Registration Fee:  $75.00
There will be no refunds for cancellations.  If you are unable to attend, you are invited to send an alternate in your place.

Wingate by Wyndham Calgary South Hotel
(403) 514-0099
400 Midpark Way SE
Calgary, Alberta T2X 3S4

No Room Block Registrants are responsible for making their own accommodation arrangements.

Pre-Conference/AGM Workshop:  

Engaging Government 

with Dr. Robert Murray

Friday, November 15, 2019

The Westin Edmonton - Manitoba Room

Program

Session 1: Government Relations and Issues for Catholic Education in the New Alberta

Since the election of the UCP in April of 2019, there have been a series of significant changes in the personnel and character of the Alberta government that have impacted how stakeholders, including Catholic schools, engage with government, and on what issues to engage. In the ‘new Alberta’, many of the plans and approaches used with the NDP need to be reinvented to better reflect the conduct and approaches of the new UCP government, and to align with the ongoing work of the new government. Dr. Murray, through facilitated discussion with participants, will identify some of the key issues they are facing and dialogue with participants using his experience, the best and most effective government relations practices for school boards, ACSTA and CCSSA. Dr. Murray will assist these groups in contemplating how to best engage with the provincial government with the greatest prospects of success.

Session 2: Doing More with Less – Education in the Age of Efficiencies

Among the ongoing narratives in education across Canada is the idea of ‘doing more with less’ and discussions about how to find cost savings and efficiencies in education systems. With the introduction of the MacKinnon Report in September of 2019, and the fall 2019 Alberta budget, it is clear that the province’s financial situation and the government’s approach to addressing the province’s fiscal issues with require a series of conversations about what exactly efficiencies mean in the education system, how boards may be able to identify opportunities for cost savings and efficiencies, and what the limits of efficiencies are in the context of denominational and constitutional rights. This session will help to recognize the potential opportunities and risks to Catholic boards posed by the debates over education efficiencies, and provide strategies for helping Alberta’s Catholic boards advance their positions with the government on the topic of cost savings and efficiencies.

Register Now

Saturday, November 14, 2020

Will be conducted in VIRTUAL format. 

The 2020 ACSTA Annual General Virtual Meeting Registration is now open. There is a registration fee of $65.00 as a cost recovery fee. Should there be a surplus, that money will be donated to Toonies for Tuition. The registration fee will be invoiced to your respective Division.

• ACSTA AGM Information Letter for Stakeholders and Guests
• Register Now
• 2020 ACSTA AGM Program
• Panel Discussion (Afternoon Session)

The following guidelines will ensure we have an efficient and effective AGM: 

• Each participant must register in advance by filling in the required information correctly on the linked registration form above.
• Once your registration is approved by ACSTA, you will receive a confirmation email with your unique ZOOM link to the AGM.  If you have not received a confirmation, please check your Spam folder first. If not, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Each individual participant must have their own individual ZOOM link. To protect the security of this meeting and the Members, your zoom link CANNOT be shared and has access to only ONE device.  
• Make sure to download the Zoom app on your device ahead of time, and that your camera and microphone are working properly.  Please resolve any technical difficulties with your Division’s IT department.
• On the day of the meeting, please log in at least 15 minutes early and our Host will grant you entry from the “waiting room.” Upon entry all participants will be muted and cameras off. Upon entry please type your Name and Division/Association in the Chat box. This is how attendance will be taken.
• The ZOOM Chat will be visible to everyone. All portions of the AGM will be recorded. 
• Anyone wishing to speak during the meeting, at the appropriate time, will type “speak” in the Chat box and wait for the direction by the CHAIR to speak. Once you have been called upon to speak by the Chair, be sure to turn on your microphone and camera. 
• For the Business portion of the meeting (morning) voting will be conducted via an electronic platform. It is important that your board members are able to communicate with the Chair (text etc.) so that one vote can be submitted per Division for the weighted ballot. Detailed voting instructions will be provided. 
• Each individual trustee/participant will be placed in a predetermined breakout room. For this reason it is imperative that each INDIVIDUAL have their own ZOOM link as per the registration instructions.