INNISFAIL - Kurt Sacher, the longtime superintendent of the Chinook’s Edge School Division, believes his new role of president of the College of Alberta School Superintendents (CASS) will have benefits for education in the district.
“I think it is a good thing for our school division to be able to have that kind of voice,” said Sacher. “There are advantages to the school division because I learn so many ideas from my colleagues from across the province and I can bring those ideas back to the school division.
“I definitely have an opportunity to advocate on behalf of Chinook’s Edge. I think it is worth my time.”
CASS represents all 61 public, separate and francophone boards in Alberta. It also has membership from 12 of the 13 charter schools and 60 per cent of the First Nation authorities in the province.
Sacher has been elected as president of the organization for 2018-19. He has been on the CASS board for the past 16 years, including as vice-president last year.
“We are providing voice for system education leaders, including associate superintendents, and we are also providing leadership expertise and advocacy to improve, promote and champion student success,” he said.
As part of its mandate, the organization regularly meets with provincial government ministers and other government officials, he said.
“We have regular meetings with senior officials from Alberta Education,” he said. “We’ve had the deputy minister of education come and interact with us. And at our conferences either the deputy minister or the minister of education will attend and speak. So this group tries to influence the education system for the betterment of students and staff.”
Chinook’s Edge trustees have been very supportive of his roles in CASS, he said.
“I’m representing system leaders across the province, but I can also relay what life is like in a relatively large rural school division in Alberta,” he said.
Looking ahead, Sacher says he anticipates a busy term as president.
“I think in anticipation of a possible election in the spring it will certainly be a more intense political environment than we are used to,” he said.
There are 40 schools in the Innisfail-headquarted Chinook’s Edge School Division. Sacher has been the superintendent of the division since June 2010.
