By Stan Stelter
Bismarck, ND – A North Dakota education organization has received a $885,000 grant to provide school administrators with training in advanced technologies over the next three years.
Gov. John Hoeven announced that the grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will go to the North Dakota Leadership and Educational Administration Development -- or LEAD -- Center. LEAD is a non-profit education organization focused on developing good leaders for schools in the state.
Hoeven says that training the administrators has a good spinoff. "We're very excited about that because as our administrators learn how to use this technology then they're going to get their teachers and their students more involved in the new technology. Hoeven says the grant will go toward funding a four-part training program under the North Dakota Technology Academy for School Leaders.
Tim Kadrmas, interim director of the Center for Innovation in Instruction at Valley City, says they have found an important reason for school administrators to be technology leaders. "One thing that stands out to us, rather markedly, is the fact that those schools that have administrators that are directly involved, that are using technology, that are highly involved with the use of technology are the schools that are the farthest ahead, without a doubt. And so this effort, being able to attract more of the administrators throughout the state is definitely, defintely going to improve the quality of technology education in our state.
Hoeven says the private grant is a welcome addition to the nearly 100-million-dollars appropriated by the 1991 Legislature for technology development in the state.