On Nov. 19, 110 U.S. superintendents of schools joined the U.S. Department of Education and other representatives at the White House for the Superintendents' Summit.

The "ConnectED to the Future," declared by President Obama, "was an extension of the ConnectED Initiative launched earlier this year," said a post by Thomas Murray on SmartBlogs.com.

Obama, Murray said, "kicked off Future Ready, a bold new effort to maximize digital-learning opportunities and help school districts move quickly toward preparing students for success in college, a career and citizenship"

In his speech, said Murray, Obama "said that it’s time to 'yank our schools into the 21st century when it comes to technology, and provide the training and tools our teachers need' and that 'every child deserves a shot at a world class education.'

"In his concluding remarks, the Obama led all 110 superintendents in a digital pledge signing ceremony, where they joined over 1,100 additional superintendents, from all 50 states in a promise to transform their districts into ones that better prepare students for their future," said the post. "The initial signing had an impact on approximately 10.9 million of our nation’s students."

Murray offered "seven takeaways" from the summit. One of his takeaways is that "empowered, dynamic leadership is vital."

The summit convened 110 of the nation’s best and brightest thought leaders on digital learning; many already having a track record for transforming their district," he said. "It’s highly evident that districts that are getting the results, and have instituted systemic change, are led by high-octane leaders who empower those around them and remove roadblocks for digital transformation. Without a doubt, school leaders can be the greatest promoter of an innovative culture, or the largest roadblock in achieving the end goal.

Another takeaway Murray mentioned is that "student voice is paramount."

A number of students attended the White House Summit, and were given a platform to share how Future Ready Schools value student voice and get students involved in the change process," Murray said. "Very often, students view school as something done to them, as opposed to something of which they are a vital part. Future Ready Schools leverage student leadership and utilize the incredible skills of their students throughout innovative transformation.

Here is a map of Future Ready pledge signers and the tallying amount of students who are impacted all over the country from those who sign:

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Article by Kassondra Granata, Education World Contributor