Strategic Technology Planning and Investment: Priorities, Cost and Impacts in Today’s Learning Environments

Presented by Dr. Doug Brubaker, Superintendent, Texarkana Independent School District (TX); Dr. Ann Levett, Superintendent, Savannah-Chatham Schools (GA); and Dr. Kristi Wilson, Superintendent, Buckeye Elementary School District (AZ), and President of AASA
Moderated by Ann McMullan, Project Director, EmpowerED Superintendent Initiative, CoSN (Consortium for School Networking)

Sponsored by ClassLink
This edWebinar series is co-hosted by CoSN, AASA, and edWeb.net

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Technology planning and investments have never been more critical than in today’s K-12 learning environments. Yet school leaders can often find themselves challenged to balance tight budgets and multiple stakeholder needs and concerns, along with constantly evolving technology tools and resources.

In this edWebinar, three tech-savvy, leading-edge superintendents share how they lead their districts in creating successful and impactful technology plans. Each superintendent explains the strategies they use to bring together a wide range of needs, interests, and district priorities to create technology plans that address the total cost of ownership, impacts on teaching and learning, and the value of those technology investments.

The current crises that have come out of the COVID-19 pandemic have shown the world how critical technology is to continue teaching and learning along with multiple other aspects of school operations. The three superintendents share the technology strategies they have used over the past year to assure that their schools continue to function to benefit all students and families. 

This recorded edWebinar will be of particular value to school superintendents, K-12 school and district leaders, and aspiring leaders.

About the Presenters

Dr. Doug Brubaker has served as Superintendent of Texarkana Independent School District (TX) since January 2021. Over a career spanning 25 years, he has served in a variety of leadership roles in school districts ranging in size from 7,000 to 60,000 students. As Superintendent of Fort Smith (AR) Public Schools from 2017-2020, Dr. Brubaker launched the district’s Vision 2023 strategic planning initiative, working extensively with stakeholders to identify and prioritize the district’s greatest needs. In May 2018, in part due to broad-based support for Vision 2023 goals, FSPS passed its first millage referendum in over 30 years. The establishment of a dedicated funding stream for technology upgrades was a key accomplishment. Dr. Brubaker has CoSN CETL certification and a Ph.D. in educational computing from the University of North Texas.

Dr. M. Ann Levett was appointed Superintendent of Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools in Georgia effective June 2017. Dr. Levett began her career in Savannah as a speech and language pathologist and moved to positions in leadership including Secondary Principal, Chief Academic Officer, Deputy Superintendent, and interim Superintendent. She also served in leadership positions at Antioch University McGregor (OH), the Child Study Center at Yale University School of Medicine, and Macon State College (GA). Dr. Levett also consulted on significant reform and community development efforts in several international communities.

Dr. Levett is a published author, nationally known speaker, and consultant, named the 2020 University of Georgia College of Education Lifetime Achievement awardee, 2019 Georgia Outstanding Woman, and 2019 Georgia Department of Education’s STEM and STEAM Advocate of the Year, and received awards from numerous community and education organizations. Dr. Levett was named to the Executive Committee of AASA, the national School Superintendents Association.

Dr. Kristi Wilson has served as Superintendent of the Buckeye Elementary School District in Buckeye, Arizona for the past eight years. Prior to her Superintendency, Dr. Wilson served as an assistant superintendent, executive director, special education director, school administrator and teacher, and adjunct professor. Dr. Wilson is the President of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), President of the National Minority Student Achievement Network (MSAN), serves on the Executive Board of Arizona’s Business and Education Coalition (ABEC), and is the Immediate Past President of the Buckeye Lion’s Club. She is a past winner of the Arizona Superintendent of the Year, Arizona PTA Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award, and VHI Save the Music National Superintendent of the Year. In her spare time, Dr. Wilson loves to read, travel and play golf with her husband. She is also writing a book about empowering women in leadership.

About the Host

Ann McMullan is Project Director for CoSN’s EmpowerED Superintendents Initiative. Ann served as Executive Director for Educational Technology in Klein ISD, near Houston, Texas until September 2013, when she and her family moved to Los Angeles, California. For 16 years Ann led the district team that provided professional development on technology and 21st century instructional strategies to 4,000 educators serving 50,000 students. She was co-chair of the Texas Education Technology Advisory Committee which developed the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology.

Today, Ann works as a public speaker, writer, and education consultant focused on leadership to meet the needs of today’s students. Ann serves on the Advisory Council for ERDI’s Alliance for Education Impact and Project Tomorrow’s Advisory Council. She is also a leadership consultant with Executive Service Corps of Southern California, serving non-profit associations. Ann is the co-author of Life Lessons in Leadership, for leaders ages eight to eighty-eight.

Closed captioning will be added to the recording within 2 weeks of the live presentation.

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AASA is the premier association for school system leaders and serves as the national voice for public education and district leadership on Capitol Hill.

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.

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.