Lakota superintendent wins national award

CINCINNATI — A southwest Ohio superintendent gained national recognition recently for getting technology into classrooms. 

It’s not all that uncommon to see Matt Miller walking the halls at Liberty Early Childhood School in Lakota Local Schools. The superintendent likes to visit the students and make sure they’re on task.

“These are second graders that are doing coding and letters to teachers and Google Docs?” Miller asked the teacher.

That’s right, second graders learning how to code. Miller said these types of skills in technology are imperative to the Lakota Local Schools.

“They’re already working on things that are going to sustain them for the workforce or for a career,” Miller said. “That’s one of our big things we do here at Lakota.”

That’s why the Consortium for School Networking and the School Superintendents Association named Miller the Digital Superintendent of the Year. Miller said the national award is a testament to what the teachers and staff make happen in all of the 23 Lakota schools across the district.

“We have so many amazing teachers, staff members and amazing school board members that do so much for our kids every single day,” he said. “Though I got the award, I couldn’t do it without the teachers and staff.”

Miller said the award shows that in his five years as superintendent, the schools are on the right path.

“Sort of validation for the work that we’ve been doing for our kids whether it’s technology-based, teaching and learning, social-emotional learning, all sort of wrap around things for our students,” he said.

But at the end of the day, it all comes down to the kids and forming relationships with them in order to make a difference.

“I like the connections that I have with the kids and the teachers and staff,” Miller said. “Sort of like the repeat people I see all the time, I don’t have favorites per se, but there are certain rooms that I like to hit and see what’s going on in the classrooms.”