Jeff McCoy: A District Leader Making Technology Academic

https://vimeo.com/209667044

Jeff McCoy is Associate Superintendent for Academics at Greenville County Schools in South Carolina. In this role, Jeff provides leadership to several departments including Title I, Instructional Technology, ESOL, Virtual School & Distance Learning, Media Services, and Special Academic Programs (STAR Academy, Satellite Diploma Program). Jeff has had an accomplished career in education being named Teacher of the Year at Greer Middle School in Greenville in 2004 and Professional Employee of the Year at Greenville County Schools in 2010. 

I recently had a chance to talk to Jeff, and I asked about his non-traditional role and career path. He says he has spent his entire 17-year career in Greenville County Schools, first as a teacher, and then as an administrator. Along the way, Jeff found himself evolving with technology as the role of tech grew tremendously in education.

Jeff was instrumental in moving the position of Director of Instructional Technology from the Technology Department to the Academic Department. It’s a move that took a great deal of time to implement, spreading the message to teachers, principals and staff that the Instructional Technology Department was more than a computer fix-it station – it was there to integrate technology into teaching. Thanks to buy-in from the staff and the backing of an innovative superintendent, the move is considered a huge success for the district.

Jeff mentioned how the district is also diving into personalized learning as “one size fits all” environments are no longer viable. Children are learning at different levels within the same classroom, and it’s imperative that instruction is tailored to individual needs. They now use software purchases for individual licenses based on student needs. It’s the district’s desire to align software into a multi-tiered system of support to further profile student learning behaviors.

Jeff is an innovative leader who is doing great things for the students of Greenville County. I look forward to speaking with him again in the future to catch-up on all his accomplishments.

About Jeff McCoy:

Jeff McCoy is the Associate Superintendent for Academics at Greenville County Schools in Greenville, South Carolina. Jeff started his career in Greenville County Schools at Greer Middle School in 2000. He also served in the role of International Baccalaureate Coordinator at Greer Middle school until moving to the Central Office as an Instructional Technology Specialist. He has served various roles in the district including Distance Learning Coordinator, Director of Instructional Technology, and Director of Academic Innovation and Technology.

Jeff serves as an adjunct professor at Furman University He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Bob Jones University in Greenville, and his Master’s Degree in Education Technology with a focus on leadership from Lesley University in Boston.

Follow Jeff McCoy on Twitter.

This article was originally published in the Huffington Post.