Baytown, TX and Billings, MT (April 12, 2022) – CoSN, a premier association of K-12 education technology leaders today named Mathew Flood, the Chief Technology Officer at Goose Creek CISD (TX), and Carol Phillips, the District Technology Director at Elder Grove School District #8 (MT), the 2022 Chief Technology Officers (CTO) of the Year in recognition of their roles as key education innovators.

The Withrow CTO of the Year Award, sponsored by ClassLink and named after long-time edtech leader Frank Withrow, a pioneer and champion of K-12 education technology, is given annually to a standout CoSN member whose leadership has helped transform their school district. This year, CoSN is celebrating two impressive leaders, Matthew and Carol.

“Matt is an exceptional leader and boss. It’s a pleasure to work with him. He’s the perfect combination of resourcefulness, knowledge, creativity and dedication to our students in giving them whatever they need to be successful,” said Steve Koester, Director of Educational Technology, Goose Creek CISD.

Matt Flood has successfully standardized each classroom with technology as a focal point in day-to-day instruction at Goose Creek CISD. Standardized classroom technology, along with the district’s 1:1 iPad program, has revolutionized the classroom experience. Matt has also been at the forefront of several initiatives to help eliminate the connectivity challenges that his district faces.

“I love working with the students and the staff here at Elder Grove, and I especially love working with my tech team — it’s a great group of students. … This job combines my two favorite things: kids and technology,” said Carol Phillips, District Technology Director, Elder Grove School District #8.

Carol Phillips has been at the forefront of edtech leadership in Elder Grove School District #8 since she began her time there. Each year, she has presented different ways for the administration to continue moving forward to become a 1:1 district, which they finally achieved in April 2021. Carol has since worked tirelessly to make sure they remain at 1:1 through grant writing and donations, leading to an increase in student keyboarding skills, several computer science classes, robotics, coding and art activities.

Watch a video highlighting Matthew Flood’s accomplishments here and a video showcasing Carol Phillips’ accomplishments here.

 CoSN kicked off its Annual Conference, CoSN2022: Amplifying for the Power of One, on Monday, April 11. The three-day Conference highlights that it only takes one to ensure the success of each student every day — one teacher, one team, one school, one district, one community, ONE STEP. Keep up with live updates on CoSN’s Twitter and via #cosn2022. The 2022 CoSN Conference is made possible through the generous support of its sponsors.

About Goose Creek CISD

Goose Creek CISD serves nearly 24,000 students in the communities of Baytown and Highlands. Goose Creek CISD’s mission is “Developing the Whole Child.” Goose Creek CISD develops and enhances each learner’s intellectual, social and emotional well-being facilitated by a highly qualified team committed to Growth, Community, Collaboration, Innovation, Success and Determination. gccisd.net

 About Elder Grove School District #8

At Elder Grove School District #8, we strive to achieve a safe, secure and positive learning environment. We create classrooms of master learners by use of well-developed curriculum, effective teaching strategies and constructive feedback which allow for individual differences and learning styles. eldergrove.k12.mt.us

 About CoSN

CoSN (the Consortium for School Networking) is the premier professional association for school system technology leaders. CoSN provides thought leadership resources, community best practices and advocacy tools to help leaders succeed in the digital transformation. CoSN represents over 13 million students in school districts nationwide and continues to grow as a powerful and influential voice in K-12 education. cosn.org

 About ClassLink

ClassLink is a leading provider of cloud-based education products that connect educators and students with their classroom, curriculum, and each other in richer, more powerful ways. As leading advocates for open data standards, we offer instant access to apps and files with single sign-on, streamline class rostering, automate account provisioning, and provide actionable analytics. ClassLink empowers 14 million students and staff in over 1,800 school systems. classlink.com