CoSN Honors Superintendent Herman Gaither for Outstanding Achievement in Educational Leadership

February 26, 2002-Washington, DC-Today, the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) awarded Superintendent Herman Gaither from Beaufort County, South Carolina the 2002 Frank Withrow Outstanding Achievement in Education Leadership Award.

The award, sponsored by 3COM Corporation, was presented to Mr. Gaither during CoSN's 2002 K-12 School Networking Conference in Washington DC.

"We are honored to present this award to Herman Gaither, he has provided the kind of leadership that has enabled Beaufort County School District, SC to make dramatic strides in implementing technology to promote student achievement" said Jim Hirsch, CoSN Board Chair.

Gaither has more than 40 years experience in Beaufort County, one of the nation's most vibrant and diverse school districts. With more than 17,000 students, this district is one of the most rapidly growing districts in South Carolina. In addition to scenic beauty and a rich history, it has become a model for technology implementation for the nation.

One of Superintendent Gaither's guiding principals has been that every child deserves equal access to technology, regardless of their families' financial resources. Through his vision, technology has been implemented in Beaufort County in a way that has led K-12 students to become more engaged in their daily learning. Technology is now one of the 11 core subject areas in which students must meet district standards and 2,400 students in grades 6-11 that are using laptop computers at home and at school.

"3Com is truly honored to be partnering with CoSN in recognizing educators that are taking the lead in finding ways that technology can enhance education. Mr. Gaither's program is a shining example of how the use of computers and networks can make a difference in the classroom," stated Bill Swift, Education Marketing Manager at 3Com.

The award is named in honor of Frank Withrow, a longtime champion of K-12 education and thought leader in the education technology movement. Frank's history in education is extensive. He was an early childhood teacher for language-disabled children, and a researcher and clinical supervisor. His research included immediate visual memory, the development of multimedia language products, paired associate learning, and an all grades social curriculum. He oversaw the development of closed-captioned television for deaf people and the Kurzweil Reading machine for the blind.

Frank was the program manager for 56 television series from "Sesame Street" to "The Voyages of the Mimi." He was the first program manager for the Star Schools program. He was the Education Program Director for the NASA Classroom of the Future. He is currently working with the technology program for the Job Corps. For more information see the December 2001 Converge Magazine Article, "Frank B. Withrow: Enabling Effective Education," www.convergemag.com/magazine/story.phtml?id=3030000000004164.

The CoSN K-12 School Networking Conference is the leading policy and practice conference in the education technology arena. Held annually in or around Washington, DC, the conference attracts school district, state and national leaders, as well as members of the corporate community, who want the best and most up-to-date information on emerging issues in technology. For more information, visit www.k12schoolnetworking.org.

The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) is the premier national education technology association whose mission is to promote use of the Internet and telecommunications to improve K-12 learning. CoSN's members represent school districts, state and local education agencies, nonprofits, companies and individuals who share our vision. Learn more about CoSN's initiatives, policy work and membership opportunities at www.cosn.org.

3Com Corporation, the nation's largest vendor of networking equipment to schools, is committed to fostering excellence in education through innovative simple learning solutions. 3Com's award-winning LAN telephony system, wireless LANs, switches and routers are easily deployed and give students and teachers fast, simple access to the network and beyond. For more information, visit www.3Com.com.