HCPSSSuperintendent Renee A. Foose to Participate in ConnectED to the Future Convening Wednesday at White House
November 18th, 2014
The White House and the U.S. Department of Education have selected Dr. Renee A. Foose, Howard County Public Schools Superintendent, to participate in the November 19 ConnectED to the Future Convening at the White House.
Dr. Foose joins more than 100 other school system leaders from across the nation, who will be recognized for their commitment to Future Ready schools and for leadership in enhancing education in their district through digital technology. The leaders will share promising approaches for using technology to impact teaching and learning.
“School districts across the country are helping teachers harness the power of technology to create personal learning environments for all students,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “We want to make sure every child – whether he or she is in the inner-city, in a rural community or on a Native American reservation – has access to knowledge and the chance to learn 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
“Advanced technologies greatly expand options for our teachers to customize learning to the needs of each student, and to engage all students in the relevant experiences that lead to college and career readiness,” said Dr. Foose. “It’s a privilege to join so many visionary leaders to share ideas and best practices, so that we can all move forward more quickly.”
The White House convening will be followed by 12 Future Ready Regional Summits designed to help districts create and implement district-wide action plans to fulfill their pledge to use technology to transform learning. The summits will be held over the next year and be open to all district leaders that sign the Future Ready Pledge. The U.S. Department of Education will release two new guides to help districts improve their technology infrastructure and refine their professional learning plans.
Future Ready superintendents demonstrate effective use of technology in the following ways:
- Fostering and leading a culture of collaboration and digital citizenship
- Transitioning schools and families to high-speed connectivity
- Empowering educators with professional learning opportunities
- Accelerating progress toward universal access to quality devices
- Providing access to quality digital content
- Creating access, equity, and excellence
- Offering digital tools to students and families to help them prepare for success in college
- Sharing best practices and mentoring other districts in the transition to digital learning
In June 2013, President Obama announced the ConnectED Initiative, setting a goal of connecting 99 percent of students to high-speed Internet within five years. Model schools and districts across the country are using technology to create personalized learning environments; technology will play an increasingly crucial role in the future.
Many examples of the ways that technology already enhances teaching and learning at HCPSS and promotes all Goal areas of its Vision 2018 strategic plan can be found on the Future Ready section of the HCPSS website.