Kurt Sacher, Superintendent for Chinook's Edge School Division, received the provincial EXL Award for Excellence in School System Leadership at the Annual General Meeting of the College of Alberta School Superintendents (CASS), held remotely on March 19, 2021.
Jointly sponsored by Xerox Canada Ltd. and the Canadian Association of School System Administrators (CASSA), this prestigious award is granted to outstanding school system leaders who exhibit exemplary leadership ability and have enhanced the profession of school system administration over the course of their career.
As the Alberta recipient of the EXL Award, Kurt will be the CASS nominee for the national EXL Award as Canadian Superintendent of the Year, to be announced at the CASSA Conference, which will be hosted virtually from Ottawa and extending for attendance across Canada on July 6, 2021.
Consideration for the EXL award is given to those system education leaders who:
- guide children's educational experiences,
- establish the character of a school system's programs through the important work with school boards, school leaders, teachers, and parents,
- shape children's attitudes towards learning and their perceptions of themselves as lifelong learners, and
- model effective leadership and mentoring.
Kurt is recognized by his Board, system leaders, and school-based staff as "a caring, dedicated, and passionate leader for students and staff." His most valued and influential attribute as the division's Chief Educational Officer and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is his ability to articulate the value of each employee as contributors to the success of students, and through that process generate effective relationships and trust throughout his school jurisdiction. As Superintendent of Schools since June 2010, Kurt has designed and facilitated structures across the system to ensure stakeholder voice is heard, including the Teachers Matter, Students Matter, Support Staff Matter, and Parents Matter committees. His approach to communication through these "Matters Committees" has set Chinook's Edge on a solid path towards the Board's vision for learning that now transitions seamlessly in implementing the new provincial Assurance Model for planning and reporting.
As a strategy to further system coherence dedicated to the success of all students, Kurt has collaboratively developed staff learning guides that are applicable to every employee from administrators to support staff throughout the jurisdiction and focus on each employee's potential and purpose in impacting student success.
As a frequent presenter within conferences throughout the province and as a Member of C21 - Canadians for 21st Century Learning and Innovation, Kurt has been able to proudly demonstrate the impact of cultivating a culture of respect, belonging, and common purpose for the benefit of every student's achievement. As his own senior leadership team remarks, "Kurt has elevated the profile of Chinook's Edge and the degree of this division's success. His expectations of staff are high, as is his appreciation. Kurt is uncannily skilled in his role of educational leader, and Chinook's Edge is regarded as a highly functioning school division under his leadership."
