← Back to Conferences/Professional Learning
2019 CASS Fall Conference
Conference Details
As the opening keynote speaker, Holocaust survivor Dr. Eva Olsson will bring her story of survival as a Hungarian Jew herded into a cattle car and taken to Auschwitz in 1944, to amplify the power of hate and the need to stop it wherever it occurs. Since 1996, Olsson has shared her story with several schools, universities, colleges, and churches, saying “I cannot live in the past, but I must live with it. Perhaps writing my story will weaken the hold the past has had on me.”
Focused on building CASS member’s professional practice in creating optimum learning environments for all students and meeting Alberta Education’s superintendent leadership quality standards, the conference also will feature Dr. Santiago Rincón-Gallardo, internationally renowned for his research on education leadership, who will continue his work with CASS on Nov. 7 with a keynote address “Liberating Learning – Education Change as a Social Movement”. Rincón-Gallardo will provide a closing keynote as a witness to the conference’s learning.
The Minister of Education, the Honourable Adriana LaGrange is scheduled to address delegates on Nov. 8.
Plenary sessions of the learning conference themed, “deepening the understanding and applying the learning to support implementation of professional practice”, will cover a range of topics including wellness, leadership, human resources, and education law. Members also will have opportunity to learn from each other during role alike meetings.
The last superintendent leadership certification in-service session will be offered in conjunction with the conference. The in-service is based on professional practice standards formalized by ministerial order in February 2018 and in effect on Sept. 1, 2019.
CASS supports the Alberta Education Superintendent Leadership Quality Standard, which provides a common frame of reference for defining professional practice.
CASS professional learning opportunities and resources will support Superintendent and System Leaders in building their professional practice capacity in order to support quality school leadership and teaching to create optimum learning for all students in Alberta. More detailed information via website tabs and full conference program book.
Pre-Conference – Wednesday November 6, 2019
The 4Essential Roles of Leadership and the 4Disciplines of Execution with Kelly Johnson. The research and materials for this session are drawn from FranklinCovey leadership development courses.
Education Analytics Symposium: Transforming Data into Actionable Knowledge Presenters from school authorities and industry will share experiences with how data is used to create actionable knowledge and how technology enhances data collection and analytics.
SLQS Certification In-Service November 6 and 7th with Superintendent facilitators David Keohane and Betty Turpin
Conference Opening & Keynote – Wednesday Evening
Keynote: A Legacy of Caring, Compassion and Character
Eva Olsson – Holocaust survivor
Conference – Thursday, November 7 and 8, 2019
Thursday morning and Concluding Keynote
Santiago Rincón-Gallardo
Liberating Learning – Education Change as a Social Movement – Thursday
and concluding keynote Friday based on “witnessing” CASS members learning and reflecting research based on the Alberta context.
Concurrent sessions highlighting Alberta Stories of Practice and Alberta Education updates will be offered. Conference networking and collaboration opportunities will also be offered with role alike and world café sessions.
Pre-Conference
The 4Essential Roles of Leadership and The 4Disciplines of Execution
with Kelly Johnson
Understanding and effectively applying key leadership skills to generate powerful system results daily is no small task on the plate of the senior executive. If Quality superintendent leadership occurs when “the ongoing analysis of the context, and the superintendent’s decisions about what leadership knowledge and abilities to apply results in quality school leadership, quality teaching and optimal learning for all students in the school authority” (Alberta Education, February 2018, The Superintendent Leadership Quality Standard), where does one start and how does one maintain focus? This inspiring and interactive full day session will draw on the research and Alberta stories of practice in enhancing leadership skills and competencies, strengthening individual effectiveness, building teams and organizational culture and maintaining focus on performance and productivity.
Education Analytics Symposium: Transforming Data into Actionable Knowledge
With Opening Address: Intentional Use of Data to Inform Collaborative Conversations by Kurtis Hewson, Co-Founder/Lead Learner | Jigsaw Learning
This pre-conference is focused on supporting schools and uniting stakeholders in sharing best practices in data analytics. Presenters from school authorities and industry will share experiences with how data is used to create actionable knowledge and how technology enhances data collection and analytics. Participants will reflect on their own context to identify data that is collected and how it is enacted to support student learning and staff efficacy.
Data-informed decision making is not a new topic. However, in this technological age, ideas of how data is leveraged in decision making are starting to evolve. The Education Analytics Symposium is intended to be an opportunity to learn from one another about what data is being collected and how it is being used to support student learning. The partnership between Intellimedia, Jigsaw Learning, and University of Alberta, represents that there are multiple perspectives through which the conversation can be viewed.
View the full day program here.
Keynote Speakers
Eva Olsson is a survivor of the Holocaust. 61 years ago, she experienced several extermination camps including the most notorius, Auschwitz. She survived the Holocaust, along with her sister, however her entire family was gone. She was born in Szatsmar, Hungary in October 1924 into a poor family of Hasidic Jews. “I cannot live in the past, but I must live with it. Perhaps writing my story will weaken the hold the past has had on me.” Olsson says since 1996 she began rediscovering her story to several schools, univeristies, colleges, and churches.
Keynote: A Legacy of Caring, Compassion and Character
Eva Olsson
Dr. Eva Olsson uses the Holocaust and her experiences in it as a springboard to discuss the following key issues:
- The power of hate and the need to stop it wherever it occurs. She focuses on bullying in society, which has become an especially big problem.
- The importance of not being a bystander when bad things are happening. Evil thrives when good people stand back and let it happen. People must stand together to oppose evil. Students are reminded of the impact of their behaviour on others.
- The importance of having compassion and respect for self and others -It must go beyond mere tolerance. Young citizens have to see these qualities displayed by the adults in their lives, especially at home and in their schools..
- Every parent, teacher, coach, student, politician, and business person alike, has a responsibility to demonstrate leadership to ensure their community is a safe, compassionate and accepting place to live in.
Eva’s PowerPoint presentation contains pictures from the Holocaust and pictures taken when she retraced her life in 2007, visiting her birthplace and three concentration camps.
Eva Olsson has also received several awards including honor Doctorate Degree in Education, Excellence in Education Award, Women of Distinction Award, Peacemaker of the Year Award, and United Nations Guest Speaker. She has also published a book about her experiences Unlocking Doors, and a CD entitled Stronger than Fire. The novel is becoming a Canadian bestseller. Dr. Eva Olsson continues to share her story across North America, intending to touch future generations on reoccuring themes of today such as racism and prejudices.
Santiago Rincón-Gallardo is an education consultant and Chief Research Officer with Michael Fullan’s team. He conducts research and advises system leaders and educators on advancing whole system reform for instructional improvement. Santiago worked for over a decade promoting grassroots pedagogical innovation in Mexican public schools serving historically marginalized communities. His academic work explores how effective pedagogies for deep learning can spread at scale. Santiago holds an Ed.D on Education Policy, Leadership and Instructional Practice and an Ed.M in International Education Policy from Harvard. He completed post-doctoral studies at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. He lives in Toronto with his wife and their two sons.
Keynote: Liberating Learning – Education Change as a Social Movement
Santiago Rincón-Gallardo
Turning our schools into vibrant places for learning and living examples of the societies we aspire to become will require deep and widespread cultural change in classrooms, schools, and entire educational systems. Throughout history, social movements have been the most powerful vehicles for widespread cultural change, and in their logic of operation lie the keys to liberating learning. Building on his previous keynote at the Annual conference, Santiago will discuss the importance of deliberately transforming the pedagogical core, creating cultures of robust collaboration within and between school divisions, and leveraging and influencing the larger education system. Furthermore, he will offer key principles of action to turn leadership into a vehicle to liberate learning across Alberta.
Santiago will also offer a concluding keynote based on “witnessing” CASS members learning and reflecting research based on the Alberta context.
Opening Blessing and Prayer
Kerrie Moore MSW, RSW is Cree/ Metis originally from Saskatchewan. Kerrie has worked for over 30 years as a consultant, educator and psychotherapist within the domains of Child and family services , education, health, justice. Kerrie is an affiliated instructor in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary. Kerrie is recognized as an Elder and knowledge keeper and provides cultural knowledge and ceremonies to institutions, ministries, and agencies who work with Indigenous people. Kerrie sits on several Elder boards including the U of C Elders Advisory council, CBE Elders Board and is a board member with the Bow Valley Social Work Diploma program. Kerrie works with agencies and funding agencies developing parallel frameworks, including assessments and research models. Kerrie is the recipient of the Alumni of the Year award 2008, Women’s Resource Center, University of Calgary.
Conference Reading and Resource Materials
Don’t Let Tough Times Go to Waste – Message to CASS members from Santiago Rincón-Gallardo
Dr. Santiago Rincón-Gallardo has shared his research for the past number of CASS learning opportunities. He has provided this message based on his understanding of the Alberta context, his recent research and the opportunity he has had to work provincially as well as with individual districts in Alberta.
The intent of CASS Learning Guides is to apply research, deepen understanding and enhance professional practice within the Alberta context. With a focus on optimum learning for all students, a Learning Guide provides an opportunity to grow system leader knowledge, resulting in quality school leadership and quality teaching throughout Alberta. Learning Guides include a summary of the resource, connections to the Alberta context and suggested questions for reflection and dialogue.
CASS Learning Guide on Essential Features of Effective Networks in Education CASS Learning Guide on Liberating Learning – Education Change as a Social Movement
Presenter Contacts and Resource Materials
Fall 2019 CASS Role Alike Summary
Previous Learning with Rincón-Gallardo – March 2019
Reading
Santiago Rincón-Gallardo – Liberating Learning: Chapter 4 – Occupy the Pedagogical Arena
Santiago Rincón-Gallardo – Essential features of Effective Networks in Education
Sponsors
GOLD SPONSORS
An Edmonton based provider of education related software, professional customization services as well as business consulting. Our flagship solution Dossier Systems enables schools to manage inclusive education needs, create data driven student profiles, as well as aggregate data from separate systems for analytic and benchmarking purposes. Intellimedia is a leading expert in customizing PowerSchool to tailor to the needs of individual districts.
The edsembli name speaks to our passion for the education sector and our commitment to bring together and assemble an ecosystem of services that school boards depend on. Our team is dedicated to creating processes that unlock the potential of existing educational information data. Working with our clients we build creative and effective ways to assemble information and transform boards through better and faster decision making.”
“We are a team of education-focused professionals building innovative systems and processes to help educators and administrators make better decisions. We are rethinking education by transforming how boards invest in Finance, HR and SIS solutions. We have over 30 years of experience in the educational market and our products and services can be found in over 100 school boards & districts across Canada.”
Western Medical Assessments is one of Canada’s most respected independent medical examination companies, assisting employers, lawyers and insurance companies on disability and injury matters. We assess all physical, psychiatric and psychological issues, as well as workplace issues, providing invaluable evidence-based clarity and treatment recommendations to enable a safe return to work. During our 26+ years of experience, Western Medical Assessments has facilitated well over 65,000 assessments for a variety of clients, including many Alberta schools and school boards.
SILVER SPONSORS
IQ Massager Canada has a selection of personal, portable and medically approved TENS/EMS units for pain/stress relief, core and muscle strengthening. Our company OES Wellness is the Official Canadian Distributor of IQ MASSAGER Canada and has been medically licensed by Health Canada as a Class II Medical Device.
For the past 6 years, OES Wellness has been exhibiting IQ Massagers for the teachers well being, which in turn aids to less stress and then to fulfillment towards students and a better learning environment.
ARTA has one of the best voluntary Retiree Benefits Plans in Canada. Established in 1995, the ARTA Retiree Benefits Plan offer. Options for different levels of coverage for Extended Health Care (EHC), with or without Emergency Travel coverage, and for different levels of coverage for Dental Care. The many options provide the freedom to select the coverage level that’s right for members and their families. ARTA is a member-centred organization, proactively identifying the needs of its present and future membership and providing information about programs and services to meet these needs.
Pearson is Canada’s leading educational publisher, developing resources for all core curriculum subjects K–12. Pearson Canada’s innovative learning solutions are created in collaboration with Canadian educators, with an emphasis on pedagogy, efficacy, and best-in-class content. Pearson Canada sees the diversity of Canada’s students as a strength and is committed to developing a full array of core curriculum, supplementary, assessment, professional, and early learning resources to help students of all ages learn at their own pace, and in their own ways. Pearson Canada represents leading professional learning educators from Canada and around the world, including Heinemann, Pearson ERPI, Annick Press, Teacher Created Materials (TCM), Taanishi, Routledge Press, and more.
TW Insurance Brokers offers exclusive home and auto insurance rates and coverage to the Alberta Education Community. With over 85 years of experience and access to a variety of specialty insurance carriers, we will find the right coverage to fit your needs at the best value possible. We also offer our members 24/7 claims service with our exclusive Curo Claims team.
For school leaders who need to deliver a quality learning environment without compromising comfort, security or safety, Johnson Controls can positively impact your school district by delivering innovative business solutions to promote a comfortable, safe and green environment for students, teachers and staff. We do this by increasing energy and operational efficiency while lowering risk through innovative building systems, guaranteed outcomes, security and fire/life safety solutions designed with the unique demands of schools in mind. We provide schools reliable service on HVAC & Controls, Fire Protection and Security systems. Our expertise integrating the multiple systems used in today’s schools drives lower costs and better student experiences.
Nelson is Canada’s leading educational publisher providing innovative products and solutions for learners of all ages. Nelson values and respects the lifelong learning continuum and dedicates its business efforts to the diverse learning needs of students and educators alike.
Nelson is active in Canada’s K-12, Higher Education, Professional Learning, Business, Industry, and Government markets. Our success now and in the future is based on our strong partnerships and ongoing relationships with educators across the country. Together, we are making a positive difference in the lives of Canadians by producing the highest quality educational products and services.
Callysto is a free, interactive, curriculum-based learning and skills development tool — think “interactive textbook” — that can be accessed from any device with an internet connection. It was created to help students strengthen their computational thinking, coding and data science skills. The Callysto Project is a collaborative venture between Cybera and the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS).
PRIZE SPONSOR
Fitterfirst has been “Leading the World to Better Balance” with quality, innovative balance training gear and core stability fitness products since 1985. We encourage everyone, from children to working professionals to seniors, to practice Stability in daily living, to improve Agility at play and to enhance Mobility for life (S.A.M.).
The Active Office™ line is our solution to the traditional sedentary 9 to 5 work day. Work is an area of our daily lives that is in desperate need of a health wake-up call and we provide the means to introduce movement throughout the day. Using products such as sitting discs or ball chairs in the classroom allows teachers and students alike to gently move while sitting, without causing a distraction for others in the room.
For our full line up of products, visit our website at www.fitter1.com
Goal: |
CASS Professional Learning Goal – 2019-20 Deepening the understanding and applying the learning to support implementation of professional practice. |
---|---|
Date(s): |
November 6 (evening) - 8, 2019 |
Location: |
Conference occurs at the Deerfoot Inn and Casino 1000, 11500 – 35 Street SE Calgary, Alberta T2Z 3W4 Group code: TJCASS19, Service Plus CASS–2648 or state “with CASS or College of Alberta School Superintendents”. Reservations may be made by calling toll free: 1-888-875-4667 or hotel direct: 403-236-7529, by email: reservations@dfic.ca or online: www.deerfootinn.com (enter dates on first page, will redirect to next page, click “add code”, click “group attendee”, enter group code , click “complete reservation” and proceed with personal information) |