Connecticut School District Leader Recognized for EmpowerED Digital Superintendent Award at AASA’s National Conference on Education
February 19, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
James Minichello
703-875-0723
703-774-6953 (cell)
jminichello@aasa.org
Alexandria, Va. – Feb. 19, 2020 –AASA, The School Superintendents Association is pleased to congratulate Mark D. Benigni, superintendent, Meriden Public Schools (Meriden, Conn.), as the first-ever recipient of the EmpowerED Digital Superintendent of the Year award. The award was presented on behalf of AASA, as well as CoSN, the Consortium for School Networking, at the 2020 National Conference on Education, held in San Diego, Calif., Feb. 13-15.
“Superintendents can make or break educational technology initiatives. They are responsible for ensuring that their school districts embrace transformative digital learning,” said Daniel A. Domenech, executive director, AASA. “Through Mark’s leadership, Meriden Schools has become a model of excellence when it comes to making digital learning a reality for staff and students. I congratulate Mark for the work he’s doing to ensure a bright future for the young learners in the Meriden community.”
This award, sponsored by ClassLink, recognizes an exceptional district superintendent who serves as an empowered leader, leveraging and championing technologies in the classroom and throughout the district to transform learning for children.
“I am truly honored and humbled to receive this prestigious award before several thousands of my peers who represent the best public education has to offer,” said Benigni. “Meriden Public Schools is committed to providing ongoing support for teachers and students, as our technology programs continue to level the playing field for all students in our district. For students to succeed in the 21st century, we must continue to scale up these efforts to meet the needs of students in the digital age they live in. I thank AASA and CoSN for this award as it is a true reflection of the great work of our students, staff and families.”
AASA and CoSN launched a partnership in 2019, committed to building a community of engaged superintendents and other school system leaders who have the skills and knowledge to bolster dynamic digital learning environments on behalf of K-12 students.
“As education technology grows increasingly important to the role of superintendents across the country, CoSN is excited to join AASA in congratulating Mark Benigni on receiving this award,” said Keith Krueger, CEO of CoSN. “Meriden Public Schools exemplifies what it means to bolster digital innovation in a school system. It is critical that we recognize the outstanding leaders, like Mark, who are paving the way for other school districts to effectively address students’ learning needs in today’s technology-driven society.”
To help superintendents continue to build dynamic digital learning environments on behalf of the staff and students they serve, AASA and CoSN recently created the EmpowerED Superintendents Toolkit, an online portal to provide district leaders with rich information to help enhance their skill areas, tools and action steps. In addition, both organizations continue to provide resources on a wide variety of critical technological issues such as cybersecurity, student data privacy, cloud computing and more, which can be accessed at https://www.cosn.org/superintendents or by contacting Valerie Truesdale, AASA assistant executive director, leadership development, at vtruesdale@aasa.org.
Superintendents and other school system leaders are encouraged to access the monthly EmpowerED Superintendent “Super-Connected” webinar series. Co-produced by CoSN and edWeb, and sponsored by ClassLink, the program airs on the second Monday of every month at 5:00 p.m. (ET). For more information, visit https://www.edweb.net/supers.
Regarded as the most comprehensive professional learning and networking event for school superintendents and administrators, AASA’s National Conference on Education addressed the most critical issues affecting public education today, including equity in education, social and emotional learning, personalizing education, early learning, technology, and school safety and leadership.
For more information about the conference, access AASA’s Conference Daily Online.
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About AASA
AASA, The School Superintendents Association, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to equitable access for all students to the highest quality public education. For more information, visit www.aasa.org.
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
