Freedom Middle School principal Doug Szcinski has been selected as the Orange County Public Schools 2012 Innovative Principal of the Year. Szcinski has been the principal at Freedom Middle for two and a half years. In that time, he has made significant improvements, including the purchase of three mobile mini laptop labs, two mobile iPad labs, 10 student response systems, and new computer workstations for the entire staff.
Through a partnership with the national “Project Lead the Way” grant, OCPS Career and Technology Education, and Perkins grants, he was instrumental in creating a new Academy of Engineering Lab. He also oversaw the creation of a new Academy of Business Technology Lab, an ESOL lab for language acquisition. and a MacBook lab for STEM instruction. He has made it possible for all students to have access to technology. Szcinski is currently looking for ways to update all projectors throughout the campus to make sure the school has the most up-to-date technology available.
Szcinski places a large priority on parent and community involvement. He converted the school’s printed newsletters to a digitized weekly newsletter for parents and the community and a digitized newspaper for students. Recently, Szcinski and the school technology coordinator created an app for iOS, Android, and Windows devices – the first personalized school app of its kind in our district. The app allows parents to see what’s happening in the school with regard to academics and extracurricular activities. He is also very active with social media and uses Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and a blog to engage families and the community.
Doug Szcinski will represent Orange County Public Schools at the Florida Educational Technology Conference at the end of the month as the Orange County Public Schools nominee for the state award. The state award winner is chosen by the Florida Council of Instructional Technology Leaders.
