The Canadian Rockies Public School division has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the Province that will go toward helping build leadership capacity among all its workers, including principals, teachers and councillors.
Spread out over three years, the funding from Alberta Education has been signed off on by the deputy minister and, according to CRPS superintendent Chris MacPhee, will be a big help for staff in improving how they educate young minds.
“It’s just amazing the culture of the educators in the public school system here that they’re actually looking at their practice and improving that practice constantly,” he said.
“I liken it to how physicians and other professionals are constantly upgrading and constantly changing with the times.”
Based on a provincial education framework that outlines professional practice competencies for school leaders, the grant will enable educators within the division the opportunity to increase their capacity for instruction and leadership.
“We’re looking at building the capacity of our principals and vice-principals, but also the leadership teams within the schools,” said Darren Dick, CRPS director of learning and innovation.
“That would include learning support teachers, classroom teachers and counselors so they too have the skills to help bring instructional excellence into the classrooms.
Dick pointed out the division already has some qualified professionals within the system that can provide mentoring and coaching to other instructors, however, the board will look at eventually bringing in a third party for assistance.
“Another aspect of professional development is the funds will allow us to engage services of some external contractors to help us,” the director said. “Their role would be to help out in a similar manner.”
Overall, the grant will have the biggest effect upon the professional development opportunities for educators in all six schools across the division with the initiative still abiding by the board’s ethos of inspiring hearts and minds.
“This is the next important step in our inspiring hearts and minds work because it focuses on the classroom practices, leadership and direction,” Dick said. “It’s really exciting for Canadian Rockies.”
The superintendent also reiterated how important it is for educators to take the initiative, examine their practices and look for ways to improve.
“It’s wonderful for them to be looking at their beliefs and the actions that are driven from that,” MacPhee said. “Looking at their practice every day to engage children.
“Educators have the opportunity to instill dignity, purpose and hope in every child and that can be done through a variety of ways and that’s what these folks are doing through a variety of methods in their practice.”
