Education Foundation helps Las Virgenes schools

The Las Virgenes Educational Foundation (LVEF) presented $25,000 to Las Virgenes Unified School District officials Tuesday to pay for the preliminary costs of a districtwide technology plan.

Stuart Selter, LVEF vice president, said the money is to be used for consulting services by Classrooms for the Future Foundation, a national group that assists school districts in the identification of technology systems and the necessary steps for upgrading systems at schools.

"LVEF believes significantly upgrading the district's technology infrastructure will lead to better communication for teachers, students and parents at each school, between schools and districtwide," Selter said. "Plus, it will greatly assist with the delivery of quality education in the classrooms."

District administrators, board members and other members of the LVUSD technology committee have been visiting "model" schools and districts that have successfully integrated technology into all facets of education.

In December, Superintendent of Schools Sandra Smyser, Deputy Superintendent Donald Zimring and school board members Dave Moorman, Gordon Whitehead and Pat Schulz met with San Diego County Superintendent of Schools Rudy Castruita, and Classroom of the Future Foundation board members in San Diego to discuss technology options.

"Despite the fact that the (school district) has some incredibly technically savvy employees, it was recognized that the district's intentions of creating a technology vision and implementing it would require outside help, in the form of consulting services as well as visitations to model districts," Moorman said.

A larger group that included teachers, administrators, staff, board members and parents visited the Lemon Grove School District to collect information on how technology is best used in the classroom. The technology committee also visited model classrooms within Las Virgenes, and attended an educational technology conference and the Gates Foundation.

Visitations to model schools are allowing the technology committee members to learn from successes and failures before spending any money, Moorman said.

Smyser said that the district hasn't had the resources to maintain its technology needs. Since the LVEF contribution is helping the district study and clarify the technology needs, Smyser hopes that a school facilities bond, Measure G, that is being placed on the ballot in June will be passed by voters to fund the upgrades.

Unlike many school districts in the state, LVUSD is not eligible for technology grants and other assistance, Moorman said, explaining why an affluent area like Las Virgenes is at a disadvantage and requires additional funding from outside sources and school bond measures.

"We are putting together a plan for moving forward-both to catch up with current technology use and to make ourselves more able to adapt and keep up in the future," Smyser said.

Moorman said the foundation has teamed with high-tech companies in San Diego to place technology tools in the classroom, and provided the school district with the results of a multimillion dollar research project, called TIME (Teacher Innovations Maximizing Education), which allows teachers to drive technology in the classroom after they've been equipped with the proper tools, training, skills, information and examples of how other teachers successfully use technology.

The funds provided by LVEF will continue to cover substitute teacher costs, travel expenses and other associated costs during the preliminary steps of creating a technology plan.

"Measure G bond monies earmarked for technology will only be spent according to the plan, so there is a responsibility to taxpayers to ensure that the plan is sensible, executable and will receive the support of the district employees, parents, students and community," Moorman said.

"The continuing support of the Las Virgenes Education Foundation is helping to make a major difference in the quality of education provided to our students," Zimring said. "The potential that technology holds for improving education is limitless."