The Board of Trustees has received retirement notice from Superintendent of Schools Pamela Rannelli effective August 31, 2019.
Mrs. Rannelli’s career spans 39 years with 6 of those years with Foothills School Division. After completing a BA Honours and a B Ed from St. Francis Xavier University, she began her career in Golden Hills School Division as a Grade 4 teacher, she then moved to the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) as a teacher for students with complex learning needs. She continued her education at the University of Calgary by completing a degree in Educational Psychology. Her and her family then relocated back to her home province of Nova Scotia in 1988, where she began working for the Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority (APSEA) as an itinerant teacher for students who were blind or visually impaired (BVI). After completing graduate courses from the University of Nebraska and a Master’s Degree in Education from Dalhousie University, she then moved on to become the principal of Sir Fredrick Fraser School (APSEA) in Halifax; a school serving students who were blind or visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing from across Atlantic Canada. In her final year with APSEA she served as Director of Services for Children Who are Blind Visually Impaired for Atlantic Canada. Upon returning to Alberta in 2001 she again worked with CBE as a teacher and a Vision Consultant for REACH. She was then seconded by Alberta Education as lead for the Students with Vision Loss Initiative in 2008. While at Alberta Education she served as Senior Manager in the Inclusive Learning Branch.
In 2013 Mrs. Rannelli joined Foothills School Division as the Director of Inclusive Learning and then was named Assistant Superintendent of Learning in 2015, which she held until being appointed Superintendent of Schools in June 2018. She truly believes in educations systems that are fully inclusive with students, teachers, staff, parents, and trustees all collaborating to ensure high quality education for all students. This has been the foundation behind the learning that she has led and truly hopes she has left Foothills School Division in a better place from when she joined.
“It has been a privilege to serve Foothills School Division and to work with so many excellent educators and staff. This is a school system where every staff member is dedicated to ensuring that each child has the best educational opportunities possible, and I am so proud to have been a part of it. I know that I will be leaving the system in the very capable hands of a really great team.”
Board Chair Larry Albrecht says, “Throughout the span of her career, Mrs. Rannelli earned the admiration and respect of staff, students, parents, and educational partners alike. She remains highly regarded as an authentic, earnest, and compassionate educator and leader. Pam’s contributions to our school system have been many, and her commitment to education has been exceptional.”
Please join the Board of Trustees in congratulating Superintendent Rannelli as she embarks on this next chapter in her life, and in thanking her for her contributions to our Foothills School Division students, schools, and communities.
