Texas, Utah School District Leaders Recognized for EmpowerED Digital Superintendent Award at AASA’s National Conference on Education
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Contact:
James Minichello
703-774-6953
jminichello@aasa.org
Nashville,
Tenn. – Feb. 18, 2022 – AASA, The School Superintendents Association, is pleased
to congratulate Michael Hinojosa (Dallas Independent School District) and Jeff
Stephens (Weber School District) as recipients of the 2021 EmpowerED Digital Superintendent
of the Year award. The award was presented on behalf of AASA, as well as CoSN, the Consortium for School Networking, at the 2022 National Conference on Education.
The EmpowerED Digital Superintendent of the Year Award, sponsored by ClassLink, is given
annually to a district leader that has championed the use of technology to
enhance teaching and learning. As superintendents across the country continue
to navigate massive shifts in the education landscape due to the COVID-19
pandemic, CoSN and AASA are celebrating two impressive leaders.
In Texas, Hinojosa helped mastermind Operation Connectivity, which
has expanded access to digital learning across the state by connecting more
than half a million students to the internet. He has spent years fostering
equity in Dallas schools by championing a two-way dual language program, ACE
program and tech-focused career institute.
“No significant accomplishment is the effort of a single
individual. That's certainly the case with Operation Connectivity and the
technology advances that Dallas ISD has achieved during the pandemic,” said
Hinojosa.
Meanwhile, in Utah, Stephens created a technology commission made
up of key stakeholders to plan and implement a five-year technology roadmap for
WSD. Not only has he assisted the district’s equity department in getting
students that lack at-home internet access online, but he has gone a step
further to establish a technology advocate role that directly assists these students
and their parents with the digital transition.
“More than anything, this award is a great chance to recognize our
technology department and the amazing teachers who have worked tirelessly
throughout the year to digitize instructional services for children,” said
Stephens.
“The cultural tipping point caused by
the global pandemic and economic downturn has forced superintendents to be bold
in their efforts to find winning solutions that will effectively address the
needs of the students they serve. Superintendents Michael Hinojosa and Jeff
Stephens have responded and continue to excel in building dynamic digital
learning environments on behalf of their school districts,” said Daniel A.
Domenech, executive director, AASA. “We congratulate these champions for
children for the outstanding work they do in creating positive cultures of
learning in their respective communities.”
“Over the past year, superintendents across the United States have
played an even more critical role in establishing successful digital learning
environments. We are honored to recognize and award Superintendents Hinojosa
and Stephens for their important accomplishments,” said Keith Krueger, CEO of
CoSN, who noted this announcement at NCE concludes a year of recognition. “Learning
in their districts and states would not be what it is today without their
support and commitment to advancing education technology.”
AASA and CoSN launched a partnership
in 2019, committed to building a community of engaged superintendents and other
school system leaders who have the skills and knowledge to bolster dynamic
digital learning environments on behalf of K-12 students. Together, they created
the EmpowerED
Superintendents Toolkit, an online portal to provide
district leaders with rich information to help enhance their skill areas, tools
and action steps. In addition, both
organizations continue to provide resources on a wide variety of critical
technological issues such as cybersecurity, student data privacy, cloud
computing and more, which can be accessed at https://www.cosn.org/superintendents or by contacting Valerie Truesdale, AASA
assistant executive director, leadership development, at vtruesdale@aasa.org.
For more
information about the conference, access AASA’s Conference Daily Online.
###
About AASA
AASA, The
School Superintendents Association, founded in 1865, is the professional
organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and
throughout the world. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school
system leaders who are dedicated to equitable access for all students to the
highest quality public education. For more information, visit www.aasa.org.
About CoSN
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. cosn.org