After nearly a 35 year career in education, I retired as the Superintendent of Schools in January 2020. While in the role as superintendent, I sat on two national committees, ERDI and C21 and also was an adjunct professor for Gonzaga University. I now work as a leadership consultant supporting the work of school boards, system and school leaders.
Chris Smeaton
Author's posts
Feb 01
From the Desk of the Superintendent- February 2019
Last week, principals and senior administrators travelled to Mount St. Francis for a retreat. The focus of the retreat was on the 5 Marks of a Catholic Leader. The marks were developed by the Council of Catholic School Superintendents of Alberta. An Excellent Catholic Leader: Embraces the dignity of all as created in the image of …
Jan 27
Doing right not simply being right!
Most young leaders come into positions with the strong desire to be right. It makes good sense! Walking into a leadership position there is a need for your employees to gain confidence in your abilities and one of the quickest ways to do that is to be right. However, if being right becomes the only …
Jan 14
Change Required
The following article was published in the Lethbridge Herald on January 09, 2019. I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions. They typically require far too much change and, as we know, change is very hard. I’m a little friendlier with “fresh starts” since they can occur at any time throughout the year. But I …
Dec 27
Twitter Trolls!
I love Twitter! Since joining in May 2011 I have utilized it as a great source to share my own educational thoughts but more importantly learn from thousands of others in the Twittersphere. Virtually everything that I tweet out in regards to education, I include the hashtag #hs4 which is the school division where I …
Dec 17
From the Desk of the Superintendent- Christmas Message 2018
We are in the last week of school before Christmas and I’m sure many are looking forward to a little rest and relaxation over the coming holidays. Let’s just begin with this… WELL DESERVED!!! For those who don’t live in the education world, it is easy to point fingers and tell us “how few hours …
Dec 02
From the Desk of the Superintendent- December 2018
December has arrived, which means I am rid of my “Movember” throwback Tom Selleck, Magnum PI moustache. Great cause…terrible look for me today! All joking aside, the start of December is important for us in our Catholic tradition, as it is the beginning of our liturgical year. Over the next four Sundays we will be …
Nov 15
In support of Catholic Education
The following blog post was written for and published in the Lethbridge Herald on November 14, 2018. In late October, the Public Schools’ Boards Association of Alberta (PSBAA) initiated a campaign to consolidate all education into one publicly funded system. In essence, they are desiring one system that would effectively provide parents with no choice …
Nov 10
Effective School Councils
A couple of weeks back, our school division invited a representative from the Alberta School Councils’ Association to provide a workshop on some of the functions of school councils. The presentation reminded me of the important work that should be done by this group but often gets lost because of well -intentioned volunteerism. I don’t believe …
Nov 03
Catholic Education Sunday- November 2018
The following message will be read at all masses this coming weekend in recognition and celebration of Catholic Education. Holy Spirit is a regional division that serves students in Bow Island, Coaldale, Lethbridge, Picture Butte, Pincher Creek, Taber, and surrounding communities. Today we celebrate Catholic Education Sunday, a special day that recognizes the gift of …
Nov 01
From the Desk of the Superintendent- November 2018
November 1st! If you are reading my monthly message this day, I’m sure you have (especially in the elementary grades) a whole bunch of “sugared up” kids! Happy day after Halloween. I want to begin this month’s message with a look back at some important events that occurred in October. The Board of Trustees held …