During the American Association of School Administrators’ (AASA) annual conference held in San Francisco, Daniel A. Domenech, executive director of AASA, sat down with eSchool News’ editor and publisher, Gregg Downey, to discuss AASA’s role in the development of the stimulus package and eSchool News’ Ninth Annual Tech-Savvy Superintendent Awards (TSSA).

“We’ve got a seat at the table now,” explained Domenech. “We helped Obama’s transition team, and three days after Arne Duncan appointed [and confirmed], we helped him to form focus groups made up of superintendents to talk education issues.”

Duncan and Domenech weighed in on the education portion of the stimulus package, creating and passing legislation that Domenech says he is happy about.

“[AASA] advocated for IDA funding, increase in funds for Title I, and $6 billion for school construction.” According to Domenech, the fact that these provisions were included in the stimulus is a success.

Domenech says that now the top priority for superintendents is to “spend that money and spend it well.”

He also praised the tech-savvy superintendents honored in eSchool News’ TSSA, saying that these modern skills will help bring classrooms across the country into the 21st century.

Link:

eSN’s video interview with Daniel Domenech