Rocky View Schools (RVS) has announced the appointment of Sharon Rhodes to area director. Rhodes will take over the role in August, after the retirement of current Area Director John Burger.
“An area director first and foremost ensures that Rocky View’s priorities and goals are carried out in the schools,” she said. “There’s a lot of mentoring (of) principals, looking at schools’ results, satisfaction surveys – just helping them move that forward.
“We have a number of new administrators in Rocky View so some of the role is mentoring those new people, providing support and helping them if there’s an issue with a parent, or they’re not sure how to approach a problem, maybe (helping with) a community initiative.”
Rhodes is currently principal at George McDougall High School in Airdrie. She has worked in RVS since 1998, including stints as principal at Chestermere High School and as a teacher at Chestermere Lake Middle School. Prior to joining RVS, she worked in other school divisions including Golden Hills, High Prairie, Leduc and Medicine Hat.
She has a masters degree in administration and curriculum development from Gonzaga University and a bachelor of education degree from the University of Alberta.
A two-year secondment to Alberta Education from 2013 to 2015 took Rhodes away from the division.
“Having served as a principal of two large high schools in our jurisdiction, coupled with a recent secondment with Alberta Education as a senior education manager, Sharon is well prepared to take on the position of area director with the schools department,” RVS Superintendent of Schools Don Hoium said in a press release. “I congratulate her on this new position and wish her much success.”
Rhodes said the secondment helped prepare her for her new role, though it is a bit bittersweet.
“I’m going to miss being with kids,” she said. “I think (my time with Alberta Education) is good preparatory work for this. I was responsible for four public boards and 12 private schools, doing sort of the same work at a provincial level.”
Rhodes said she is looking forward to getting into her new role and seeing what’s going on in other schools.
“The mentorship piece really excites me. I’ve got quite a passion for mentorship and the professional learning that goes along with our profession,” she said.
