Ed 5630 speaker 1

July 7 Barry Litun
IT leadership excellence and Superintendency leadership
I found that the speaker brought a down to earth example of leadership.
He is student focused, and that was evident from the talk about equitable access of technology, in new schools and old schools. He focused on the need for relationships, which is a huge cornerstone of the education enterprise. I appreciate how he analogized that breaking down barriers within the school is similar to breaking down barriers between schools.
IT is not a separate feature of the school division. It was an integrated area with professional development and AISI programs, under the pillars of Technology, Assessment for Learning and Differentiated Instruction.
He brought in a standard student SIS, in order for information to be shared between schools and central office. He was able to empower people, enhancing and evolving the divisions IT vision . The division focused on technology standards. There was a need to update to an interim standard for computer technology. He leveraged monies to move schools to a new technology hardware standard. The division also focused on School Staff IT leadership through a successful 2 yr proposal. The evergreening technology plan is a real plan, not a piece of paper that really cannot happen within the realities of the division
The fundings from a variety of areas were directed with a student centered vision to move the division forward. When he first surveyed the division, he identified some areas of concern, but through good planning and relationship building he was able to refocus the people and resources in the organization. Leadership from the superintendent was empowering to the rest of his team, which is obviously making a difference for student learning.