The National School Boards Association's (NSBA) Technology Leadership Network has listed Taylor County Schools Superintendent Roger Cook among its “20 to Watch” honorees for 2013-2014. These distinctive education leaders from across the country are being recognized for their ability to inspire colleagues to incorporate innovative technology solutions that contribute to high-quality learning environments and more efficient school district operations.
“The '20 to Watch' honorees offer real-world examples of how new technologies are being used to impact learning and how these new tools may influence or inform policy,” said Thomas J. Gentzel, NSBA’s executive director. “From ‘BYOD’ and the Maker Movement to virtual schools and the increased use of the cloud, these inspirational pioneers are paving the way.”
Ann Flynn, NSBA’s director of education technology, said that common characteristics across honorees include their willingness to take risks, share learning with colleagues, and inspire others to believe that they, too, can effectively use technology.
“Their voices and experience will inform local, district and state approaches to education technology decisions for years to come,” Flynn said.
Cook is among this year’s honorees, with NSBA saying this about him:
“Roger Cook continually pushes the boundaries of how education is delivered, from providing iPads to all high school students to challenging teachers to embrace a Flipped Classroom concept. The district assists students with ‘24/7’ learning opportunities and allows adults who previously dropped out of school to enroll in the Virtual Academy to receive their high school diplomas.”
This is the eighth year of the NSBA “20 to Watch” program, created in 2006. This year’s honorees are being recognized at the 2014 Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) Conference on March 19 in Washington, DC, along with a TLN-hosted luncheon at NSBA’s 2014 Annual Conference in New Orleans this April. TechSmith Corporation is sponsoring the “20 to Watch” celebration events and is providing software scholarships to the honorees.