Greg Farrell is the 12th of 13 children born in Toronto to parents from St. John’s Newfoundland. He has 9 older sisters and 3 brothers and was raised in Ontario Housing. Growing up where he did exposed him to what he refers to as the richness of diversity that is now so common in the city of Toronto. The first in his family to graduate from university, Greg began his teaching career in an IB school just outside of Lisbon, Portugal. He has taught Kindergarten to Grade 12 and AQ courses for OISE. He was principal in York Region and recently returned to the YRDSB after a secondment to the Ministry of Education where he served various school boards in the implementation of their specific goals. In addition, he worked with leaders to help put the Professional Learning Conversation Protocol into effect as a catalyst for school improvement. Greg is married to a principal in the TDSB and has two sons who are 18 and 21.
Greg and I first met during a Grade 1 orientation at Louis-Honore Frechette PS where he was the outgoing principal, and we were wide-eyed parents of an incoming student. We met again at QUEST in 2016 and then this past November. After the Government of Ontario commissioned an independent review of assessment and reporting practices in the province’s publicly funded schools, VoicEd Radio decided to create the space for some more conversations around some of the questions being asked by the consultation team on EQAO. Greg and I were on this amazing panel together, and it was quite an experience.
Greg was challenged in preparing only three songs for his guest appearance on The Personal Playlist Podcast. He explained, “This was not an easy journey. I can't tell you how agonizing it was and how I struggled with songs and ideas and times in my life.” While I wish it wasn’t such a challenging endeavour for my guests, this is a self reflective personal quest, so I appreciate how intently people undertake the task and yet still find it so meaningful. Greg said, “ I love music and music comforts me and supports me.” The three-song limit of the show can make the curation process particular difficult, and it can be hard to narrow down the playlist. “ I can’t believe I didn’t choose a disco song because I love the disco era, and I love to dance.” The playlist is a brief but incredible window into people. Greg's P3 was an luminous laneway into his life, interests and passions.
When recounting the reason for his nostalgic song choice, Greg wanted something from an important time in his life. He painted a picture of his mother singing this song to him and his younger brother when she put them to bed. “It’s a tender loving memory of the relationship between a parent and a child.” Recalling the comfort it provided, Greg added that his song's controversial lyrics denote a different time and are discriminatory in a modern context. Over time, this song title was changed from Old Black Joe to Old Blind Joe, and it was recorded by Bing Crosby among others. Greg added, “It reminds me of the struggle that minoritized people face in their life.” Many commentaries on the song say that it’s more about its composer, Stephen Foster, and the lamented loss of his glory days. Having a song to hold you to a special time in your life breeds sentimentality. Greg recalls his mother “nestling her sons down to sleep” to this music. Here is the song as recorded by Paul Robeson:
Greg’s identity song was written by a famous Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. Unlike the sensual but eerie version of his recording, Nina Simone, The High Priestess of Soul, takes it in another direction entirely. Greg recounted his foray into her music. “When I first heard her voice, I was just mesmerized...it just enthralled me.” Coming to know a little about her history and her role as an activist or what she did after leaving the United States for Paris drew Greg even deeper into this musicians life and works. “You know, her parents were not permitted to sit in the front row when she started performing.” Greg reflected, “In choosing this song... I combined two people that I really admire and respect…” Loving Leonard Cohen’s poetry and calling him a creative genius, this song reminds Greg of the different people we come across and the various challenges that people are facing. “There are many different people out there.” He referred to the character of Suzanne as captivating and unique and said it reminded Greg of inclusivity and the stance he tries to take with people. In trying to open the door for all identities with all of the capital that they bring, Greg added, “Differences can provide us with richness.” Here is Suzanne recorded by Nina Simone:
First joining the YRDSB as a VP, Greg said that he was blessed to work with "incredible leaders who were mentors and coaches and helped you to develop an awareness of Collaborative Professionalism, Equity and Leadership". As a principal, he was given the opportunity to open a new school based on inclusionary practices, technology and inquiry. In many ways, Greg’s inspirational song is also a reflection of his identity. “I often come back to that song when I need a readjustment or realignment.” It was originally recorded for the U2's album Achtung Baby, but the duo of Bono and Mary J. Blige came together for a 2006 benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina and then recorded the song on her album Reminisce. Greg said, “I love the fact that they came together to help people who needed it.” This song speaks to Greg educationally and philosophically. “The words of this song are so powerful, and I find it uplifting and reassuring.” He continued by calling this song “... a powerful reminder that when we come together, the possibilities are limitless.” Here is One recorded by Bono and Mary J Blige:
Education is a huge part of Greg’s life, and he strives to improve educational outcomes for students by supporting teachers to improve and refine effective teaching strategies. One of the things Greg loves about his job is, “...connecting people to their next best move.” He spoke in detail about his leadership practices on a live episode of Derek Rhodenizer’s Beyond the Staffroom. Besides getting the Led out for the show’s introduction, the episode featured Greg and Will Gourley rocking the conversation with insights regarding education and leadership for learning. Greg wants to be a, “catalyst for change.” He is passionate about his family and friends, living life to the fullest, equity and helping others. Greg deeply believes in collaborative professionalism because, “We have to tap into the leadership abilities of all the people that we work with including our students, including our parents.” If you want to get in touch with Greg, reach out through his board email, greg.farrell@yrdsb.ca.
