The Peace River School Division is pleased to announce the appointment of Cheryl Gascoyne to the position of Assistant Superintendent, effective August 1, 2025.

Work History

Mrs. Gascoyne will join the Peace River School Division team with more than 20 years of experience in the K-12 education system.  She started her career as a K-6 teacher for two years with the Fort Vermilion School Division, and after taking educational leave to pursue graduate-level academic studies, she spent two years as a Grade 4 teacher in Nunavut.  After returning to Alberta and spending time raising her children, she worked for nine consecutive years in central office Learning Services and Inclusive Education leadership positions with the Red Deer Catholic School Division and the Wolf Creek Public School Division.  One of the highlights of her district-level work was leading a very successful division-wide Response to Intervention (RTI) pilot with the Red Deer Catholic School Division. This initiative involved the strategic development and implementation of inclusive, data-informed instructional supports during a province-wide shift toward inclusion.

Mrs. Gascoyne also established and ran a very successful K-12 education consulting business from 2018-2024, and partnered with Jigsaw Learning for five years, spending substantial time working with many school divisions and schools throughout the province promoting a Collaborative Response culture with a particular focus on literacy development and early education. Through this process, she worked alongside numerous school administrators to reculture their schools with a strategic focus on enhanced instructional leadership and improved student achievement. She comes to us from the Northern Gateway Public School Division where she served as a K-6 principal this past year.  

Volunteer Work

Mrs. Gascoyne has been an active volunteer over the years, contributing to the Inclusive Education Council, the Aspire Special Needs Resource Centre, and the Red Deer Rotary Club, where she serves as a Board Member.  She has played a key role in the Literacy Alive! Rotary literacy initiative in Belize, working with education officials and numerous school principals to transform literacy instruction in their schools. She participated in missions to Belize in 2011, 2013, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and has progressed from team member in the early years to the team leader over the last three years.   

Education

Mrs. Gascoyne obtained a Bachelor of Education degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1991 and a Master of Education degree from the University of Alberta in 1995.  She additionally completed ten doctoral program courses towards a PhD from the University of Alberta between 1995 and 1997. She has also obtained the Leadership Quality Standard certification and has completed training in diversity and inclusion, Indigenous education, and educational leadership.   

Mrs. Gascoyne brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this role.  Through her experience as a school-based and division-level leader, and through her extensive role with Jigsaw Learning, she has developed a keen understanding of how to help ensure seamless support to new teachers and administrators focused on academic achievement aligned with divisional priorities.

Congratulations, Cheryl, and welcome to the PRSD Team!