Leadership/Entrepreneurship/Public Service, Construction Trades, as well as Community and Medical Health. This initiative functions as a precise talent pipeline, deliberately designed to supply local businesses and industries with a future workforce possessing relevant, in-demand skills.“Our community really has their arms wrapped around our school district,” Smith notes, “and so it’s something we’re very proud of.” A BALANCED AND FORWARD-LOOKING APPROACH TO TECHNOLOGY In an era of rapid technological change, Stafford County’s approach is defined by strategic intentionality rather than adoption for its own sake. “I think about it in terms of instructional technology,” says Smith, explaining that the focus has shifted from sheer infusion to optimizing its use. The district empowers its educators to make key decisions about when technology genuinely assists learning and when to step back for hands-on or maker-space activities, ensuring tools serve the mission rather than dictate it. “I think we have learned that there’s a balance there. We’ve learned that there are times that you can really optimize technology to really assist to make sure that students 352 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 07, ISSUE 02
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx