Ted Richane
The Fratelli Group
202.822.9491
trichane@fratelli.com

Washington, DC (May 22, 2006) – The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), in conjunction with its Texas state chapter, the Texas K-12 CTO Council, has announced an unprecedented opportunity for K-12 technology decision-makers to learn the latest trends in education technology, hone their leadership skills and hear directly from industry leaders on how education technology is improving K-12 student learning. The organization’s first CTO Clinic, to be held June 27-28 in Plano, TX, will bring together district chief technology officers, superintendents, associate superintendents, business officers and others interested in making the most of education technology investments.

“Working directly with district-level decision-makers is key to CoSN’s mission of developing leaders in the education technology community,” said Keith Krueger, CoSN CEO. “This clinic will provide education leaders from Texas and beyond the rare opportunity to learn directly from leaders in the ed tech community and to interact with peers from around the country. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with our chapter in Texas to produce this exciting event.”

The clinic is designed for district leaders who are responsible for directing and/or deploying education technology investments. Attendees will participate in a range of sessions, including:

• Hot Technologies for K-12 Schools
• Calculating the Value of Technology in Education
• Accessible Technologies for All Students
• Public Policy Boot Camp: Becoming a Technology Advocate
• Lessons Learned from the Front Lines of One-to-One
• Open Technology Solutions
• Data Intelligence: Empowering Teachers, Administrators, Students and Parents
• Planning for Cyber Security

Attendees will also hear from key leaders in the education and education technology communities. Keynote speakers will include Chris Dede of Harvard University, Jack Grayson from the American Productivity & Quality Center and CoSN’s Keith Krueger.

“The Texas K-12 CTO Council is proud to be working with CoSN to offer high quality professional development for district technology leaders in Texas and surrounding states,” said Ed Zaiontz, President, Texas K-12 CTO Council and Executive Director, Information Services, Round Rock ISD. “I anticipate that this inaugural CoSN CTO Clinic will be the first of many such events to be hosted in Texas and will serve as a great model for other states forming CoSN chapters.”

CoSN also announced an agreement with the Texas Association of School Business Officials (TASBO) to provide half-priced admission to its members. Regular registration is $150 for the two-day event, and Texas K-12 CTO Council members can attend at no cost. While attendees from neighboring states – and anywhere around the country – are welcome at the clinic, CoSN indicated their hope that this will be the first in a series of regional training events.

“Increasing the knowledge and skills of district technology leaders is key among our strategic goals for the next three years,” continued Krueger. “Events such as these provide us with the unparalleled opportunity to work with leaders who have a direct impact on the lives of students, and we look forward to planning further events around the country.”

Platinum Sponsors of the inaugural CTO Clinic include Aruba Networks, the AT&T Foundation, Cisco Systems, Inc., McDougal Littell, and Texas Instruments. Gold Sponsors include Dell Inc., Intel, Nortel, and Verizon.

About the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN)

The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) is the country’s premier voice in education technology leadership with a mission to serve as the national organization for K-12 technology leaders who use technology strategically to ultimately improve teaching and learning. CoSN provides products and services to support and nurture leadership development, advocacy, coalition building, and awareness of emerging technologies.

CoSN leadership initiatives include: Accessible Technologies for All Students (www.accessibletech4all.org); Cyber Security for the Digital District (www.securedistrict.org); Data-Driven Decision Making (www.3d2know.org); Safeguarding the Wired Schoolhouse (www.safewiredschools.org); Taking Total Cost of Ownership to the Classroom (www.classroomtco.org); and the development of the Council of School District Chief Technology Officers (CTO Council).

CoSN’s membership includes a unique blend of education and technology leaders, policy makers, and influencers from the public and private sectors. Our audience includes key technology leaders (often called Chief Technology Officers—CTOs) in leading-edge states and districts, policy makers, private sector leaders, as well as those technology leaders who wish to accelerate their districts’ or states’ systemic technology use. Visit www.cosn.org or phone 866.267.8747 to find out more about CoSN’s programs and activities supporting leadership development to ensure that information technology has a direct and positive impact on student learning in elementary and secondary schools.