Montair Elementary Principal Receives National Honor

DANVILLE, CA - The next time you see Principal Adam Welcome, offer a heartfelt "congratulations." He has been named a “20 to Watch” honoree for 2015-2016.

Welcome is one of 20 education leaders from across the country who are being recognized for their ability to inspire colleagues to explore and embrace innovative technology solutions and instructional strategies that contribute to high-quality learning experiences for all students.

The honor was conveyed by the National School Boards Association's (NSBA) Technology Leadership Network (TLN).

“This year’s '20 to Watch' honorees highlight how formal and informal professional networks help them identify and share the innovative approaches that are truly making a difference,” said Thomas J. Gentzel, NSBA, Executive Director. “Showcasing the initiatives of these educators can help other district leaders identify where there might be opportunities for new approaches in their own communities to address the digital-use divide identified in the U.S. Department of Education’s National Education Technology Plan. These teachers and administrators, with support from their school boards, share a vision for learning that will prepare students for future success.”

As Principal of Montair Elementary in Danville, Welcome leads the integration of technology into teaching, learning and communication on his campus. At his school, fifth graders serve as social media interns who tell powerful stories to their community by snapping photos, preparing tweets, and creating Facebook posts for publication while also learning digital citizenship skills. Adam Welcome created group hashtags, #KidsDeserveIt and #PrincipalsInAction so others can follow his work and that of his students.

"I'm honored and humbled to be included with this amazing list of educators from around the country that are doing amazing work on a daily basis for teachers and kids,” Welcome said.

This is the 10th year of NSBA’s “20 to Watch” program, created in 2006 to identify emerging leaders who would be helping to shape the national conversation about education technology for the next 20 years. “As we hoped when this recognition was established, many previous honorees are indeed moving into leadership positions and are redefining traditional notions about learning as a result of their experiences with technology,” said Ann Flynn, NSBA’s Director of Education Technology.

This year’s honorees will be recognized during the 2016 Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) Conference on April 4 in Washington, D.C., and at the TLN-hosted luncheon during NSBA’s 2016 Annual Conference on April 8 in Boston. TechSmith Corporation continues to provide generous support for the “20 to Watch” celebration events.

--Photo Courtesy National School Boards Association