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
Mar 02
From the Desk of the Superintendent- March 2013
Today, March 2, 2013, I am in Medicine Hat, Alberta to celebrate my mother’s 70th birthday. She doesn’t know that we have travelled down and so she will be quite surprised when we meet her and my dad at supper. When I left home at 17 to attend university, she was just 36 years old …
Feb 22
Do we want great schools?
Do we really want great schools? I think I would be hard pressed to find anybody who would say no. But in truth, do we really want great schools or are we content with good or worse, mediocre schools. It sounds like a trick question but in fact it is at the core of what we do and for all of …
Feb 13
AISI: Not just another acronym
Education is full of acronyms and AISI is another. So what does it stand for- Alberta Initiative for School Improvement. AISI has been in existence since 1999 and has provided substantial funding to school divisions across the province with a goal of encouraging and promoting creativity and innovation in Alberta schools. Projects are three years …
Feb 10
What does our future hold?
I graduated from McCoy High School in 1979. Although I may have had a slight inkling of where I was going, there was no way I had an understanding of how much the world around me was going to change. Imagine that the kindergarten children entering school in September 2012 will begin retiring (assuming an …
Feb 03
Painting the fence or building a new one!
Alberta Education is involved in a high school flexibility project that is focusing on how learning can be improved outside the Carnegie Unit. The Carnegie Unit was developed from a business point of view and is based on the factory model of education. It was initiated to standardize education. A parallel process in Alberta is …
Feb 01
From the Desk of the Superintendent- February 2013
February marks the mid-point of the school year, the start of the second semester or the third quarter. It also signals the beginning stages of planning; 3-year education, capital and annual budget for 2013-14. There is a certain flow that occurs in the planning cycle in education. The government provides school jurisdictions with their Accountability Pillar …
Jan 27
In search of failure and purpose!
This past week, I had the privilege of presenting at a TEDxYouth event in Lethbridge, Alberta. The youth aspect of the event allowed me to hear some outstanding students and young adults. Some may have been more polished than others, but the messages of all were powerful. Events that allow youth to speak about what is …
Jan 20
Connected Educator equals Informed Professional Judgment
There are times in our careers that we use the term professional judgment as a license to do whatever we believe is right! We’ve earned our degree! We’ve “practiced” our skills! We’ve been inducted into the profession! The very definition of a professional supports our “right” to trump any disagreement of practice. Quite honestly, a rigorous pre-service …
Jan 13
Early Learning: A great way to start!
In June 2011, Alberta Health and Wellness and the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health released a document entitled, “Let’s Talk About the Early Years.” This major report highlighted the importance of early childhood development on life-long health, well-being, learning and behaviour. It is a powerful reminder of the need to focus on …
Jan 02
From the Desk of the Superintendent- January 2013
Usually I would begin my January message with a happy new year salutation. Instead, I begin this post reflecting on the sudden passing of one of our staff members. Mrs. Linda Goruk, an Early Learning Program Leader at Ecole St. Mary School passed away suddenly last week. The staff from Ecole St. Mary and the early …