In this episode of Education Matters, Jason Buccheri sits down with Peter Sovran, Director of Education and CEO of the Upper Grand District School Board, for the show’s first on-location recording inside a school district. Filmed in Upper Grand’s Innovation Lab, this conversation explores how one Ontario school board is rethinking professional learning, educator support, and innovation at scale.

Peter shares his journey from growing up in an Italian immigrant family to studying behavioural neuroscience, entering the classroom as a teacher, serving in the Ontario Ministry of Education, and eventually becoming Director of Education at Upper Grand. Along the way, he reflects on the mentors, policy experiences, and leadership lessons that shaped his approach to public education.

A major focus of the conversation is the Upper Grand Innovation Lab, a self-serve professional learning studio designed to help educators create, record, share, and revisit high-quality learning modules. Peter explains how the lab supports literacy, math, instructional practice, student co-op opportunities, and cost-effective professional development across a large district.

Jason and Peter also discuss artificial intelligence in education, including Upper Grand’s AI literacy framework, the importance of strong literacy and math foundations, human rights, sustainability, and ethical engagement with emerging technologies.

At its heart, this episode is about the future of public education and why human connection remains essential. Peter offers a thoughtful vision for schools that embrace innovation without losing sight of relationships, belonging, high expectations, and the responsibility to help every student succeed in a rapidly changing world for learners.