CASS Online Learning

Online learning opportunities will be coherent with members’ consistent request to learn from and with one another and provide:

• a provincial opportunity to network and collaborate,
• an opportunity to learn from and with colleagues, and
• an opportunity to frame learning based on the SLQS competencies.

The program will reflect on current and emergent needs of system leaders such as:

• professional support, camaraderie and networking,
• well-being that can occur as a result of being part of a provincial group/network,
• knowledge, skills and attributes required at this time and based on the SLQS, and
• emergent and forward thinking.

COMPLETED
June 10, 2020
Respect in School: Creating Safe and Respectful Schools
Allen Davidson, Chad Erickson and Wayne McNeil

This session will introduce the Respect in School online program.

Alberta Education  has made safe and respectful schools a priority by offering Respect in School online training free of charge. The program is designed, specifically, to provide school leaders  with the tools they need to foster a safe and respectful learning environment.  Respect in School is a 90-minute online training program that includes content on preventing, identifying, responding to and reporting incidents of bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination (BAHD) in schools.

This session will provide a history of Respect Group Inc, steps to implement the program, FAQs, and testimonials from colleagues who have implemented the program in their school division.

Participants will then have the opportunity to ask questions and are encouraged to use the remainder of the session to register for the Respect in School program and start the process of certification.

See full agenda here

Allen Davidson is the Assistant Superintendent of Employee Services for the Foothills School Division, serving more than 8,000 students and employing over 800 teachers and support staff within the Municipal District of Foothills.

Allen was responsible for implementing the Respect in School program in Foothills School Division 10 years ago and will share their positive experience.

Foothills School Division was the first school division in Canada to commit to having ALL of its employees and volunteers participate in the Respect in School, Respect in Sport or Respect in Workplace online education training.

Chad Erickson is the Associate Superintendent-Student Services for the Red Deer Public School District, serving almost 11 000 students, and employing 1173 staff members within the City of Red Deer. Chad has been a teacher and administrator for 23 years and joined RDPSD in 2005 as Vice principal at Oriole Park School.  Four years later, he became the Principal of the Alternative School Centre.

Chad was instrumental in the introduction of Respect in School at Red Deer Public and will discuss their rationale and associated outcomes.

Wayne McNeil  was Trustee and Vice-Chairman of the Rocky View School Division, volunteer President of the Sheldon Kennedy Foundation, which raised over $ 1.2 Million during the 1998 Cross-Canada Skate to increase awareness to prevent child abuse, served as Chairman of the Alberta Gymnastics Federation and was a founding Board Member of the Calgary Child Advocacy Centre. These volunteer roles, his commitment to child advocacy and his professional IT background lead Wayne to co-found Respect Group in 2004; Canada’s first, on-line, bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination prevention training program for sport organizations, schools and the workplace. Respect Group has certified over 1.3 M Canadians and is an accredited B Corp.

COMPLETED
June 3, 2020
CASS Workplace Wellness: Planning and Implementation Guide
Brian Andjelic and Jim McLellan
CASS Wellness Directors of Leadership

The CASS Board of Directors, in response to member’s needs, has identified Wellness as a subject in need of continued focus. It is noted in CASS’s Strategic Plan that the best opportunity of addressing the professional practice standard successfully is for CASS members to ensure their own personal well-being. The need for addressing your own well-being and your school authority’s workplace wellness plan may be more relevant than ever considering the “new normal.”

This no cost session will introduce the CASS Workplace Wellness Planning and Implementation Guide.  This guide will assist you in developing a comprehensive and integrated workplace wellness plan that has the potential to addresses the needs of staff and students. A Workplace Wellness Plan will assure your staff and the community that you are leading a re-entry plan with wellness in mind.   The CASS workplace wellness framework is designed for Alberta system leaders and has made use of existing research-based frameworks, was informed by the CASS school authority environmental scan / needs assessment interviews and based on learning from networks and organizations across Canada.

This session will provide an overview of the CASS resource materials (recorded) and time for break out conversations (unrecorded) related to further interpreting, for your context, the conditions identified in the CASS Workplace Wellness Planning and Implementation Guide.

Brian Andjelic is a CASS Director of Leadership Learning for Wellness. He has extensive experience in mental health and wellbeing, with an expertise in an understanding of positive mental health and comprehensive school health. During his time as Superintendent of Prairie Rose School Division, he designed and implemented a holistic model of wellness based on the science of positive psychology. Since retiring as a superintendent in 2017, Brian has spent much of his time working with organizations, using the language of psychological capital to link wellness and leadership for individuals, teams, organizations and communities. This includes how to create safe conversations for those struggling with mental well-being and those trying to help.

Brian has completed a Master’s degree in Education Administration/Leadership at San Diego State University. Much of his work now includes helping create safe and specific conversations related to mental well-being and leadership.

Jim McLellan is a CASS Director of Leadership Learning for Wellness. He has served as a chief superintendent for three different school authorities, most recently with Foothills School Division. He has provided support to school authorities as an Education Consultant with the Alberta School Boards’ Association and worked as a Senior Field Coach for Husky Energy for three years after retiring as a superintendent. With Husky Energy, Jim worked with 170 leaders throughout Western Canada to deliver curriculum for “The Coach Approach to Communication and Leadership.”

Jim has completed a master’s degree at San Diego State University and has earned Coaching Certification through the International Coaching Federation. He is currently pursuing Advanced Level Certification training.

COMPLETED
May 27, 2020
Public Narrative in Times of Pandemic
Santiago Rincón-Gallardo

Public narrative is a leadership practice through which leaders can ignite the head, heart, and hands of others to achieve shared purpose in the face of uncertainty. It is the combination of three stories: the story of self – the values that call one into action – the story of us – the values shared with the group – and the story of now – the urgent challenge that demands action in the present. While stories of practice engage most prominently the head (to activate strategic thinking), public narrative is mostly about engaging the heart (by mobilizing the emotions that propel others to take action – the hands). When leaders share their public narrative, they can instruct and inspire others by modeling and teaching not only why it is important to act, but effectively moving others to do it. Public narrative is a versatile tool that can be used to galvanize commitment and support of a wide range of stakeholders, including educators and school leaders, other district colleagues, board members, families, and so on. As such, it can be leveraged to deepen assurance and build momentum for change and improvement.

In this session, participants will gain familiarity with the concept and practice of public narrative. They will examine examples of public narrative and begin to craft their own stories of self, us, and now.

Presentation will be recorded and small group discussions unrecorded.

See full agenda here.

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.

COMPLETED
May 20, 2020
CASS Leadership Excellence: Sharing Stories of Practice During COVID-19
Dr. Scott Morrison

Organizational stories about our problems of practice have a compelling ability to communicate information, convey beliefs, and share lessons learned. When system leaders share their stories of practice with one another, they become involved in the co-construction of meaning that amplifies the efficacy of their leadership. In this session, Scott Morrison will share a COVID-19 story of practice followed by a short debrief on the story using themes from the literature. (recorded)

Participants will then have the opportunity to informally share their own stories in facilitated small group discussions. (unrecorded)

See full agenda here.

Dr. Scott Morrison is the Superintendent of Christ the Redeemer (CTR) Catholic Schools, serving approximately 10,000 students in Okotoks, High River, Brooks, Strathmore, Canmore, Drumheller, and Oyen. Scott has been an educator for over 30 years, serving as a secondary classroom teacher, an elementary school principal, a high school principal, a division principal, and an associate superintendent. Scott is also a sessional instructor in educational psychology at St. Mary’s University in Calgary and a Leadership Quality Standards instructor with CASS, St. Mary’s University, and the University of Calgary. Scott has a B.Ed. from the University of Lethbridge, an MA from Gonzaga University, and an Ed.D. from Taft University.  Scott has presented dozens of professional development workshops on the topics of organizational storytelling, academic achievement, creating safe and caring schools, classroom management, and educational leadership. Scott has also been a presenter at CASS’s Start Right and Leading for Learning conferences for over a decade.