About

What is CODE?

The Council of Ontario Directors of Education (CODE) brings together the leaders of the province's 73 public school boards. It acts as the representative of four separate organizations, providing a unified voice within Ontario's education sector.

CODEC - Conseil ontarien des directions de l’éducation catholique
CODEP - Conseil ontarien des directions de l’éducation publique
ECCODE - English Catholic Council of Directors of Education
PCODE - Public Council of Ontario Directors of Education

What does CODE do?

CODE serves as a steadfast advocate for Ontario's publicly funded school boards, actively engaging with school districts to promote student achievement and well-being, and to advance equity and inclusion throughout the education system. By fostering collaborative decision-making, facilitating networking, and offering professional development opportunities, CODE supports the implementation of progressive and effective education policies, and provides expert advice to the Ontario Ministry of Education.

In addition to these core responsibilities, CODE organizes opportunities for thoughtful discussion, maintains robust partnerships with professional organizations, and upholds public trust in Ontario's schools. CODE is dedicated to ensuring safe, healthy, and inclusive environments where both students and staff can excel. Through its commitment to strengthening leadership and coherence, CODE continues to drive meaningful progress in Ontario's education system.

Strategic Priorities

To achieve our goals, CODE has established three strategic priorities:

1. Advocacy:
We advocate for policies and programs that improve student achievement, ensure safety, and promote well-being. That means working with decision-makers, securing funding, and supporting the recruitment and retention of skilled staff.

2. Leadership
We help members grow as leaders by offering networking, mentorship, professional development, and opportunities to share solutions to community challenges.

3. Equity and inclusion
We promote equity and inclusion to ensure all students learn practical knowledge, job skills, and life skills in safe, supportive environments — no matter who they are.

Our Team

Executive Assistant: Kathy Sanford

Kathy has been with CODE/COEP since 1992 and is responsible for coordinating a broad range of services and resources that enable CODE and COEP to operate efficiently. She collaborates closely with the Executive Directors to manage membership and conferences, oversee projects, assist with Ministry liaison, and handle the financial aspects of the organization.

Administrative Coordinator: Janette Jensen

Janette joined the CODE/COEP team in 2012. Working closely with the Executive Directors and COEP Project Managers, Janette coordinates and assists with project work activities, with an emphasis on the School-College-Work-Initiative (SCWI).

Accountant: Dean Currie

N. Dean Currie CPA, CGA as Principal Consultant to the CMAC Group brings over 35 years of experience in the Public and Private sector Management. Dean's specialty areas include Finance, Financial Reporting and Analysis, Budget Process Design/Reporting, Business System Project Planning/Implementation, Business Planning, Policy Development/Compliance Auditing.

Along with his work with CODE/COEP, Dean continues to work with the Council of School Business Officials Ontario as its Collaborative Effective and Efficiency Projects Coordinator. The program’s mission is to increase management capacity in the corporate service division of Ontario School Boards and provide cost effective management solution to common issues across school boards.

Dean previously served as a Supervisory Officer Business and Treasurer of three Ontario School Board and as Director and Treasurer of ECNO.

Executive Director: Joanne Bénard

As Executive Director, Joanne oversees the daily operations of CODE, drawing on over 37 years of educational experience, including 25 years in senior leadership roles. She has served as Director of Education at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board for 11 years and as Superintendent of Education with the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board for 13 years. A steadfast advocate for publicly funded education, Joanne approaches her work with a strong commitment to equity, believing that Ontario’s four distinct education systems play a vital role in providing every student regardless of background with genuine opportunities for success. Guided by a leadership philosophy centred on student-focused decision-making, Joanne is honoured to continue to advance and support educational excellence through her role at CODE.

View CODE Board of Directors