Course: Leading and Managing School Authority Operations and Resources

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Course Description

In this course, system education leaders will develop financial literacy skills and gain a comprehensive understanding of how funds are allocated to school authorities in Alberta. Participants will explore the complexities involved in managing and overseeing the finances and operations of a school authority, enhancing their capacity to support sound fiscal leadership.

CASS extends its gratitude to the Association of School Business Officials of Alberta (ASBOA) for their collaboration in the development of this course.

As a result of attending this course, participants will:

• gain a broad understanding of the flow of resources into a school authority from the province.
• identify and interpret the legal, human resource, insurance, and local requirements, processes, people and structures that guide the operations of a school authority in Alberta.
• apply strategic thinking and planning skills including the use of available data sources when determining resource allocations in a school authority and ensuring a connection with school authority priority areas.
• explain the importance of stakeholder engagement in the resource allocation process within a school authority and the opportunities this engagement provides to system education leaders.
• formulate a plan that acknowledges personal areas of strength and areas for growth in this area and identifies next steps and possible resources to support continued learning, growth, and understanding of managing operations and resources within their school authority.

This course will be facilitated by:

Danica Martin has over 20+ years of experience in educational leadership roles at the school and system level. Danica was an assistant superintendent of education services with a central Alberta school authority. She has led a variety of complex teams and worked strategically with them to build leadership capacity and cohesion. Danica holds a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership as well as a Bachelor of Education degree. Additionally, she is a certified Working Genius facilitator and a certified professional and business coach. Danica believes strongly in the impact of leadership and the ripple effect that leaders can have throughout their organizations. Danica is the founder and principal coach of Danica Designs Coaching and Consulting.

Jason Drent has dedicated over 25 years to the students, staff and communities of Chinook’s Edge School Division (CESD), serving as a teacher, principal, system leader, and coach. His leadership journey has spanned the K–12 spectrum, from the high school math classroom to principalships in both elementary and secondary schools, and system leadership. Jason is presently the associate superintendent of corporate services for CESD. A passionate advocate for collaborative partnerships, Jason was a founding member of the Central Alberta Collegiate Institute. He continues to shape regional educational strategy as a member of the Community Learning Campus (CLC) executive, an innovative partnership between Olds College and CESD. He is particularly proud of CESD’s Career Connections initiative and is a passionate advocate for dual credit and other career programming. These initiatives bridge the gap between classroom learning and future-ready skills, ensuring students see a clear, purposeful path toward their careers.

Christine Lee is truly embracing retirement, channeling her passion and expertise into new ventures. As the CEO of the Alberta School Business Officials Association (ASBOA) and the founder of School Boss, her consulting firm, Christine brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. Her impressive 35-year career in leadership roles—including 26 years as a school business official—culminated in her position as Associate Superintendent of Business and Operations for Lethbridge School Division. There, she managed a broad portfolio, including finance, facilities, capital planning, transportation, technology, insurance, risk management, occupational health and safety, and labour relations.

Christine has earned a reputation for distilling complex financial and operational concepts into clear, practical guidance. Colleagues value her ability to build strong, trust-based relationships throughout the education sector. Through School Boss, Christine remains dedicated to empowering organizations by enhancing business practices, advancing financial literacy, and fostering sound, practical decision-making.

Course Requirements

All courses require a 10-hour commitment consisting of facilitated instruction and potentially some pre-course work prior to the facilitated instruction. CEP courses do not carry credit for post-secondary programs and grades are not assigned.

Individuals registered for courses are expected to commit at the entire time of the scheduled course and participate in all activities.

After the successful completion of a course, a certificate of completion will be provided.

Regulated CASS members may enter their hours into their Accreditation Profile to earn professional learning hours towards annual accreditation. Each completed course is equal to 10 hours.

Right to Cancel Courses

CASS reserves the right to cancel a course due to insufficient registration or other exhausting circumstances. The decision to cancel a course will be made following the registration deadline. In such cases, registrants will be provided with a full refund, and will be notified by email.