Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy. Stacey Childress, the CEO of the NewSchools Venture Fund. Charles Best, the founder of Donors Choose.
There are some big names on Ed Tech Digest’s list of the 100 top influencers in ed tech. But are there any actual working educators?
The list is chock-a-block full of chief executive officers, co-founders, managing directors, and senior vice-presidents. But there are at least a half dozen people with a different kind of title—and arguably, closer, current connections to the classroom.
Take Matt Renwick, principal of Mineral Point Elementary School in Mineral Point, Wisc. Ed Tech Digest says he, “sets a good example for other school leaders through his inspiring perspective in articles and tweets about learning, leading, literacy, technology and teachers.”
Or Alberto Carvalho, the superintendent of Miami-Dade County Schools in Florida. He’s been able to bring a 1-to-1 initiative to the nation’s fourth largest district, according to the magazine.
Also on the list: Joe Mazza, the principal of Seven Bridges Middle in Chappaqua, N.Y. who wrote a dissertation on principal’s use of social media to communicate between home and school.
Tracye Stromer, director of technology for the Jasper County School District in South Carolina, who has overseen boosting servers and infrastructure to get wifi in all buildings, and equipped all teachers with mobile devices.
Karla Burkholder, director of technology for the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District in Texas, is a “veteran of ed tech planning and purchasing” according to the magazine. Bonus: She’s also past president of the Texas Computer Education Association and an adjunct professor at Baylor University.
Ed tech leaders: Who did they miss? Who deserves to be on this list?
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