States Helping States

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Working in partnership with the Board of Directors and SETDA staff, standing SETDA membership committees are vital to the success of the association and among the best ways for members to contribute to and learn from their peers in other states. The Board of Directors has authorized four standing committees, each of which are aligned to the association’s strategic plan:

  • Membership Engagement
  • Professional Learning
  • State Action
  • Strategic Partnerships

Standing committee membership is open to representatives of every state and affiliate (many delegate committee participation responsibilities to different individuals within their agency) and time commitments are flexible.

Committee leaders, selected from among the membership by the Board of Directors, are charged with fulfilling the committee’s charter and doing so in close coordination with the SETDA staff, the leadership of other standing committees, and the Board of Directors. In addition, committee leadership representatives participate in annual leadership retreats with the Board of Directors. Given their important leadership role, committee leaders also are bound by the same organizational conflict of interest provisions as Board members and staff to ensure that the broader interests of SETDA and the states always remain central to committee work.

Membership Engagement

Membership Engagement Committee

Leadership: Jennifer Fritschi, Headquarters Educational Technology Instructions Systems Specialist (HQ ET ISS) at the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)

Jennifer Fritschi Headshot

Jennifer Fritschi serves as an Educational Technology Instructions Systems Specialist at the Headquarters (HQ ET ISS) of the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). In her role, she supports digital learning for both students and educators at K-12 schools located within U.S. military installations worldwide.

With a career spanning 30 years, Dr. Fritschi has experience in developing and transforming large-scale educational technology programs. Her expertise extends to educational organizations at the school, district, state, national, and global levels, as well as within the private sector.

Dr. Fritschi’s academic credentials include a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education from Miami University, a Master’s degree in Assistive Technology from the University of Connecticut, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership with a specialization in instructional technology from the University of Alabama Birmingham and University of Alabama.”

Staff Liaison: Tera Daniels

The Membership Engagement Committee exists to strengthen member commitment to SETDA in every U.S. state, affiliate, and territorial education agency and to encourage members to use their membership benefits to the fullest. The committee will also ensure SETDA’s online presence reflects the mission and goals of the organization and becomes a community for inter-state dialogue and public-private partnerships. Focus areas for the committee include:

  • Developing activities to strengthen and sustain the engagement of all members, including emeritus members.
  • Developing programs and activities to welcome, orient, and involve “new to SETDA” members.
  • Soliciting member input to evaluate engagement and satisfaction.
  • Developing marketing and outreach strategies to engage states.
  • Cultivating an online mobile and social media presence that fosters dialogue among members, strategic partners and other key audiences.

Professional Learning

Professional Learning Committee

Leadership: Bre Urness-Straight, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)

Bre Urness-StraightBre Urness-Straight, the Director of Education Technology with the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), is a dynamic leader at the forefront of educational technology innovation. With a passion for fostering inclusive and equitable digital learning environments, Bre leads an innovative team dedicated to supporting all school districts in Washington state. As SETDA’s Professional Learning Committee Chair, Bre plays a pivotal role in shaping the professional development opportunities for the SETDA community. Her vision and dedication make her a driving force in advancing educational technology initiatives, ensuring that educators and districts are equipped with the tools and knowledge necessary for transformative learning experiences in the digital age.

Staff Liaison: Jason Bailey

The Professional Learning Committee exists to provide relevant, high-quality professional learning opportunities and to facilitate the development and advancement of job-related skills and knowledge of members. In particular, the committee will focus on opportunities designed to build stronger and more effective state leaders and to develop future SETDA leaders. The committee will review, identify, develop, and provide professional learning opportunities on an ongoing basis to meet emerging needs of the SETDA membership. Focus areas for the committee include:

  • Planning for and providing a range of professional learning topics and formats for members, ensuring unique experiences that members view as high quality and relevant to their needs over time.
  • Fostering informal networking and relationship building among members, state colleagues, strategic partners, and others.
  • Leveraging the SETDA online learning community to facilitate valuable opportunities for professional learning and networking across states and territories during and in-between formal professional learning activities.
  • Planning the agenda and content for national gatherings of SETDA members.
  • Evaluating the success of the professional learning events, soliciting input from the membership regarding professional learning needs, and revising professional learning activities based on member input.

State Action

State Action Committee

Leadership: Erich Grauke, Educational Technology Principal Consultant, llinois State Board of Education

Erich Grauke currently serves as the Educational Technology Principal Consultant at the Illinois State Board of Education where he supports school districts with educational technology initiatives, digital equity and inclusion, cybersecurity, E-Rate, and state and federal funding support. He has worked in Illinois schools for over 25 years, serving as Director of Technology for three school districts as well as serving as an assistant principal and middle school social studies and language arts teacher. He is also an active member of the Illinois Digital Educators Alliance.
Grauke holds a teaching license in secondary education and educational leadership along with a B.A. in English and History, a Masters Degree in Educational Technology and a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership. He is also a Certified Education Technology Leader (CETL).

Staff Liaison: Sarah Edson

The State Action Committee exists to inspire and assist states to act collaboratively to advance education through technology policy and practice. It will develop and implement processes to align SETDA initiatives and projects with member priorities for collaboration, and assist states to improve learning by addressing relevant issues and national needs. Focus areas for the committee include:

  • Developing and implementing an iterative process to align SETDA initiatives and projects with member priorities for collaboration.
  • Identifying and prioritizing key topics, needs, best practices, issues, and concerns related to SETDA’s mission and vision suitable for collaborative state action.
  • Creating and operating a “rapid response” process to identify and respond to new or urgent developments that affect states and members. The Board may request responses for urgent matters, and/or the State Action Committee may suggest actions to be taken by the other groups.
  • Creating products and/or services that address topics that advance education through technology policy and practice and identifying how strategic partners or other entities should be involved in the creation or dissemination of the products and services.
  • Providing advice on the dissemination, curation, and updating of SETDA products and services so that they are easy to locate and use.
  • Gathering and disseminating data and information related to state educational technology policies and practices, including maintaining SETDA’s DMAPS.setda.org.

Strategic Partnerships

Strategic Partnerships Committee

Leadership: Stan Silverman, New York State Teacher Centers

Stan Silverman specializes in the application of instructional technologies to enhance teaching and learning in K–12 settings. He currently serves as the chair of the NYS Teacher Center Technology Committee, as a member of the NYS Board of Regents Technology Council, with the Professor Garfield Foundation, and is serving as a mentor in the Intel Education Accelerator. Silverman also runs the Technology Based Learning System Department that supports numerous grants and contracts supporting K–12 education throughout the United States, as well as coordinating the establishment of public/private partnerships in New York State. He received his degree in Physics from SUNY Stony Brook and his administrative degree from C.W. Post (LIU).

Staff Liaison: Melissa Greene

The Strategic Partnerships Committee exists to assist SETDA in establishing and engaging in partnerships to advance education through technology policy and practice. The committee advances informed thinking about partnerships and formal liaisons with other national organizations, including professional associations, foundations and the private sector. The committee will make recommendations to the association about potential partnerships and projects of common interest. Focus areas for the committee include:

  • Developing SETDA partnership and sponsorship strategies and policies. Developing and applying a code of conduct on member-partner engagement.
  • Securing and nurturing mutually beneficial partnerships aligned with SETDA’s initiatives and advocacy agenda.
  • Encouraging educational technology product development and growing the pipeline of solutions to education needs through relationships with established and emerging companies.
  • Promoting and implementing sponsorship program opportunities.
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of partnership and sponsorship opportunities for all parties.
  • Planning for and providing a range of opportunities at national gatherings that engage members, private sector partners, and other organizations in meaningful and timely conversations relevant to the national, evolving dialogue on education and technology.
  • Developing opportunities for showcasing innovations with technology solutions.

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