As CAfLN celebrates its 10th. birthday, here’s a very brief look into how our network began …

Lorna Earl and I were both working on a long term project with a school board in Ontario when, just before heading into a planning meeting we were chatting and discovered that we’d recently come to the same realization:  Canada needs a professional network to connect educators, from all levels – K to post-secondary – who share our passion for assessment that actually increases learning, rather than simply measures it.  Furthermore, we aren’t getting any younger!  Why don’t we also create this network to provide support, mentorship, resources, and whatever else we can, to help launch the next generation of Canadian leaders in assessment? 

And because Ken O’Connor had been both a dear friend and colleague in assessment for several decades, we decided that he should complete our triumvirate of CAfLN founders.  By the way, the name, Canadian Assessment for Learning Network, came much later. 

A series of brainstorming sessions facilitated by my wife, Nanci Wakeman, occurred at our house and gradually CAfLN’s mission emerged.  Our network launched in the late summer of 2012 and our inaugural conference took place in Winnipeg in May, 2014.