Publications
- Principal Award
- Vice-Principal Award
- Student Leadership Award
- Elementary School Recognition Award
- Canada's
Outstanding
Principals
"An Association of School Leaders " |
Our Story:
For many years Canadian Principals and Vice-Principals attended major conferences in the United States, many of which were sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). Often at those conferences the Canadian registrants would meet informally to discuss what was happening back home and to share experiences. During the gatherings it became increasingly common to wonder about a national association for Canadian Principals and Vice-Principals.
In 1975 there were about fifty Canadian delegates at the NASSP conference in Las Vegas. They were determined to establish a formal association of Canadian school administrators and, additionally, to organize, in due time, a national conference in Canada. Following this NASSP conference, a number of participants from Ontario contacted provincial Principals' and Vice-Principals' Associations across Canada about forming a national association. The response was favorable. In no time, a Board of Directors was established, a constitution was written and in 1977 the Canadian Association of Principals (CAP) became a reality.
CAP is a national umbrella organization representing individual Canadian Principals and Vice-Principals through Provincial Affiliate organizations. Every provincial organization can become an affiliate of CAP, in accordance with CAP By-Laws, and in this way gain representation on the CAP Board of Directors which acts on behalf of every member of CAP and is reflected by the many different Affiliates represented by our photo gallery of Past-Presidents.
David Eaton, Executive Assistant with the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation and Executive Secretary of the Ontario Secondary School Headmasters' Council, provided the guiding light...the glue...as Secretary-Treasurer of CAP from its inception until December 1982.
From 1982 until 1989, Norm Ornes of the British Columbia Principals' And Vice-Principals Association served as Secretary-Treasurer and then as Treasurer until 1990. Harvey Kingdon of the Manitoba Association of Principals followed Norm Ornes and became the first staff officer as General Secretary, which included the positions of secretary and treasurer, from 1990 to 1997.
1990 - 1991 was an important year for CAP as a national organization, as CAP established a head office in Ottawa, ON Canada staffed by Harvey Kingdon, General Secretary. At that time CAP began the regular publication of the CAP Journal and the CAP Info, (now the CAP News). The CAP office has since moved to a more central location in downtown Ottawa and is staffed by Marie Schutt, CAP Executive Secretary since 1997 following Harvey Kingdon's retirement.
In order to foster the distinctive identity of CAP, we developed a CAP pin and logo. The CAP Distinguished Principal/Vice-Principal of the Year Award was developed thanks to the sponsorship of McDonalds' Restaurants of Canada, Ltd. and the CAP Student Leadership Award and the Primary/Elementary School Recognition Award were developed thanks to the sponsorship of Premier.
At CAP, our role is to give direction with respect to various educational topics and issues. We recognize that education is a provincial responsibility, however, there are national education needs and issues that impinge commonly on students, schools and educators all across Canada.
The CAP Journal and the CAP News, together, with the national conferences, are vehicles for the exchange and nurturing of Canadian ideas and Canadian solutions to Canadian Problems. We have goals which foster the professional growth of Canadian administrators, which support national objectives in elementary and secondary education and which support elementary and secondary school administrators' membership in the International Confederation of Principals. At the same time, the realization is growing that we, as Canadian administrators, have the capacity to influence more effectively the destiny of education in Canada.
We must continue to develop policies on issues that affect us not only as principals and vice-principals but also as co-inhabitors of this country and indeed the globe: peace education, the environment, poverty, technology, and others. CAP continues to grow and we must pursue our role as an effective, respected and powerful organization working on behalf of its members, as well as other Canadians, and indeed of humanity.
A theme song for CAP was written by Nova Scotia School Administrators' Association, Mickey Gouthro in the year 2000 which captures the essence of CAP.
The CAP Song (composed by Mickey Gouthro)
We've been entrusted with a role so vital to the soul
And the well being of our country's greatest resource
Our challenge is immense, there is no room for pretense
Our goals are set and high we'll hold the torchChorus
We are Canadians and we are principals
We are one voice that speaks across our land
We are Canadians and we are principals
United we will prosper and expandNow our mission it is clear, we move on without fear
With a national view of each affiliates needs
We'll be vigilant in our cause, to serve and correct our flaws
And we'll CAPtivate each member by our deeds.Repeat Chorus