Michele Hancock

Kenosha Unified School District

Kenosha, Wisconsin

Hancock leads the Kenosha Unified School District with a strong vision to improve student achievement through 21^st-century transformation. Her first efforts were to establish a transformation plan with 15 action items, including online collaborative work environments for staff and students, empowering students to safely navigate digital environments, expanding opportunities for project-based learning and global connections through technology resources and tools, and providing equal access to hardware and software to support personalized learning experiences.

Hancock continually challenges her leadership administration to consider blended learning opportunities that use technology resources. She similarly challenges them to explore personalized learning through technology. Within six months of assuming the superintendency, she decided to allow personal electronic devices in the classroom for student learning; updates to the district’s acceptable-use policy followed last spring.

Hancock also encourages district staff to model effective uses of technology tools and resources and always uses both in her presentations to staff, students, the school board, and the community. She encourages and supports social media communication to the parents and community.

Besides initiating discussions about online textbooks, she also has championed efforts to implement a self-service portal for employees, eliminating the need for paper processing of employee benefits, check stubs, and personal changes. She also implemented electronic procurement software to automate the entire purchase-to-pay process.