Profile
Ray Chavez
LACOE Director Makes a Difference for Students, Teachers, and Administrators
Raymond Chavez is the director and administrator of a successful, large-scale initiative focused on the acquisition and use of technology and telecommunications resources in schools and districts throughout Los Angeles County. Chavez's responsibilities include technology integration, development of web-based resources, and CTAP coordinator for Region 11. The focus of this work is to assist educators in improving student achievement. Ray's extensive educational background and work experience make him an administrative leader. He holds a masters degree in Education with an emphasis in Instructional Technology and has continued his own education by attending numerous workshops and trainings in leadership, management skills, and facilitation. In addition, Ray has previously served as a project director for both schools and districts in which he provided support to educators as they implemented technology integration into instructional practice. Various forms of technology are daily tools for Chavez and his staff. All written communication is in electronic format because he has made a point of providing appropriate technologies to staff members. In addition to email, staff members share electronic calendars and files and regularly use other office automation programs.
Ray's depth and breadth of experience make him a valuable resource at the county level. He has assisted districts in technology planning through consultation services and by offering workshops. He has convened focus groups to explore infrastructure issues and make recommendations to schools and districts through their reports. He has also developed workshops that focus on the specific needs of school administrators. These trainings cover a number of topics that are critical issues for administrators, such as data-driven decision-making, use of software tools to manage and track budgets, personal productivity applications, and approaches to successful grant writing. He has collaborated with other consultants in the Los Angeles County Office of Education to incorporate data analysis into trainings designed for school administrators. He also helps administrators evaluate their staff development programs and explore strategies to move staff members toward technology implementation.
Through his past and current work, Ray has authored a number of different handbooks for administrators and teachers covering topics such as instructional television resources and staff development activities. In addition, he has assisted in the development of software tools for educators. Ray is also a well-known speaker in California, having given many presentations on a variety of subjects dealing with the use of technology in the classroom.