ABOUT LESLEY:

After three decades of teaching and leadership in K–12 public education, Lesley began the next chapter of her career at the University of Winnipeg in 2019. Her program of research is organized around two interconnected strands:  

 

In 2020, Lesley embarked on the first strand as the co-investigator of a SSHRC-funded study examining teacher well-being during the pandemic. This work later expanded through a Canadian Mental Health Association grant investigating post-pandemic education-sector recovery following CMHA programming interventions. This body of research led to The School Well-Being Toolkit, an evidence-informed, open-access text led and co-authored by Lesley. Currently she and her research team are in collaboration with the Manitoba Teachers’ Society to develop a French-language adaptation of this resource, La Boîte à outils sur le Bien-être au travail scolaire.

 

​The second research strand examines equity, policy, and student inclusion in educational systems. Lesley received a University of Winnipeg Major Research Grant to study student suspensions in Manitoba schools. Her subsequent work has included a funded scoping review of equity, diversity, and inclusion, as well as the development of an equity framework for a Manitoba school division. Across these projects, she investigates how policies, institutional practices, and organizational cultures can either reproduce inequity or create more inclusive and supportive educational environments.

 

Together these strands reflect Lesley's broader interest in how educational organizations can create healthier working conditions for educators and more equitable and inclusive environments for students.  Her research combines qualitative inquiry, systems thinking and practice-based knowledge to generate scholarly insight and practical resources for school systems, professional organizations and policy makers. 

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