Two South Shore school districts were recently accepted into the League of Innovative Schools, in which they will have a chance to collaborate with districts across the country and further new educational opportunities.
The league is a national network of school districts that connects and supports the most forward-thinking leaders in education. It is organized by Digital Promise, a global nonprofit that works with educators, researchers and communities to design innovative educational programs.
The Wantagh and Bellmore school districts were officially welcomed into the league at its fall convening, hosted by the Lindsay Unified School District in Lindsay, California, Sept. 30-Oct. 2. There are more than 150 districts in the league, including five from Long Island.
“We’re hoping to learn from other places and see some of the innovative things going on in the country,” Wantagh Superintendent John McNamara said, “and, of those things, what would be a good fit for the students at Wantagh.”
Bellmore superintendent Joe Famularo said that being a member of the league will give his district the chance to continually improve its educational offerings. “It’s just very exciting to be part of this group, to share innovative ideas that are happening all over the country,” he said. “It’s really the cutting edge of education.”
The Wantagh and Bellmore districts were selected from a national pool of applicants for the league based on educational leadership, innovative learning practices, achievements and collaborations with other schools. McNamara credited his district’s mental health initiatives and science research programs for being some of the innovative course offerings that aligned with the league’s goals.
The Bellmore district, Famularo said, is already nationally recognized. In 2018, it was named a Lighthouse District by the national consulting organization FranklinCovey, which recognizes schools that push students to learn leadership qualities and self-confidence. As for acceptance into the League of Innovative Schools, Famularo credited the district’s character development programs, student access to Chromebooks, robotics course and courses in coding for leading the way to that distinction.
Both superintendents will now have access to unique professional learning opportunities, including attending biannual convenings with school visits, taking part in in-person and virtual events to see innovations in action, and collaborating with education leaders across the country. Additionally, McNamara said, participating in the league could create grant opportunities for the Wantagh district.
He added that administrators were still figuring out ways to use the league’s resources to expand students’ educational opportunities.
“A big part of it is being part of a national conversation around current educational issues.” McNamara said. “That’s a big piece of it, just having access to folks that are looking at similar issues and navigating them.”
Carol-Ann Winans, the Wantagh district’s executive director of curriculum and instruction, said that inclusion in the league would give the district a national perspective.
“I’m just excited to expand our ability to have conversations with fellow educators,” Winans said. “It’s really just inspiring to hear things from different people from around the state, because all of our experiences are different, and seeing it through different lenses always gives you new ideas.”
As for the Bellmore district, Famularo said that his district would continue exploring technology, such as Artificial Intelligence. AI, he said, has had a dramatic impact on education, and he wanted the district to address it appropriately in schools, and make sure that students understand and use it responsibly, because they’re going to be faced with it in the future.
It’s a great privilege to be an educator, Famularo said, but also a major responsibility. Being included in the league, he noted, would ensure that his district is doing everything it can to make sure students can avail themselves of innovative ideas.
“That's the mentality,” he said. “It’s not that you’re doing bad and we have to improve. It’s that we’re doing great things, but how do we get to that next level that creates more excitement and a culture that’s uplifting?”