Superintendent of Schools

Location: Central Alberta

About Wild Rose School Division

https://www.wrsd.ca/

Wild Rose School Division (WRSD) is a mid-size school division in Central Alberta serving over 4,100 students in 18 schools, including three alternative schools, in the communities of Rocky Mountain House, Drayton Valley, Caroline, Leslieville, Condor and Breton.

The Division Office is in Rocky Mountain House, one hour west of Red Deer, at the confluence of the Clearwater and North Saskatchewan Rivers, the crossroads of Highway 22 (Cowboy Trail) and Highway 11 (David Thompson Highway). The Division's budget for 2024/2025 is $65.76 million.

A six-member Board of Trustees was elected for a four-year term in October 2021.

WHO W E ARE

Number of Schools

18

Number of Students Enrolled in 2024/25

4,100

Number of Urban/Rural Communities

Served

6

Total Staff

500

Total Teachers

252

Board Trustees

6

The Region

With the beautiful Rocky Mountains as the backdrop of our location, we cover a large geographical area, from James River (south of Caroline) to 10 km north of Drayton Valley, west to the Banff National Park boundary and east including Breton, Leslieville, Condor and Caroline.

The communities served by WRSD represent a cross-section of industry including energy, lumber, agriculture, professional and business. The area features diverse landscapes, beautiful scenery and numerous lakes, providing abundant recreational opportunities, including golfing, skiing, hiking, camping, hunting, and fishing.

The Opportunity

The position of Superintendent is the most influential and impactful role at WRSD and will be responsible for continuing to build upon the excellent foundation already in place to better meet the needs of students. The Board of Trustees is seeking a leader with significant, successful, broad-based educational leadership experience, ideally at both the school and system levels. This leader will meet the requirements of the Alberta Superintendent Leadership Quality Standard which defines the professional expectations that superintendents must demonstrate to create the conditions under which school leaders and teachers can do their best work.

The Superintendent will develop and maintain positive and effective relationships with provincial and municipal government departments, external agencies and provincial organizations as well as community members and volunteers. The Superintendent of Schools as referred to in the Education Act, is the chief executive officer of the Board and chief education officer of the school authority. They provide the Board with information, advice and support required for the fulfillment of its governance role, and report to the Minister on all matters required of the Superintendent as identified in the Education Act and other provincial legislation.

Reporting directly to the Superintendent are the following positions: Deputy Superintendent, Human Resources 4. Director of Indigenous Education

Associate Superintendent, Business/Finance 5. Executive Assistant

Director of Instruction Key Roles and Responsibilities

Student Welfare Establish a welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environment by building positive and productive relationships with members of the school community and the local community.

Sustain a learning culture in the school community that promotes shared responsibility for student success and continuous improvement.

Ensure that each student is provided with a safe and caring environment that fosters and maintains respectful and responsible behaviours.

Ensure the safety of students while participating in school programs or while being transported to or from school programs on transportation provided by the Division.Educational Leadership Provide leadership in all matters relating to education in the Division including directing school operations and strategically allocating resources in the interests of all students and in alignment with the school district's goals and priorities.

Ensure that leadership is the shared responsibility of everyone within the organization and build leadership capacity.

Ensure students in the Division have the opportunity to meet the standards of education set by the Minister and encourage innovation in pedagogy. Wild Rose School Division Superintendent of Schools PAGE 1

Wild Rose School Division Superintendent of Schools PAGE 2 Through collaborative partnerships with First Nation, Mtis, Inuit and other community stakeholders, continue to deliver Indigenous programming as an essential part of the framework of education in schools.

Foster innovative approaches and continuous improvement in operational and educational practices.

Maintain high visibility within the Division and provide support and advise principals on matters related to school operations.Fiscal Management Ensure the fiscal management of the Division by the Treasurer is in accordance with the terms or conditions of any funding received by the Board under the School Act or any other applicable Act or regulation.

Ensure the Division operates in a fiscally responsible manner, including adherence to recognized accounting procedures.

Ensure financial transparency and stable financial performance in a changing and challenging fiscal environment. People and Culture Align all employees to a clear vision and clear priorities. Provide the conditions, resources, autonomy and capabilities for direct reports and other employees to effectively prioritize in line with the overall strategy.

Actively and systematically develop the leadership skills, autonomy and career development of direct reports. Ensure direct reports are challenged and constantly growing their skills while ensuring they have the appropriate tools, supports, resources and mentorship required for success.

Ensure a comprehensive succession strategy is in place.

Establish organizational roles for staff and arrange the employment of staff necessary to conduct the affairs of the Division.

Have overall authority and responsibility for all people-related matters except those matters precluded by legislation, collective agreements, or Board policy.

Ensure the safety, mental, emotional and physical wellness of all staff is paramount and supported with meaningful resources.

Create, support, nurture and encourage a culture of inclusion across the division. Wild Rose School Division Superintendent of Schools PAGE 3

Board Relations Work effectively with the Board, respect the Board's chosen role, and work collaboratively to bring about the Board's preferred future.

Actively and systematically maintain a productive working relationship with the Board based on transparency, mutual trust, respect and integrity.

Provide leadership in the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of Board policies.

Develop, maintain, and communicate Administrative Procedures that are consistent with Board and provincial policies, regulations and procedures.

Implement Board policies and ensure the review and evaluation of their impact.

Keep the Board informed of all Division matters, especially controversial and/or highly sensitive issues, in a timely and appropriate manner.Community Relations Take appropriate actions to ensure open, transparent, positive internal and external communications are developed and maintained.

Build and maintain effective, meaningful and impactful partnerships with parents, communities, municipal leaders, agencies and other external stakeholders.

Ensure parents have a high level of satisfaction with the services provided and the responsiveness of the Division.

Actively seek, assess and incorporate feedback from all relevant sources.

Act as an advocate for the Division and for public education.Qualifications, Skills and Experience The successful candidate must meet the requirements of the Alberta Superintendent Leadership Quality Standard, hold an acceptable Master's degree, and engage in career-long professional learning.

Significant, successful, educational leadership experience, ideally at both the school and system levels.

Proven track record of career progression in education, and experience in administration, human relations, staff development and strategic planning. Wild Rose School Division Superintendent of Schools PAGE 4 A visionary leader who understands teaching and learning and works with others to provide multifaceted educational programs in an inclusive learning environment.

Knowledge of child development and programming to enhance learning opportunities.

Committed to building respectful, strong working relationships within the Division.

Ability to work effectively with Alberta Education, staff, parents and stakeholder groups.

Ability to nurture a positive organizational culture for the Division and demonstrated commitment to staff and leadership development.

Effective listener, diplomatic, receptive to feedback and willing to provide same.

Strong advocate for students with strong commitment to improving measurable student achievement in all curricular areas.

Strengths in planning, delegating, time management, assignment of responsibilities and ensuring successful completion of tasks.

Rural education experience is considered an asset, with a commitment to diversity of programming in rural settings. Express Your Enthusiasm

WRSD is committed to equitable, inclusive and accessible employment practices and we encourage all interested candidates to apply. Email a cover letter and resume to Shalini Bhatty or Heather Fookes at calgary@leadersinternational.com indicating the job title in the subject line of the email.

Leaders International Executive Search www.leadersinternational.com

Wild Rose School Division Superintendent of Schools PAGE 5