WCR This Week

Joan Carr

EDMONTON - Joan Carr, superintendent for Edmonton Catholic School District for the past 10 years, has received the award for excellence among Alberta school superintendents.

Along with the award, Carr has also been nominated for a national award for excellence in superintendency.

The award and the nomination for the national EXL Award came from The College of Alberta School Superintendents (CASS).

Each provincial affiliate of the Canadian Association of School System Administrators (CASSA) is invited to nominate an outstanding system education leader for the EXL Award.

Sponsored by Xerox Canada Ltd. and CASSA, the award is granted to educators who exhibit exemplary leadership ability and who have enhanced the profession of school system administration throughout their career.

Consideration for the national EXL award is given to those system education leaders nominated by their provincial associations who:

• Guide children's educational experiences.
• Establish the character of a school system's programs by working with school boards, school leaders, teachers and parents.
• Shape children's attitudes towards learning and their perceptions of themselves as lifelong learners.
• Model effective leadership and mentoring.

Carr is a past chair of the Catholic Social Services Sign of Hope campaign and has served on the board of directors for CASS, Junior Achievement and Racism Free Edmonton.

In the nomination, Carr was lauded for providing students with a broad spectrum of programming so they can reach their fullest potential.

Her commitment to establishing services for children and families, First Nations, Metis and Inuit students, students new to Canada, and establishing partnerships with community organizations, governments and business were noted in the nomination.

"Joan Carr is an inspirational professional, who is well known for her leadership, innovation and creativity," said Marilyn Bergstra, board chair of Edmonton Catholic Schools.

"Joan has proven to be an exceptional leader in finding solutions to challenges while achieving high-quality learning outcomes. All this is done through a lens of faith, with compassion and care for students, families and staff," she said.

Carr will be acknowledged as Alberta's EXL Award nominee at the CASSA annual conference in Winnipeg July 7 to 9.