ACSA’s Ferd. Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award can be bestowed upon any educator, legislator or community member, but one criteria is clear: The recipient must have made a significant impact on public education. Robert Price, superintendent of Empire Union School District, embodies that criteria.
“I am deeply honored,” Price said when presented the award Nov. 7 at the Leadership Summit. “I have known some of the past recipients and I am very humbled to be in their company.”
Price is known for many accomplishments in education, but certainly one of the best known among these is his work in the area of technology in education. As one of his nominators put it, “His interest and expertise in technology is legendary, and his schools are always on the cutting edge of new advances.”
But Price has also led in this area statewide. He is a cadre member of the Technology Information Center for Administrative Leadership, helping provide valuable technology information for all California school leaders. Price said it all comes down to trying to find a way to lead schools more efficiently.
“I believe that technology can help us be more efficient in the work we do,” he said. “I suppose I’ve always been drawn to the ‘tech toy’ side of it as well. I like to learn new ways to make technology support learning and our own productivity.
“I also believe that our students will need to be very tech savvy for their future. I’ve become very interested in Web 2.0 tools and their use to leverage learning and productivity. My role as a TICAL cadre member keeps me thinking about the cutting edges of technology and provides a venue for me to associate with people who are much smarter than I am about technology. I’m very proud of the connections between ACSA and TICAL.”
Price has also made a valuable contribution to educational leadership through his work with ACSA, having served on the ACSA Board of Directors, as a region president, a state council member and as the chair for last year’s Leadership Summit.
“ACSA has been invaluable to me on several levels,” Price said. “My involvement has allowed me to develop a statewide support network. The professional development activities have been outstanding and have helped me build an appropriate skill set to be a successful school administrator. I have also developed friendships and professional relationships that have enriched my life.
“ACSA has always been there for me and I have tried to be there for ACSA. It is a great organization and I can’t imagine having tried to do my many administrative jobs over the years without ACSA involvement and support.”
Price also works hard for ACSA through his activities at the region level, as well as the statewide level. Since 1992 he has been very actively involved with the ACSA Region 7 conference committee, and has made the conference a “must attend” event.
“I really enjoy selecting speakers and organizing the event, which brings 150-200 administrators together from throughout the region for several days to experience outstanding professional development,” Price said.
He works at getting people registered and in putting together many of the publications for the conference.
“It is a great experience working with the other members of the committee on a project of this magnitude,” he said.
ACSA isn’t the only statewide group to benefit from Price’s efforts. He’s currently in the midst of a two-year term as the president of the California League of Middle Schools. In a way, he said, it’s a return to his roots in education.
CLMS work on the new Taking Center Stage – Act 2 resources for closing the achievement gap have been due in large part to Price’s diligence in getting the word out.
“My days teaching and my first administrative positions were at the middle school level,” Price said. “I became aware of the California League of Middle Schools as a struggling assistant principal in my first year as an administrator. The CLMS annual conference connected me with a network of professionals who are all focused on middle-level education. I have continued to be active with CLMS because middle school issues continue to be an important part of the larger issues of building professional learning communities and student achievement. Middle school students, teachers and administrators continue to be some of my favorite people to work with.”
Price also actively represents education in his work in the community. Among these activities, he has served on the board of directors for the Boys and Girls Club and as a founding member of the Tracy Exchange Club, a community service group.
“I believe it is important to be active in our communities,” Price said. “Working with a group of community members to found a Boys and Girls Club in Tracy was an outstanding experience for me. The club ended up being built on my school site and we had some great partnerships develop as a result of the Boys and Girls Club. Likewise, founding the Tracy Exchange Club for the community was a wonderful chance to work with the larger community.”
Through these few examples of Price’s work, it’s easy to see why he is now being honored with the Ferd. Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award.
“My style as an administrator and leader has always been to hire the best people possible to surround me, work to develop a shared vision of where we want to go and what we want to accomplish, and then empower my colleagues to achieve the goals we set,” he said. “My success is due to the many outstanding people I have worked with over the years. My current administrative team is exceptionally strong and they work very hard to achieve our goals. I share this award with them.”