Dr. Paul Mason (File photo via Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools)

By Josh Hall | @Vancan19

"tarnished the integrity" of superintend

Former Red Deer Catholic superintendent has professional credentials revoked; reasons for 2020 dismissal revealed

Jan 23, 2024 | 5:11 PM

The former superintendent of Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools (RDCRS) no longer has his professional credentials after being found to have falsified grades and improperly accessed diploma exams.

Dr. Paul Mason was informed in April 2023 — and it became public in December — by Alberta Education that his credentials were being revoked.

Mason was ousted from his role as superintendent at RDCRS in February 2020, though the division never said why, only calling it an internal employment matter.

He’d been superintendent since 2011, and began teaching in Valleyview in 1991.

In the April 2023 letter to him from Alberta Education’s Deputy Minister, it’s spelled out that his conduct was found, “to be unprofessional when you breached security protocols established by Alberta Education related to the administration of Diploma Examinations by accessing two exams and photocopying them prior to their administration, dishonestly in relation to failing to disclose the security breaches to school division staff and representatives from Alberta Education, and inflating [redacted] final teacher-awarded grades to a higher percentage in three high school course subjects.”

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The letter says Mason’s actions were, “clearly detrimental,” to teacher leaders, and, “tarnished the integrity and reputation of the role of superintendent.”

It says that as an experienced leader, Mason should’ve been, “acutely aware that engaging in these behaviours was highly unprofessional.”

“You chose dishonesty over integrity,” the deputy minister writes.

It notes as well that although Mason’s had no other findings of unprofessional conduct, and though he’s no longer employed, “permitting you to continue to hold a Permanent Professional Teaching Certificate is contrary to the public interest.”

The recommended consequences were that Mason’s superintendent and leadership certificates be cancelled, and that his teaching certificate be suspended so that he could take a course on professional boundaries, by July 2023, and have that certification reinstated.

However, then Deputy Minister Andre Tremblay overruled that recommendation, outright cancelling all three permanently.

The review of Mason’s actions occurred from Oct. 31-Nov. 4, 2022, and was done by the Practice Review Hearing Committee in Edmonton.

A summary of the committee’s review notes Mason, from July 5-Aug. 15, 2019, used a site that will be familiar to parents called PowerSchool, and fiddled with grades at least nine times.

It also says Mason opened and perused a diploma exam in December 2019, over the holiday break and just two months before being let go from RDCRS.

The committee concluded that Mason was remorseful, and that his actions pertaining to the exams were not premeditated, nor were the exams disclosed to anyone.

“As a result of this conduct, Dr. Mason was terminated from his position as superintendent of [redacted], and regrets his actions,” the summary says.

The letter from Alberta Education can be read here, and the committee’s review summary can be read here.

rdnewsNOW attempted to contact Dr. Mason, but he did not return our request for an interview.

READ MORE

• Paul Mason out as Superintendent at Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools