For Immediate Release
August 17, 2011
Contact: Linda Embrey
(703) 838-6737; lembrey@nsba.org
NSBA’S FALL 2011 TECHNOLOGY SITE VISIT FOCUSES ON LEGAL ISSUES
Louisiana’s St. Charles Parish Public Schools to be featured for Outstanding Initiatives
Alexandria, Va. (August 17, 2011) – The National School Boards Association’s (NSBA)
Technology Leadership Network (TLN) is addressing the ever-changing legal challenges inspired
by the latest technological advances at a fall site visit for education leaders.
Building on the popularity of TLN’s spring site visits, a new fall education technology site visit
has been added. It will take place October 12 - 14 in Louisiana’s St. Charles Parish Public
Schools. The visit will be held concurrently with NSBA’s Council of School Attorneys (COSA)
School Law Practice Seminar in New Orleans.
“In a time of increased social networking and communications both among students and faculty,
the need for school lawyers and school-based technology coordinators to remain abreast of legal
trends in the field is readily apparent,” said NSBA General Counsel Francisco M. Negrón, Jr. “The
partnership between COSA and TLN is a natural one that is sure to contribute positively to
dialogue.”
School policies and legal guidance often struggle to keep pace with the rapid advancements
resulting from the introduction and adoption of new technologies.
“The site visit will create an opportunity for dialogue between attorneys and school practitioners to
better understand each others’ positions around these emerging issues and provide both groups
with valuable insights,” said Ann Flynn, Director of Education Technology and State Association
Services for NSBA.
Located 20 minutes west of New Orleans, St. Charles Parish Public Schools serves about 10,000
students in 17 schools. The district’s successful integration of technology includes a nearly 2:1
student-computer ratio district-wide and a leadership culture that views its commitment to
technology as an essential component within the school board’s Strategic Action Plan. The
district’s freestanding Satellite Center where high school students can explore career pathways in
engineering, culinary arts, multimedia, and broadcasting utilizing cutting-edge technology tools
will be showcased along with classroom visits and mini-briefings to other schools across all grade
levels.
- more 1680 Duke Street ■ Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3493 ■ 703-838-6722 ■ Fax 703-683-7590 ■ www.nsba.org
Excellence and Equity in Public Education through School Board Leadership
Page 2 – NSBA
August 17, 2011
2011 Tech Site Visit – Louisiana
Technology leaders and school attorneys will get an update on the latest technology cases and
how the outcomes could impact district policies. Discussion topics include the “do’s and
don’ts” of data mining on job candidates and current employees, what forms of board member
communication can be considered public information, and how districts can leverage Web 2.0
tools to improve community engagement and instruction without opening itself up to
potentially embarrassing, libelous, and litigious situations.
School tours and classroom observations will be interspersed throughout the three-day event,
providing participants with a chance to watch technology in action, be it a computer
electronics class that teaches high school students to rebuild and repair used computers that
are then provided to their fellow students or an engaging and effective reading intervention
program powered by the latest science and technological advances. School district staff will
also offer mini-briefings to ensure participants understand how professional development and
the use of data contribute to the district’s success.
More information about the site visit can be found at www.nsba.org/tlnsitevisits.
Additionally, dates and districts for the four 2012 Spring TLN Site Visits in Texas, Alabama,
Arizona, and Nevada can be found at www.nsba.org/services/tln/sitevisits.
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Founded in 1940, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) is a not-for-profit organization
representing state associations of school boards and their more than 90,000 local school board members
throughout the U.S. Working with and through our state associations, NSBA advocates for equity and
excellence in public education through school board leadership. www.nsba.org
Contact:
Linda Embrey, Communications Office
National School Boards Association
(703) 838-6737; lembrey@nsba.org
www.nsba.org
1680 Duke Street ■ Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3493 ■ 703-838-6722 ■ Fax 703-683-7590 ■ www.nsba.org
Excellence and Equity in Public Education through School Board Leadership