LTC Earns Two National Awards

Mindy Fiscus, Director of Government Affairs, was named the State Leader of the Year. The State Leader of the Year Award recognizes an active SETDA SEA member who has exhibited outstanding leadership by advancing educational technology in their state or collaborating with peers through SETDA initiatives.

Mindy has served the Illinois educational technology community for over 20 years. In her current role at the LTC, she serves as one of the Illinois State E-Rate coordinators and the Illinois representative to SETDA. Thanks to Mindy’s expert knowledge of the federal E-Rate program, Illinois school leaders and districts are better able to maximize billions of dollars in federal funding and leverage the power of technology for personalized learning.

Mindy also leverages her exceptional communication, leadership, and organizational skills to foster collaboration among educators, administrators, and technology experts, as well as help the same edtech stakeholders develop comprehensive technology plans that meet each district’s evolving needs.

Most recently, she helped develop the STEAM Expo at the 2022 Illinois State Fair. Following the fair, she also brought that event to multiple regions around the state, providing more students with access to STEAM learning and career paths.

Mindy has been actively involved in SETDA’s work for more than 10 years, leading its E-Rate Collaborative, participating in nearly every SETDA member committee, and serving on the Board of Directors since 2019. She is the incoming SETDA board chair starting in January 2024.

“Championing equity and access lies at the core of SETDA’s values. Mindy’s exceptional leadership, both within her state and the wider SETDA community, exemplify her outstanding commitment to this cause,” said Julia Fallon, Executive Director of SETDA. “Her unwavering dedication is evident through her pivotal role across various committees and her consistent leadership make it an honor for SETDA to name Mindy Fiscus as the 2023 State Leader of the Year.”

The LTC’s Instructional Technology Coaching Program was also recognized with the State Achievement Award for Digital Content for its outstanding efforts to address meaningful challenges in teaching and learning.

Sponsored by ClassLink, the State Achievement Award program awards five prizes that align with SETDA’s priorities of Digital Content, Digital Learning, Equity of Access, Interoperability, and Professional Learning.

The LTC Instructional Technology Coaching Program gained distinction for its innovative cost-sharing model that allows multiple districts in a similar geographic area to share the costs of an instructional technology coach. This empowers  small- and medium-sized school districts to access the benefits of coaching without adding staff or committing to a full-time employee. In turn, each district develops its own customized coaching plan while enjoying consistent, personalized support that helps educators improve teaching practices and effectively integrate technology.

“I am so proud of our coaching team for the impact they are making in schools across Illinois and Mindy Fiscus for her continued leadership, both at the state and national level, on E-Rate funding, broadband, and edtech,” said Tim McIlvain, LTC Executive Director.