Cloud Computing: Taking Advantage of the Latest Technologies

Presented by Dr. Doug Brubaker, Superintendent, Fort Smith Public Schools, AR; Dr. Hank Thiele, Superintendent, Community HS District 99, IL; and Frankie Jackson, Chief Technology Officer and Assistant Superintendent, Cypress Fairbanks ISD, TX
Program Host and Moderator: Ann McMullan, Project Director, CoSN Empowered Superintendents Program
Sponsored by ClassLink
This edWebinar series is co-hosted by CoSN and edWeb.net

Watch the Recording

The majority of IT workloads are already running in the cloud as districts turn to software as a service (SaaS) for email and other productivity tools, learning management systems, and other learning solutions. But SaaS is only one way to engage with the cloud—there are many other ways!

New technologies and applications are being developed in the cloud for numerous industries with many now becoming available to schools and districts. Moving to the cloud offers great benefits, but also requires new skills and analysis to determine what, when, and how to move. Learn from our superintendent panelists how they are leading their school districts’ efforts to leverage the advantages that cloud computing brings to multiple aspects of school operations.

This recorded edWebinar is of special value for school superintendents, K-12 school and district leaders, and aspiring leaders. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation. Gain a better understanding of how and why to consider leveraging cloud computing in your own school district.

About the Presenters

Dr. Doug Brubaker has served as Superintendent of Fort Smith Public Schools, an Arkansas district with over 14,000 students, since January 2017. The district is now in the process of implementing Vision 2023, a new five-year strategic plan developed by hundreds of parents, students, educators, and members of the community. In May 2018, district residents approved the first millage increase in 31 years for upgrades related to instructional innovation, school safety, technology access, and career development. Prior to Fort Smith, Dr. Brubaker served for over 20 years as a teacher and leader at the campus and district levels in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He holds a doctorate in educational computing from the University of North Texas, an M.Ed. from Texas Christian University, a B.A. from the University of Kansas, and CoSN CETL certification.

Dr. Henry (Hank) Thiele is the superintendent of Community High School District 99 in Illinois, which serves over 5,000 students, drawing from several area communities. District 99 is recognized as one of the first districts to fully close the “Homework Gap” by ensuring every student has access at school and home to a computer, digital resources, and Internet access. Dr. Thiele is well known for his expertise in educational technology with a focus on personalizing education through the lens of care. Throughout his career he has led others through the deployment of several large-scale initiatives related to teaching, learning, and technology. Examples include working with Google to bring Google for Education into many K-12 settings (including the first deployment of Google in the K-12 setting), launching full-scale 1:1 learning programs, transitioning print resources to digital platforms, and leading the districts to be recognized nationally for innovations in technology and learning.

Frankie Jackson has served public education for 25 years as a chief technology officer. Starting the first 10 years of her career in software engineering at NASA supporting the Space Shuttle and Station contracts, she brings a highly technical perspective to education. As a Baldrige quality examiner while working at NASA, she transitioned to K-12 because of her love of children, education, performance excellence and technology leadership. Working at the highest level in the nation including the Association for School Business and CoSN, she’s the information technology content leader, CoSN’s SMART Education Network by Design (SEND) advisor and a member of CoSN’s Policy committee. She was named CoSN’s volunteer of the year in 2018. She is most proud to serve as a trainer for the CoSN’s Certified Education Technology Leader (CETL) program where she is helping aspiring CTOs be all they can be. Her new book, Emergent Technology Leadership, will be available in 2019.

About the Host

Ann McMullan is a 34-year veteran educator who served as the executive director for educational technology in the Klein Independent School District, located just outside Houston, Texas until September 2013, when she and her family moved to Los Angeles, California. For 16 years Ann led the team in Klein ISD that provided professional development on technology and 21st century instructional strategies to over 4,000 professional educators serving over 50,000 students. During that time Ann also co-chaired the Texas Education Technology Advisory Committee which developed the Texas Education Agency’s Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020.

Today, she is based in Los Angeles, California working as a public speaker, writer, and independent education consultant focused on supporting leadership, visioning and planning to meet the needs of today’s students. She is a frequent presenter at state, national and international education conferences. Ann serves as project director for CoSN’s Empowered Superintendents Program. She serves on the board of PowerMyLearning Los Angeles and on the advisory board of Project Tomorrow. In the fall of 2016 Ann co-authored and published Life Lessons in Leadership: The Way of the Wallaby.

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ClassLink empowers your students and teachers with instant access to their learning resources. ClassLink® OneClick® includes a library of over 5,000 single sign-on apps and instant links to file folders at school and on Google, Office 365, and Dropbox cloud drives. ClassLink Roster Server easily and securely delivers class rosters to any publisher using open technology standards. ClassLink Analytics gives decision makers the usage data they need. Accessible from any computer, tablet or smartphone, ClassLink is ideal for 1to1 and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiatives.

CoSN (the Consortium for School Networking) is the premier professional association for school system technology leaders. CoSN provides thought leadership resources, community, best practices and advocacy tools to help leaders succeed in the digital transformation. CoSN represents over 13 million students in school districts nationwide and continues to grow as a powerful and influential voice in K-12 education.