The Morris School District on Monday was among 19 districts across the country invited to join the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools, Superintendent Mackey Pendergrast announced.
“Membership in this national coalition is an honor for our school district and a great tribute to the work of our teachers,” Pendergrast said in a statement.
He said the Morris School District–which serves Morristown, Morris Township and (high school only) Morris Plains– is the only district selected from northern New Jersey this year, and is the first school district ever chosen from Morris County.
Established in late 2011, the League now includes 87 school districts in 33 states, representing nearly 3.3 million students.
About 200 educators and entrepreneurs are scheduled to meet in Baltimore next month to set League goals for the school year.
As the name suggests, Digital Promise focuses on technology in the classroom, Pendergrast told MorristownGreen.com.
“There is a ‘promise’ that technology can improve the learning environment for each student if it is properly implemented. But how do you do that?” the superintendent said.
“Accordingly, Digital Promise’s mission is to bring together forward-thinking schools to work together to solve common challenges through innovation and technology. We are especially interested in how to give students more immediate and meaningful feedback as well as provide greater tools and more meaningful training to our teachers.”
But the district also hopes to improve in traditional areas such as reading and writing, “as well as to make changes that will provide our students with increased opportunities in areas such as STEM,” the superintendent said.
Here is more, from the Morris District:
Morris School District Accepted into National Network of Innovative School Districts
The Morris School District joins Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools, will partner with other leading educators, entrepreneurs, and researchers from across the U.S.
Morristown, Oct. 3, 2016: The Morris School District is one of 19 new school districts nationwide accepted into the League of Innovative Schools today, a national coalition of forward-thinking school districts organized by Digital Promise, an independent, bipartisan nonprofit organization authorized by Congress to accelerate innovation in education.
The Morris School District was selected from a competitive and national pool of applicants based on its leadership, evidence of results, innovative vision for learning, and commitment to collaboration.
“Membership in this national coalition is an honor for our school district and a great tribute to the work of our teachers,” said Superintendent Mackey Pendergrast. The Morris School District is the only district selected from northern NJ this year and it is the first school district ever to be selected from Morris County.
“We are excited to showcase our digital architecture, a seamless blend of technology and curriculum, that our teachers have worked so thoughtfully on for the past several years. We are equally excited to collaborate with fellow League of Innovation schools to observe and share best practices in innovation,” said Morris School District Director of Technology Integration, Erica Hartman.
The League of Innovative Schools, launched in late 2011, accepts new members through an open application process once per year. With the new members, the League now includes 87 school districts in 33 states, representing nearly 3.3 million students. Click the link to read more about the League of Innovative Schools.
“The League of Innovative Schools connects and rallies the most dynamic leaders of the nation’s school districts in order to advance positive change in public education,” said Sara Schapiro, senior director of the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools. “As Digital Promise celebrates its fifth anniversary, we’re excited to welcome our new League members and amplify their insights to help others support teaching and learning with technology.”
League members are represented by their superintendent, who commits to:
- Attend biannual League meetings, which feature classroom visits, collaborative problem-solving, and relationship-building with peers and partners;
- Join working groups on a broad range of topics relevant to the changing needs of school districts;
- Engage with entrepreneurs to advance product development and meet district needs;
- Support research that expands what we know about teaching and learning; and
- Participate in the League’s professional learning community by connecting with other members online, in person, and at each other’s school districts.
In addition to superintendents’ participation, there are also opportunities for other school administrators, principals, and teachers to participate in League and Digital Promise initiatives.
The League will officially welcome new members at its fall 2016 meeting on Nov. 2-4 in Baltimore County. The meeting will host about 200 national school leaders and prominent education experts, entrepreneurs, and officials, with the goal of addressing shared priorities and setting goals that district leaders will pursue throughout the year.
For more information on the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools, visit: digitalpromise.org/league.
