District Administration - September 2011 - (Page 32)

Debbie Rice, DiRectoR of technology, AubuRn (AlA.) city SchoolS AdministratorProfile Establishing a Technological Culture By Susan McLester In Central alabama at the junction of the coastal plains and the Piedmont Plateau, lies the swiftly growing, geographically diverse city of auburn. auburn boasts a nationally recognized school system that’s as much a draw as the unique terrain and the anchoring presence of historic auburn University. With a mission to inspire, educate and empower all students and maintain his district’s consistent reputation for excellence, auburn City Schools Superintendent terry Jenkins made in 2000 what he terms his “best decision ever” when he decided that sharing a technology directory in a joint venture with the city was not ideal and putting technology secondin-command, Debbie rice, in charge. “For 90 percent of the ventures we presented, the answer was ‘no,’” says Jenkins. Since then, auburn teachers have heard “yes” a lot, and the district has garnered a host of recognitions for its carefully crafted technology implementations. Strategic Planning Though rice’s many technology-infused initiatives have provided auburn schools with cutting-edge resources—50-unit computer media centers at all 10 schools, laptop carts for core curriculum areas, whiteboards in every classroom, iPods, iPads and itouches for elementary kids, a one-to-one laptop program in the junior high school, and individual Web sites and laptops for all teachers—perhaps her most enduring and unique contribution has been the exceptionally detailed and systematic change process that embeds deep research and input from all stakeholders. rice’s development of auburn Junior high’s one-to-one laptop initiative is a 32 September 2011 Debbie Rice (top left) with colleagues at the Alabama Educational Technology Association board meeting at the ISTE 2011 conference. good example. In 2005, rice convinced Jenkins to support a fact-finding tour on one-to-one programs. after assembling a task force of high school and junior high principals, teachers, assistant superintendents, students and parents, rice led a series of visitations to examine longstanding one-to-one programs. The team sat in classrooms, talked to students and teachers, and collected advice and best practices in funding, implementation and professional development. Director of Technology, Auburn (Ala.) City Schools Age: 51 Salary range: $77,528-$84,439 Schools: 10 Students: 6,702 Staff: 843 Per-pupil expenditure: $9,014 Web site: www.auburnschools.org Debbie Rice rice applied the same unhurried research process to choosing the best hardware device for students. Developing a set of criteria, such as ease of use, durability, device tracking and site blocking by adults, rice told vendors they would need to provide devices for a two-week test drive by students before a decision could be made. Ultimately, the kids chose Gateway’s convertible laptop/tablet, which has both a keyboard and a stylus. Says eileen lento, Intel’s lead K12 strategist, “Debbie understands the importance of involving stakeholders. She gets the people piece.” Bridging Gaps with PD Ongoing professional development is another central piece of rice’s model of change and technology integration at auburn. Increasing class sizes incrementally was her creative way of freeing up staff time to facilitate on-site coaches, tech District Administration http://www.auburnschools.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - September 2011

District Administration - September 2011
Contents
From the Editor
Letters
News Update
Tech Update
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Conversations
They Work Hard for the Money
The Road to Rigor
District-Charter Collaborations on the Rise
Designing Safe Facilities
Tony Smith Tackles Oakland
Product Focus
New Products
Research Center
Crisis Response
Going Mobile
Professional Opinion
Student Counsel

District Administration - September 2011