Letter: Please Attend LGUSD Technology Education Meetings

Dear parents, teachers, staff and community members:

I would like to personally invite you to the LGUSD community meetings focused on Rethinking Technology—Transforming Technology in the district.

It has become clearer and clearer that the relationship between curriculum integration and access to technology, highlighted by the sustainability debate, is emerging as a major challenge for the district. There is a need to develop a new plan that provides for sustainable technology integration within our schools.

"Rethinking Technology" is a key component of the district's five-year initiatives, and is a series of meetings with teachers, parents and community members. The purpose will be to identify ways in which technology integration is currently provided in our schools, and work together to find sustainable technology solutions, which meet the needs of students and teachers on a K-8 scale given the on-going financial constraints.

During this phase of Rethinking Technology, the district will look to a diverse group of stakeholders for feedback for the betterment of quality educational experiences for our students. Simultaneously, your input will be used to determine planning assumptions and principles supported by academic rationale, best practices for technology integration program offerings, determine long-term capacity needs, and help guide where future investments need to be made while not jeopardizing the possibilities for future generations.

In an effort to accommodate as many community members as possible, we have scheduled three community meetings (noted below) at the district office, 17010 Roberts Rd., during the months of March and April 2012. We have also scheduled school-based meetings with LGUSD teachers and staff.

Rethinking Technology is an opportunity for you to learn and provide input to another important issue in our district—the future quality educational experiences for students in the LGUSD community, as well as learn about how you can be more involved in the process.

Community members will have an opportunity to apply for a position on the district's Technology Advisory Team whose focus will be to construct a vision of a sustainable future for the target year that meets current and future constraints, and identify short-term action plans toward realizing the long-term vision. Applications will be available at the time of the meetings and will also be posted on the district website.

• Wednesday, March 28, 2012, 7 p.m. 
• Wednesday, April 4, 2012 at 9 a.m. 
• Thursday, April 12, 2012 at 9 a.m.

As part of this process, we ask that you come prepared to address three critical questions that will be essential in updating the next Los Gatos Union School District Sustainable Technology Integration Plan:

1. What technology/curriculum integration goals do you have that are currently affected by technology needs in our schools today?

2. What is your vision for a long-term sustainable technology/curriculum integration plan?

3. What ideas do you have for short-term action plans that address the educational needs of Los Gatos students and provide ongoing professional support to LGUSD teachers?

Myself, Director of Technology Maggi Reser, and Assistant Superintendent Bitsey Stark will facilitate the meetings and gather data that will be shared with the Technology Advisory Team. The proposed timeline for completing this process is:

March 2012-April 2012

• Community meetings (3)
• School-based teacher and staff meetings (5)
• Applications available for the Technology Advisory Team (TAT)

May 2012
Committee (TAT) formation for the 2012-13 school year

June 5, 2012
Preliminary data analysis to LGUSD Board of Trustees
Board Workshop—Technology Integration, 6 p.m.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees and administration, I hope you will participate in this collaborative effort, Rethinking Technology—Transforming Technology at LGUSD, as we continue to work together to provide high quality programs for Los Gatos students.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me via email at dabbati@lgusd.k12.ca.us.