Presented by Dr. Roland Hernandez, Superintendent, Corpus Christi Independent School District (TX); Marilyn Doughty, Director, Technology Support Services, Corpus Christi Independent School District (TX); Cary Perales, Director of Instructional Technology, Corpus Christi Independent School District (TX); and Dr. Jill Brown, Director of Professional Learning, CoSN (Consortium for School Networking)
Moderated by Ann McMullan, Project Director, CoSN (Consortium for School Networking) EmpowerED Superintendents Initiative

This edLeader Panel series is presented by CoSN and AASA.
Sponsored by ClassLink

Watch the Recording Listen to the PodcastRead the Article

Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features. This program may qualify for CoSN CETL® Recertification.

Digital equity is a constant and challenging issue of our times. CoSN annually awards a school district with the association’s Community Leadership Award for Digital Equity to honor and recognize those districts that are working to eliminate inequities and narrow the gap when it comes to digital access. Corpus Christi ISD in Texas is the recipient of CoSN’s 2023 Community Leadership Award for Digital Equity.

In this edLeader Panel, the superintendent of Corpus Christi ISD is joined by the district’s director of instructional technology and director of technology services as featured guest panelists. The district leaders share the strategies they use to lead their work across their district to assure a safe and effective digital landscape for all their students. The district’s Tech2Teach conference and digital magazine, which are used to showcase truly transformative learning, are two of the multiple approaches for leveraging technology innovation that are shared. CoSN’s director of professional learning also joins the panel to share CoSN professional learning resources and recommendations for addressing digital equity.

This recorded edLeader Panel is of high value to superintendents, PreK-12 school and district leaders, aspiring school leaders, chief technology officers, and other information technology education leaders.

About the Presenters

Dr. Roland Hernandez has served as Corpus Christi ISD’s Superintendent since 2014. He served as Superintendent of Waco ISD, with additional leadership as Deputy Superintendent in Tyler and Belton. Other campus- and district-level experiences include teaching, coaching, and campus-level administrative positions. Dr. Hernandez earned his doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Houston at Clear Lake and a Bachelor of Science from Texas State University.

He is active on boards and professional organizations, including Texas Urban Council (Past President), Texas School Alliance (Past President), and TASA Member Outreach Committee, as well as others. Dr. Hernandez’s awards and recognitions include Region 2 Superintendent of the Year, one of five state finalists for 2020 Texas Superintendent of the Year, Community Leader of the Year, and Most Influential Hispanic. Dr. Hernandez and his wife, Dr. Cynthia Hernandez, have two children, Lauren and Leyton, both current educators.

Marilyn Doughty is Director of Technology Support Services for Corpus Christi ISD and has been leading that amazing team for five years. She has been a member of the Corpus Christi ISD’s technology department for over 30 years, providing technical support for computing devices, communication systems, and network infrastructure. The primary goal is to build up the technology device and infrastructure foundation for the district’s students and staff to ensure equitable access for all.

Cary K. Perales taught for eight years in both elementary and secondary areas. She has a passion for teacher professional development and after teaching, continued her career in the area of content coaching and pedagogy. She coached for eight years supporting teachers in the area of science instruction, as the first Science Coach in CCISD. Currently, Cary leads a team of eight towards integrated technology in the classroom and supporting future ready educators and leaders. Her current mission is to design a robust educator preparation program that will inspire the infusion of technology into everyday teaching and learning to impact student success. Cary is proud to continue this work as the Director for the Office of Instructional Technology for the past nine years.

Currently, Cary is also an adjunct professor at TAMUCC for Dr. Susan Elwood, an opportunity that has allowed her to bridge future teachers with the potential to be a CCISD teacher and spread the importance of technology integration to support student voice and choice. Her major projects and accomplishments include: Blended Learning Initiative, Tech2Teach Conference for the district (eight years running), implementing the rollout of the district’s first Learning Management System (Canvas), and CCPSA President.

Jill Brown, Ph.D. is the CoSN (Consortium for School Networking) Director of Professional Learning. She joined CoSN in April 2021 and oversees all of CoSN’s online learning programs. Dr. Brown has a BA in elementary education and mathematics, an MA in curriculum and instruction from New Mexico State University, and a Ph.D. in educational technology from the University of New Mexico. Dr. Brown is a nationally recognized educational technology leader passionate about engaging and empowering teachers and students for lifelong learning through the capabilities of technology and personal connections. She has experience teaching PK-12 students, pre-service teachers, graduate students, and practicing teachers in blended, online, and face-to-face environments. Dr. Brown founded non-profit professional organizations locally and nationally.

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 consultant focused on leadership to meet the needs of today’s students. Ann serves on the edWeb.net Advisory Board, ClassLink’s Senior Advisors Group, and is a founding member of ERDI’s Ed Leadership Council. She also volunteers as a leadership consultant for Executive Service Corps of Southern California, serving non-profit associations. Ann is co-author of Life Lessons in Leadership, available on Amazon.com.

Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.

Join the Super-Connected community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.

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® LaunchPad includes a library of over 6,000 single sign-on apps and instant links to file folders at school and on Google, Office 365, Dropbox, and Box 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. ClassLink is ideal for 1 to1 and BYOD initiatives.