Dr. Jim Boswell Earns Certified Education Tech Leader Credential: D228

Dr. Jim Boswell, the Director of Operations and Technology for Bremen High School District 228, recently earned the Certified Education Technology Leader® (CETL®) designation by passing a rigorous certification exam.

The CETL certification, awarded by the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), signifies that Dr. Boswell has mastered the knowledge and skills needed to bring 21st Century technology to our K-12 schools and other education organizations.

"Earning the Certified Education Technology Leader certification demonstrates a commitment to bringing 21st century learning to our schools and other education organizations. Because of the CETL recertification requirements, certified leaders pledge to stay current in this ever-changing field of education technology,” said Keith Krueger, CAE, Chief Executive Officer of CoSN.

To become certified, the candidate must have demonstrated experience in the education technology field and pass a comprehensive 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 education technology leaders (“ETLs”) must complete 60 hours of professional development activities every three years to maintain the designation.

“I am, and have always been someone who loves learning, I want to know how everything works. When I became the Director of Technology in 2017, I knew the basics about IT infrastructure and have worked hard over the years to improve my IT knowledge and skills to match my knowledge and experience from the education side from being a physics teacher,” Dr. Boswell said. “The CETL certification requires that you are an expert in IT, in educational practice, and in cabinet level leadership, which is exactly where I sit in my current position. So I began looking into the certification, what it took to get it, and started down this path.”

Dr. Boswell said his gained experience in District 228 prepared him very well for this certification and the exam. He is an alum of Oak Forest High School, (Class of 2003) and began working here in 2016.

“The main takeaway for me was the necessity to continue building community outreach and familiarity about the high-caliber technology solution we are delivering and utilizing in our classrooms. Compared to most other districts, the technology approach our District and Board provides is top-notch,” Dr. Boswell said.

“As a professional, in addition to my previous work on my Ed.D and CSBO license, adding the CETL will be helpful for having a wide knowledge base of what our District should be doing in my areas of responsibility. This CETL certification will allow me to make stronger and more precise decisions for the District that are based on best practices, recommendations from national advocacy groups, and the data for our particular students and District,” Dr. Boswell said.

The CETL certification is awarded by the Consortium for School Networking. 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.

About Bremen High School District 228
Bremen High School District 228 is located in the southwest suburbs of Chicago and serves the communities of Midlothian, Posen, Tinley Park, Markham, Hazel Crest, Country Club Hills and Oak Forest. District 228 serves over 5,000 students and employs 800 full and part-time staff members. Bremen High School, in Midlothian, opened its doors to students in September of 1953. Since then, District 228 opened three additional schools. Tinley Park High School opened in 1961; Hillcrest High School, in Country Club Hills, opened in 1967; and Oak Forest High School opened in 1970. For more information, please visit https://www.bhsd228.com/