Main Speakers

Keynote Speaker - Dr. Rudy M. Castruita

Dr. Rudy M. Castruita, Superintendent of the San Diego County Office of Education, will present his perspective of the importance of district superintendents becoming involved with technology. The SDCOE Superintendent’s Technology Advisory Committee (STAC), under Dr. Castruita’s leadership, provides an excellent model of how superintendents can become familiar with and understand technology in a non-threatening manner. The STAC has been instrumental in immersing San Diego County district superintendents into the technology arena and has helped to raise their awareness levels of the benefits of technology and its use in instructional and administrative areas.

Dr. Castruita has been in the field of education for 27 years. Prior to becoming superintendent of SDCOE, he served as superintendent for the Santa Ana Unified School District. He received his bachelor and master’s degrees at Utah State and received his doctorate of education from the University of Southern California. He was named California’s Superintendent of the Year for 1992 and has received numerous other awards and recognitions.

Featured Speakers

"Alternative Methods for Providing Service and Support to School Districts"
Alex Kaplan

School districts are evaluating alternative methods for providing technology service and support to their customers. This trend is being driven by changes in the management of school districts, budgetary pressures, an explosion of technology throughout districts and new technologies. To address these factors, school districts are evaluating new types of technical environments such as distributed systems, alternative methods of service delivery such as outsourcing, and new budgetary strategies such as technology service funds. This address will review these trends, the response of districts to the trends, and the manner in which the K12 industry is responding. It will also focus on the impact on school district information technology professionals.

Alex Kaplan is one of the nation’s leading authorities on successfully implementing technology in school districts. He is currently the Principal for Solution Design and Delivery for IBM K12 for North America. In this capacity, he is responsible for all of IBM’s consulting and systems integration projects in school districts. Mr. Kaplan has extensive experience with school districts in technology planning, K12 product evaluation and selection, implementation of complex technology projects, and systems integration. He has also served as a policy consultant to state departments of education. Mr. Kaplan is a published author and graduate of Columbia University.


"The Difference Between Today and Tomorrow"
Jody Warne-Ellison

Jody Warne-Ellison will talk about "The Difference Between Today and Tomorrow." Her experiences in the computer industry and unique perspectives will be sure to start you thinking about the future and how you’ll relate to the technology of tomorrow.

Ms. Warne-Ellison currently is a consultant in industry working with companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Coca Cola, and IBM. Prior to this she was a California high school educator and administrator. She brings to us her humor, insight, and unwavering enthusiasm for the best in each of us.

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Last Updated on 07/25/96 ac