Steve Garton is Senior Manager for Common Sense Education. He is an expert in meaningful technology integration, particularly in large-scale initiatives. He supports districts with professional development planning, program monitoring, student assessment, and communication across stakeholder groups.
Prior to joining Common Sense, Steve was the Coordinator of Educational Technology for the Maine Department of Education. At the Maine Department of Education, he led the professional development programs for the Maine Learning Technology Initiative, the state’s 1:1 program that supported over 12,000 teachers and administrators. As a member of the department’s leadership team, he provided policy support and leadership.
Steve was co-chair of the Smarter Balanced Consortium Technology Approach Committee and led the initial technology readiness and assessment infrastructure work. Additionally he served as a member of the advisory council of the Maine School and Library Network, Maine’s statewide broadband network serving K-12 schools and public libraries.
Steve has served as a technology director at the county level (Trumbull County, Ohio) and a classroom teacher and technology coordinator of the Sharon City School District in Pennsylvania.
Steve holds a Bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Eastern Illinois University, a Bachelor’s in math education from Slippery Rock University and a Masters in educational technology from Youngstown State.