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Special Ed Teacher Turned Superintendent is Future Ready

In this episode, Superintendent Dr. Mario J. Andrade shares how his district is a League of Innovative Schools and is also a Future Ready District.

Dr. Mario J. Andrade is the superintendent of Bristol Warren Regional School District in Rhode Island, which is part of the League of Innovative Schools and is also a Future Ready District. Being a part of these progressive groups helps Mario shape his district to be ready for a digital future. They are systematically using the Future Ready framework to plan for innovation and change with a proven process.

Preparing for a Tech Revolution 

It hasn’t always been this way, and Mario admits to mistakes from the past that certainly weren’t limited to his district. The story of his district making a large purchase of computers before schools had WiFi will ring familiar with many involved in education during the dawn of the technology revolution. Mario learned, adapted and moved forward, demonstrating the successful traits of a leader willing to accept change and new ideas.

Mario started his career teaching special education in self-contained classrooms for many years. Although it was satisfying, he wanted to help more people than 10-15 students at a time. He moved into administration and now has an impact on 3,500 students, 500 adult employees and the citizens of two towns in the state of Rhode Island.

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  • Dr. Mario J. Andrade became the superintendent of Bristol Warren Regional School District in Rhode Island in July, 2014. Prior to becoming superintendent, Mario served as assistant superintendent of the district from 2009 - 2014. He rose to his district administration roles after serving as principal at Central Falls High School in Central Falls, RI. Prior to that, he was an assistant principal at Rogers High School in Newport, RI. Earlier in his career he taught special education.

    Mario earned a Bachelors Degree from the University of Connecticut, an M.S. in Special Education from Simmons College in Boston, and a doctorate in Education Leadership from Johnson & Wales.

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