Are You a Tech-Savvy Superintendent?

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eSchool News has just announced its Call for Nominations to its 2009 Tech-Savvy Superintendent Awards.

Here’s the announcement fresh from the eSchool News presses:

Does your superintendent “get it” when it comes to technology? Does he or she demonstrate exemplary vision for the use of technology to improve all facets of education—and show outstanding leadership in working to make this vision a reality?

If so, then help us recognize these accomplishments by nominating your district’s chief executive for eSchool News’ ninth annual Tech-Savvy Superintendent Awards.

Nominees, who must be general superintendents of a K-12 school system, will be judged according to the criteria below. Ten national finalists will be chosen by the editors of eSchool News in consultation with last year’s winners. The 2009 winners will be honored in a ceremony held at the same time as the American Association of School Administrators annual conference in San Francisco and in the February 2009 issue of eSchool News.

Here are the criteria used by the judges:

Ten “Hallmarks of Excellence” for the eSchool News Tech-Savvy Superintendent Awards

1. Must be a general superintendent.

2. Models the effective use of technology in the day-to-day execution of the superintendency.

3. Ensures that technology resources are equitably distributed among students and staff.

4. Insists that adequate professional development is a component of every technology initiative.

5. Demonstrates exceptional vision in leading the development and implementation of a districtwide technology plan.

6. Exhibits a thorough understanding of the role of technology in education and can articulate that understanding to all school district stakeholders.

7. Provides exceptional leadership in supporting the integration of technology into the curriculum.

8. Demonstrates exceptional vision in employing technology to streamline school district business operations.

9. Demonstrates curiosity and open-mindedness in considering emerging technologies and weighing non-traditional solutions to traditional problems.

10. Thinks creatively and strategically about the long-term challenges and opportunities of technology in the school district and in education at large.

Hurry and get those nominations in, because the deadline is Sunday, Nov. 30. Apply at this link.

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Supes Who Communicate

Wandered over to eSchool News today, and noticed that they handed out their annual Tech Savvy Superintendents Awards way back in February — super-old news, I know. But I searched around to determine why these superintendents were so tech-savvy, and learned a lot. I was primarily interested in seeing whether any wrote eNewsletters or blogs, and was surprised that few did. But I’d like to share some best practices I discovered along the way.
John Barry, Superintendent of Schools for the Aurora (CO) School District, has a very specific news page devoted to his activities, appearances, letters, speeches, and background information. This is simply good PR, folks. People want to know what their Superintendent has accomplished, where and how he’s promoting the schools, and what he’s written.

Over at the Montgomery County Public Schools in Rockville, MD, another Tech Savvy Superintendent, Jerry Weast, has his own web page that features his biography, news items, and something called the “Superintendent’s Bookshelf,” where he lists eight of his favorite books. You can also find a link on the superintendent’s page to a program called the Superintendent’s Leadership Program. The program selects a group of students each year who learn leadership skills and serve as interns. And get this — you can watch a video about the program, one in a series of videos produced in the District called “Cover to Cover.” A nice example of best practices in communication by a superintendent.

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I Like This Blog…

I like this blog maintained by Woodbury, N.J., Superintendent of Schools Joseph Jones, an honest effort to keep constituents, community members and parents up to speed on what that District is doing. It really is a solid blog, with many posts noted in its archive (in the right-hand column) and lots of variety. There’s testing information, great kids, and generally news-worthy and helpful information. Superintendent Jones manages to do what many blog owners have a tough time doing — making entries on a regular basis. This is the key to a successful blog and the only thing that will breathe life into it. I’ve looked around at dozens of school blogs and have noted that some have no entries since September. It was a good idea at the time, wasn’t it? It’s hard when life gets in the way, but posting to a blog can take less than 30 minutes, and perhaps another 15 minutes linking it to social bookmarking sites.

Using WordPress or Blogger as an eNewsletter

Here’s a great way to communicate with your constituents, via an eNewsletter created on a blog platform. Carol Franks-Randall, Superintendent of Schools in Elmsford, NY, who’s always ahead of the curve when it comes to communicating, created a WordPress blog, “Excellence in Elmsford,” two years ago that she now emails to community members as an eNewsletter. She has turned off the comments, making the blog her own creation over which she has total control. It’s a great way to keep in touch, control the message and even circumvent the local press by managing her own news. It’s a great idea for any school district struggling with public image or dealing with an antagonistic or absent local press.