds a BA/BEd from Lakehead University, and a Master of Education from OISE/University of Toronto. Professionally, she has considerable experience in public education, First Nations education, elementary, secondary and post-secondary teaching and learning, student success, curriculum writing, and education policy.
At the current time, she is employed as the Executive Director of the Ontario Native Education Counselling Association (ONECA). She also works with the Indigenous Trustees’ Council (ITC) of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA), on a consultant basis.
She truly believes that every student is unique with their own set of strengths and gifts. She has always admired the work that People for Education has engaged in, that contributes to making it possible for all students to be successful in an ever-changing society. She is committed to contributing her skills and experience to an endeavor that advocates for the well-being and success of all students in public education.
Diavin Miller
Diavin is a people leader with over 20 years of experience in the networking, telecom and financial services industries. He is passionate about finding inclusive ways to deliver profitable growth. He is currently the Chief Operating Officer for BPTN, where his focus is on creating opportunities for their 60,000+ Black tech and professional members across North America via networking, skill building and barrier elimination. His consulting teams also work with BPTN’s corporate partners to embed inclusive practices into their organizations and help them deliver on their DEI commitments. Diavin is most proud of the work he does volunteering and advocating for his communities. He is the coordinating chair and OHTN primary investigator for the Black Gay Men’s Network of Ontario. He is also a board member of HQ, Canada’s first community health centre focussed on the holistic health needs of queer men and trans people. Diavin is also the board vice-chair and a volunteer mentor with Stepstones for Youth, a non-profit focussed on improving success rates for young people exiting foster care in Ontario. He has also previously served as the co-chair of the Rogers LGBTQ+ employee resource group.
Jack Luong
Jack Luong is currently Head of Asset Liability Management within the Treasury Department for TD Bank. Where he is responsible for structural interest rate hedging and deposit investment strategies on TD’s large and complex balance sheet. He is a seasoned banking executive with over 17 years of experience in Risk Management, Finance and Treasury. Jack holds a Master of Finance Degree from Queen’s University, as well as a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Toronto. Additionally he is an Ontario designated Chartered Professional Accountant since 2010.
Jack resides in GTA Toronto with his wife and two young boys, they enjoy giving back to the community through different programs in their personal time. He is passionate about contributing to the vision of a strong, equitable and prosperous Canada where universal public education is enhanced.
Michelle Mak
Michelle Mak is currently Director, Western Communities Foundation, for Western Financial Group, leading the company’s community investments and employee engagement efforts. Prior to this role, she managed the operations and employee giving campaigns for BMO. Michelle also has experience working for national charities such as Community Food Centres Canada, where she served as their corporate fundraising lead, and Canada’s Children’s Hospital Foundations as their Director of Stakeholder Experience.
Michelle is an educator and an experienced social impact professional with 18 years of global experience working across the public, private, and social sectors. Her work experience features roles in corporate philanthropy and partnerships, nonprofit management, community outreach, donor stewardship, and impact reporting.
She has a Master of Education in Comparative and International Education and Development, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Corporate Communications and Public Relations from the University of Hong Kong. Additionally, she holds a Bachelor of Arts and a TESOL Certificate from York University. Currently, she is pursuing her Certified Professional Impact Analysis (CPIA-I) designation from Queen’s University.
Michelle was born in Hong Kong, China, and grew up in Toronto, Canada. She spent over a decade in Asia from 2006 to 2017 before returning to Canada where she now resides with her fiancé and three cats. Michelle is a regular volunteer and currently dedicates her time to Abbey Cat Adoptions as a volunteer Adoption Screener.
Book a Speaker
Our speakers can join you online in a webinar. Speaker fees* include preparation, presentation time, and materials for participants.
If you would like to book a speaker, please complete a speaker booking application.
For more information, contact us by emailing [email protected]
*Please note that speaker fees are negotiable.
“Your presentation really informed everyone there – and helped us to focus on the key issues in a connected way – that felt grounded in both the facts and heartfelt common sense.”
—Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario
Our strategic plan
Our vision
A strong, equitable, and prosperous Canada where universal public education fulfills its role as a cornerstone of our society.
Our mission
To strengthen a universal public education system that graduates all young people with the skills and competencies they need to contribute to a fair and prosperous society, and to live happy, healthy, economically secure, civically engaged lives.
Our strategic priorities
People for Education will:
- Instigate a dialogue about the purpose, value, and future of public education.
- Build links among key constituencies both inside and outside the education sector to enhance a shared understanding of goals for public education.
- Provide evidence and use research to advance public education’s promise, and to ensure that all young people have an equitable chance for long-term success.
Our funding
People for Education is a registered charity. We are funded through generous donations and grants from individuals, corporations and foundations.
Thank you to the many individuals and organizations who support our work.