Carol Scott Whelan :: In The Arena -
[Cached Version]
Published on: 9/3/2002
Last Visited: 3/5/2008
Carol Scott Whelan
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Carol Scott Whelan, assistant superintendent for the Office of Quality Educators at the Louisiana Department of Education, went to college and planned on being a nurse, then changed her mind about halfway through and went into teaching.
She was an elementary teacher in Jefferson Parish, and was subsequently a counselor and school site administrator.She earned an M.A. and Ed.D., then moved to working as a professor in education technology at the university level.She started taking multimedia classes and using it in the classroom until she secured a $3.4 million federal grant for the state of Louisiana.
The state superintendent of education recruited her to develop a statewide technology plan.
CDE: What was it like when you first went to work for the state?
Whelan: At the time, there was no technology director, no strategic plan and no funding.I went before the Legislature and rallied on behalf of a $37 million appropriation for education technology.That was in 1997, about the same time that the U.S. Department of Education started the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund.
CDE: What are your current job responsibilities?
Whelan: I am the assistant superintendent for the Office of Quality Educators.There are three divisions: Professional Development, Education Technology and Teacher Assessment, Assistance and Certification.There are now about 100 people in all three divisions.
CDE: What's your favorite part of your job?
Whelan: Finding support for projects I think will really help kids in the classroom, as well as finding the right kind of professional development that teachers need.
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Whelan: It's probably the interactive Teach Louisiana website launched last January.
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Whelan: I really believe that it's software that allows kids to develop products on their own.
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Whelan: I have a husband and a 15-year-old son.They're my main interests.
CDE: If there was one thing that people would be surprised to know about you, what would that be?
Whelan: I love to sail.