RALEIGH — Dr. Don Phipps, superintendent of Beaufort County Schools, recently represented the district on a statewide scale.

Phipps joined his fellow superintendents for the North Carolina Superintendent Digital Leadership Institute in Raleigh. During the two-day event at the Friday Institute at N.C. State University, superintendents from across the state discussed how to communicate and collaborate with others to bring about a digital transformation in their respective school districts.

“Superintendents will identify and focus on individual leadership goals and district team goals in order to move their districts forward in providing the digital opportunities necessary for teaching and learning in a changing world,” the NCSU website states.

Phipps said he shared ways Beaufort County Schools is working to incorporate technology, including digital labs, science, technology, engineering and math work, coding, Chromebooks, micro credentialing and robotics, among other topics.

“My message was for superintendents to focus on what their district needs are and not on what others are doing,” Phipps said. “It is important to recognize and appreciate that each district is unique and understand that we should not implement programs, initiatives or allocate resources to simply keep up with others.”

Planning for technology implementation should be handled at the district level with a strategic plan and other resources, according to Phipps.

“I learned a lot about strategic planning and how to build a purposeful technology plan,” Phipps said. “The true value is in the networking and learning from others. It was also helpful for me to go through a process of assessing our system’s readiness in several technology areas, along with members of our team.”

Technology has been one of the main focuses within BCS in recent years. Beaufort County Board of Education passed the 2017-18 budget with a $350,000 allotment for system-wide technology updates, from equipment maintenance to Chromebooks. Technological updates are also listed as an objective in the BCS Strategic Plan.

“This has been a tremendous opportunity for me as a leader,” Phipps said of DLI. “I want to grow and develop through continuous improvement, and this program, although digital in its focus, is grounded in quality instruction and effective teaching practices.”