Sandra Herbst, CEO for connect2learning, is a noted system leader, author, speaker, coach, consultant, and educator with extensive experience in assessment, leadership, and adult learning.
Sandra’s expertise, informed by wide-ranging practice and research, is enhanced by her compassion and humour. She has worked in both elementary and secondary schools as a classroom and specialty teacher, school administrator, and program consultant. Sandra is the former assistant superintendent of the second-largest school district in Manitoba and a past President of the Manitoba Association of School Superintendents and the Manitoba ASCD Affiliate.
As a facilitator of workshops, web conferences, and Institutes across North America and internationally, Sandra provides teachers and leaders with strategies and methods to help meet the diverse needs of learners. She engages in long-term projects with school systems including co-teaching and co-planning with teachers. Sandra models strategies through demonstration lessons with students in their classrooms. Through these events and interactions, Sandra has conveyed her vision, humour, and passion to thousands of teachers and has followed up with many of them to assess and learn from their experiences.
Sandra is co-author (with Anne Davies) of the newly published book, A Fresh Look at Grading and Reporting in High Schools (2014). She is a co-editor (with Kathy Busick and Anne Davies) of Quality Assessment in High Schools: Accounts from Teachers (2013). In 2012, Sandra co-authored the Leaders’ Series: Transforming Schools and Systems Using Assessment: A Practical Guide and Leading the Way to Assessment for Learning: A Practical Guide with Anne Davies and Beth Parrott Reynolds. She has several more works in progress in the areas of leadership and assessment.
As Sandra works with schools, systems, and organizations, whether in person or online, she tailors her work to meet the learners’ needs. She is a charismatic and highly energetic speaker and leader who is deeply committed to seeing the educational system contribute to the success of all learners.
Etienna Moostoos-Lafferty was born and raised in Grande Prairie Alberta. Etienna's family is from the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation in Treaty 8 territory. Etienna has 7 years of teaching experience both on and off-reserve, and also in public and Catholic school systems. Etienna spent 4 years working for an Indigenous perspective school with the Calgary Board of Education where she learned the importance of culture and language in Indigenous education.
Etienna has since moved back to Edmonton and has worked provincially as an Indigenous Education consultant helping to develop and implement workshops aimed at promoting reconciliation through teacher education. Etienna has created resources for the ATA and ARPDC that help teachers better understand topics such as Residential Schools, Metis Settlements, Inuit history, Myths and Stereotypes of Indigenous people, progression of the TRC, and treaty relationships.
Today, Etienna is an Indigenous Education Coach for Evergreen Catholic Schools and is completing her masters full time at the University of Alberta. Additionally, she works as an assistant researcher at the University and is learning a lot about provincial and local initiatives surrounding Indigenous education. She is a mother to a 4 year old daughter named Layla and her husband is also a teacher and works as an assistant Principal for Edmonton Public Schools.