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Alberta’s Principals: Making Magic Happen
This issue of the ATA Magazine focuses on the important and difficult work of school principals. In each school, so much depends on the principal. School leadership is a crucial factor in building a great school for all.
Shirley Stiles, a respected member of the profession, provides a constructive overview of how the role of the principal has changed in the past 30 years—including factors such as school safety, technology, a continuing focus on student results, inclusion and the role of student voice. Her article helps to frame the continuing challenges of the changing role of the principal.
Lindsay Yakimyshyn, one of the Association’s newest staff members, provides a preliminary summary of a research project on the future of the principalship. The study, which was jointly sponsored by the Canadian Association of Principals and the Association and which will be available later this year, included 180 Alberta school leaders and focused on factors that influence the work of the principal, including increased emphasis in Alberta on marketing schools and external accountability.
Researcher Laura Servage provides a fascinating summary of the Association’s recent research study on the work life of school principals. Working an average of 58.5 hours per week, principals spend most of their time on student affairs, facilities management and reporting. Unfortunately, instructional leadership falls further down the list.
A frequent contributor to the Magazine, Jim Parsons, joins up with Kurtis Hewson to study the lessons learned about school leadership through the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI). Their article points to the constructive impact of AISI, including distributed leadership, sustainable focus and data-informed planning, among other factors.
Lisa Wright (principal) and Sandra Marianicz (curriculum coordinator), from Michael Strembitsky School in Edmonton, examine the crucial role of school leadership in sustaining innovation. When properly conceptualized and supported, innovation can be sustained and can create and uphold a high-performing school and school system.
This issue also includes a candid interview between Norman Yanitski, superintendent of schools, Black Gold School Division No 18, and Matthew Kierstead, a veteran principal in the same jurisdiction. The interview focuses on the changing role of the school principal and its inherent challenges.
Alberta’s school principals lead the world. Fundamental to Alberta’s success are teaching quality, leadership quality, the culture of collegiality as the basis for decision making, and an ongoing drive toward growth and improvement, including innovation.
Before I sign off, I want to pay tribute to Raymond Gariépy, who will retire from his position as associate editor of the ATA Magazine this summer after 26 years with the Association, including more than 22 years with the Magazine. He is among the most creative people I know, and he has used his remarkable talents for the benefit of Alberta’s teachers. For me, working with Raymond on each issue of the Magazine (and he has edited 91 of them) has been a true joy. His suggestions about theme issues and appropriate articles have always resulted in a better publication, and his ability to bring together artistic, graphic and editorial content is a true gift. Under Raymond’s watch, the Magazine, now in its 94th year of continuous publication and one of the longest-running educational periodicals in North America, has received more Canadian Educational Press Association awards than any other publication. I have enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate with him, always aware, proud and grateful that I’m in the shadow of one of the best editors around. Thank you, Raymond, and best wishes for a wonderful retirement.
