Vancouver Public Schools will welcome school district leaders from across the country to Vancouver, Washington, Feb. 17-18, to participate in the second of 12 Future Ready Regional Summits. The summits are designed to help district leaders improve teaching and learning through the effective use of technology. The summit is being hosted by the U.S. Department of Education and the Alliance for Excellent Education with Vancouver Public Schools at the Heathman Lodge in Vancouver.
Superintendent Steve Webb and his district leadership team are furthering Vancouver Public Schools’ commitment to becoming future-ready by engaging in a series of workshops that offer expert support to create or build upon an existing digital learning plan that aligns with instructional best practices; is implemented by highly trained teachers; and leads to personalized learning experiences for all students, particularly those from traditionally underserved communities.
Said Superintendent Webb of using digital devices to further learning, “This isn’t about the technology. It’s about ensuring our graduates have the adaptive skills they need to thrive in an increasingly interdependent economy and global community. We’re delighted to partner with the White House, DOE and Alliance for Excellent Education so that all students can benefit from this vision.”
“Superintendents provide critical leadership to ensure that every child in their district benefits from what we know matters and what we know works for kids,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “The Future Ready Regional Summits will be a forum where local leaders can share knowledge with their peers, engage leaders from outside their region and better equip themselves with the skills and tools necessary to provide students with what they need to be successful in life.”
President Obama announced the regional summits at the ConnectED to the Future Convening, hosted at the White House Nov. 19, 2014. The summits are an important step toward realizing the goals of the ConnectED Initiative announced by President Obama in 2013 to connect 99 percent of students to high-speed Internet and empower teachers with the technology they need to transform teaching and learning. The regional summits are expected to engage more than 1,300 district leaders nationwide.
“Future Ready is about helping district leaders leverage technology to empower teachers, engage students and close persistent equity gaps by creating a learning environment where all students have access to the tools and expertise they need to be prepared for the future,” said Richard Culatta, director of the Education Department’s Office of Educational Technology.
The summits are open to district leadership teams that have made a commitment to developing the human and technological capacity needed to transform teaching and personalize learning using digital tools by signing the Future Ready District Pledge. Already, more than 1,500 district superintendents nationwide have taken the pledge.
For more information about the OET, including resources for students, parents and educators, visit http://tech.ed.gov. #FutureReady