Autobiographical Statement

Jeff Kuntz Ph. D.

I am a veteran teacher, researcher and instructional leader with experience in a variety of educational
roles. Throughout my career I have taken on many challenges at the school and district level and I
currently engaged in one more; providing expertise and service at a post-secondary level. This
autobiographical statement provides an overview of my experience and qualifications with respect to:
academic studies and research; teaching experience; instructional and administrative leadership; post-
secondary teaching; and service.

Teaching and Professional Experience

I started my K-12 teaching career over thirty five years ago as a junior high teacher in a very small
Christian school in rural Ontario. Coming from a large public university, I experienced significant culture
shock. My preconceptions about the role of the teacher and my professional identity were directly
challenged. This was the one constant throughout my shifting career; with each new position and
responsibility, I found myself re-examining my beliefs about children, schooling, and the role of the
teacher. It was this reflection and introspection that led me to take on various roles in teaching and
educational leadership, both in independent and in public schools. By the time I applied for doctoral
studies I had been a classroom teacher (in almost every subject area and grade level), a department
head, a curriculum consultant/instructional coach, a district improvement coordinator, and a school
administrator. Moreover, even after entering the doctoral program I continued to take on more
educational roles; as a program manager, teacher evaluator, practicum supervisor, and research
partner. While these roles helped finance my post-secondary studies, they also kept me connected to
the practical world of teachers, principals, schools and districts.

The move from classroom teacher to instructional leader taught me a great deal about pedagogy and
practice, current research and educational trends, and leadership. When I became an instructional
coach with Elk Island Schools in 2003, I moved from a very small school to being the “AISI Guy” for over
250 teachers in 9 different high schools. My success in building relationships and sustaining meaningful
professional development led to more leadership opportunities. As the improvement coordinator (AISI)
for Elk Island Public Schools (more than 50 schools, 19,000 students and 1,000 teachers), I was given a
large budget and the responsibility to lead and sustain significant educational reforms. Together with a
team of consultants and part-time teachers, I researched developments in assessment, differentiated
instruction, inquiry, literacy and numeracy, and educational technologies. Based upon our discoveries,
we designed meaningful and timely professional development; challenging teachers to become more
reflective in their practice and ultimately helping students through strategies and support. My tenure as
a district consultant, coach, coordinator and administrator galvanized my commitment to collaboration
and shared leadership practices. I became an outspoken and important partner with school and district
leaders and helped to facilitate leadership growth by bringing in programs and supports like cognitive
coaching, classroom walkthroughs, and Covey leadership programs. I also worked with principals across
the district to interpret annual reports from Alberta Education and establish priorities, strategies and
measures for subsequent years. Later, both as a school administrator and as school board member, my
experience and education as an instructional leader yielded tremendous dividends. Teachers
appreciated school leadership that was connected to both professional inquiry and practical experience;
they were extremely wary of “managers”.

In the four years I spent at the U of A as a doctoral student, I continued to redefine myself as an
educator. Although my experiences in public and independent schools provided ample opportunity to
learn about different perspectives, at the U of A I added much more to my understandings about
cultural diversity and biases, gender and the politics of patriarchy, equity and inclusion, and identities or
orientations and how these factor into educational practice and policy. I have also learned how to
become more academic; sharpening research and writing skills. In addition to Dr. Parsons’
encouragement and mentorship, I gained from the wisdom and guidance of other faculty members and
was pushed to academic rigor and integrity by them. Without the support and encouragement of the
faculty at the University of Alberta I would never have been able to complete the demanding task of
completing my studies and research. Throughout the program I maintained a 4.0 GPA and I successfully
defended my dissertation in August of 2015.

Post-secondary Teaching Experience

When I was a graduate student I had many opportunities to work with undergraduate students as they
prepared themselves for practicum placements and a career in teaching. From 2012-2015 I taught
undergraduate courses, both at the University of Alberta and at The King’s University. At King’s I also
supervised students on their practicums, both in elementary and secondary placements. These were
wonderful opportunities to connect theory and practice in very meaningful ways. It has been very
rewarding to see young educators grow and develop under the mentorship of practicing teachers and
several of these students have kept in touch, letting me know just how they are getting on in the busy
world of modern schooling. In 2014 I was asked to teach EDU 300, an introductory course that
challenges after degree students (and their instructors) to examine various contexts and perspectives in
education and to begin defining and refining a teaching identity. Many of the students in the class had
considerable life experience and expertise. Taking on the course was a major commitment; there was
much to prepare and considerable amounts of marking. However, it was very rewarding; the students
were keen, engaged and extremely supportive. In fact, based upon student and colleague feedback I
was successful in earning the Faculty of Education Graduate Student Teaching Award for 2014/15.

At NorQuest College, I continued on my journey as an educator. I began at the college by teaching High
School English in the Academic Upgrading program and I really enjoyed it. The students in my classes
came from all walks of life and from many different places in the world, and each had contributions to
make. Many of the students just needed another chance, and a safe and supportive environment to take
that chance. I hope I gave that to them.

I soon found that I had found a home at the college. Soon after starting at the college I found myself
engaging with and collaborating with many different departments. I was seconded for a short time to
the research department and then was selected to be involved in an international project in Tanzania.
For the past three years, I have worked as a Faculty Development Advisor supporting instructors with
workshops, classroom visits, one-on-one coaching and resources.
Management/Leadership Expertise
As I have written earlier, I have had numerous opportunities to lead teams of professionals and manage
extensive budgets and resources. In my work as an administrator (at Stony Plain Central, with AARI, with
AISI, and with EIPS) I have been blessed to work with many committed (and often strong-willed!)
educational leaders. In doing so I pushed my teachers and consultants to establish a work culture based
upon trust, collaboration, and clear targets. As a group, my teams and I would engage in rigorous
debates about education, research, and how to best support the educators - without a lot of drama. We
were also able to leverage individual expertise within our group and we sought to value and validate the
teachers we worked with in the very same way that we valued each other. This practice created
goodwill and opened many doors.

Perhaps the most significant and applicable management experience came from my work with AISI in Elk
Island Public Schools. In September of 2003 I was appointed to lead a three-year professional
development initiative (adolescent literacy) for high school teachers in Elk Island Public Schools. This
involved designing a professional development model and working to support the needs of
approximately 225 teachers from rural and suburban high schools. Then in 2006, with the conclusion of
this initiative and in light of its success, I was asked to lead a district-wide initiative (43 schools, 1000+
teachers), this time focusing on best practices in assessment, differentiated instruction, inquiry, and
literacy. For three years I managed a team of eight full-time consultants (instructional coaches) and 36
teacher leaders (at .1 or .2 FTE each) to support teachers at every level. To meet this end, I oversaw and
apportioned a professional development budget of over 2 million dollars a year. The Elk Island Public
Schools AISI initiative proved to be a model for the rest of the province in how to establish buy-in,
provide effective supports, and sustain meaningful change. Since the conclusion of that initiative in
2009 I have continued to take on various leadership roles working as an Assistant Principal in a large
suburban school, as an AISI Research Partner (through the U of A, Faculty of Education) and as the AARI
Project Manager (U of A, Educational Psychology).

Research and Academic Background

The focus of my doctoral studies was squarely on the dimensions of teacher leadership. In Exploring the
Lived Experience of Instructional Teacher Leaders (my dissertation), I examined how teachers in these
roles negotiated their identity as they dealt with the responsibilities and constraints of their duties. My
research and pilot studies allowed for the development of the Instructional Teacher Leader Adaptive
Process Model. I used this conceptual model to generate interview questions and to construct a frame
in which to organize and interpret data. Then I carried out a series of interviews with ten instructional
teacher leaders from a variety of leadership roles and contexts. Based upon the data and careful
interpretation, I was able to put forth the “case” of the Instructional Teacher Leader. As a result of this
multi-case study research, I suggested considerations for prospective and continuing instructional
teacher leaders, strategies for leading educational reforms from within a shared leadership model, and
considerations for school and district leaders who support instructional teacher leadership. I also made
a number of recommendations regarding the selection, training, support, professional growth and ideal
contexts for instructional teacher leaders. I shared my research at a number of professional conferences
including the 2015 CSSE conference in Ottawa and the 2016 ACIFA Conference in Jasper.
In addition to my doctoral studies I have additional experience in conducting and overseeing both
quantitative and qualitative research:
 For six years (2003-2009) I worked as an AISI Coordinator and Consultant - I was responsible for
compiling yearly reports to Alberta Education to provide evidence (quantitative and qualitative
data) and conclusions related to improvement projects for Elk Island Public Schools (the fifth
largest school board in Alberta). These reports drew upon a variety of data collection processes
and allowed for the continuance of funding and, at the same time, promoted the research we
were doing to other school boards in the province.
 As the Program Manager for the Advancing Adolescent Reading Initiative (2010-12), I reviewed
and reported on both quantitative and qualitative data related to the implementation of reading
interventions and on the satisfaction surveys from teachers participating in our program.
 As an AISI University Research Partner for the final two years of AISI (2011-13), I helped district
coordinators and directors plan and assess their improvement projects and completed a lengthy
research review of 30 different projects centered on “student engagement” with Joanne
Steinmann, Jim Parsons and Larry Beauchamp. The final report provided data, insight,
anecdotes, and recommendations to school boards around Alberta. In addition, I led workshops
around Alberta for district leaders on research and data collection methods.
 In 2015 I was involved in an extensive research project working with Dr. Annemarieke Hoekstra
at NAIT. In our research we are examining leadership systems and cultures that facilitate
effective professional learning for instructors at NAIT, Norquest, and Grant MacEwan. This
research required extensive study and involves data gathering through surveys, interviews, and
ethnographic observations.
 In 2015/16 I conducted a research project at NorQuest entitled: Who are the Students of
NorQuest (WATSON). This research produced a report that includes: a general introduction to
the diversity of learners at NorQuest (1-2 pages), 12-20 short narratives that each feature a
student currently taking NorQuest programs (1-2 pages each), and a summary or appendix (one
page) that relates the purpose, methodology and important findings of this report. The final
report is being used as an orientation, promotion and advocacy tool.
At the moment, I am the NorQuest College “champion” for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. In this
role I help instructors identify research questions related to planning and practice, help them identify
goals, measures, and data points, and support them as the work from the inspiration to the completion
of a research project.

Service Orientation
I see teaching as an expression of who we are and how we care. I am dedicated to my profession and to
my students and I believe it is important to demonstrate this and show that I am also willing to “step
up” when needed. When I was studying in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta, I served
on various committees to provide feedback on the quality of programming in the faculty. My strong
commitment to service also extended beyond the campus. I volunteered my time to serve on an
independent school board, taking on the role of Vice President and Personnel Director. This position
provided another perspective as I worked with the administration in developing policies and procedures
pertaining to staffing and supervision.

At NorQuest College I continue to serve on various ad hoc professional development committees and,
for the past two years have been a member of the Research Ethics Board. I was also blessed to be
included as an integral part of the CICan ISTEP 13 project which was a curriculum development venture
done in partnership with the ministry of education in Tanzania and with Lakeland College. As part of the
project I visited Tanzania three times from 2016-2018 to work with instructors at Mwanza and in Dar es
Salaam to further develop remedial curricula and provide some professional learning.

I have just begun my term as the Past President of Phi Delta Kappa (U of A chapter) – having served as
the president of the organization from 2015-2019. This organization is committed to three ideals: quality
research, unwavering service, and effective leadership. The membership of this society includes many
classroom teachers, school and district leaders, consultants and academics, and government officials for
the Edmonton area. We hold regular professional development sessions at the University of Alberta and
invite educators from the local schools, colleges and universities to attend.

In addition to these educational roles, I serve as an elder in my local church (St. Albert Canadian
Reformed) and teach catechism to the grade 10-12 group.