Steve Carr, the Chief Technology Officer at the Ventura County Office of Education, is one of 20 education technology leaders nationwide to be honored by the National School Boards Association. The NSBA named Carr one of its “20 to Watch,” which recognizes the “ability to inspire colleagues to explore and embrace innovative technology solutions and instructional strategies that contribute to high-quality learning experiences for all students.”
In selecting Carr for the honor, the NSBA noted the work he’s doing to protect student privacy and promote responsible use of technology in education in a constantly changing digital world. Carr has spearheaded the creation of an e-Safety Task force in Ventura County that will help schools leverage the latest digital tools while keeping students’ private information secure. Carr is also working with local school districts to help them create digital citizenship curricula across all grade levels.
“Steve has proven himself to be a visionary leader in education technology in Ventura County,” said Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Stan Mantooth. “He is influencing policy and practices throughout the state of California and we are very honored to see him recognized by the NSBA on a national level.”
Now in its 10th year, the NSBA’s “20 to Watch” program identifies emerging leaders who help shape than national conversation about education technology. This year’s honorees will be recognized during the 2016 Consortium for School Networking Conference on April 4 in Washington, DC, and during NSBA’s 2016 Annual Conference on April 8 in Boston. A complete list of the “20 to Watch” honorees is available here.
More about Steve Carr
Steve Carr has served as the Chief Technology Officer for the Ventura County Office of Education for the past ten years. He leads the Technology Services department which serves over 145,000 students and staff in Ventura County as the ISP for 20 school districts along with hosting and supporting financial, payroll, HR, applications and Student Information Systems for these districts. He manages a department consisting of educational technology specialists, applications, network and systems, device support, and operations teams.
Prior to that he was the Senior Director of Educational Technology in the Hueneme School District for 9 years. He began his educational career 33 years ago as an 8th grade history teacher in 1982. He crafted numerous educational technology grants that resulted in a new paradigm for the delivery of curriculum employing the tools of technology. He worked to train teachers and develop curriculum that incorporated technology not just as teaching tool but as an integral part of student learning.
He has been a board member of the California Educational Technology Professional Association (CETPA) for the last 11 years and a member of CETPA since 1998. He is currently CETPA’s president-elect.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics from UC Santa Cruz and Masters of Arts Degree in Education Technology from UC Santa Barbara. He also holds an Administrative credential from California Lutheran University and a Single Subject Teaching credential from UC Santa Barbara.
About the Ventura County Office of Education
The Ventura County Office of Education provides a broad array of fiscal, training and technology support services to local school districts, helping to maintain and improve lifelong educational opportunities for children, educators and community members. VCOE also operates schools that serve students with severe disabilities and behavioral issues, provides career education courses, and coordinates countywide academic competitions including Mock Trial and the Ventura County Science Fair. Learn more at: www.vcoe.org.
About the National School Boards Association
The National School Boards Association is the leading advocate for public education and supports equity and excellence in public education through school board leadership. NSBA represents state school boards associations and their more than 90,000 local school board members throughout the U.S. Learn more at www.nsba.org.