Carson City School District retains half of state’s CETL designees

LeAnn Morris, Ph.D., lead technology integration specialist with the Carson City School District, recently earned the Certified Education Technology Leader (CETL) designation by passing a rigorous certification exam. There are only four CETLs in Nevada: two in the Carson City School District and two in the Washoe County School District. Raymond Medeiros, director of innovation and technology, is the other CETL designee in the Carson City School District.

The CETL certification, awarded by the Consortium of School Networking (CoSN), signifies an individual has mastered the knowledge and skills needed to bring 21st century technology to the K-12 school systems.

“Earning the Certified Education Technology Leader certification demonstrates a commitment to bringing 21st century learning to our nation’s schools,” said Keith Krueger, CAE, chief executive officer of CoSN. “Because of the CETL recertification requirements, certified leaders pledge to stay current in this ever-changing field of education technology.”

To become certified, the candidate must have demonstrated experience in the education technology field and pass a comprehensive two-part examination based on the 10 skill areas in CoSN’s Framework of Essential Skills of the K-12 CTO. Once the CETL certification is earned, the ed tech professional must complete 60 hours of professional development activities every three years to maintain the designation.

Founded in 1992, CoSN is the premier professional association for school system technology leaders and its mission is to empower educational leaders to leverage technology to realize engaging learning environments. CoSN is committed to providing the leadership, community, and advocacy tools essential for the success of these leaders.

With more than 28 years of teaching experience all in the Carson City School District, Dr. Morris began her teaching career as a 1st grade teacher at Mark Twain Elementary School (1990-1994). She later served as the technology teacher at Fritsch Elementary (1994-1999), Carson High (1999-2002) and Empire Elementary (2002-2012). She also led the WNCC-CHS High Tech Center from 1999-2002.

Dr. Morris recently earned her Ph.D. in education with an emphasis in educational technology from Walden University in Minneapolis, Min. (online) and also holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in educational technology from Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass. (outreach in Reno). She earned her bachelor’s in early childhood elementary education from the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyo. Morris was also a Governor Appointed Member to the Nevada State Commission on Education Excellence 2008-2010 and was selected as the Nevada State Teacher of the Year in 2008 among other accolades and awards.

With more than 20 years of experience in information technology, Medeiros began his career as a computer technician in Carson City (1996-2001). He started and continues to own an IT service company, in northern Nevada (2005 to present). He joined the Carson City School District as a network engineer in 2002 and was promoted last year as director of the innovation and technology department.

Medeiros earned his bachelor’s in information technology management from Western Governors University in Salt Lake City, Utah (online) and maintains numerous IT certifications.