SAN DIMAS/LA VERNE – Bonita Unified School District Director of Educational Technology Kris Boneman has been recognized as the California IT In Education (CITE) 2022 Educational Leader of the Year for her efforts to successfully employ information technology in the learning process, with the goal of empowering educators to know their data and use it to improve student outcomes.

Boneman will be honored at the 2022 CITE Conference, held Nov. 29 to Dec. 2 at the Long Beach Convention Center.

“I love learning new things. When technology feels like magic, it is working, and I love the magic of technology,” Boneman said. “Data collection is about doing our due diligence, so that we can tell the students’ story the best way that we can. It’s the most holistic approach and in this way we can help teachers and administrators make the right choices for our students.”

Boneman began working part-time at Bonita Unified in 2003, serving as a data analyst and a teacher on special assignment for curriculum. Though she never considered herself a “computer” person, Boneman discovered that she had an aptitude for tech, eventually turning the part-time position into a career after being named the District’s first Director of Educational Technology in 2011.

Boneman built the department from scratch and now oversees a team of data analysts and a specialist, dubbed the Data Wranglers, who support more than 1,000 employees and 10,000 students and provide assessments, tech support, accountability and tech exploration for all 13 District school sites. Boneman and her team recruit teachers and principals at each site to serve as Equity Deputies, helping the Data Wranglers make the most of their information.

Boneman is a member of CITE, a nonprofit association for information technology professionals, and in 2015 received certification to become a Certified Chief Technology Officer. CITE’s core values emphasize leadership, advocacy, learning and community. Boneman is also the Vice Chair of the San Gabriel Valley Regional CITE, a group of over 50 IT professionals from area school districts.

Data analysis assists school districts by providing insights on how students learn and behave. This allows school districts to design actionable policy and curriculum that will meet the needs of students and spur academic achievement.

“We are ecstatic that Kris has been recognized for her brilliance as Ed Tech Director,” Interim Superintendent Matt Wien said. “Kris is a natural leader whose enthusiasm for her work has helped guide many of the District’s most important academic initiatives. Her Data Wrangler team works behind the scenes to provide the information that allows Bonita students to truly live their purpose.”

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BUSD_CITE: Bonita Unified Director of Educational Technology Kris Boneman has been recognized as the California IT In Education (CITE) 2022 Educational Leader of the Year.