Board Services
Office of the Superintendent
Carole Olsen is the superintendent of the Halifax Regional School Board, the largest school board in Nova Scotia with 50,000 students, 137 schools and approximately 8,000 employees.
As an educator, she is driven by two fundamental beliefs:
- Every Student Can Learn
- Every School Will Improve
Under Carole’s leadership, the Halifax Regional School Board has made significant progress in improving student achievement. Assessment results in the key areas of literacy and mathematics have climbed steadily during her tenure on local, provincial, national and international assessments and she has challenged all staff to ensure every school day matters for every student.
To guarantee this happens, Carole has made it a priority to ensure teachers and support staff receive ongoing professional development because she believes that when staff members learn, students learn.
Carole is also a leader outside of the HRSB involved in some of the following local, provincial and national organizations:
- Chair of the National Advisory Council on Energy Efficiency
- Immediate Past Chair of the Canadian Education Association
- Chair of Nova Scotia Educational Leadership Consortium
- Campaign Management Team 2009 and 2010 (Chair, Schools Division), Metro United Way,
- Member of the Association of Nova Scotia Educational Administrators
- Member of the Education Research & Development Corp (ERDI)
Prior to her appointment in 2002, Carole gained extensive experience as a teacher and senior administrator (superintendent) with the Toronto District School Board, and as an education officer with the Ontario Ministry of Education.
Superintendent’s Awards of Excellence
This is the first year for the Superintendent’s Awards of Excellence. It is one component of the overall Employee Recognition Program approved by the Board in June, 2008. Superintendent Carole Olsen wanted to enhance the Board’s recognition efforts by ensuring employees were acknowledged,
not only when they retired, but also throughout their years of employment with the Board. In 2008,
the Milestone Awards were launched; in 2009, the Long Service Milestone Awards were established; and finally, the Awards of Excellence Program in 2010. Superintendent Olsen invited employees to nominate fellow employees who are demonstrating excellence in supporting schools and students; thereby furthering the vision that “every student can learn and every school will improve.”
Nominations were accepted in the following three categories:
Award of Excellence in Teaching
Excellent Support Staff Award
Excellence in Leadership Award
The annual Superintendent’s Awards of Excellence were presented on
August 24, 2011. Pictured above with Carole Olsen, HRSB Superintendent
are the 2011 recipients. (From L-R): Pamela Burton, Award of Excellence
in Teaching; Eric Therrien, Excellence in Leadership Award; Mrs. Olsen;
Jennifer Carroll, Award of Excellence in Teaching; and Donna Boutilier,
Excellent Support Staff Award.
Award of Excellence in Teaching
Pamela Burton, Teacher, John W. MacLeod Elementary and the Halifax All-City Music
Jennifer Carroll, Teacher, Millwood High School
Excellent Support Staff Award
Donna Boutilier, Educational Program Assistant, Duncan MacMillan High School
Award of Excellence in Leadership
Eric Thierren, Department Head, Auburn Drive High School
Congratulations to all of the recipients and nominees! Thank you for your outstanding contribution
to students in the Halifax Regional School Board and for furthering our vision that every student
can learn and every school will improve.
Olsen elected President of the CEA
HRSB Superintendent Carole Olsen was elected president of the Canadian Education Association on October 2008. Click here to read the news release.
Superintendent's Annual Reports
(Each year, the Superintendent tables an Annual Report highlighting the accomplishments and challenges from the preceding school year)