Collaboration is a hallmark of many of NASA’s endeavors. In 2020, NASA and the Department of State joined with seven other founding nations to establish the Artemis Accords, introducing the first set of practical principles aimed at enhancing the safety and coordination between like-minded nations as they explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond. A few days ago, the 70th nation joined the accord.

“When we brainstorm in the classroom, you're in a bubble,” says educator and NASA Solar System Ambassador Tim Needles of Smithtown School District in New York. “In some of these programs, much like in the space program, we will collaborate on a project with three or four different countries. Introducing students to other places gives them different experiences to pull from, even when they are back in that bubble. Every single time, there is surprise learning that happens.”

A cooperative perspective is key in advancing learning into infinite possibilities.

”It’s invaluable because yes, there's the things you expect in the curriculum, but we're learning about how to collaborate with people from different cultures and appreciate different perspectives within that learning,” Needles says. “When they put together the James Webb Telescope, it was a collaboration of a few different countries. So we collaborated with a class in Switzerland to actually build a model of the James Webb. They did part of it and mailed it to us, and then we did the other part. Just modeling that kind of international collaboration is a great lesson by itself.”

For helping students explore space and the world around them, and other efforts, Needles was recently recognized with a Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Award.

Needles, also a nationally renowned expert on STEAM, shares his work with the NASA Solar System Ambassador Program and offers tips for those interested in getting involved.

Stepping (Way) Outside the Classroom

Needles has been a NASA Solar System Ambassador for a few years. “We work through the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) in California, and we get trained on every mission,” he says. “The idea is to be able to communicate that information back in the world of education or in the community.”

Participating in events to support NASA helps others understand what space missions are about. Part of this message is also educating others on what the space program has already added to their lives without them even noticing.

“A lot of times, teachers don't even know the connections to space in what we are teaching,” Needles says. “If I'm working with a science class and we're looking at the environment, a lot of that data comes from the space program. As a NASA Ambassador I can help them understand how this upcoming mission is actually going to be really important to get new data to use.”

Exciting new developments will keep Needles busy sharing what he learns at NASA’s JPL. During the recent Artemis Project launch, he shared weekly videos and K-12 lesson plans — from designing a mission patch logo to using physics and math to calculate a flight plan — across his district and, as a NYSCATE board member, with all New York teachers.

“It’s really a new frontier, especially now with Artemis,” he says. “We're going to be building a base on the moon to be interplanetary at some point and try to get to Mars. We're going to have the first female on the moon in the next two to three years, which is very exciting. I watched Apollo 13 last night and it ends with them talking about when is the next man going to be on the moon? And I'm thinking, ‘Not exactly.’”

Through the program, Needles adds depth to his classroom by inviting people who work at NASA for a virtual meeting during which students can engage with one of the engineers, designers, or even the occasional astronaut.

“There's no better experience than that,” he says. “Whether it's involving AI or the environment, it all correlates to some of the things I'm doing within the NASA Solar System Ambassador Program. It’s exciting what we’re able to do in the classroom now. It’s just so interesting and really poignant at the moment, to be involved in this most important work.”

To Infinity … And Closer

Needles doesn’t need to bring students to space to build their global perspective.

“We went to the Galapagos two years ago. This year we went to Japan and Korea,” Needles says. “I think there's no better education program than going somewhere else and learning about a different culture and the different ways that people live. In today's AI world, those human skills of collaboration and openness to different perspectives are more important than ever. Travel opens your mind to different perspectives, which is more important than ever.”

Opening minds through bringing awareness of our place in the puzzle of the universe, first on a global scale, was good practice for becoming a NASA ambassador.

“So many of the students I bring on these tours haven't even been to New York City, and it's only an hour-and-a-half away by train,” Needles says. “Bringing them to somewhere like Ecuador, where it’s just an entirely different culture — it’s so exciting to see the impact. There's very few things you take on in education where you know that students’ lives are going to change from having that one experience. Every trip I take opens up the universe to these kids, many who then become world travelers in college and beyond.”

Students aren’t the only beneficiaries of gaining a global perspective.

“Now I'm traveling with teachers, which I've never done before,” Needles says. “I'm working with NYSCATE and a few other groups to do a teacher tour next summer exploring England, Scotland and Ireland. We connect with locals virtually before the trips to make connections and learn a little about their experience. We can really see how we're all one planet and how things are connected.”

Each destination has its own lesson.

“I went to Iceland for the first time last year and was entranced by how much of their energy is geothermal,” Needles says. “You go to a place like Amsterdam with the amount of people using bikes, or Europe’s reliance on public transportation, it's like, ‘Oh, so this is possible.’ It really opens your mind to what you could do, and how different things could be.”

3 Ways To Incorporate the NASA Ambassador Program Into Your District

Needles share how districts can implement the NASA Ambassador program into learning.

Plan an ambassador visit. The global program has over 145 ambassadors and another 1,200 volunteers. “You can access the website, look up the nearest ambassador to you and reach out,” Needles says. “They are always happy to come to the classroom and support the teachers or set up a book talk with an astronaut author. It's a free program — when we're working as Solar System Ambassadors, we don't charge.”

Volunteer with the program. If you have an interest and free time, you can start as a volunteer, and after participating in a few different events, apply for a bigger role. “The solar system is the overall topic, but you can have specialties such as working with a telescope or STEAM,” Needles says. “It is very flexible. They offer 2-10 trainings each week to hop on and learn about each new program.”

Apply to become an ambassador. You can apply through the program’s website. “There are a lot of opportunities and you get a badge and can visit the JPL on certain dates, as well as learn all about every new program or space telescope launch,” Needles says. Applications are considered annually for the three-year role.

Needles Teaching Videos:

• Artemis video
• Planet video
• Design with AI video

Tools They Use

• Discovery Education
• Adobe (Express, Aqua, Firefly, Photoshop, & Premiere)
• Google Education (with Notebook LM & Gemini)
• National Geographic Education
• SchoolAI
• Magic School
• Snorkl
• Claude
• Wakelet
• Quiver
• Sphero
• Phet Interactive
• SMART
• Wayground
• Lego
• Free Resources:
• NASA Solar System Ambassadors
• NASA Eyes
• NASA Learning Resources
• Okgo Sandbox
• Discovery Education AI Literacy

Franklin Special District (FSD) is the only district in Tennessee to offer aerospace as a high school credit course to 8th graders. It has no entry requirements, making this CTE opportunity attainable for every student.

“We were hopeful that the students would connect with the subject and find it interesting, but they've really taken to it beyond my wildest dreams,” says Mary Decker, Associate Director of Schools for Teaching & Learning at FSD, who developed and leads the district’s aerospace program. “We have quite a few students who are now pursuing a career in aerospace. Many of them really weren't familiar with aviation before they took this class.”

A Tennessee Department of Education Innovative School Models (ISM) grant provided the district with $1 million to pursue college and career technical education (CTE) programming. Through this grant program, Decker reimagined modes of time, space, and learning in partnerships between middle and high schools, post-secondary, and the aerospace industry.

“It definitely gives them that real-world, hands-on learning that the students are craving,” Decker says. “There are some students who struggle with learning in traditional ways, but when you factor in the simulator time, it's really speaking their language. We've seen them become more open to the academic, book learning side of the class.”

For this and other efforts, Decker was recently recognized with a Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Award. She shares details about her popular aerospace program implementation and tips for those interested in creating a similar program in their district.

‘Flying Before Driving’

Middle school might sound ambitious for such a program, but Decker says that’s not the case.

“I've had some people say to me, ‘Aren't they too young? Can they really appreciate the time on the flight simulators? Isn't this too much for them?’” she says. “They have absolutely risen to the occasion. They have excelled. Students rise to the level of our expectations, and I think this program has really demonstrated that.”

The program has created opportunities for in-demand and lucrative careers, such as future pilots, air traffic controllers, aircraft maintenance technicians, and aeronautical engineers. Some students will be poised to earn their private pilot license before they are old enough to drive.

“They are just finishing their freshman year of high school and already have aerospace in mind as a career,” Decker says. “They are thinking, ‘How can I start building up my flying hours? How can I start taking flight lessons? What other courses should I be taking? How should I be building my high school schedule so that it fits in with what I'm planning to do?’ Just seeing that sense of direction already in ninth graders is amazing.”

The program also offers other benefits to students.

“Getting the correct education and licenses for an aviation career is expensive and can be complicated,” Decker says. “If there are financial obstacles in the way, or students are intimidated by the process to get where they want to go, we wanted to take all of that away and just say, ‘If you're interested, we are going to do everything we can to take you as far as possible with aerospace.’”

Sims for the Win

Simulators aren’t just about sliding into a machine for a video game session. It involves navigation, management of emergencies, instrument awareness, taxi and hangar skills in a variety of aircraft.

Each FSD aerospace program classroom has at least five Redbird Jay Velocity Flight Simulators that students use daily, and at least one Redbird TD flight simulator, which is FAA-certified as a Basic Aviation Training Device (BATD) and a Redbird LD simulator.

“They can practice radio calls. They can simulate emergency scenarios. It continually gets more complicated and more realistic,” says Decker. “If they are working with a certified flight instructor, these are simulators that pilots can use to actually log flight time. They're authorized Federal Aviation Administration training devices. We offer students the best learning experience and the most realistic simulation of flight.”

The Redbird simulators allow different aircraft to be programmed for different scenarios in whatever type of flight the teacher wants them to learn for the day,

All this exposure sets students up for success regardless of which aerospace track they pursue.

“If they do go on to earn their pilot certificate, they've already banked some of that experience. If they are interested in becoming an air traffic controller, they have experience with radio calls. If they're going into aircraft maintenance, they have a better understanding of flight characteristics in different airplanes they've been introduced to through the simulators. It’s really just a win-win with the sims.”

Find a Teacher With Their Head in the Clouds

The first step in launching an aviation-aimed program is to find the right educators for the job. FSD has one dedicated aerospace teacher, who walks back and forth between adjacent middle schools.

“Not only is he a licensed teacher, he has a private pilot certificate and owns his own airplane,” Decker says. “We just got very fortunate that we have such a great teacher and he obviously knows the content exceptionally well. He has forged really fantastic relationships with the students.”

Don’t be discouraged if you haven’t hit the aerospace-superstar lottery in your district.

“I have talked to other districts where they've had a teacher come in who wasn’t necessarily knowledgeable about aerospace, but was very enthusiastic,” Decker says. “They were still able to use the curriculum, learn about the simulators and teach the class very successfully. We’ve had other STEM teachers attend professional learning around aerospace so that we have a team who are knowledgeable and are able to provide support, but our aerospace teacher handles all of the classes at this point.”

If there is one wish Decker had for the future of the program, it is simply to have more of it.

“I'd love to expand the program someday,” she says. “The way our master scheduling works, this class is an elective. It currently works very well for us to have the two classes at each middle school, so one teacher is able to handle it.”

FSD uses the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) High School Aviation STEM Curriculum, which provides a solid foundation.

“The AOPA sets the standard for a comprehensive aerospace curriculum,” Decker says. “They work closely with Redbird to incorporate the simulator instruction so the teacher knows the best lessons to integrate for a specific scenario in the simulator. The two definitely work hand-in-hand. It includes aerospace history, aerodynamics, engineering, flight characteristics of different aircraft, even a section on unmanned aerial systems.”

A Winning Pilot Program

Part of launching an education program based on the art of aviation is letting students’ ambitions and imaginations take flight.

“We're about three hours away from Memphis, where FedEx is based so a lot of FedEx pilots live in the area,” says Decker. “They have been very generous in coming in and talking to the kids, letting them know what their careers and path to flying looked like. We had a Southwest Airlines representative come in to tour the classes and meet with the students.”

Getting a pilot’s perspective on the industry is great, but seeing them in action is inspiring. Students get to attend the Great Tennessee Air Show in nearby Smyrna to see multiple types of aircraft, and interact with the pilots and various support personnel.

The flight and aerospace industry is broad and varied in the area. For example, pilots from a hot air balloon company have done demonstrations and students have visited the aviation program at nearby Middle Tennessee State University.

“We're definitely trying to involve the community, and specifically the aviation community, to show our students all the paths they can take to achieve their aviation dreams,” Decker says.

Taking the wheel isn’t the only option for interested students.

“We definitely wanted to develop pilots, but there are so many opportunities and jobs available in aerospace careers — air traffic controller, aircraft maintenance, aeronautical engineer, airport manager . . . .” Decker says. “Whatever their interest is, we are here to encourage it.”

3 Tips to Helping an Aerospace Program Take Off

Decker offers advice for others looking to launch a career pathway in aerospace.

1. Build Your Team — “If somebody's looking to start an aerospace program, think beyond finding a great teacher,” she says. “It really has to be a team effort to make it as high quality as possible for the students. Our instructional technology specialists, curriculum supervisor and technology supervisor and members of his tech team have really thrown themself into supporting this program. I’m really fortunate that they saw the possibilities this would offer students and have been enthusiastic from day one.”

2. Give the Team Support and Information — “Make sure the teacher has everything they need with regard to curriculum, provide them with professional learning,” Decker says. “Have your technology team and instructional technology attend training and learn how to set up and troubleshoot the sims so that they are always running perfectly. Make sure school administrators have all the background and are kept well-informed because their support is really important as well.”

3. Find the Finances — “We were fortunate that we have this ISM grant, but I also applied and received a smaller grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation,” Decker says. “If you have money within your budget to allocate that’s great, but take the time to explore state grant funding sources. The AOPA curriculum is free, but plan funding to ensure simulators will be part of your program. They are not inexpensive, but they're worth it and really crucial.”

Tools They Use

• i-Ready
• aimswebPlus
• Discovery Education
• Learning.com
• Destiny
• Code HS
• Quaver Music
• QuaverReady
• Clever
• Skyward
• GoGuardian
• Parsec
• Curriculum-specific tech resources include: McGraw Hill Wonders (K-4); Savvas Realize Science (K-8); Studies Weekly (K-2); Gallopade (3-8); Open Up Reading (5); Savvas My Perspectives Reading (6); McGraw Hill StudySync Reading (7-8); Actively Learn ; McGraw Hill Math (5-6); Big Ideas Math (7-8, Algebra 1, Geometry)

The insights from a recent Ed-Tech Leadership Collective Briefing paint a clear picture: the traditional playbook for marketing to school districts is obsolete. Today’s educational leaders are navigating a perfect storm of tightening budgets, expiring stimulus funds, and an unprecedented volume of vendor outreach.

The Briefing, co-hosted by Tech & Learning, featured two speakers from T&L’s EdExec Summit, taking place in Chicago on September 10-11. The discussion offered a sneak peek into the kinds of conversations expected to take place at this event for education executives.

Collin Earnst, Founder and Managing Partner at the Ed-tech Leadership Collective, spoke with Trina Reeves (Director of STEM and Innovation at Clayton County Schools, GA) and Joe Ayala (Director of Information Technology at Santa Clara USD, CA), to hear their candid feedback to education companies looking to market to them.

Below are the insights education companies can use to evolve their marketing and sales strategies and build lasting partnerships with schools.

The New Era of Budget Scrutiny and ROI

The days of easily accessible ESSER funds are gone. Districts are now managing the realities of inflation, cost escalators, and, in many cases, staff reductions.

Consequently, the scrutiny placed on spending has never been higher. Superintendents and school boards are demanding concrete proof of a product’s Return on Investment (ROI).

"One thing that is being asked more than ever is, ‘Is your product actually making a difference?’” Ayala said. “From the superintendent level to the board members, I've been asked more about ROI than I have in my entire career over the last six months."

Trina Reaves echoed this reality, noting that shifting leadership brings intense new focus on metrics. Sharing a recent conversation with her new superintendent, she detailed his strict mandate: "’I want to see the data, I want to see usage. I want to compare it to scores, how the students are performing.’ He says if it's not making a difference, it's going to go."

To market effectively in this environment, vendors must proactively assist district leaders in proving this value. Enter conversations armed with data, usage metrics, and a clear understanding of the district’s specific strategic plan and needs. Don’t put the burden of justifying a product's cost on the district.

Cutting Through the Vendor Noise

District leaders are inundated with sales pitches. With some administrators receiving upward of 200 calls per day and countless emails, the push for a "quick win" or an immediate long-term contract can permanently damage a relationship.

"I've actually fired quite a few vendors,” said Ayala. “If they went really hard on the first sale, I'm like, ‘Okay, I'll give you one sale, but we're not going to form a partnership. You got that one PO from me, but you're not going to get any more POs.’”

To break through the noise, education companies must pivot to a value-first, relationship-based approach:

▶Go slow to go fast: Building a genuine partnership can sometimes take years. Rushing a district into a long-term commitment before they have secured funding or proven the concept through a pilot will likely burn bridges.

▶Show up without an ask: Support district events, attend regional STEM collaboratives, and send check-in emails that offer value rather than a sales pitch.

▶Respect the chain of command: If an initial pilot or conversation is moving slowly, do not bypass your primary contact to pitch directly to the superintendent or principal. This is a surefire way to get blacklisted.

When you do earn that trust, the loyalty is profound. "Once you're my partner, we're partners and 10 toes down for you all the time," Reaves said. "When I think of something, I'm calling you. When I need something, I'm calling you."

Flexibility in Pricing and Implementation

Rigidity in software licensing is a major friction point for modern districts. If a tool is primarily utilized by a specific subset of teachers, vendors should not force a district-wide site license.

"There is no way I should pay for 5,000 licenses, and only 100 kids are using it,” Reaves said. “If those 100 kids are doing great but we’re spending $2 million, that's a problem."

When budgets are tight, vendors who adapt their pricing and packaging to match actual usage will retain clients. Furthermore, successful implementation requires ongoing PD. Because teacher turnover is high, Reaves suggests packaging PD deeply into the adoption rather than treating it as a massive, recurring separate line item that eats into a district's limited PD budget.

Standardizing and Sharing Meaningful Data

You cannot prove ROI without accurate data, yet many edtech platforms make data extraction unnecessarily difficult. Beautiful, high-level presentation dashboards are nice, but district IT leaders need raw, exportable data to integrate with their own internal systems.

"I think the next iteration of edtech is developing some data standards of reporting data back,” said Ayala. “One easy thing that you do is make sure the usage data is easily exported."

Vendors must collaborate with districts to define what constitutes an “active user.” Is it one login per month, or five interactive sessions per week? By establishing shared metrics and making data sharing agreements seamless, vendors empower district leaders to confidently defend the product to their school boards.

The Ed-Tech Vendor Playbook: Do's and Don'ts

The Bottom Line

Marketing to K-12 educators today requires empathy, patience, and a willingness to adapt. Vendors who listen to a district's financial constraints, respect their time, and prioritize slow, authentic relationship-building will ultimately thrive.

As the conversation with Reaves and Ayala makes clear: once you prove your value and earn the title of a true "partner," district leaders will advocate fiercely for your continued presence in their schools.

To build a winning strategy for the post-stimulus education market, join us at Tech & Learning's EdExec Summit on September 10-11 in Chicago. Featuring tailored tracks for every functional leader, each session is co-facilitated by a district buyer—providing exclusive, direct insights to help you craft an actionable business plan.

In today’s digitally rich environments, the value of knowledge lies not simply in its availability but in how effectively it is created, refined, and applied over time. Knowledge management addresses the use of data for instructional and school improvement, and should ensure that administrative processes and procedures are clearly outlined in such a way that organizations do not lose knowledge or efficiency when personnel leave, rotate, or are otherwise unavailable.

The process facet of knowledge management should be a continuous cycle in which educators and institutions intentionally capture insights, reduce complex tasks to clearly defined processes, and systematically share and apply that knowledge to improve practice. This process-driven approach enables schools and districts to learn from prior initiatives, sustain institutional memory, and adapt more effectively to change. By embedding knowledge management considerations into daily practice, institutions can strengthen their processes and reduce the costs associated with personnel transitions.

One of my students recently raised the concern that she worked within a team of five. Even though they all effectively shared the same job title, each covered a specific group of students. When someone was absent, however, there was a loss as the specifics of dealing with that student group were not always documented.

This kind of approach causes delays when someone is out sick or on vacation, and can be significantly more detrimental when a key player leaves an organization, and no one has been cross-trained to deal with the totality of the vacated position.

What should technology leaders do to ensure this facet of knowledge management is embedded into their instructional practices?

1. Capture What Employees Know

Too often, valuable knowledge remains locked in the experiences of individuals. Effective knowledge management begins by intentionally capturing both formal and informal procedures, from routine office workflows to exceptions that staff learn to handle through experience. When clerical employees document what steps they take and which systems they update, who must be notified, and how they verify accuracy, they convert individual know-how into transferable organizational knowledge. This is particularly important in a world where change control is usually controlled by a cloud-based provider and not the institution itself.

For example, when a clerical employee changes a student’s bus route, the process may require updating the student information system, notifying transportation, alerting the classroom teacher and office staff, confirming parent or guardian communication, and checking that the old route no longer appears in any active roster or report. If those steps are not clearly documented, the change may be completed in one system but missed in another, creating confusion for staff and potentially inaccurate information for families.

Leaders should ensure that routine clerical tasks such as address changes, attendance corrections, schedule adjustments, or transportation updates are supported by clear, step-by-step procedures that can be followed consistently by any trained employee.

2. Reduce Critical Single Points of Failure

One of the most significant risks facing schools and districts is the existence of critical single points of failure. These situations in which essential knowledge or processes reside with only one employee seem to be more common as school budgets are stretched. These vulnerabilities often go unnoticed until a key individual is absent, retires, or accepts a position elsewhere.

In many educational organizations, long-serving employees develop expertise that is never formally documented because "they have always handled it." While this arrangement may appear efficient, it creates organizational risk. For example, a district technology coordinator may be the only person who knows how to submit annual state technology reports, manage key integrations between the student information system and learning management system, or update user provisioning rules. If that employee unexpectedly leaves, the district may struggle to complete required reporting, restore system functionality, or troubleshoot issues that arise during critical periods such as student registration or state testing.

Technology leaders should routinely identify processes that depend on a single individual and prioritize documenting those workflows, creating backup procedures, and assigning secondary personnel who can perform the task when necessary.

Institutional knowledge should belong to the organization, not to any one employee. One of the best ways to address this issue is to cross-train staff.

3. Build Cross-Training into Organizational Culture

Documentation is an important first step, but written procedures alone do not guarantee organizational resilience. Employees must also have opportunities to learn and practice responsibilities outside their primary roles. Cross-training helps ensure that critical functions can continue even when key personnel are unavailable while also fostering greater collaboration and understanding across departments.

In educational settings, cross-training might involve office staff learning basic attendance reporting procedures normally handled by another clerk, instructional technology specialists learning the fundamentals of student account provisioning, or technology support staff becoming familiar with the district's purchasing and inventory systems.

Consider a school district in which only one employee manages the onboarding process for new staff members. If that individual is absent during the busy summer hiring season, delays may occur in creating network accounts, issuing devices, assigning software licenses, and granting access to instructional resources. By cross-training at least one additional employee and periodically allowing that person to perform the process independently, the district can ensure continuity of service and reduce disruptions. Periodically performing the process is essential so cross-training employees remember what they are doing and can catch any small changes to software that might modify the process that went unnoticed.

Effective technology leaders view cross-training as an ongoing investment in organizational capacity, employee growth, and operational stability.

4. Use Technology to Strengthen Process Consistency

Rather than relying on employees to remember procedures or learn through informal conversations, schools should leverage digital tools to create systems that guide staff through established workflows and provide easy access to current information. Knowledge bases, internal wikis, shared cloud documentation systems, workflow automation platforms, and ticketing systems can help standardize processes and ensure that a critical task is completed consistently regardless of who performs it.

For example, when a student's address changes, a documented workflow can guide staff through updating the student information system, notifying transportation services, communicating with teachers, and verifying that all related records have been updated. By embedding procedures within technology systems, organizations reduce the likelihood of missed steps and create greater continuity when employees are absent or positions change.

Artificial intelligence further enhances these capabilities by making organizational knowledge easier to access and use. AI tools can summarize lengthy procedures, generate first drafts of documentation, create frequently asked questions from existing manuals, and help employees quickly locate the information they need. A staff member unfamiliar with a process may be able to ask an AI-powered knowledge assistant how to complete a particular task and receive guidance drawn directly from institutional documentation.

Similarly, a short video demonstration or screen recording can provide visual instruction that is often more effective than pages of written directions. (It is important that these videos and other instructions are representative of the school’s version of the software. One cannot simply use “off-the-shelf instruction” in many cases, as they can cause confusion.)

Technology and AI cannot replace the need for strong underlying processes, however. Poorly documented procedures simply result in faster distribution of inaccurate information.

The effectiveness of AI and other knowledge-management technologies depends entirely on the quality of the knowledge contained within. Technology leaders should therefore view these tools as mechanisms for preserving institutional memory, improving process consistency, and ensuring that organizational knowledge remains available long after individual employees move on to new roles.

Effective Process Management

Ultimately, effective process management is an essential leadership responsibility. When schools intentionally document procedures, cross-train employees, and use technology to make knowledge accessible, they reduce disruption, preserve institutional memory, and improve service to students, families, and staff.

Successful leaders and organizations do not depend on one person knowing what to do. They build systems that ensure important work can continue accurately, consistently, and confidently, regardless of who is available to perform it.

Watch above or listen/download below.

For nearly 30 years, E-Rate has been what one might call the most boring of utility programs — a broadband subsidy that quietly connects America's schools and libraries. Now the FCC is asking whether it should exist at all.

Reg Leichty, founding partner of Foresight Law + Policy and a longtime E-Rate advocate, joined the Tech & Learning podcast to break down the commission's newly opened review of the program. His first message: don't panic. His second: take this seriously.

"Sunsetting," he notes, is the polite framing — the proceeding is an inquiry into whether the investment should be terminated.

Leichty pushes back on the review's central premise, which ties E-Rate to concerns about student screen time. Questions about how much time kids spend online are worth asking, he says, but these fall outside the scope of the program and the FCC's telecommunications mandate — an inappropriate merger of two different streams of work.

The stakes are concrete. E-Rate is a need-based subsidy, scaled to community poverty levels, that supports everything from dark fiber projects to wireless access points. Remove it, and those costs fall on local communities — hitting hardest in low-income districts and expensive-to-connect rural areas such as the Nebraska town where Leichty grew up. He also sees a contradiction in questioning school connectivity at the very moment the administration is championing AI readiness.

Still, Leichty argues periodic review is healthy, and this proceeding is a chance to modernize the program's badly dated cybersecurity provisions using early learnings from the FCC's cybersecurity pilot.

The timeline offers breathing room: a 60-day comment period once the notice hits the Federal Register, 30 more days for replies, and likely no implementation before 2028.

Leichty's advice for district leaders: contact your members of Congress this month to educate them about what E-Rate does in their district, and file comments through the FCC's electronic filing system when the window opens.

Take action: The FCC's comment window opens once the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is published in the Federal Register, and as Leichty notes, the commission is obligated to review every comment it receives.

- District leaders can file directly through the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System — reference WC Docket No. 26-133 — using either a written document or the express comment field.

- The full NPRM and commissioner statements are available on the FCC's website.

- For advocacy resources and updates on the proceeding, CoSN has issued a statement on the review and maintains ongoing E-Rate advocacy tools for members.

- And per Leichty's two-part strategy: don't wait for the comment window — contact your House member and senators this month and tell them what E-Rate funds in your district.

Watch above or listen/download below.

Most conversations about education equity focus on helping students who are struggling. AJ Gutierrez wants to talk about those who are achieving yet are still being overlooked.

As the new CEO of Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS), Gutierrez is leading a national nonprofit that partners with more than 900 middle and high schools across 35 states to identify students who are prepared for advanced coursework but aren't getting access to it. In this conversation with Tech & Learning, he offers insights for district leaders on how to do more for students that may be off the radar.

A recent Mathematica study found that EOS partner schools identify more than 2.5 times as many underrepresented students ready for AP, IB, or dual enrollment compared to traditional methods — and that those students, once placed, perform just as well as their peers.

"There's a huge subset of students who are ready for advanced coursework who were, for many reasons, being overlooked," Gutierrez says. "If you look at things like the PSAT, there was a large study EOS conducted with EdTrust where they were missing on 80% of students who would have qualified."

What makes the EOS approach distinct is what it measures. Beyond grades and test scores, EOS collects student survey data on factors such as whether a student feels connected to a trusted adult at school, their future aspirations, and their sense of belonging. When those insights are combined with academic data — and increasingly, with AI-driven predictive analytics — patterns emerge that no dashboard alone would surface.

"Education is always going to be human-led, but technology-augmented," Gutierrez says. "You can't just share a dashboard or a widget and expect big change. You're talking about shifting mindsets and shifting human behavior."

Gutierrez brings a personal dimension to the work. A product of Boston's Match Education program, he credits rigorous coursework and personalized support as pivotal in his own trajectory. He went on to co-found Saga Education, which helped catalyze a national high-impact tutoring movement and secure more than $7 billion in public investment between 2020 and today.

At EOS, his next focus is chronic absenteeism — using the organization's survey data and emerging AI tools to identify students at risk of disengaging before it's too late.

"If we focus on individual students," he says, "we can increase the odds of improving average daily attendance."

“We have been on this planet for a very long time and we've evolved,” says Kimberly Zajac, a speech language pathologist at Norton Public Schools in Mansfield, Massachusetts. “Society changes with time. Communication has always been a basic human right. Too often we put the onus of the work onto the wrong people to be able to access, engage, and be part of the community and what's happening in this world.”

Zajac aims to end this burden by smoothing the road for all students using technology and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. She has developed a replicable model for integrating Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) as an inclusive practice, providing comprehensive professional development and embedded coaching, ensuring that all educators—not just special education staff—are equipped to support students with complex communication needs. This dismantles systemic barriers, creating a learning environment in which students who have been historically marginalized are given the tools to thrive academically and socially.

Zajac, who was recently recognized with a Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Award for this and other efforts, shares her “Guide to Preparing for Title II Accessibility Requirements” as well as tips for those interested in creating the best program possible.

An Evolution in Education

“The work I do around accessibility and inclusion and communication in tandem with policy that we've gotten from the DOJ with the ADA Title II and the WCAG guidelines really elevates this idea that we need to take a long, hard look at what we're doing and how we're doing it,” Zajac says. “We need to redesign that to be more accessible and eliminate the barriers in order to evolve as a human race.”

As communication continues to evolve alongside technology, Zajac suggests it was “a ripe time” to learn about the new developments and new ways to support students with their alternative and augmentative communication needs, and to fill in any gaps. Collaborating with district leadership, Zajac and her team did a survey and came up with a five-year plan to build capacity and elevate access and inclusion through communication from pre-K to 12 plus.

“We were able to articulate and apply to grants on a local level, which were well received,” Zajac says. “We received a significant amount of funding locally and at the state level to not only purchase hardware and software, but also to invite professional development and coaching, which is really the glue to helping things turn into actions and experiences for our students and their families.”

This effort brought positive results for everyone.

“The stewards along that path — the teachers, the stakeholders, the parents — are all in it together to bring our learners into the future and make sure their full capacity is realized,” Zajac says. “The point is that it takes a village. The stakeholders are far, wide and vast — they bring valuable individual-lived experience to the table that creates connection and benefits the learners we serve.”

5 Reasons Digital Accessibility Is Important Beyond Compliance

• One in Five People Have a Disability - Actions help more than you think.
• Legal Risks - ADA complaints, costly investigations, and lawsuits with private right of action.
• Educational Barriers - Digital inaccessibility means students with disabilities cannot access the same education.
• Reputational Damage - Non-compliance signals that equity is not a true district priority.
• Universal Design Benefits All Learners - Accessible design principles — captions, clear contrast, keyboard navigation — improve the learning experience for every student, not just those with disabilities.

How Implementation Looks in the Classroom

Zajac hasn’t reached the end of her five-year plan and is realizing it to be just the tip of the iceberg.

“We've experienced a wonderful transformation,” she says. “We have seen increased use of alternative and augmentative communication processes, systems, devices, strategies and assets within a great number of classrooms in our target range of pre-K to 12. It's making significant impact in the way that students are able to be engaged in and included in all aspects of their day.”

Zajac is seeing improvements in academics as well as in social-specific areas, ranging from circle time to snack time, lunch time extending into extracurriculars. Increasing inclusivity into these social-centered elements of a school day are critical to giving all students a sense of belonging.

“I just can't say how important it is that we inspire educators and families and stakeholders at scale to think about learners from the margins as we develop our systems and policies,” she says. “It's a human process to have blind spots. It's impossible not to have them, but that's where the stakeholders come in. Lived experience can inform who might have accidentally been excluded. You can then move forward with policies and strategic system approaches that do honor all the voices that should be represented.”

This has led to more participation from students, who are more eager to contribute to the conversation. Students who do not face communication issues are also curious and interested about how the technology works.

For example, Zajac says, “I was in a group this morning that included one of my non-speaking students who uses an iPad to support the expressive communication element of his participation. Every single student involved in the activity was choosing to utilize the iPad in addition to their verbal communication. Each time a student reached for the iPad, the non-speaking student’s smile grew bigger.”

The 5-Step Compliance Plan

• The Audit Comprehensive review of all digital properties to understand scope.
• The Roadmap Timeline to bridge gaps; prioritize high-leverage systems first.
• Procurement Reform Update RFPs to include accessibility requirements for all vendors.
• Staff Training Build internal capacity so accessible content is created from day one.
• Documentation Record all actions; publish a public accessibility statement online.

Zajac feels one of the most important things we need to establish for students in schools today is that when they arrive, they feel like they belong there—that they are seen, that they are heard, and that there are more things in common among their classmates than there are differences.

“We've known about UDL in the past, but there hasn't been this call to action for the tools to actually have features that make it possible for teachers to design, deliver, and execute the end goal with the student,” Zajac says, adding there's nothing more exciting than seeing it coming together.

“Today, my student— his face just lit up when other students were choosing to use the iPad,” Zajac says. “It hit me, ‘Oh my goodness, he feels so comfortable here. He's letting his emotions out.’ That's that ‘sense of belonging’ indicator. There is no finish line. You just have to commit to that dynamic ongoing process. But we're doing things right when students can let their guard down and be who they are in the space.”

Compliance, Whose Responsibility Is it? Know Your Role

• IT & Technology System configuration, assistive tech support, platform audits.
• Curriculum & Instruction Accessible lesson plans, screen-reader-friendly materials.
• Procurement Vetting vendors for WCAG compliance before purchase.
• Special & General Ed Aligning classroom tools with individual student needs.
• Leadership Steering the cross-functional team; accountability to the board.
• Families & Community Providing feedback on real user experience.

Tools They Use

• Google Gemini
• Glint by NerChat
• Lightspeed
• Everyway
• Canva

For Lauren Harwood, becoming Director of Instructional Technology and Operations at

Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District in Massachusetts has truly been a homecoming.

“My dad was a science teacher here for 40 years, and in the summer while my mom was at work, I was always with him when he'd come in,” Harwood says. “So, I would be roller skating in these hallways in the summer! It's just such a part of my life.”

And it even continues to be, as in addition to supporting the district she grew up in, her oldest daughter teaches science in the classroom across the hall from where her dad's classroom was.

Still, returning had its bumpy moments. At Harwood’s previous position, she had been a “one-man band” tech director at an agricultural school, which meant she was constantly on call and responsible for resolving any and all issues. Changing that mindset has been a work in progress.

“One of the hardest parts for me in the transition was not jumping up to fix everything because I now have people to do that,” she says, adding that the rural district of 2,600 students poses a mixed bag of new challenges, from coordinating route changes with bus companies and learning about HVAC systems. “I now get to learn something new every day and I enjoy that.”

Harwood, recently recognized by Tech & Learning with an Innovative Leader Award, has focused her energy on three primary areas: creating an AI strategy for the district, expanding its CTE programs, and boosting security and communication.

AI Strategy

Under Harwood’s leadership, DR (as the district is known) has taken a stance against immediately blocking AI sites, choosing instead to focus on teaching students and staff how to use AI responsibly.

“We need to make sure that we're teaching responsible use and that we're teaching respect for it,” she says. “Just because you ask ChatGPT a question, you need critical thinking skills when you look at the response. You still need to know how to find the answers. You can't just assume it can do your work for you.”

Like many districts, vetting and finding the right AI tools and platforms also continues to be a challenge.

“That's what drives us when we're looking at tools, you know, ‘How good is it?’ ‘How can we learn to use it in a mindful way?’” Harwood says. “Being mindful of how we're using it is probably the biggest key. Keeping in mind that potentially everything that it spits out is incorrect. I do think there's a lot of misunderstanding around that. Like, people think, ‘Oh, this is what AI told me, so this must be right.’ And it's not always.”

That includes being constantly vigilant and aware as AI continues to be added to tools that have been already vetted, which requires making sure that security and data privacy is always part of district-wide education efforts.

AI is also a focus during the district’s “DReam Seminars,” PD events featuring teacher-led sessions on using tools such as Brisk AI and Google Gemini, as well as external training on appropriate tool use.

CTE Program Expansion

Harwood is also helping to spearhead expansion of the district’s recently reimagined career and technical education (CTE) program, which is going to include three new career tracks: medical assisting, criminal justice, and culinary arts.

“When our freshmen go through exploratory, they do that for the first half of the year. They try all the different programs and then if they find one that they would like to continue in, they do so,” says Harwood. “This year, 100% of the kids that went through exploratory stayed in a program, so the retention is growing.”

Harwood has also been involved with upgrading all the support tech. For example, the engineering track recently received new computers, monitors, 3D printers, and projectors, which the engineering students used to design the spaces for the new tracks, a hands-on exercise that included real-world implications.

“We had a blizzard and they lost a week of school and they came back in and they said to the engineering teacher, ‘Are we going to get an extension on our deadline?’ And she said, ‘No, this is real. We need these plans,’” says Harwood. “And they did them and they presented them and they were so creative!”

Harwood was involved in the district’s recent purchase of VR headsets for the medical assisting track, which students use to learn how to draw blood.

“The software requires them to go through all of the steps–washing your hands, putting on your gloves,” says Harwood. “It’s not real, but it's also not like just, ‘Oh, I'm looking at it in a textbook, I'm watching a video.’ They're practicing it even though it's virtual. And it's pretty powerful.”

Security and Communication

Like all school districts, cybersecurity remains a priority for DR and Harwood. The district employs various security measures, including multifactor authentication, but understands that no system is foolproof.

“We've all learned that, sometimes the hard way,” says Harwood, who adds that she is constantly discussing potential issues with teachers and staff. “We do provide PD on scams as they come up, but a lot of times if I see a new phishing scam that's going around, something I know people are going to fall for because if it's almost catching me, it's definitely catching others. So I'll send out an email and illustrate what's happening.”

In addition to stressing constant vigilance and educating staff on how to look for warning signs, such as incorrect email addresses in scams, and noting that even large companies such as Cloudflare and Amazon Web Services can experience attacks, Harwood focuses on being engaging with her cybersecurity messaging. “I do try to do it with a little bit of humor like or or just make them a little more personable so people know when I send an email, maybe they want to read it or see what dumb things she's going to say now,” she laughs.

'Make The Most People Happy'

Ultimately, Harwood sees technology as a tool that should empower teachers and students. “It's not that we should be working toward supporting it,” she says. “It should be supporting us.”

She also emphasizes the need to be transparent with everyone as to the “why” behind any edtech or PD she implements.

“I get a lot more buy-in when I say, ‘This is why I would like you to do this, and when I am buying it or trying to do something with a new tool,’” she says.

For example, she cites the recent implementation of a communication platform. She created a committee of teachers and administrators from every school, vetted numerous tools, and then as a group decided on one. Consequently, those who participated in the process were able to go back to their colleagues and champion buy-in, which supported a successful implementation.

“You've always got resistance,” Harwood says. “And those people might come around or they might not. You can't please everybody. And I think in my career, I've finally had to learn that I can't make everybody happy, but I'll try to make the most people happy that I can.”

Tools They Use

• ParentSquare
• Apptegy/Thrillshare
• Google Education Suite
• Aspen SIS
• Open Architects
• Operations Hero
• Lexia
• ST Math
• Wonders
• Renaissance
• Brainpop
• Noodle Tools
• Edpuzzle
• Kahoot
• IXL
• CrisisGo
• Verkada

Education budgets are tightening, screen-time debates are intensifying, and AI has dominated every industry headline. How can today’s education companies break through the noise?

One word: relationships. As in humans talking to humans. And listening to humans. In a crowded marketplace, the vendors who survive and thrive are those who stop pitching and start partnering.

This theme is at the heart of Tech & Learning’s EdExec Summit, taking place in Chicago September 10-11. While the agenda will focus on the key components of developing a strategic plan–including sales, marketing, research, and compliance–what makes this event different is the opportunity for education company executives to have deep conversations with their buyers and create meaningful relationships.

To offer a sneak peek into these conversations, Tech & Learning has partnered with the Ed-Tech Leadership Collective to present an Industry Briefing that will explore how current market pressures are fundamentally reshaping how districts choose—and stay with—their vendors.

Event Details

• Date: Tuesday, June 16, 2026
• Time: 2:00 PM ET
• Registration Link: Secure Your Virtual Seat Here

What You Will Learn

By attending this briefing, education executives will gain actionable insights on how to align their strategies with district realities:

• Understanding District Priorities: Discover how current district challenges directly shape their buying decisions and partnership expectations.
• The Relationship Pivot: Learn how to transition your sales approach from cold, transactional outreach to value-driven, relationship-focused engagement.
• Network Maximization: Strategies to leverage your current district successes to build organic exposure across peer networks.
• Pilot Programs with Purpose: How to structure pilots that deliver clear ROI and cultivate long-term partnerships rather than forcing a heavy, upfront investment.
• Flexible Commercial Models: Creative ways to think about pricing, packaging, and budget alignment in a tight economy.
• Proving Impact: Why vendors must demonstrate measurable, high-quality outcomes rather than superficial engagement metrics to retain district business.

Featured Speakers

Hear directly from the leaders who make the purchasing decisions:

• Joe Ayala | Director of Information Technology, Santa Clara Unified School District, CA
• Trina Reaves | Director of STEM and Innovation, Clayton County Schools, GA

REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR NOW

Join us for this conversation on June 16 to learn how your company can become an indispensable district partner, and in Chicago on September 10-11 for the Tech & Learning’s EdExec Summit to meet one-on-one with buyers and put those relationship-building strategies into practice.

• Navigating the ESSER Cliff: Why Education Company Leaders are Heading to the 2026 EdExec Summit

Due to a technical issue, this podcast is only available in audio format, which you can "watch" above or listen to/download below.

Kris Hagel has a blunt take on the state of educational technology in his district — and probably yours. "Ed Tech Got Away From Us—and It's Kind of Our Fault" is the title of a talk he delivered at a conference the same afternoon he sat down with Tech & Learning. It's also a pretty accurate summary of where a lot of districts find themselves right now.

Hagel—a K-12 CIO with 25-plus years in education and CoSN Board Member— returned from this year’s convention energized by two conversations dominating the hallways: the screen time debate and the growing interest in districts using AI to build their own edtech tools. Both, he says, are wrapped in fear—from parents, from teachers, and from edtech vendors watching their clients start to build around them.

His prescription for the fear? Communication, transparency, and a hard look in the mirror. Hagel's Washington State district of nearly 10,000 students is in the middle of a deliberate pullback from what he describes as a pandemic-era "whatever works" posture toward technology—one that left his team with thousands of approved apps and no clear rationale for most of them.

"I look at our catalog of approved edtech apps and I'm like, 'oh my gosh, that is way too many things,'" he says.

Working alongside his chief academic officer, Hagel has begun re-establishing what purposeful technology use actually looks like in a classroom. He is also planning a district-wide transparency report, using AI to aggregate and synthesize usage data across grade levels and share it publicly with families.

On the parent communication front, Hagel credits ParentSquare as a key partner, citing its ability to route messages to different constituent groups in whatever format they prefer — app, text, phone, or push notification.

"You've got to get out there in front of it and tell the story," he says. "Once you tell those stories, parents get behind it."

He also draws a distinction that more district leaders would do well to internalize: consumer technology and education technology are not the same conversation. Conflating them, he argues, is a big part of how fear takes root — and how trust erodes. The average student, he noted, spends roughly 70 minutes per day on a device in school. Not six hours! Seventy minutes — mostly purposeful.

That number alone, he says, changes the tenor of almost every parent conversation.

The high school tech department of RSU 22, located along the Penobscot River near Bangor, Maine, offers traditional programming, such as woodworking and shop, as well as a bringing variety of engineering tech tools and an extremely well-equipped makerspace secured through grant funds. However, through a series of community partnerships and funding opportunities, it was able to launch its Higher Vision Drone Program.

“One of the things that appealed to me is that we already have nine community partners, which represent a range of businesses and organizations,” says Jennifer Nickerson, the district’s Director of Curriculum, who saw an opportunity to add drones to its career pathways. “A little local blueberry farmer in one of our four towns uses the drone to inspect her crops and plan what she needs to do for work that day. The Maine Forest Service visited, sharing stories about their advanced, expensive drones. But they use the same skills our kids are learning to use the drones to find missing people or protect forests and Maine’s natural beauty.”

ESSER funds enabled the school to create an esports lab, tech which served perfectly to accommodate the drone program’s flight simulators. Nickerson worked with Charlie Huff, a technology teacher at Hampden Academy and the department head, Todd Moore, to implement the Higher Vision Drone Program. Title II funds secured out-of-state training for the pair to get certified to teach the young prospective pilots.

“Each certified instructor can have eight kids fly under their license,” says Nickerson. “The first year, they co-taught the intro class together with 16 kids in the program for the fall semester. Of the 16, 14 continued on to take the Commercial Drone course for the spring semester. We have 11 students scheduled for their FAA Part 107 tests, with two passing this week.”

And from there, the program has taken flight.

“Now other students are seeing all this hard work pay off and next year's course enrollments have jumped up,” says Nickerson. “To be fair, some of it is probably because when you are sitting on the second floor in your English class and you see a drone fly by outside, it’s pretty good advertisement."

For this and other efforts, Nickerson was recently honored with a Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Award. She shares her “Higher Vision Drone Program” implementation successes and tips for those interested in creating a similar program in their district.

Enrollment, Enlistment, Employment

RSU 22 dates back to 1803, and Nickerson’s family has long been a part of it.

“We like to say, ‘We’re rooted in tradition, but focused on the future,’” says Nickerson. “My kiddos are fifth-generation Broncos, I joke that I bleed purple. The success of RSU 22 is really personal to me and my family and to the four towns in our district. One of which is more affluent than the other three, which can cause issues with programming. However, it was also an inspiration to seek out the Teach with Tech grant from the Maine DOE, which includes a requirement to support underserved students.”

Nickerson saw it as a real way to level opportunities within her district.

”We have tons of AP classes in our high school, Hampden Academy, and we add to them every year,” she says. “But we wanted exciting opportunities for kids who don't fit in that AP niche. I went to a conference which leaned heavily on the concept of three paths for kids, all being equally valuable. Enrollment, enlistment, employment — we need to honor those kids by supporting them with a clear path to success. This was a great motivation to create our drone program.

One very exciting opportunity has presented itself from Cianbro, a nationwide construction company.

“They learned about our program and told me, ‘If you get kids to take and pass the FAA Part 107 test to earn their drone license, we will hire them the day of graduation,’” says Nickerson. “We want those opportunities for our students, because not everyone is going to go to college.”

The Importance of Community Partnerships

A distinctive feature of Hampden Academy’s drone program is its collaboration with nine community partners who share their expertise directly with students. These partnerships include:

• Hampden Public Safety: Demonstrating emergency response applications and public safety uses for drone technology.
• Cianbro: Showcasing industrial applications in construction and infrastructure development.
• News Center 2: Illustrating journalistic and media applications of drone photography and videography.
• Haley Ward Civil Engineering: Providing insights on surveying, mapping, and engineering applications.
• American Forestry Management: Highlighting environmental monitoring and forestry management techniques.
• Matt Thomas Media Productions: Sharing expertise in commercial drone photography and cinematography.
• Allan Gordon Jr Surveying: Demonstrating precision mapping and land surveying applications.
• United States Military: Offering perspectives on drone operations and career opportunities in defense.
• Maine Forest Service: Showcasing thermal imaging and precision aerial surveillance in public safety and natural resource management.

These partnerships provide students with real-world context for their learning and exposure to potential career pathways within their own communities.

“You can't just do it alone,” says Nickerson. “When your community gets behind you to share their expertise and open kids’ eyes to possibility, that culture can be one of your greatest resources even in small, rural, less affluent parts of the world. That’s one way this drone program will be sustainable for the future.”

Ultimately, Nickerson’s goal is just to do the right things for her students by securing the best tools for success.

“No one wants to build a house with a hammer that doesn't have a handle,” Nickerson says. “We need to have the best tools to do the best by our kids. Fortunately, this district has always put technology at the top of their priorities. We have a really supportive superintendent and assistant superintendent who believe in thinking outside the box. It’s just really great, because we need to prepare them. They are going to leave us one day, so we need to help them learn how to fly.”

4 Tips When Starting a New Tech Initiative

Nickerson offers advice to others who might be interested in launching a similar initiative:

• Don’t let lack of funds stop you. Think outside of the box and be creative and you will find the support.
• When securing grants, read the fine print. Some funds require specific choices in tech, such as drones that need to be made in the USA.
• Find your North Star and stay true to it. Think about what is most valuable to you and persevere. Don’t let setbacks stop you.
• Lean on your community. Resources don't have to be financial, expertise is invaluable.

Tools They Use

• Parrot ANAFI Drones
• Claude
• MagicSchool
• Google Suite
• Kibo Robots (Kinderlab)
• zSpace
• edWeb
• Chalk
• Smore
• SWIS/PBIS Apps
• Canva

As school is almost out around the country, I think a great deal about transition and change opportunities, knowing a new path forward can present our choice of solutions over persistent problems. I can remember when I started my leadership journey, handling a faculty that was carved out of the “us against them” mentality . . . .

School leaders need to leverage change when faced with this. Considering challenges like this remind me of a hit dystopian show, The Handmaid’s Tale. In it, The Eyes are the secret police of Gilead—ubiquitous, invisible, and terrifying. They don’t just enforce laws; they create a climate in which everyone becomes a volunteer spy, terrified that a coworker, friend, or neighbor is documenting and reporting their every "indiscretion."

When a school culture mirrors this, we are stuck in our own dystopia; it becomes a place where teachers and leaders look over their shoulder instead of at their students.

Here is how that toxic dynamic manifests, and how a principal can act as a buffer to disrupt–or better yet–dismantle it.

The Faculty Lounge as a Surveillance Hub

In a toxic school environment, "The Eyes" are not a formal department but rather a culture of lateral surveillance through which staff members monitor each other’s clock-in times, lesson plan quality, curriculum delivery, or management styles.

This is rarely done to help; instead, it is used to gather "intel." In these places, gossip serves as a weaponized currency used to gain power, influence, or divert attention from personal insecurities. When mistakes occur—whether it is a parent complaint or a botched lesson—the immediate instinct is not to solve the problem, but to find a scapegoat.

The Principal as a Protective Shield

School leaders need to own this problem even if they didn’t create it. They must consistently and respectfully manage these “blamers,” responsibilities, problems, and complaints back to their rightful owners.

Principals must act as a shield that absorbs negativity from those attempting to weaponize others' vulnerabilities so it doesn't crush the staff morale, or worse, hamper their impact on children.

This process begins by actively filtering the "intel." When a staff member attempts to "report" a colleague’s minor infraction, formally or informally, a protective principal shuts it down, redirecting rather than using that perceived, or worse, real power to build a file on a peer.

The principal must redirect by shifting the focus from who made a mistake to what went wrong with the system. For example, if an assembly fails because of a technical error, the leader pivots others from blaming an individual to analyzing how to make the technical checklist more transparent for everyone.

By practicing accountability and absorbing the shock for others' mistakes, the principal removes the incentive for staff to blame one another. If the leader says, "That’s on me," the staff no longer needs a scapegoat, unless that scapegoat becomes twisted into the principal to blame (more on that later).

Building a Sanctuary of Practice

Disrupting this culture requires an intentional focus on psychological safety. School leaders must move the environment away from a system of surveillance and secrecy toward one of support and transparency. Instead of monitoring for mistakes, the leader transforms the organization to monitoring for needs. This shift replaces finger-pointing with process analysis and ensures equity, through which everyone is held to the same clear standard rather than utilizing toxic informants.

When a principal refuses to allow staff to throw each other under the bus, the "Eyes" eventually lose sight of the cause. If snickering, spying, and sabotage no longer result in social or professional capital, the behavior is minimized, or better yet, stops altogether.

By serving as a filter, the principal can build a safe practice space. Teachers begin to take risks and innovate because they know that if they stumble, their leader will catch them rather than let the "Eyes" report them.

If All Else Fails: Dismantling "The Eyes"

Sometimes, despite your best efforts to empower decent people, a toxic culture has taken deep root. If all else fails, you have to look at the climate of surveillance that the police state has built and act to dismantle it. Break up the group!

The vocal, negative minority rarely perform their negativity in a vacuum and thrive on a specific kind of fuel: an audience. These cliques require the middle-of-the-road teachers to watch, nod, or remain silently compliant.

Neutralizing a negative clique is about protecting the classroom for those who are there for their kids. This process starts by identifying the ringleaders—often veterans with high informal influence—and addressing them with surgical precision. By dealing with these bad actors individually and privately, the leader prevents the public access to the theater of their "gotcha" moments, removing their ammunition of derailment, ensuring the oxygen in the room remains focused on student growth rather than adult grievances.

As the leader works to shut the "Eyes," systems thinking becomes a silent form of cultural reorganization. Because negative energy is highly contagious in close quarters, the architect of a "win-win" faculty thoughtfully disperses these magnets away from one another, breaking up the echo chambers in which gossip acts as a weapon.

When the focus shifts from the challenging individuals to the majority who stand together for children over power, the social capital of the negative group begins to deteriorate. By giving the best teachers the loudest voice and the most significant influence, the principal makes it socially "uncool" to join the surveillance culture. If spying and sabotage no longer result in proximity to power, the "Eyes" eventually go blind.

Administrative transfers are equivalent to retirement and other “miracles,” when relocating individuals to different departments, grade levels, or schools permanently disrupts the clique’s daily operational power.

In the end, the goal is to curate a faculty in which every member is invested. By removing these final toxic roadblocks, the leader ensures that the negative individuals move on to environments better suited for them, while the remaining staff finally finds the psychological safety they need to thrive, innovate, and look forward instead of over their shoulders.

As the founder and director of Tech Camp for Teachers, Eva Harvell, Director of Technology, Pascagoula-Gautier School District in Mississippi, designed and led a multi-day institute that includes multiple presenters, reaching K-12 and higher ed educators from across the U.S.

The program focuses on practical ways to bring digital tools into the classroom, helping attendees move from basic usage to high-level digital pedagogy. By creating scalable learning opportunities, for both school-level and university-level educators, Harvell and her team ensures technology was a powerful tool instructors at all levels felt confident using.

“It started off with us just wanting to provide teachers technology training for those who were not able to get tech training, or who just wanted more than was made available to them,” Harvell says. “The presenters were actual teachers in the field. Vendors were showcasing what they used in the back of the gym where we met. It was just two days of pre-K all the way to higher education professors getting together, talking about edtech and how to incorporate tech tools in the classroom.”

The Pascagoula-Gautier School District spans 19 campuses serving roughly 6,300 students. As Technology Director, Harvell’s commitment to innovation is best seen through her work in empowering others to master new technology. For this and other efforts, she was recently recognized with a Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Award.

Cost-Cutting Creativity Meets Generous Helpers

Smart planning and letting a program grow organically builds a budget-friendly way to connect with big impact.

“Our very first year, I went to vendors we had a very good relationship with and said, ‘Hey, we're looking to do this for two days and I need to provide food. Can you help me?’” Harvell says. “Our presenters were teachers on contract with us, so we worked with their principals to borrow them. It was a professional learning day for them, so they got some PD time as well. It was zero out-of-pocket for anybody who attended.”

A partnership with William Carey University provided an extra bonus, with teachers from the state of Mississippi earning free CEUs. Educators from other states received documentation to qualify at home.

“This started in our unused former high school building with word of mouth from my emailing tech directors and asking them to share with any teachers who were interested,” Harvell says. “We met in the gym and did trainings in the classrooms. It just stayed very grassroots. Anything we needed, we would ask one of our vendors or just figure out how to do it for free.”

4 Tips for Creating a Tech Camp for Teachers in Your District

Harvell shares advice for others considering such a program.

• If you're thinking of doing it, do it. “Don’t be afraid to go for it,” she says. “There can always be hiccups. At the end of the day, you are bringing teachers together and giving them a community so they can have the conversation — that’s what matters.”
• Build relationships and don’t be afraid to lean on them. “You never know unless you ask, but I didn’t think they would say yes,” Harvell says. “They didn’t even hesitate. I’m not sure that would have been the case if we didn’t already have that communication and established relationship.”
• Make it a day of fun — not just your normal PD. “Brand it, name it something cute,” she says. “Get teachers excited to attend by thinking outside of the box.”
• It will grow. They will come. “I was so nervous that first year,” Harvell recalls. “And now we have people driving eight hours to be a part of it. But even if it had been eight people, it would have been worth it. The goal was to provide resources and training. The goal was to help teachers.”

Too Much of a Good Thing is Still a Good Thing

With such an initial resounding success, Tech Camp for Teachers faced a new challenge when they were forced to step away from their in-person model during the COVID-19 pandemic to go remote. Some might have wondered if the infectious, fun element would be too diluted to still draw the crowd.

”It really ballooned when we went virtual,” Harvell says. “Everyone from pre-K to university professors across many states signed up. I have two technology integration specialists who help do this. It suddenly became a full-time job above the full-time job.”

All of the Tech Camp for Teacher training videos were pre-recorded for the virtual event. They were scheduled and then presented with a video live chat.

“Leading up to it, getting the presenters, maintaining the branding, getting all the videos ready to go,” recalls Harvell. “We spent hours upon hours getting it all loaded and put together. It was daunting but it was something that we loved doing, because we knew we were helping teachers.”

Harvell and her presenters have discovered that facilitating the camp has raised their visibility in unexpected ways.

“Now, when we go to our Mississippi state conference — people recognize us as ‘those tech camp people,’” she says. “WLOX, the news station here on the coast, even did a story on it. I’m working on my doctorate at William Carey University and I hear from my professors that they sat in on Tech Camp! I thought that was great because they are teaching pre-service teachers.

Harvell says the event is a win-win for everyone.

“Ultimately, providing resources for teachers is what we were all there to do,” she says. “It's grassroots. It's not a conference, it is just a big group of teachers getting together and sharing what they do.”

Tools They Use

• Acer and HP Chromebooks
• Fortinet
• Incident IQ
• Clever
• MagicSchoolAI
• Google Workspace for Education

Located near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Highline Public Schools serves many students and families from around the world, including some who are new to the United States. Families across Highline speak more than 89 languages, reflecting the rich diversity of the Highline community. At the center of the district’s work is the Highline Promise. From classrooms to front offices to transportation and AI committees, staff across Highline play a role in bringing that promise to life.

“Highline Public Schools Promise is that every student is known by name, strength, and need, and graduates prepared for the future they choose,” says Teshon Christie, the Highline’s Chief of Digital Transformation and Innovation, and recent Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Award winner.

It is a statement that Christie refers to not as a mission, but as a living accountability measure. “The amazing thing about that is that regardless of who you go to in our system, you know this promise,” Christie says. “Everyone from our bus drivers to nutrition services workers—everyone at Highline knows this promise and that it is our focus.”

Scaling the Personal Touch

For a district of more than 16,500 students across 34 sites, “personalization” is often a buzzword that loses meaning at scale. For Christie, scaling this promise isn’t about software alone, but about leadership consistency and human connection.

“We scale our promise through humans,” Christie says. “When you break down each part, it’s easy for a person to see what their role is. If a bus driver gets to know their students by name, they can identify strengths and needs during the ride and communicate those back to the office staff. It makes sense operationally and instructionally.”

This human-centric approach is organized around four board-adopted goals:

• Culture of Belonging: A culture where all are welcome, valued, and safe.
• Innovative Learning: Academic experiences that engage, empower, and challenge every student.
• Bilingual and Biliterate: Multicultural skills that enable students to live, work, and communicate across cultures.
• Future Ready: Students explore possibilities and develop mindsets that prepare them for a changing future.

Navigating the AI Frontier

As the Chief of Digital Transformation, Christie’s job involves managing everything from data assessment to instructional technology, as well as navigating the ethical and practical implementation of AI.

Highline is now two years into its AI journey, anchored by a group of AI ambassadors who have developed vision and guidance documents. Rather than banning the technology out of fear, Highline is focusing on future readiness.

“We’re really starting to shift the language from ‘cheating’ to a student’s ‘passive vs. active use of AI,’” Christie says. “Cheating is so binary that it doesn’t describe the whole story. If using a tool is seen as cheating, then what needs to change about education in order to support our ability to move forward with any tool?”

One of Highline’s most successful implementations is Colleague AI, a tool developed out of the University of Washington. Highline currently has 300 teachers actively using the platform.

Christie is particularly excited about involving students in the policy-making process, noting that their insights are often more nuanced than those of adults.

“I was at one of our high schools where they did a unit on AI policy,” Christie recalls. “The students were very specific. They said, ‘I don’t want to be graded by AI because that breaks the relationship.’ They actually mentioned 'culture of belonging.' They want their teachers to have grace and support them in ways that help them get better—things an AI currently won't do.”

Building Trust Through Authentic Engagement

For Christie, the success of any digital initiative depends on the strength of the district’s relationship with its community. He advocates for authentic family engagement, which moves beyond simply inviting parents to a meeting.

“Just being at the table isn’t enough,” Christie says. “You want people to be able to give input and then see their input reflected in whatever comes out. Even if it’s, ‘We weren’t able to do this because of these reasons,’ you still need to be honest and transparent so that trust is built over time.”

This trust is vital when tackling sensitive topics such as screen time. Christie points out that for many Highline students, a school-issued laptop is their only access to a large-screen device.

“Not every student using a district device after hours is on social media,” he says. “They might be learning how physics works on YouTube in a way that makes sense to them. You can't just say they spent eight hours on YouTube and assume it was wasted time.”

A System, Not a Set of Divisions

Ultimately, Christie’s goal is to dissolve the traditional silos between IT and instruction. By focusing on shared bodies of work rather than departmental responsibilities, Highline ensures that no stakeholder is left out of the conversation.

“It’s about how we intentionally involve everyone in our system so it feels more like a system rather than divisions, departments, and people who work on separate things,” Christie says.

By keeping the “Promise” at the center of every digital and operational decision, Highline Public Schools is proving that even in a high-tech world, the most powerful tool in education remains the human connection.

For Newton County Schools, a district in rural Georgia of more than 19,000 students spread across 24 buildings, ensuring that innovation is not isolated but systematically embedded into daily teaching and learning, can be a challenge.

Nonetheless, a comprehensive, district-wide digital learning ecosystem that measurably expands access, strengthens literacy, and prepares students for future careers has been developed under the leadership of Jennifer Williams, Director of Instructional Technology and Media Services.

“We do everything in my department based on ‘3E’--engagement, exposure, experience,” says Williams, who was recently honored with a Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Award for her efforts.

The 3E approach ensures students do not passively consume technology but actively use it to build literacy, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.

• Engagement features high-level activities that make students creators and producers rather than just consumers, keeping a global focus.
• Exposure involves taking students on field trips to places as simple as the Microsoft store to more college- and career-focused destinations such as nearby Spelman Innovation Lab and Georgia Tech.
• Experience is providing hands-on opportunities in class, on field trips, and through partnerships.

“We want to engage our students, we want to expose them to new things, and give them experiences,” says Williams, adding that they’ve taken more than 20,000 students on field trips over the past three years alone. “We have to think of everything as not just a Newton County focus but a worldwide focus. They're in a global society. So we want to constantly engage them with different perspectives, different outlooks, different ways of learning.”

Newton County Schools has a scalable, future-ready digital ecosystem that prioritizes safety and compliance with federal laws, with Williams’ department vetting and re-vetting digital products. To ensure equity and access, all activities are free to all students, via grants and partnerships, which Williams and her team aggressively pursue.

The Rule of 3

Williams has worked to develop three major programs in the district: the Inspire program, which addresses the gender gap in coding; Read Across Newton, a district-wide literacy initiative; and Teach for Tomorrow, an annual technology conference providing training. All are underpinned by the 3E approach.

The Inspire program is a year-long effort focused on getting girls involved in science and coding through hands-on opportunities, visits to nearby Georgia Piedmont Technical College, a week-long coding camp, and a trip to a coding conference, much of which is sponsored by Amazon, who Williams has partnered with and who has provided grants. Students also get to explore 3D printers, LEGO robotics, and more.

“It's one thing telling them, ‘Oh, this is computer science,’ but actually taking them to a college, taking them on these field trips, working with the computer science department, all make a real impact,” Williams says. “They have the world-renowned computer science program nearby and they didn't know about it or think about going there, and it's only 45 minutes from their house.”

Read Across Newton is another year-long initiative during which students participate in book clubs, have people from across the district read to them, and have local authors present reading and writing workshops. During the district’s literacy extravaganza, celebrated the first Saturday in February, students get books to take home.

“So this year we had 3,600 people come and we gave away 55,000 books,” says Williams. “So, if you want to know what 55,000 books feels like, ask my back!”

Teach for Tomorrow, the district’s annual technology PD event right before the school year begins, drew more than 850 teachers last year, which is more than half of those in the district. The event is led by the instructional leadership team and the district’s vanguard teachers, who pilot tools and guide technology integration at the schools. Attendees learn about the district’s LMS, various digital tools, and of course, AI.

“It was amazing because these teachers came, sat, and did full technology learning, like a little mini ISTE conference,” says Williams. “We try to make it so when we do professional development, we help people fall in love with technology so they can help students fall in love with literacy and technology.”

Living The Dream

When it comes to leadership, Williams recommends being a constant student, and continuously learning about new products and understanding the relevant laws. Her best advice, however, is not to be “a lone wolf.”

“Be a part of a group of people who are like-minded, who can share with you and give you advice on how to do things,” she says, suggesting joining a professional networking group such as CoSN. “Find a tribe, a group that is going to help you be your thought partner as you make changes. You don't want to make a big change in your system without getting advice from others who are also in the same job because you're usually one of one in your district.”

In that vein, Williams says she’d be remiss if she didn’t mention “the secret sauce” in everything she does: her team. “I have some spectacular people that I work with,” she says, also citing the support of Dr. Sheila Thomas, Chief Strategy and Support Services Officer.

She also mentions the importance of having a collaborative team, which she also cross-trains. “We sit down and we talk about things,” she says. “And I hire people who are different from me. I don't need a whole ten Jennifers.”

Ultimately, she says being the instructional technology director and media services director, allowing her to merge her passions for reading and technology, has been a dream.

“I can have a lot of jobs but this is my passion–I tell my daughter this is my life's work,” says Williams. “I love going to work every day. There's not a morning that I don’t wake up and am like, ‘Oh boy, it's Monday! It’s another day that we're going to be able to do something great for a kid!’ I couldn’t ask for anything more."

Tools They Use

• Canvas
• Nearpod
• Book Creator
• Sora (the literacy app)
• ClassLink
• Microsoft
• Google Education

I have written previously about dealing with challenging staff and community members as a school leader and teacher.

This article was motivated by a reader reaching out to thank me for sharing hands-on, practical methods I offer. But she wanted one more: “What about difficult bosses? Aren’t they in a position of power, where I have little control over the outcome, even and especially if I disagree with them?”

I’ve written about a boss who missed the single biggest moments when leading. He never praised our accomplishments. It was remarkable; he was working harder not to acknowledge those of us that led our schools and needing support on the hardest of days.

Lack of worthy praise is one thing. How do we handle a boss who uses intimidation, blame displacement, and worse, steals credit for our work? I would love to tell you that they are far and few between, but I am writing this because that is untrue. Decades of research shows how we can lead successfully and help staff feel supported, acknowledged, and accessed in those important moments. The research keeps coming and I keep writing about it because the problem stubbornly persists.

We might think the issue is less pervasive in the education profession. After all, we are educators at heart. We came into this profession because we care about kids. In many instances, this is true, and we enjoy decent, ethical leaders. Too many times, educators became leaders because they possessed a greater desire for personal achievement and power. The first part is not the issue, however, power can change leaders. I have seen it happen.

I spent years riding out the kinds of leaders and leader-colleagues who made the organizational environment toxic, unproductive, and very, very CYA (cover your a--). We can all recall the days bosses such as this finally left the organization–there were parking lot parties while "Celebration" played as well as this easy-to-hum song as you waved them “good bye.” These are not environments in which children win, and that is the root of the problem. Secondary to that is our own wellness, which matters so we can lead learning environments, in spite of the incompetence above us.

Practical Ways to Survive Difficult Bosses

What do you do when you have to deal with difficult bosses day in and day out, knowing there is no end in sight? This can be a major stressor, let alone translating to obstacles they put up in our attempts to help students thrive.

Here are practical steps to hang in there, manage your wellness so you can lead and teach well and interrupt their influence from behind.

1. The 80/20 Principle

Keeping my side of the street clean empowers me to focus on the aspects of a situation you can control (the 80%) while letting go of the uncontrollable (the 20%). Instead of wasting time and energy fighting insurmountable challenges such as bureaucracy, difficult colleagues, or uncooperative leaders, it is more productive to adjust my approach, sidestep obstacles, and focus on progress within my sphere of influence. This mindset helps save time, resources, and frustration while moving toward goals more effectively.

2. Mind Games

I am always surprised at how little is known about methods for tuning the brain for wellness that are rooted in decent science, such as binaural beats. These sound like sci-fi gimmickry yet there is strong evidence supporting the effectiveness for effectively reducing anxiety and modulating emotional states. These are easily accessible, if you have a pair of earphones (we all do!). So why not try it?

Here’s how these work: When the brain processes two different frequencies played simultaneously in either ear, it compensates for the discrepancy by perceiving a third, rhythmic "phantom" frequency known as a binaural beat. This audio hack works in calming the mind and reducing anxiety, and gives you a shot of what you need in those most stressful moments. Evidence shows 6-9 minutes of listening does the trick, so why not? Here’s a free online example.

Now that you’ve got your wellness honored, let’s take a look at practical strategies, with a well-mind you can use to approach the difficult boss…

3. Use AI (YES, AI!)

In my work, I have discovered that using AI can make my work more effective and efficient, which means I can offload unnecessary tasks to focus on qualitative experiences, interactions with staff, students, and parents, and yes, even that boss.

I have written about making use of AI as a school leader, and I characterize it as remarkably imperfect productivity. AI is remarkable for its ability to produce what appears to be high-quality work at immense speed, yet it remains imperfect because it acts as convincingly knowing while tricking users into accepting "workslop" that lacks substance or accuracy.

Employing AI wisely helps offload work that bogs me down, so I feel less stressed, and far more prepared to manage ineffective bosses. Be strategic, refer to “source grounded” materials and use it to make your work better quality and far more efficient, such as I did incorporating AI into writing better evaluations for teachers.

3 Other Strategies to Consider

In addition to what I’ve described above, consider these actions to help manage an unwieldy manager.

1. Document Everything (Build a Paper Trail)

• Confirm Conversations: After verbal instructions, send a follow-up email saying, "As we just discussed, I will do X by Y date.”
• Keep Records: Maintain a private log of projects, instructions, and outcomes to prove your actions if needed. Case notes, detailed and dated hold up well, if and when needed.
• Outline Responsibilities: Start projects with a written review of discussion, outlining who is responsible for what, signed off by everyone, suggests Robert Hosking via Fortune.

2. Manage the Interaction

• Stay Calm and Neutral: Do not react defensively immediately. Do not match their energy.
• Use Fact-Based Language: When blamed, focus on the facts. Ask questions like, "Can you walk me through the timeline so I can understand what happened?" (YouTube).
• Redirect to Solutions: Instead of defending yourself, focus on fixing the issue. Say, "You're upset, I'm upset. What do you think we should do?" suggests Quick and Dirty Tips.
• Don't Take it Personally: Understand that a blaming boss often behaves this way due to their own incompetence and insecurities.

3. Take Action

• Have a Direct Conversation: If the behavior continues, discuss it privately. Start with positive feedback, then use specific examples to show how the blame-shifting affects your work, recommends Dr. Pollack.
• Involve HR or Superiors: If the behavior is bullying or threatens your career, consider involving HR or a higher manager. However, warn your boss first to avoid being seen as "going behind their back."
• Find a New Job: If the environment is toxic, start looking for a new position. Do not feel compelled to stay in a situation that damages your mental health and career.

Our work as educators and school leaders is too important to let bad bosses funnel down from us to staff and kids. Too many people need us and stopping the cycle of bad leadership poisoning student growth starts with practical wellness and protective factors. Be strong and remember, our work is too significant to let bad management disrupt our control, and we have 80% control -- most is better than none!

In a district with more than 20,000 students set right on the banks of the Microsoft campus in Bellevue, Washington, a natural goal seems to be getting everyone to speak the same language when it comes to school direction and cohesion.

Ironically though, this district is home to students literally speaking more than 117 languages.

“Just at Ardmore, we have students speaking 37 or 38 languages, which gives you a picture of how diverse our school is,” says Yusra Obaid, Principal of Ardmore Elementary School, who was recently recognized for her leadership with a Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Award.

Bellevue School District not only celebrates that reality, but builds on their beautiful blend of cultures and backgrounds with a global competency initiative. One element of this is the Multilingualism for All language programs that include both Spanish and Mandarin programs, with unique language opportunities in Arabic, Korean, and Hindi. BSD middle and highschoolers can take Arabic, French, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, and Spanish.

“Students learn the majority of their day in English, with an hour and 20 minutes of daily Arabic instruction in language arts with additional translanguaging throughout the day,” says Obaid. “If you walk into our Arabic classroom, you can't tell the difference between it and a general ed classroom. Half of our classes are multi-language learners. The vision of Ardmore is to affirm and identify this idea that our kids come to us speaking either one or multiple languages. We provide opportunity for those kids and make sure that any students who don't speak another language at home can learn in some way or form here.”

That vision is creating results.

“There is a science where students learning a new language at an early age tend to do better in math, science and overall academics,” says Obaid. “This is an accelerated program because kids are actually learning two languages at the same time, which places extra cognitive demands on students. It helps shape their brain in a different way.”

Using Tech Translates to Success

While many of the students come from backgrounds in which they learned languages naturally in the home, it never hurts to use the latest tech to aid acquisition.

“There's a range of tools that make learning more accessible to kids, even language learning,” says Obaid, noting BDS is a Microsoft district. “We know a lot about language acquisition and students learn by repetition and visuals. Our teachers use our whiteboard touch screens in an interactive way to have kids repeat the language. They press on it and can hear the word pronounced. They do image and word matching, they annotate specific words, drag and blend certain letters together — it’s created an accessibility for language learning in general.”

Obaid says these platforms bring together the four different domains of language acquisition (listening, reading, writing and speaking) more effectively than simple worksheets.

The program creates language learners, but also has a bigger picture of enhancing global citizenship.

“When kids come to us, we want to create global citizens who are thinking not just about their local community, but the larger world and their impact on it,” says Obaid. “We want to create that sense of community that our actions affect others not only here in Bellevue, but in the world.”

Obaid has integrated the Global Goals of UN Sustainability framework across grade levels to support this effort on a daily basis.

For example, for first grade, it offers a literacy unit about animals focused on building vocabulary about endangered animals. “They learned about all the animals and then focused on elephants. ‘How do we protect elephants? They're being endangered,’” says Obaid. “Students learned about dangers involved in their habitat, and then raised money and adopted elephants which they continue to nurture and care about. The organization sent a certificate and they have a website with a live camera feed.”

Using technology to connect a lesson to the real world still continues to be effective.

“It's really cool to just see kids thinking, ‘Wow, we learned about this, and now we actually did something that helped this animal survive those dangers in a place on the other side of the world,’" says Obaid.

3 Tips on Creating Global Initiatives in the Classroom

Obaid offers this advice to other educators:

1. Don't wait to make change. “We can get stuck in a place of ‘It has to be perfect, do I have the funding?’” she says, emphasizing the importance of partnering with students and families to learn their aspirations and goals. “Languages and global citizenship were important for our families, so we didn’t wait for things to happen, we just acted by starting with simple things and letting it grow.”

2. Community partnership is huge. “Look within the community for expertise, rather than thinking about outside resources,” Obaid says. “Shifting that idea to where is capacity and expertise within our whole community — our families, our teachers, everybody who walks through our building are potential partners.”

3. Engage all stakeholders right from the start. Assess, adjust, and collect feedback with everything that you do to demonstrate the success for stakeholders. “When something is innovative and new, partnering with the people who you're serving the most helps,” she says. “We have listening sessions. We collect numerical data. We listen to stories from kids. We do empathy interviews. This is how we continue to refine and adjust anything that we bring into our school.”

Finding Local Funding for Global Awareness

The thought of tapping already-stretched budgets for bonus initiatives can be intimidating, but the adage of “use your resources” certainly applies.

“When we think about innovation and change with a financial aspect, sometimes we forget about the open resources, the free availability, the opportunities in our local community that exist where we can make connections,” Obaid says.

The first grade project which made such an impact on the students was born of a simple wildlife trust website and adoption program. Local fundraising helped with the rest.

“Tapping areas of expertise and opportunities within our local community might not necessarily include a direct financial aspect, but are still very valuable,” she says. “It's about relevance. It's about connection. It's about kids thinking, ‘Wow, what I'm learning matters, and I can do something.’ It's not always about money.”

Creative problem solving goes a long way, but the district also benefits from the Bellevue Schools Foundation, filled with local stakeholders.

“One of the really great things we're really proud of is our amazing educators,” Obaid says. “They really go all out looking through different organizations and partnerships. They would reach out to the Pacific Science Center, ‘Hey, the budget is really tight. Would you be willing to host us?’ Our educators do a really good job in advocating and finding opportunities for community partnership.”

Another way of generating funding is spreading word about the innovative programs at the school. Ardmore got a big boost of publicity when Trevor Noah decided to join the school’s “Hour of Coding.” As Microsoft’s Chief Question Officer, the comedian and actor sat in on a fifth-grade class and discussed tech with Ardmore teachers.

“It was such a great connection,” Obaid says. “We have a whole ‘Wall of Wow’ at Ardmore where we post photos and news articles—every time our school gets recognized or we have a special visitor. It's a great inspiration for us to continue to reach for the stars.”

Tools They Use

• Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
• Microsoft Tools for Education 365
• i-Ready Assessment and Personalized Instruction (My Path) K-8 for English and Spanish dual language immersion, literacy, and math
• Code.org Hour of AI/Code

Montana Digital Academy (MTDA) is a designated state virtual school in Montana, created by the 2009 Legislature to provide supplemental online learning to K-12 public school students. The Frontier Learning Lab (FLL) is MTDA’s new statewide hub for cutting-edge learning tools —a place where teachers and students can explore AI, virtual and augmented reality, and other emerging tech.

“It was a natural space for us to go into with applicability in K-12 across the state,” says Jason Neiffer, Executive Director of Montana Digital Academy. “We were early to the AI conversation because we saw an issue we would have to come to terms with at our state virtual school. In January 2024, members of our team were invited to testify about the role of AI in education. That turned into a deeper conversation about what we wanted to do to support Montana schools.”

In an effort to ensure such rural schools could offer access to interested teachers, a solution for opening exploratory spaces for all regardless of budget toward high-quality PD needed to be reached. Having awareness and a deep understanding of that state’s unique needs and challenges was critical.

“One of the things that we've been very conscious of is that the rural nature of Montana is sometimes underestimated,” says Neiffer, who notes that the state is the size of Germany with one-eightieth of the population. “We have a couple of counties that are larger than some U.S. states with a single school district. The superintendent is also the K-12 principal and substitute bus driver and has their boiler's license in case they're pressed into service.”

Neiffer, who was recently recognized with an Innovative Leader Award during Tech & Learning’s recent Northwest Regional Summit, and his team knew truly rural Montana kids were just as important a constituency and deserve to have access to tech experts and resources.

“The Montana School Boards Association stepped up this year and provided a model policy for districts across the state,” he says. “There are endless organizations, nonprofit and for-profit, that help with policy development in schools. However, they don’t always understand that a rural school doesn’t have a full-time tech person — maybe not even any part-time staff — and might have to rely on third-party vendors for that role.”

That is where the Frontier Learning Lab, under the umbrella of the 16-year-strong MTDA state virtual school, stepped in to form a core planning piece for time-challenged leaders.

Time Is Everything

Time management is an important element of any endeavor but already-stretched rural districts really feel that pinch when faced with absorbing new tech initiatives.

“The time piece is a critical factor here,” Neiffer says. “I've been in the business for almost thirty years now and I do think we underinvest in professional learning around technology. We also get that you can't spend all of your time learning about evolving technologies because teaching is a very technical job.”

Neiffer feels part of any strategy needs to be meeting teachers where their resources are.

“Is it face-to-face training, or is it asynchronous online training?” he asks. “We’ve opened up a help desk for teachers that they can email and ask for assistance because not every one of our teachers will be able to dedicate significant professional learning time. So they really do need the old ‘just-in-time’ training. Sometimes that's really just a one-on-one conversation. We want to be able to provide it however works best for their busy schedule.”

The help desk accepts emails 24/7 with someone manning and responding 9-10 hours a day. This has been particularly helpful for those teachers exploring on their own time or who may not have colleagues at their level.

3 Actionable Tips When Starting a Virtual Academy Such As Frontier

1. Need should drive everything. “One of the reasons why our program was originally created was because Montana’s vast geography needed a virtual option with stable funding and consistency in availability for students every semester,” Neiffer says. “Investment in the program is critical so funding at minimum ensures schools know when they need access to the program, they have access to the program. It can’t be dependent on an unstable funding source. You only get that consensus around need. Look at where gaps are and get coalitions together across many different political, philosophical, pedagogical views.”

2. Don't recreate the wheel. “Unless you are on the exceptionally bleeding edge of something (and if you are, great, just make sure you tell the rest of us what you did!), look at existing models,” Neiffer says. “Montana Digital Academy is part of the Virtual Learning Leadership Alliance which is a coalition of 20 state virtual schools across the United States. Instead of coming up with something from scratch, find something that's 50%, 70%, 80% of the way there and just adjust it for your locality and specific needs. Chances are someone is already doing this work elsewhere. If they aren’t far enough along to give you hints, they'll be a wonderful collaboration partner.”

3. Don't be afraid to ask for resources from others. “We don't spend enough time asking our colleagues down the street what they're doing,” Neiffer says. “Whenever you can take advantage of a room of people that agree or disagree with you about your approach, it's a real opportunity to push yourself and make your planning process that much richer.”

Looking To The Horizon In Big Sky

In an era of ever-tightening budgets — the sky is not the limit, even in Big Sky Country. Investment into innovation can be an intimidating mountain to climb.

“We are actively balancing costs, which are still significant in this space, with utility inside of a classroom,” Neiffer says. “I have no doubt that we can find lots of good, showy, fun, interesting, even pedagogically useful places for virtual reality, but it's always balanced against the cost of the hardware and the cost of maintaining those pieces.”

One pilot that Neiffer and his team is exploring is securing access to virtual dissections for online anatomy and physiology students. “There are anatomy and physiology classes available from two and four-year Montana colleges, but it can be very geography-based due to the human dissection lab requirement,” he says. “So how do we provide that access to online students?”

Stretching resources continues to be a challenge.

“We have four different departments in Montana Virtual Academy with a mix of public, private and school-based funding,” Neiffer says. “In particular, in our Business Learning Program and our Digital Learning Clearing House, we find a reasonable cost to share with schools. The legislature wants schools to have skin in the game so that they know that it's something they are investing in for access to opportunity.”

Embracing partnerships is key. For example, MTDA has access to STEM experts and research professors at the University of Montana who provide guidance on AI, virtual and augmented reality.

Neiffer believes that the lab itself — the professional learning — should be covered with a combination of state appropriation, federal grants and private foundations to help create a sustainable model to ensure access for the most rural schools when public funding might not reach that scalability down to the smallest of schools.

“With such great future-looking leadership in this space, we are now working with vendors to find the most affordable solutions for what is to come,” Neiffer says. “A previous superintendent of public instruction called Montana a frontier state. I think that that's an accurate way to describe what we do.”

Neiffer is enthusiastic about the future of education as well as the hard-working team around him.

“Find people who are interested in helping you and don't be afraid to fail,” he says. “Chances are not every new initiative will be successful so just use that as an opportunity to grow and become better. It’s a really critical part of being a design-thinking forward organization, but it's also the best way to approach teaching and learning. Institutions are learning as much as the students.”

Tools They Use

Neiffer discusses some of his go-to tech tools.

• TextExpander - “I can’t live without a text expansion app. My longtime favorite is TextExpander, which works on Windows, macOS, and ChromeOS. I use it for stock AI prompts, phrases I type all the time, such as, ‘Hello, my name is Jason Neiffer, and I am the Executive Director of Montana Digital Academy,’ and even bits of code.”
• NotebookLM - “I experiment with many fast-moving AI tools, but I keep coming back to Google NotebookLM as a dependable place to organize the large volume of information I collect for work and personal projects. That includes reports, journal articles, presentations, travel guides, restaurant recommendations, and videos about places I want to visit.”
• ChatGPT CustomGPTs and Gemini Gems - “One of the most useful things about today’s generative AI tools is the ability to create small, purpose-built helpers that work through information with you. I love building CustomGPTs and Gems to handle specific tasks, like creating alt text for images, rewriting assignment directions for clarity, brainstorming workshop materials, or helping organize drafts and ideas. They are not perfect, of course, but they can save a great deal of time and mental energy.”

Watch this conversation above or listen/download it below.

A $9.99 million Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant is bringing together three partners to tackle one of education's most persistent challenges: helping young readers build the skills they need to succeed, especially in rural communities where specialized support is hardest to access. I had a chance to chat with two of the program's architects about their efforts, Allison Zimmermann, CEO of Foundations in Learning, and Dr. Seth King, Associate Professor of Special Education at the University of Iowa.

WordFlight, developed by Foundations in Learning, has partnered with the University of Iowa Reading Research Center and Wyoming State to conduct a five-year study involving 80 to 100 schools. The project builds on previous success—a randomized controlled trial with middle school students that showed the intervention was "extremely successful" in moving students forward on foundational skills and fluency.

The study uses a wait-listed design in which half the schools implement WordFlight in year one while the other half serves as a control group, with all schools receiving the intervention by year two. Independent evaluators from Iowa's Center for Evaluation and Assessment will measure outcomes using assessments not directly aligned with the curriculum.

"We have to stop the bleeding," Alli emphasizes about older struggling readers. "We have to give them the foundation that they need to be successful."

• Tech & Learning Conversations with Kevin Hogan

When I first became a school leader, one of the first realities I had to confront was email volume. Not a handful of messages but sometimes dozens before 8 a.m., sometimes hundreds by day’s end. Staying on top of it required strategies, routines, and discipline as I had to learn how to triage, delegate, and protect attention so the inbox did not become my only job.

But even so, I never assumed silence was the answer. Not every email deserves a long reply, and some do not deserve any. Still, for legitimate questions tied to work, decisions, and people, I’ve always tried to respond because email is often how others experience your leadership when they cannot access you in the moment.

‘Digital Snubbery’

I hear from my educational leadership students all the time that their school leaders do not answer emails. Messages go unanswered for days or weeks, sometimes indefinitely.

This may sting for some readers, but that is not acceptable. Not because leaders should be available 24/7, and not because instant replies are the standard. It is unacceptable because sustained non-response communicates something, whether you intend it or not.

Adam Grant has called this “digital snubbery,” the online equivalent of walking past someone who waved at you. His point is not that every email is urgent. It is that silence of a non-response that is interpreted. And in schools, interpretation becomes culture.

What makes this especially tricky in schools is the power dynamic. When a leader does not respond, the silence carries more weight than when a peer does. People hesitate to follow up because they do not want to appear needy, impatient, or out of line, and wait longer than they should, even second-guessing themselves. In some cases, they stop asking altogether.

This lack of communication creates blind spots for leaders. The very people closest to the work begin to go quiet because experience has taught them not to expect a response. Over time, this weakens feedback loops and slows organizational learning.

Some consequences are obvious: Work slows, decisions stall, and people follow up repeatedly or escalate issues that did not need escalation. Non-response also erodes trust, discourages initiative, and can delay a problem until it is bigger, messier, and harder to solve. Over time, people start working around you instead of with you. That should worry any leader who values coherence, collaboration, and shared ownership.

Not Time Management, But A Disposition Problem

Perfection is not the point here, nor is inbox zero the target. The goal is a mindset shift: email is not just administrative or technical, it is part of your leadership presence. You can and should have boundaries, but these must be communicated.

It is also worth naming the emotional labor involved in email. Many messages carry frustration, urgency, or disappointment, so avoidance is sometimes less about time and more about discomfort.

Leadership often requires engaging with discomfort early, when issues are still manageable. Delayed responses allow tension to grow and misunderstandings to harden, so a short acknowledgment can de-escalate more effectively than a perfectly crafted response sent too late.

Sometimes this is not just a personal habit, it is structural. If a leader is hard to reach by phone, unavailable on video, and inconsistent in person, then email becomes the only door. When that door stays closed, leadership becomes something people cannot access, only assume.

If you want a staff that takes initiative, raises concerns early, and brings you solutions, you can’t train them – explicitly or implicitly – to expect no response.

5 Practical Ways To Handle Email Without Breaking Trust

1. Schedule response time and put it on your calendar. If it matters, it gets scheduled. Two short blocks a day can produce meaningful changes.
2. Set up folders and prioritize on purpose. Keep it simple. Examples: Urgent Today, This Week, Waiting On, Read Later. The goal is not a perfect system. The goal is not losing important messages.
3. Acknowledge quickly, then follow through. “Received. I’ll get back to you by Thursday.” Then actually do. Trust is built in the follow-up.
4. Use AI to draft non-sensitive, non-confidential correspondence. Let AI create a first draft for routine updates, confirmations, next steps, scheduling, thank-yous. Add your personal touch, correct tone, and keep confidential content out of the prompt.
5. Create a routing plan so you are not the bottleneck. Some messages should go to a point person or team. Proper routing is not avoidance, it is clarity.

Responsiveness is not about replying to everything instantly. It is about accountability. Whatever system you choose, protect your time, but do not disappear. Email silence may not be a visible leadership trait, but it is felt – and it shows up as trust, or the loss of it.

The School Superintendents Association (AASA)’s 2026 National Conference on Education took place in Nashville, offering a whirlwind of sessions, roundtable discussions, and plenty of cool tech to explore in the Expo Hall.

One of the highlights of the conference was the launch of AASA’s "Public Education Promise"—a framework designed to provide “every child in every community access to a highly effective education that prepares them for college, career, and real life in the real world.”

I had the opportunity to talk with David Schuler, Executive Director of AASA, to dig into this new initiative.

Schuler describes The Public Education Promise as an "attempt at reimagining what we believe public education needs to look like for this next generation of learners." This reimagining is not just about academic rigor but about a holistic approach to student success. "We know every generation learns differently," he says, emphasizing that "our educational system has to adapt and evolve to make sure we're meeting the needs of our learners."

The Public Education Promise is anchored in five core principles, each designed to help district leaders foster innovation and equity in their schools.

Principle 1: Prioritize Student-Centered Learning

The first principle focuses on personalized instruction that meets students where they are. In many traditional classrooms, the pace of learning is dictated by the curriculum rather than the student's mastery. Schuler challenges this outdated model: "If a student gets 1 to 13 right, why are we asking them to do 15 to 53? And if a student gets 1 to 13 wrong, why are we asking them to do 13 to 53?"

The goal is to leverage modern tools to accelerate learning for everyone. "Technology now gives us the opportunity to meet every child where they're at," Schuler says. By doing so, educators can move away from a one-size-fits-all approach and instead offer tailored experiences that allow students to soar.

"You want to accelerate learning, the way we do that is meeting every child where they're at," he adds.

Principle 2: The New Basics: Real Skills for Real Life

As the workforce changes, so too must the definition of "basic" skills. This principle advocates for a dual focus on cutting-edge technology and timeless interpersonal skills. "AI is here. So let's teach our kids how to use it," Schuler urges. But he is quick to note the importance of balancing this with the human element.

Schuler refers to this blend as "real skills for real life," or "the new basics." It includes practical professional standards that employers demand but often find lacking. He notes that for students entering the workforce, understanding professional norms is critical—for example, knowing that "five minutes late is not ‘close enough’."

Principle 3: Attract, Hire, Retain, and Reward the Best People

The third principle addresses the critical teacher shortage by rethinking the profession itself. Schuler points out a fundamental misunderstanding about why educators enter the field: "I think there's a big misnomer that a lot of teachers got into teaching because they love to teach . . . I think people got into teaching because they love to learn."

To retain talent, districts must improve the quality of life for educators, making the profession compatible with modern workforce expectations. AASA is currently running pilots to test new schedules.

"There are pilots happening in the country right now where kids are going to school 5 days a week, but teachers are only in classrooms 3 days a week," Schuler says. Innovations such as these are essential to compete with other industries in which remote work and flexibility are now standard.

Principle 4: Build Highly Engaged Family, Community, and Business Partnerships

Schools cannot do this work alone. This principle emphasizes the power of community "hubs" where districts, businesses, and families collaborate. Schuler highlights a region in Western Pennsylvania where 45 districts are working together "to really try and crack a nut" regarding local challenges.

He shares a compelling success story about his time as Superintendent of Schools at Township High School District 214 in Illinois when a teacher facilitated a partnership with Redoro, a local olive oil company. While some in the district were initially skeptical, Schuler told the teacher, "I think that's a great idea, let me know how I may be of support." The result was transformative: "We sell olive oil at all the local malls and kiosks and Redoro pays for two full summer internships for kids to go to Italy."

This success came because the teacher didn't just ask for money but created a value-add for the business, illustrating that "students succeed when families, schools, businesses work together."

Principle 5: Measure What Matters

Perhaps the most provocative principle is the call to rethink how success is defined. "We have to decouple student achievement from school accountability," Schuler asserts. While acknowledging that test scores are a "critical component," he argues they are insufficient for judging a school's total value.

He offers a stark example: "If you have a child, and your child is 18 years old and has an electrician's apprenticeship making $80,000 a year, I don't care what they got on their ACT."

The current system often fails to capture these non-academic successes. "What really matters is how successful the kids are not when they cross the stage, but how successful they are after they cross the stage," Schuler says.

Leading Through Innovation

Implementing these principles requires courageous leadership. Schuler advises superintendents to give their teams "permission to fail forward" and to start small with pilots. "If everything you do is working, you're not being as innovative as we believe you are," one board member told him.

Ultimately, the Public Education Promise is about restoring the joy of learning and ensuring that American public education remains the economic and social engine of the country. By telling good stories and focusing on what truly matters, leaders can build systems in which "everybody can see themselves" and every child has a path to a fulfilling future.

Schools do not run only on vision statements and instructional frameworks, but on calendars, inboxes, shared drives, slide decks, and dashboards. Schools operate on a thousand small digital decisions that either reduce friction or create it.

As such, a school leader’s digital habits have a direct impact on the entire school, sometimes for the worse.

Most of these habits are not malicious. Many come from good intentions and limited time, but intention does not cancel impact. In schools, attention is precious, so when our digital communication creates extra steps, people spend more energy decoding the message than acting on it. When leaders add avoidable friction, we shift the burden onto the people who already have the least time to spare.

These are not “gotchas,” but patterns which help to shape culture. The way we communicate digitally becomes a daily lesson in what we value: clarity, care, quality–or the lack of it–all of it shows up as you.

Here are six digital pet peeves I keep running into at schools, what each quietly reveals, and what you can do instead.

1. Reply-all as a performance of unity

The reply-all storm is the classic. Someone sends a birthday email, a holiday greeting, or a quick shout-out, then the chain begins. “Happy birthday!” “So true!” “Agreed!” “Thank you!” The content is kind, the intention is fine. But suddenly we have 30 messages that accomplish nothing except proving that we are all, in fact, checking our email.

I am not against appreciation; I am against forced audience participation.

Sometimes reply-all is not communication, but a performance. People feel socially compelled to respond because it feels rude not to, so for anyone managing a high-volume inbox, it becomes a productivity tax.

Do this instead: If your reply does not change anyone’s work, it probably does not need to go to everyone, so send it directly to the person. Or if your platform allows it, react instead of replying. If the message is truly for the whole staff, one person can compile appreciation and send a single follow-up. Culture does not require clutter.

2. Using AI to inflate a simple message

This one is newer, and it may become the biggest one if we are not careful–using AI to turn a simple message into a long email that the reader has to wade through.

I had a colleague show me an email she was about to send with a simple message: she was sick and would miss a deadline. That was all the recipient needed. Instead, the email became three paragraphs that repeated the same point in different ways, with extra personal details that did not help the reader take action. I had to take time to read it, she had to take time to generate it, and none of that improved communication.

AI can be useful, but the standard should be simple–it should reduce cognitive load, not increase it, and help communication become clearer, shorter, and more actionable.

Do this instead: If the message is a status update, keep it to three sentences: what happened, what you need, and what happens next. Use AI to tighten and clarify, not to sound more elaborate.

3. Dead links and “I sent it” culture

Dead links turn simple tasks into scavenger hunts. “Here’s the resource.” The link does not work. “Here’s the folder.” No permission. “See the attachment.” The attachment is missing, or the file is named Final_FINAL_v7 and no one can tell what is current.

This is not really a technical issue. It is a respect issue.

When a leader sends information that is not usable, the message becomes: “I pushed this out, now you figure it out.” Over time, staff stop trusting communications, and stop clicking.

Do this instead: Test links before you send any, and check permissions using a non-owner view if possible. Use file names that humans can recognize later, ideally with a date and topic. And add one small leadership move that goes a long way: “If you cannot access this, reply and I will fix it.”

4. QR codes in PDFs that assume you are holding paper

This one is so common that I still cannot believe we do it. Someone creates a flyer for an event. “Register here!” They include a QR code. Great idea if the flyer is printed and taped to a wall.

But what happens in real life? The PDF is emailed or posted on a site, and someone opens it on their phone. They see the QR code, but they cannot scan it because it is on the same device they are using to read it. If they do not have a second device, they are stuck.

QR codes are usually meant to make registration or information more accessible, however, in a digital setting, the opposite can happen.

Do this instead: If you include a QR code in a digital document, include a clickable link underneath it or add a short URL that can be copied. Design for the most realistic scenario: a busy teacher reading it on a phone in a hallway between periods. If it cannot be opened in ten seconds, it is not ready.

5. Sloppy outputs: grammar, slides, and basic accessibility

We live in a world where tools can catch basic grammar issues instantly and templates exist for decent slide design. And yet, we still circulate staff-wide messages with obvious errors and preset decks that are hard to read. Tiny fonts. Low contrast. Walls of text.

This is not about being fancy, but about quality control.

When grammar is unchecked, it distracts from the message and signals haste. Slide quality does the same. Consequently, if the communication is sloppy, people assume the planning and thinking behind it is sloppy, too.

This is also where basic accessibility shows up. If the font is tiny, the contrast is weak, and the document is a scanned image that cannot be searched or selected, it creates barriers. Some staff will struggle quietly while others will disengage. Either way, the message does not land the way it should.

Do this instead: If a message is going to the whole staff, take two minutes to proofread. If it is a deck for a real meeting, make it readable. One idea per slide, large font, high contrast, and less text. Aim for materials that are usable on a phone, searchable, and readable without squinting.

6. Data dumps with no story and no action

I love data. I also hate data dumps.

There is nothing worse than receiving a spreadsheet or dashboard with “FYI” and no explanation–no context, no interpretation, no action, just numbers floating in space. If there is no decision to make, no next step to take, and no owner to follow up, then the data becomes noise wearing a serious outfit.

Data only becomes helpful when it answers a question and drives an action. Without that, we are not using data, we are distributing anxiety.

Do this instead: Every data share should answer three questions:

1. So what? What does this data mean and what matters most here.
2. Now what? What are we going to do differently by knowing it.
3. Who owns it by when? What is the follow-through here and who is responsible.

Staff can handle hard truths. What they cannot handle is being handed numbers with no direction and then being judged for not magically improving them.

A closing thought about digital leadership

I am not writing this from a place of perfection as I have sent messages too fast, shared the wrong link, and have built a deck late at night and hoped nobody noticed. That is all part of leadership life. The point is not to shame anyone but to notice what our habits communicate and what these cost other people.

Digital choices are rarely neutral, and send signals about our standards and our care. These reveal whether we are thinking about the people on the receiving end, especially the ones who have the least time and the most daily demands. That is why I keep returning to the same line: It shows up as you.

If people have to decode you, they cannot act on your requests. So lead with the ask/task, make links usable, design for phone-first access, proofread anything that represents the school, make slides readable, do not send data without a next step, and use AI to clarify, not inflate.

Our digital habits should make it easier to do the work, not harder. When we reduce friction in small ways, we protect time for what actually matters: better instruction, stronger relationships, and better support for students. That is not tech. That is leadership.

Watch the episode above or listen/download the audio below.

Despite being a self-proclaimed "technology dork," Marlon Styles Jr. is also an educator, an author, and an influencer who insists technology should never lead educational initiatives.

"I love immersive reality. I love virtual reality. It's cool. It's fantastic," he says. "But I need a purpose for that to show up inside of a classroom and have that technology really influence the kids' experience."

Marlon will be keynoting next month’s Tech & Learning Leadership Summit at NCCE 26 in Seattle, WA. During our conversation, I was able to pull some exclusive insights into what he has in store.

Marlon will propose something many leaders might find uncomfortable: breaking the habit of relying on the same "inner circles" to make strategic decisions. "We break the habit of engaging the same inner circles to make strategic decisions in our systems. Inner circles mean the same people show up to the table to make decisions," he explains. "What I'm proposing is that we really leverage expertise in a unique way and bring specific intentional expertise from our employee base to the table to help us engage in strategic decision-making."

Marlon also challenges another education buzzword: data-driven decision-making. "I'm no longer saying that we need to be data-driven decision-makers," he suggests. "I'm saying that we need to be really strategic about how we collect and interact with intelligence from across our system to better inform the kind of decisions that we might make."

Finally, Marlon advocates for what he calls "agentic AI" — artificial intelligence that acts as a partner in decision-making rather than just a productivity tool. "How might we uniquely engage agentic AI with a specific set of expertise that we've convened to help us really make better strategic decisions?"

• Tech & Learning Conversations with Kevin Hogan

You can watch this week's episode above or click/download on the audio-only version below.

While talking about BETT 2026 on Zoom is not half as much fun as in a pub or London Heathrow’s Terminal 5, it’s always great to get the skinny from players in the edtech field. And who better than Liz Crawford to lay out the details.

Unlike previous years when companies rushed to rebrand themselves as "AI companies," BETT 2026 featured more substantive discussions about practical integration. Says Liz: "AI was definitely a hot topic. It was everywhere as part of every conversation. But I think the conversations are getting a little bit more thoughtful about AI and how we support teaching and learning with AI, and keep some of the fundamentals like reading and math and obviously the teacher-student relationships intact."

The conference drew ministerial delegations from around the world, creating what Liz describes as a "high energy" atmosphere with "people speaking multiple languages, cultures," and booths "packed pretty much all day, every day, three people deep trying to get demos."

One notable difference from U.S.-centric conferences such as ISTE: LMS adoption patterns vary significantly by region. "I hosted some sessions in the booth and asked if the educators were using LMS as an example, and sometimes they weren't really," Liz observes. "So I think from that perspective, the U.S. is a little bit ahead on the LMS usage."

However, Kahoot is experiencing "viral growth" in markets including Germany, France, Indonesia, and Japan—driven not by top-down government mandates but by teacher adoption. "I think it's just driven by teacher adoption of tools that are a good user experience, that provide value, that impact learning outcomes," Liz explains.

Two other topics generating significant buzz at BETT: future-ready skills (formerly called "21st century skills") and formative assessment. The latter received particular attention, appearing in stage keynotes, concurrent sessions, and booth demonstrations.

Discussions also centered on how technology supports soft skill development and how edtech platforms can work together more seamlessly. "Partnerships is still a big conversation around amongst edtech tools and amongst the platforms that are used every day in education, and how do we work together to make sure that we're trying to be seamless and help educators connect the dots across all the platforms they're using," she says.

In the snippet below, Liz discusses the evolution of AI in education:

• Tech & Learning Conversations with Kevin Hogan

Watch this week's conversation above or listen/download the audio only below.

Superintendent Tom Livezey of Oakridge Public Schools in Muskegon, Michigan, wanted to be heard. So when he discovered that nobody noticed when he stopped sending the district's printed quarterly newsletter, he began to implement a deliberate approach to communication.

His progress wasn't part of a grand strategic plan but rather a series of "course corrections" responding to parent needs and changing technology.

The key innovation was unifying staff communication around a single rostered platform that allows teachers to send messages, photos, and updates to entire classes or individual students while receiving responses—all translated into multiple languages. Previously, only the superintendent had access to sophisticated communication tools, while teachers used various free internet platforms, creating a fragmented experience for parents. The district now has approximately 1,000 TikTok followers and receives unsolicited praise from teachers and parents alike.

Tom's advice to other districts: focus on strategy, message, frequency, and listening rather than obsessing over which specific tool to use. Match solutions to actual problems rather than implementing technology for technology's sake.

In this snippet, Tom talks about unifying communications for parents.

In this snippet, Tom offers advice to other districts looking to simplify their communications strategy:

• Tech & Learning Conversations with Kevin Hogan

Every leader faces the same challenge: how do you make your team's work visible and valued at the highest levels of your organization? The answer lies not in presenting more data, but in weaving that data into compelling narratives that directly connect to what boards care about most: the organization's mission and strategic priorities.

The Power of Strategic Alignment

School boards and administrative teams don't remember statistics. They remember stories that illuminate progress toward goals they've committed to achieving, especially those that illustrate how the students are improving through your auspices. When advocating for library and IT programs, for example, don’t focus on the equipment or software but on what the students and teachers will be able to do now that they were not able to do previously.

The most effective advocates understand that every board has articulated priorities, whether that's closing achievement gaps, preparing students for college and career, advancing equity, or fostering innovation. Your task is to position your department's contributions within this existing framework, showing what you do and why it matters in the context of the district's strategic educational goals.

Finding Your Story in the Data

Begin by examining your department's metrics through a strategic lens. Raw numbers, website visits, training completions, tickets resolved, number of books checked out, etc., tell an incomplete story. The narrative emerges when you ask, “What change do these numbers represent, and how does that change advance our mission?”

Consider an instructional technology department that increased learning management system adoption from 45% to 92% of faculty. The data point alone is impressive, but the story becomes powerful when connected to strategic outcomes. If the board's strategic plan emphasizes "personalized learning experiences," that increased adoption translates into 15,000 students now accessing differentiated content, real-time feedback, and flexible learning pathways. That directly advances the district's equity and achievement goals.

For a library media center tracking resource usage and information literacy instruction, rather than simply reporting that digital resource access increased by 80%, frame this within the board's college and career readiness goals: "Our expanded digital library and embedded research instruction reached 3,200 students this year, with 89% demonstrating proficiency in evaluating source credibility. The improvement in this critical skill for academic success and informed citizenship directly supports our graduate profile."

Crafting Your Narrative Arc

Effective board presentations follow a narrative structure that creates emotional resonance while maintaining analytical rigor. Start with context that grounds your story in the organization's strategic landscape. What challenge or opportunity existed? Why did it matter to the mission?

Next, illuminate your department's response. This is where you integrate data, but always in service of the story. Show the progression: where you started, the interventions your team designed, and the measurable changes that resulted. Use concrete examples that humanize the numbers. If your library services team launched a maker space that served 800 students, share a brief story about a reluctant reader who discovered graphic novels through your new browsing displays and went on to check out 23 books that year, reigniting a love of reading that had dimmed.

The climax of your narrative demonstrates impact aligned with strategic priorities. This is where you explicitly connect your department's outcomes to the board's goals. Use their language. If the strategic plan mentions "closing achievement gaps," show how your instructional technology initiatives enable differentiated instruction at scale. If they prioritize "innovative learning environments," demonstrate how your library transformation created collaborative spaces where students develop critical thinking and creative engagement.

Making the Strategic Connection Explicit

Don't assume board members will automatically draw connections between your data and their priorities. Make the alignment explicit and direct. Consider creating a simple visual framework that shows the strategic goal, your department's contribution, and the measurable impact.

For example:

Board Priority: Prepare all students for post-secondary success.

Our Contribution: Implemented one-to-one device program with an embedded digital citizenship curriculum and expanded library database access.

Impact: 94% of seniors now demonstrate college-level research skills, up from 67%, and digital tool proficiency increased from 58% to 91%. This directly supported the goal of eliminating barriers to post-secondary readiness.

This approach transforms you from a department head requesting technology budgets or library materials into a strategic partner demonstrating return on investment in terms the board values most: student outcomes and achievement of educational goals.

Building Long-Term Visibility

Improving your department's identity with leadership isn't about a single presentation either. It is about consistently demonstrating strategic value. Create a rhythm of communication that keeps your contributions visible. Share monthly or quarterly updates that track progress on specific strategic metrics. Advocate for regular opportunities to present to the board to highlight accomplishments. Work with building principals to highlight how you have supported their goals as well. When organizational wins occur, proactively identify your department's enabling role.

Perhaps most importantly, invite board members into your work area or encourage them to participate in programs your department manages and observe your team in action. These experiences create advocates who understand your value firsthand.

The Transformation

When you master the art of wrapping data in a strategic narrative, something shifts; your department moves from being seen as a support function to being recognized as a strategic asset. Budget conversations then become easier because you have demonstrated clear connections between your resources and organizational priorities. Recruitment also improves because talented professionals want to join teams doing meaningful, visible work. Most importantly, your team gains the recognition and support they deserve for their contributions to the mission.

The data has always been there. The impact has always existed. Your task is to tell the story that makes both impossible to ignore.

Quakertown Community School District is a diverse suburban district of 5,000 students 40 miles north of Philadelphia.

“We find that many generations of families have gone through our district,” says Superintendent Matthew Friedman. “As a long-time professional in education, that’s always a good sign that people like the school system. When I arrived, I listened to all the internal and external stakeholders to learn the strengths, the pain points, where we needed to grow. What I really wanted to focus on was life beyond the walls of the schools.”

For Friedman, who was recently recognized with an Innovative Leader Award at the Northeast Pre-NYSCATE Summit in Verona, NY, there was one important question to answer: What are kids going to do when they graduate?

“We have a mix of white-collar and blue-collar families and a separate technical high school with about 1,000 kids that feed in from three different districts,” he says. “A lot of our kids go into trades. We support two-year paths, four-year paths, trade school, workforce, military — all the different options. But we really had no dedicated exposure to STEM education at that elementary level.”

To start, Friedman helped design and implement an elementary computational thinking and design thinking course for K through 5.

“It gave the students an opportunity to be hands-on in their learning, to understand the computational thinking process and have exposure to STEM education at the younger level,” he says. “I always use the analogy from a leadership position of building a house. You can build the biggest house in the world, but if you don't have a strong foundation that house is going to collapse."

Friedman saw a lot of schools try to implement things from the top down. He wanted to try to do things from the bottom up, starting conversations in kindergarten to set kids up for success in high school by having K-8 CTE exposure. To do that, he wanted to have career conversations with a common career language K-12 and to take a dialogic approach using the RIASEC taxonomy of career interests.

Far from a one-off concept, RIASEC is now used by many universities such as U of Hawaii, Purdue, FSU, and Michigan State to help students determine prospective majors that speak to their true talents, interest and abilities.

“If you put in your RIASEC results, it will show you what majors align with your letters and what courses you could potentially take,” Friedman says. “It takes a lot of the guessing out and really helps to frame it for students.”

The 6 RIASEC Types to Guide Students

Friedman explains the RIASEC taxonomy:

• Realistic (The Doers): These people are often good at mechanical or athletic jobs (e.g., mechanics, engineers, farmers).
• Investigative (The Thinkers): These people like to watch, learn, analyze and solve problems (e.g., scientists, researchers, data analysts).
• Artistic (The Creators): These people like to work in unstructured situations where they can use their creativity (e.g., artists, musicians, writers, designers).
• Social (The Helpers): These people like to work with other people, rather than things (e.g., teachers, nurses, counselors).
• Enterprising (The Persuaders): These people like to work with others and enjoy persuading and performing.(e.g., managers, salespeople, entrepreneurs).
• Conventional (The Organizers): These people are very detail oriented, organized, and like to work with data (e.g., accountants, clerks, administrative assistants).

Some schools use simple questionnaires to ask students to consider their strengths, dislikes, talents and interests — making it clear there are no wrong answers, as seen here.

Deeper Conversations and Deeper Culture

Friedman has seen a positive change not only in the classroom but the greater school culture.

“We were talking about Martin Luther King Jr's birthday coming up and instead of very low-level factual information, we can integrate career conversations such as, ‘What letters do you think Dr. King would be? What letters are you? Find two or three in the room to have a conversation. What are the similarities between you and Dr. King? What are the differences? Why do you think he would be these letters? Does that align with your strengths and your interests, could you do something similar to what Dr. King did one day?’ It takes the conversation to a whole other level,” Friedman says.

Friedman explains how a third-grade Veterans Day classroom conversation he overheard discussing RIASEC letters in regard to an Army Ranger visitor in the classroom might have affected a student’s career path.

“Students really have to understand all six letters in order to understand where they fit in the framework,” he says. “Their letters could change daily, weekly, yearly. The letters you have in kindergarten are probably not the letters you have in 7th or 12th grade. But if you continue to think about your strengths and your interests, teachers can flexibly group students in classrooms based off of their dominant letter.”

The success stories that are most satisfying to Friedman are those involving helping a student find their own right future path. For example, one strong student admitted he was considering dropping out of school because he didn’t see a fit with what was happening in the classroom. Now an engineering major at a top school, he shared that after being introduced to RIASEC and career conversations using a common language, he realized that his strengths and interests actually had a pathway beyond K-12.

From a leadership perspective, Friedman always wants growth and achievement from his students. A common language is changing the culture of the program.

“We’ve had the kids say, ‘I'm having conversations with people I never thought I would talk to in school,’” he says. “That’s so great. It shifts the paradigm.”

The use of RIASEC also helped in a recent career and jobs fair.

“We’ve created different types of pathways students can take,” Friedman says. “They can take courses and get externships and job shadows and internships throughout high school with local businesses. Integrating Riasec into their decision-making process was invaluable at a recent college and career fair in our high school. We had 96 colleges, universities, businesses, military and trades. Six weeks before the fair, our college and career counselor contacted all 96 attendees. ‘This is the Riasec framework. We want you to list your top 10 majors or job roles with appropriate letters.’"

When students arrived at the fair, rather than wandering aimlessly, they could instantly target the best fit and have productive conversations about their future.

“It’s just such a helpful tool, at any age,” Friedman says. “When we introduced this to parents, a number of adults came up to me afterward and said, ‘I might rethink where I am in my life and my career.’"

The Tools They Use

• Google Gemini
• Google Gems
• Notebook LM
• Streamable Learning
• ClickView

In the rapidly evolving landscape of K-12 education, the role of a Technology Director often fluctuates between maintaining infrastructure and shaping pedagogy. For Eric Coronado, Director of Technology for Suffern Central School District in Rockland County in New York, who was recently awarded the Tech & Learning’s Innovative Leader Award at the Tech & Learning Northeast Summit, the mission is clear. While his responsibilities cover everything from cybersecurity to student devices—"If it has a plug, that's me," he jokes—his core philosophy is rooted in a much softer skill set: supporting people.

Coronado’s path to educational leadership was non-traditional. Like many in the tech sector, he began his career climbing the corporate ladder. A short-term leadership experiment in a school district, however, turned into a long-term calling.

"Once I was in K-12, I realized how meaningful the work was, completely different from corporate,” he says. “When you help schools succeed, you're helping the next generation and it's incredibly rewarding."

Now leading a diverse district with a growing multilingual population, Coronado is leveraging strategic partnerships and cutting-edge tools to bridge the gap between complex technology and student success.

AI Integration: Guidelines Over Rigid Policy

One of the most pressing challenges in modern districts is the rise of AI. Rather than shying away from it, SCSD has leaned into AI, particularly to support their expanding community of English as a New Language (ENL) learners.

Coronado and his team were early adopters of SchoolAI and MagicSchool, identifying these as powerful allies in bridging communication gaps. However, the implementation strategy was just as important as the tools themselves. The district avoided creating hard-and-fast policies that would inevitably become obsolete within weeks. Instead, they established flexible guidelines focused on responsible use.

"Our goal was never to replace learning but to actually support it," Coronado says. He highlights SchoolAI specifically for its ability to create "translation agents." These agents allow for robust language support while maintaining strict educational guardrails. "Students could poke at it and try to break it, but it always stayed educationally focused," he says.

Building the Next Generation of Cyber Defenders

A standout among SCSD’s initiatives is the launch of a three-year Cybersecurity Academy at the high school. This program was born out of a partnership with the League of Innovative Schools and Digital Promise, a nonprofit focused on closing the digital learning gap.

Through a small cohort selected by Digital Promise, Suffern was able to implement a curriculum that emphasizes a "Play, Learn, Perform” learning process. Students aren't just reading textbooks; they are engaging in real-world problem-solving, such as simulating ethical hacking.

“I'm really proud of the cybersecurity academy” Coronado says. “It gives students hands-on exposure in cybersecurity and it gives them a clear career pathway."

The program is designed with a tangible finish line: by the third year, students are prepared to take the CompTIA Security+ cybersecurity certification.

Modernizing the Classroom Experience

Beyond specialized programs, Coronado is focused on the daily instructional environment. The district recently undertook a rollout of Promethean interactive boards. For Coronado, this wasn't just a hardware upgrade; it was a shift in instructional design.

"We wanted to change how the teachers engage with the students," he says. The goal was to move away from static displays to collaborative environments in which mirroring screens and touch interaction are the norm.

To support teachers without overwhelming them, the district utilized a "reverse training" model using Promethean’s self-paced PD website, allowing educators to master the tools at their leisure.

Operational Efficiency and Vendor Philosophy

Managing the backend of a district’s technology is a massive logistical feat, particularly regarding device management. Following the pandemic, the district faced thousands of Chromebooks and the inevitable breakage that comes with 1:1 initiatives.

To streamline this, Coronado implemented Incident IQ, which modernized their help desk, allowing for better tracking, reporting, and budgeting for repairs. This choice reflects Coronado’s strict criteria for vendor partners: interoperability.

"If I'm looking for a tool, I don't want it to be just for Google, just for Microsoft. I want it to be everything," he says. He values vendors that offer proactive customer service—partners who reach out to him rather than waiting for a ticket to be filed.

Leadership Based on Trust

Ultimately, Coronado attributes the success at Suffern Central School District not to the software or the hardware, but to the culture. His advice for aspiring education leaders is to stay curious and prioritize relationships over technical specs.

“Innovation in education is not about flashy tools,” he says. “It's about collaboration and keeping students in the right direction."

The Tools They Use

• SchoolAI
• MagicSchool
• Promethean interactive boards
• Incident IQ

Apply to attend an upcoming Tech & Learning Regional Leadership Summits here.

Tech & Learning’s Leadership Summits offer a unique environment for district leaders. Beyond a standard conference, these summits are designed to build a national network of innovative school district leaders—a community you can turn to throughout the year for advice, strategy, and camaraderie.

The Philosophy: The Smartest Person in the Room Is the Room

We believe that collective intelligence drives innovation. That is why every Tech & Learning’s Leadership Summit agenda is bespoke, created based on information gathered directly from our attendees during registration.

We identify the topics that matter most to you and invite select attendees to facilitate valuable roundtable discussions. This format allows you to share successes, troubleshoot challenges, and develop lasting relationships that extend your professional learning network well beyond the event.

Why Attend? Hear from Your Peers

Here are key reasons to join us, in the words of past attendees:

• Elite Networking & Strategic Connections
  “As an IT professional in education, I cannot overstate the value of Tech & Learning's Regional Leadership Summit. This event offers an unparalleled opportunity to collaborate with peers and gain insights into the latest trends and best practices in educational technology." — Nicholas Fountas, Chief Technology Officer, Brigantine Public School District
• Executive-Level Professional Development
  “The Tech & Learning Summit provides the perfect balance of networking, meeting vendors, exploring new products, listening to fellow district ideas, and roundtable discussions. It is interactive, fast-paced, and the speakers never disappoint!” — Kristen Honaker, Technology Coordinator, Houston County Board of Education
• Actionable Strategies & Peer-Driven Solutions
  “The Tech & Learning Summit creates an experience that was clearly designed with practitioners in mind. Everything about the event supported implementation, not just inspiration.” — Matt Joseph, Assistant Superintendent, New Bedford Schools
• Personalized Partner Matching for District Needs
  "The Tech & Learning Leadership Summit highlighted some new technology partners and resources that could positively impact our community and students! What more could you ask for?” — Megan Hanna, Senior Director of Curriculum & Technology, Legacy Christian Academy

2026 Dates & Locations

Each summit is free to attend and focuses on the unique needs of that region to help you develop concrete action plans. Tech & Learning also covers a two-night hotel stay for qualified attendees.

Join us at one of the following 2026 locations:

• February 25, 2026 | NORTHWEST (Seattle) - Pre-NCCE: NEW LOCATION! Tech & Learning is proud to partner with NCCE for our first Northwest Leadership Summit pre-con. Speakers include retired superintendent, Marlon Styles, Washington State’s Elementary Principal of the Year Cathi Davis, and more sharing valuable advice for school district leaders. Find more information and the link to apply here.
• March 13, 2026 | Southeast (Atlanta): Back at the Loudermilk Conference Center, this popular Leadership Summit draws district leaders from GA, AL, FL, and TN. The program will include conversations on topics like AI and emerging tech, data privacy and security, professional development, rethinking learning spaces, and more. Find more information and the link to apply here.
• May 1, 2026: NEW ENGLAND (Boston): Taking place at the beautiful Connors Center outside Boston, school district leaders from the New England area gather to share and learn about the most important topics for school district leaders impacting the region. Find more information and the link to apply here.
• June 27, 2026: PRE-ISTE (Orlando): Tech & Learning is taking our annual pre-ISTE Leadership Summit to the ultimate hub of innovation: The Kennedy Space Center. Surrounded by history's greatest engineering feats, we will explore the next frontier of education—diving deep into science, AI, and the future of classroom technology. This exclusive event sells out every year and draws a national audience. Apply to attend soon to secure your spot here!
• September 18, 2026: TEXAS: They say everything is bigger in Texas, and the Texas Regional Summit is no exception. We are tackling the region’s most significant challenges head-on—from navigating new cell phone bans and AI governance to mastering data privacy and security. Find more information and the link to apply here.
• November 7, 2026: MIDWEST: Returning to the conveniently located NIU Naperville Conference Center, Tech & Learning’s Midwest Summit brings together district leaders from IL, IN, MI, and WI. Join us to share strategies and solutions through a series of intimate, expert-led group discussions. Find more information and the link to apply here.

“This was one of the most beneficial and interactive events I have attended in my 20-year career in education,” writes attendee Billy Runey, Superintendent of Schools, Dighton-Rehoboth Regional Schools. “I would highly recommend this summit to anyone.”

Qualified school district administrators can apply to attend an upcoming Tech & Learning Regional Leadership Summits here.

Sample Agenda: What to Expect

Each Tech & Learning Regional Leadership Summit follows an agenda designed to maximize learning and colleague interaction.

DAY ONE:

• Evening: Welcome Dinner

DAY TWO:

• 8:30 AM: Registration & Breakfast
• 9:00 - 10:00 AM: Welcome & Keynote
  • Hosted by Edtech luminary Carl Hooker, bringing enthusiasm and passion to the day.
• 10:00 - 11:30 AM: Problem-Solving Breakouts
  • Topics include: Generative AI, sustaining tech post-ESSER, rethinking PD, data governance, and managing staffing shortages.
• 11:30 AM: Beyond the Hype: Building a Sustainable AI Governance & Implementation Strategy
• 12:00 PM: Lunch & Meet the Partners
• 1:00-2:00: Navigating the Fiscal Cliff: Strategies for Sustainability Post-ESSER
• 2:00 PM: Problem-Solving Breakouts
  • Topics include: Student wellness, cybersecurity, rethinking learning spaces, and teacher recruitment/retention.
• 3:30 PM: Reflections and Actions
  • Closing activity led by Carl Hooker to solidify takeaways and next steps.
• 4:00 PM: Innovative Leader Awards Ceremony

Call for Nominations: Innovative Leader Awards

As part of our Regional Live Summits, Tech & Learning recognizes exceptional district administrators who are reimagining education with our Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Awards. We are seeking nominations for leaders who have launched unique, forward-thinking programs or policies that have a demonstrable positive impact and are replicable in other districts.

Winner Benefits:

• Invitation to the Regional Summit (including a two-night hotel stay).
• Profile feature in an issue of Tech & Learning.
• Official Innovative Leader Award Seal for district websites and communications.

Read more about our recent winners here.

Nominate yourself or a colleague for the Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Awards here.

For many educators, the path to leadership is a calculated climb. For Jennifer Mazza, Director of STEM and Instructional Technology at Clarkstown Central School District, it was a series of fortunate accidents and "trial by fire" moments.

Mazza, a recent winner of Tech & Learning’s Innovative Leader Award, began her journey in 1999 in Michigan, where she intended to be a wildlife biologist. However, a chance encounter with a principal while applying to substitute teach led to a long-term position teaching biology, geometry, and civics. Decades later, a similar pivotal shift occurred. Mazza moved into administration during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and assumed her current role in September 2022; ChatGPT was released in November.

"It’s turned out to be mostly technology with a little bit of science," Mazza says of her role, noting that the release of generative AI "changed the whole nature of the position and everything that I was focused on."

Today, Mazza is leading a district of approximately 8,000 students through a technological evolution, focusing on student agency, community partnerships, and instructional integrity.

Scaling Innovation at Clarkstown

Clarkstown Central School District, located in Rockland County, New York, is a well-funded, suburban district comprising nine elementary schools, a large middle school, two high schools, and a therapeutic alternative school. With a small technology team consisting of herself and two facilitators, Mazza faces the challenge of implementing large-scale changes across a broad demographic.

Her strategy relies on small-group implementation and "The AI Roadshow." Tech facilitators visit elementary schools to meet with grade-level teams, grounding teachers in what AI tools are before they are introduced to students.

Mazza emphasizes that technology must serve instruction, not the other way around. "The goal of using the technology should be to take kids to places and opportunities and experiences that they couldn't have without that technology."

The AI Externship: A Reciprocal Model

Perhaps the most innovative initiative under Mazza’s leadership is the pilot AI Externship program. Recognizing that students often possess AI skills that surpass those of the average adult, Mazza saw an opportunity to change the traditional internship model.

"We really wanted to connect with our small business owners and our town government... and engage in a reciprocal relationship where instead of just sending a kid out to have an externship experience, we're actually giving them some agency to bring something to the table as well," Mazza says.

The program began with students earning AI certifications through Coursera. They were then placed in district departments and town government roles to create operations manuals and manage publicity using their new skills. The program is now expanding to include approximately 150 students across the county.

This initiative also connects to a broader career focus. One high school recently hosted a career fair organized by department chair Jess Flanigan, attracting professionals from American Express, the medical field, and finance to mentor students.

The Tech Stack: Tools and Partnerships

For district leaders curious about the specific tools powering Clarkstown’s innovation, Mazza offers a transparent look at their "tech stack." While the district has restricted ChatGPT, they actively encourage the use of Google’s Gemini and NotebookLM, particularly noting the latter's success in special education departments.

Video and content creation are also central to the district's strategy. "We train widely on Canva and WeVideo," Mazza notes. "We think it is really important to empower a student to share their voice in a world where technology is the platform for getting your voice out there."

Mazza also highlights the importance of strong vendor relationships for student safety. The district uses Brisk, an AI-powered content creation and feedback tool. Mazza praises Brisk for being responsive to safety concerns and connecting the district directly with product engineers.

"I can't monitor 17 different tools at the same time," Mazza says. "Building those vendor relationships is really important because this is new work and the one place that we can go wrong is related to student safety."

Leading Through "Natural Selection"

Mazza draws on her roots as a biology teacher when offering advice to other leaders hesitant to embrace AI. She views the current educational landscape through the lens of evolution.

"The environment has changed very significantly," she says. "What is going to work in one place may not work in another place. And so right now there's no excuse not to try because you can't really get it wrong. You can only provide more opportunities for kids."

By focusing on empowering new teachers through the district's "New Professionals Institute" and giving students a seat at the table through externships, Mazza is turning potential obstacles into opportunities.

"To see your teachers feel empowered and optimistic about their profession, it makes you feel good about doing the work," she says.

Key Takeaways for Aspiring Leaders

Mazza offers advice for aspiring edtech leaders.

• Embrace the "Accidental" Path: You don’t need a perfect roadmap to lead. Mazza’s career was defined by stepping up during "trial by fire" moments, from her first teaching job to navigating COVID-19 and the arrival of Generative AI.
• Prioritize Instruction Over Tech: Technology is a vehicle, not the destination. If a lesson works better without a screen, do it without the screen. Use tech only when it amplifies the experience or takes students somewhere new.
• Flip the Internship Model: Don’t just send students to learn from adults; acknowledge that students are often the experts in AI. Create "reciprocal relationships" in which students provide value to local businesses and government offices while gaining work experience.
• Vet Your Vendors: You cannot monitor every update on every platform. Build relationships with responsive partners who are willing to put engineers on the phone to discuss student safety.
• Start with Central Office: If you are hesitant to reach out to external companies, start your pilot programs within your own district office. Plenty of work needs to be done internally that can benefit from student tech expertise.

The Tools They Use

• Brisk
• Canva
• ChatGPT
• Coursera
• Gemini (Google)
• NotebookLM (Google)
• Prodigy
• WeVideo

As educators, we frequently encounter challenging situations, often involving aggressive or defensive responses that feel like a verbal assault.

I learned this firsthand as a new administrator when a student was seated in the office for detention and another child walked up, knocked on the window, and made fun of him. I redirected the heckler, and later that night I was stunned at what happened: the parent of the heckler wrote a letter to the superintendent, complaining that I had verbally assaulted his son and demanded I be fired; I was clearly unfit to work with children.

After thousands of encounters with difficult people, I developed microstrategies, which are quick, practical, and immediately impactful solutions that educators and leaders can use to manage daily interactions and challenges, saving time and keeping the focus on students.

The ability to adapt and successfully navigate hostile people demands recognizing how to manage and understand them. The key is to never match a difficult person’s aggressiveness, no matter how wrong they are, or how defensive you feel. Instead, always keep a steady eye on objectivity.

Understanding and Countering Blame Displacement

Blame displacement happens when people deflect responsibility for problems or failures onto others, resulting in avoidance rather than accountability. This deflection often stems from ego, which Ryan Holiday characterizes in Ego Is the Enemy, as a deep-seated desire to protect self-image and avoid the discomfort of perceived shortcomings. This ego-driven defensiveness manifests as subtle manipulations to offload responsibilities and maintain a perception of blamelessness and accusations.

To counter this, educators should deploy methods such as Todd Whitaker's approach on Shifting the Monkey. Effective leaders must consistently and respectfully deflect "monkeys" (responsibilities, problems, and complaints) back to their rightful owners to protect good employees and kids, and maintain an organization’s focus on student success.

For example, when a parent attempts to displace blame for their child's struggles on educators trying to help, strategic responses to recognize this transfer allows us to skillfully return the monkey back to where it belongs, through skillful redirection. A strategic redirection might be: “I've provided the resources and guidance and now I'd like to hear what strategies you believe would be most effective in helping your child meet these goals.”

Displacing blame perpetuates confusion and misunderstanding for children and that’s when kids lose. School leaders have to manage the monkeys, so students don't have to and win.

The 90/10 Rule

While educators experience disproportionate and aggressive responses, it's important to maintain perspective. Most families I encounter have a trusting and reasonable response to our management system for student conduct and development, which I refer to as the 90/10 Rule (or "rule of nines"): 90% of people are decent, understanding, and reasonable in our shared encounters, yet the difficult and exasperating 10% approach concerns with aggression, defensiveness, and insult and and occupy an inordinate majority of time and resources.

This small, significant minority makes themselves well known, having made the cashier at Target cry, insulted the security officer, etc. While challenging and even hostile, they are often doing the best that they can. We must implement strategies to manage our responses to them, not to avoid them.

Strategy Shifting and Taking the Higher Ground

Effectively countering blame displacement requires both a procedural approach to shift ownership and a conscious, objective alternative redirection to the ego-driven narrative fueling it. We must always take the higher ground, keeping in mind our most important role: how we are helping their child develop and thrive, serving as a role model for our students and them.

When a difficult person attacks, accountability is confronted by recentering the dialogue and reminding them that civility comes first for the sake of the child. A powerful redirection I use is: “I will never speak to you or your child like that and I expect the same in return.” This often shocks parents back into reality.

Clearly communicate expectations, focus on collaborative problem-solving that includes the difficult person’s role, and consistently reinforce that while the school plays a vital part, the parent's collaboration is crucial in student success. By refusing to accept displaced blame, educators protect their time and energy, allowing them to focus on supporting students in ways that are truly within our professional landscape.

The parent who demanded I be fired long ago eventually came to me (three years later), thanking me for my patience and understanding. He acknowledged his own shortcomings, realizing that I was not "after" his son, as he instinctively assumed. This was a strangely liberating and unexpected turnaround.

While most blame-displacers will not come around as he did, some will and that is the promise I offer. It has remained my true reward, because a child can see the other side, not a combative educator validating their parent’s irrational reaction, but a civil even-handed approach to their success.

Watch the video or download/listen to the audio below.

In an era dominated by discussions about AI and every other flavor of edtech, a new study delivers a surprisingly analog message: what makes teachers feel successful hasn't changed. It's human connection.

The 2025 Global Teacher Insights Report from Vivi reveals that 85% of nearly 2,000 teachers worldwide identified strong teacher-student relationships and active engagement as the two most influential factors in their sense of success.

I had the chance to dig into the report’s weeds with Peter Emmel, Director of Technology at Randolph Township Schools (NJ), and Juliana Finegan, VP of Educator Experience at Vivi. Juliana details the whys and hows of the report while Peter is able to apply the data to his insights on managing the tech in schools on a day-to-day basis.

The full 2025 Global Teacher Insights Report from Vivi is available for free download. Whether you're a district technology director evaluating new tools, a principal working to improve teacher retention, or an instructional coach looking to understand what makes teachers feel successful in their roles, the report offers data-driven guidance for creating the conditions in which both teachers and students can thrive.

In this snippet, Peter Emmel, Director of Technology at Randolph Township Schools, talks about the first step that district technology leaders need to take to help support student success:

In the rapidly evolving landscape of educational technology, the conversation often centers on efficiency—how quickly we can generate a lesson plan, grade a paper, or analyze data. However, for Noor Shammas, an Instructional Technology Coordinator at Naperville Community Unit School District 203 in Illinois in her second year of leadership – and recent winner of the Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Award – the focus must remain steadfastly on the "human" element of the equation.

Shammas, who describes her role as a synthesis of her "Big Four" passions—instructional technology, curriculum and instruction, professional learning, and coaching—believes that while AI offers incredible utility, its true power lies in its ability to deepen human connection rather than replace it.

Defining Human-Centered AI

The fear that AI might replace educators is a common narrative, but Shammas argues that a human-centered approach renders that fear obsolete. To her, the definition is clear.

"Human-centered AI in education is when we integrate AI and other technology into classrooms in ways that enhance strong instructional practices, student learning, and human relationships rather than replacing them," Shammas says.

She clarifies what this looks like in practice. It isn't simply typing a prompt, generating an output, and copying and pasting it to save time. While Shammas acknowledges that "time is our greatest commodity that's depleting faster than we can keep up with," she emphasizes that efficiency should be a means to an end, not the end itself. The goal is to use AI to handle tasks that free up the educator to focus on complex problem-solving and interpersonal connections.

"It means that you're using AI to increase your efficiency in one area so that you can solve a problem or accomplish a goal with colleagues and students in another area," she says. "It’s keeping humans in the loop. You're the one who knows what your students need first."

AI in Action: From Penguins to Multimodal Learning

Shammas offers concrete examples of how her district is leveraging AI to personalize instruction in ways that were previously incredibly time-consuming. She highlights a coach she works with who utilizes image generation to support a student with specific needs.

"I've worked with a coach who is creating social stories for a student who loves penguins, and the coach is creating images of penguins to teach the student her lagging skills in social stories. Truly personalizing learning for the student," Shammas says.

Beyond individualization, teachers in her district are using tools such as NotebookLM to create multimodal artifacts, allowing students to review and extend their learning through different mediums. Crucially, the students themselves are becoming part of the process. Shammas notes that students are "creating their own images now . . . and refining their prompts to navigate the bias and inaccuracies that AI can produce."

This inclusion of student voice is vital. Shammas’ district recently facilitated a learning advisory during which staff listened to students in grades 6 through 12. The feedback was illuminating.

"We actually had one student say, 'I wish my teachers knew that we are truly trying to use it to learn . . . not only to cheat. I really want to use it for learning,'" Shammas says.

The Power of Coalition

Navigating this new terrain is not a solo endeavor. Shammas is deeply involved with the LEAP Innovations Chicagoland Coalition for Human-Centered AI. This group brings together a diverse array of educational leaders—from public and private schools to charter and rural districts—to grapple with the hopes and fears surrounding AI. The coalition allows districts to share stories, problem-solve, and realize that despite their different demographics, they are facing the same challenges.

For districts looking to replicate this success without access to a local coalition, Shammas advises looking at existing partners in a new light. She suggests that Customer Success Managers (CSMs) from edtech vendors are often untapped resources.

"Don't underestimate your customer service managers. They're not just selling products. They're also willing to help connect you," she says, noting that these partners often see what is working in other districts and can facilitate connections. (See her Tools They Use).

Leadership with a Vulnerable Heart

Implementing such a complex vision requires steady, authentic leadership. Shammas admits that stepping out of the classroom into a coordinator role came with "impostor syndrome," a feeling familiar to many women in leadership. Her advice to aspiring leaders is to lean into vulnerability and self-reflection.

Citing Brené Brown as an influence, Shammas suggests leading with a heart that isn't "armored." "To me, that just means being vulnerable, like admitting when I don't know something or I can't do something," she says.

She also emphasizes the importance of surrounding oneself with critical thinkers rather than "yes people," and maintaining a growth mindset even when the job gets tough. She shares a personal strategy for those difficult days when she feels the urge to retreat.

"By shifting my mindset from 'I want to run away' to 'What can I learn from it?' it really helps me grow as a leader," she says. "You have to always be growing as a leader."

Intentionality First

Ultimately, whether discussing leadership struggles or the latest AI rollout, Shammas returns to a core philosophy: intentionality.

"Technology should serve the inquiry, not dictate it,” she says. “Like the discussions we have at Tech & Learning’s events, we need a return to intentional use—focusing on pedagogy first, rather than chasing the latest shiny, flashy tools."

The technology must serve the learning, not the other way around.

"We try to quickly move staff from learning about the capabilities of a tool to focus on what we want students to learn and how we want them to show they've learned it. And then we align the use of the tool to those driving questions," Shammas says. "It’s all about choosing your starting point."

By keeping the focus on relationships, student needs, and clear instructional goals, Shammas demonstrates that the future of AI in education isn't about the code—it's about the people.

Tools They Use

• Shammas' district is a Microsoft and Google district. “Our Google rep has been incredibly helpful,” she says.
• Magic School - "They’ve also been incredible,” she says.
• Seesaw - "Another great one as well, offering lots of professional learning.”
• Formative - "An awesome group of people who really help us to get into the tools.'

There are still plenty of misconceptions around scholastic esports: kids are just playing games, esports lead to unhealthy screen time and poor academic performance, video games are isolating and don't teach valuable skills.

The facts show different results. When scholastic esports are structured properly, many schools see student academic performance improving. Players learn valuable skills like teamwork and critical thinking, and a recent study shows that esports can also be a key component to student wellness and social cohesion.

According to John Phillips of Berrien RESA, an educational service agency serving over 24,000 students in Michigan, the true power of esports lies not in the technology, but in its ability to reconnect a generation of students who have faced unprecedented isolation.

Phillips recently was recently recognized with a Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Award for his work in scaling Professional Learning programs across Michigan and his advocacy for esports and wellness.

The Great Generational Leveler

Phillips, whose agency encompasses a diverse mix of rural agricultural communities and corporate hubs near Benton Harbor, sees esports as a unique tool for equity. Unlike traditional athletics, which often rely on physical attributes or socioeconomic access to expensive equipment and travel leagues, esports opens the door for everyone.

"It is a great generational leveler," Phillips says. "Players of any socioeconomic status can participate. It doesn't matter if the student has high or low academic performance. None of that really matters in the esports space."

This inclusivity extends to students with physical disabilities as well. Thanks to adaptive controllers and accessibility features from game publishers, students who might never make the football team can finally experience the camaraderie of varsity sports.

"We're seeing all students get involved," says Phillips. "I think that is one of the great leveling components we've had from esports. It could be the varsity quarterback or it could be a student who sits in the back of the class and doesn't talk to anybody. They get to esports and all of a sudden that's their thing."

Busting the "Basement Dweller" Myth

Despite the inclusivity, administrators looking to start programs often face a significant hurdle: the stigma that gaming promotes sedentary, unhealthy lifestyles. Phillips is quick to point out that a well-run scholastic esports program actually teaches the opposite.

"Huge misconceptions include that these students don't care about their health. All they care about is the screen and all they care about is button smashing," Phillips says. "That couldn't be further from the truth."

Phillips emphasizes that to be a competitor, students must master skills that include healthy nutrition, physical activity, and balance. He jokingly refers to the need for students to "touch grass"—a gamer term for disconnecting and going outside.

"What they don't have mastered is: 'How do I take care of myself?'" Phillips says. "How do I take care of my physical self so that I don't end up with carpal tunnel or burning out or stress injuries? How do I take care of my mental wellbeing?"

By formalizing gaming into a school program, educators can provide the structure necessary to teach these wellness habits, addressing "rage quitting" and emotional regulation in a way that unsupervised home gaming cannot.

The Research: Safety and Social Cohesion

The push for wellness in esports isn't just anecdotal; it is backed by significant research. Phillips highlights a partnership involving NASEF (Network of Academic Scholastic Esports Federations) and the Department of Homeland Security focused on reducing violence and radicalization in online spaces. The goal was to see if structured esports programs could foster social cohesion and reduce isolation.

Using the eight-step program developed by NASEF, the initiative sought to help students feel a stronger connection to their school community.

"The idea was: could putting those steps in place actually help students feel more social cohesion to the school? Could it help them feel more part of a team?" Phillips says.

By creating a supervised environment, schools can turn a potentially isolating activity into a community-building engine.

Building a Durable Program

For districts inspired to launch their own programs, Phillips offers a crucial piece of advice regarding sustainability: "It cannot be a single person's passion project."

While a passionate teacher is necessary to kickstart the initiative, long-term success requires a coalition of stakeholders, including administration, parents, and students. "If you have multiple stakeholders involved, that's going to allow for that durability factor for this to continue," he advises.

This community approach also helps in overcoming parental hesitation. Phillips suggests that the best way to win over skeptics is to invite them to get involved.

"They have to see it to believe it," he says, noting that the demographic of parents is shifting toward those who grew up with video games, making the conversation easier than it was a decade ago.

Start with What You Have

Finally, Phillips addresses the financial barrier. Many districts assume esports requires a lab full of $3,000 gaming PCs. However, the barrier to entry has lowered significantly.

"You already have the infrastructure to start an esports program," Phillips asserts. "With the advent of cloud gaming and Minecraft being on the Chromebook, that makes esports pretty universally available in schools."

He also points to low-cost consoles like the Nintendo Switch as a viable entry point for games like Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart. "It isn't as though you need to invest thousands and thousands of dollars. Don't let yourself get bogged down in what you don't have," he encourages. "Focus on what you do have and show that it can be successful."

Ultimately, Phillips believes that for esports to remain a fixture in education, it must be about more than just entertainment. It must serve the whole child.

"I'm grateful to Tech & Learning for the opportunity to share the wellness side of esports,” Phillips says. “While gaming is cool, gaming on its own is not a durable function in schools. There has to be more to the calling. Whether it's career pathways or wellness connections, those elements add the validity needed to integrate esports into both academic and social programming."

“Teachers only have so much bandwidth and capacity with new technology,” says Andy Fekete, the Director for Innovation and Technology for Community Consolidated School District 93 in Bloomingdale and Carol Stream, Illinois. “So we want to make sure that as we're introducing new things, we’re doing it as a ‘value add’ and not as a one more thing to manage.”

In those discussions with teachers, Fekete focuses on how new technology can increase their efficiency and improve student learning outcomes, and tries to find a match for their need.

“I try to be a tinkerer, an explorer, and why I find so much value in conference or networking opportunities,” says Fekete. “I fill up notebooks with things that I see so that I'm prepared when a teacher reaches out and says, ‘I just wish that there was a better way to do blank.’ And I'll say, ‘Actually I do have an idea for you!’ Or, ‘Hey, I have a strong PLN that I can reach out to.’”

In his role for CCSD 93, which serves 3,300 students across nine buildings, Fekete oversees technology services, including maintenance and data privacy, and works closely with the curriculum team on effective technology use to support instruction and student learning outcomes.

For this and his other efforts, Fekete was recognized with a Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Award at Tech & Learning's Midwest Regional Summit in Chicago.

The Right Tools For The Job

In his work across the district, Fekete stresses the necessity of being intentional about connecting tool investments to meaningful teaching and learning.

“There's a lot of great tools out there,” Fekete says. “But everything is an investment, even if it's a free tool, right? So we focus on how do we ensure that what we're doing really is having an impact on teaching and learning.”

Fekete says the key for him is to find the right tools and resources to support student potential.

“We only have our students for so many minutes during the day and for so many days out of the year,” he says. “So one of the things that I'm really proud of is that the stuff that we have access to is really high-quality so that we can really feel confident about what students have, and that they can use it well to help achieve their goals.”

Looking Forward With CoSN

Fekete has been instrumental in supporting work with CoSN, contributing to the recent Driving K12 Innovation report, which is a guide for education leaders to help navigate an ever-changing edtech landscape. It provides a framework grounded in real-world challenges, transformative trends, and innovative solutions, and highlights three key areas of focus:

1. Hurdles - These are roadblocks that force schools to slow down, prepare themselves, and make a leap. The top ones include attracting and retaining educators and IT professionals, technology evolution, and digital equity.

2. Accelerators - These are real-world megatrends or catalysts that help motivate and increase the speed of innovation. Included are involving learner agency, building the human capacity of leaders, and fostering student voice.

“People are passionate about building the human capacity of our learners and changing those attitudes towards demonstrated learning,” Fekete says. “So what does that look like? Does it have to be an end-of-the-unit summative assessment, or can it be a video project? Can it be a podcast? What does it look like and how is this different from the way that things have been?”

3. Tech Enablers - These are “the tools that grease the wheels” to overcome hurdles and leverage accelerators. Generative AI, analytics, and broadband connectivity fall in here.

Along that line, Fekete is part of a CoSN AI task force developing guidelines for the evaluation, adoption, and ethical use of AI.

“AI is one of the first disruptors in the technology space that is happening to education where we haven't been able to have a master switch that we've turned on and off,” Fekete says. “As long as we've had technology in schools, the schools have dictated, right? ‘When are we going to buy typewriters, right?’ ‘When are we going to bring in computers, right?’ ‘When are we going to connect to the internet?’ etc. For the most part the schools have dictated the pace of those changes.”

Part of the effort to effectively implement AI involves helping to establish a baseline awareness for all educators

“Some people are latching on to it more than others, right? And so we wanted to create a floor for everyone to say, ‘Here's a starting point where everyone can be,’” Fekete says. “And then you can build upon that. But we feel like some people are in the sky and some people are in the basement.”

Fekete says he and CoSN hope to have those guidelines released later this year.

Fekete is also involved in CoSN reports concerning the future of work and ethical innovation, specifically emphasizing inclusivity, ethics, and responsible digital citizenship.

Ultimately, he notes that the challenge with edtech continues to be understanding that it is constantly changing and evolving.

“Everything is moving so fast, so it's really about trying to be progressive and supportive but also thoughtful in our approach,” Fekete says. “I’m constantly thinking about how do we embrace new technologies? How do we ensure that our teachers have the skill set and the mindset to look at the intersection of technology and learning? What does that look like in the year 2025, right? And what does that look like beyond 2025?”

Tools They Use

• Google Calendar and Fantastical - "They keep my day on track and prevent surprises," says Fekete.
• Gmail - "#InboxLife #InboxZero."
• Google Drive (Docs, Slides, Sheets) - "Shared work happens here."
• MacBook and iPad - "My core workspace."
• Moleskine notebook and Retro 51 Pens - "For quick notes when typing feels slower."
• ChatGPT and Google Gemini - "For drafting, planning, and thinking through ideas."
• Adobe Express and Canva - "For clean graphics and quick layouts."
• Spotify - "Music helps me focus."
• Apple Reminders - "Keeps tasks visible so nothing slips."
• A giant water bottle - "Hydration keeps the brain working!"

Alex Mayszak, Director of Digital Learning & Innovation at East Moline School District #37 in Illinois, not only outfitted all elementary and middle schools in the district with 3D printers and drones, he designed and launched the Exploration Station, a district-wide innovation lab offering immersive, project-based opportunities.

“We are really focused on giving our kids opportunities that are relevant and meaningful,” he says. “We want to make learning transferable between what they're doing now with next steps academically, but also down-the-road opportunities for students to dig into low-through-high tech experiences to test out their own, I want to be a ___ goal.”

For this and other efforts, Mayszak was recently recognized with an Innovative Leader Award at the Midwest Regional Leadership Summit in Naperville.

Mayszak shares his take on the value of collaboration, particularly when it comes to taking on the challenges of AI in education. Mayszak also shares considerations when creating an innovation lab in your district.

Exploration Station

Tying lessons and experiences into what they are learning in the classroom and beyond is key when undertaking a project such as an exploration station.

“We have students that have worked on coding and flying drones,” Mayszak says. “A cool component is opening their worldview, you can do this as a profession. You can use these skills in real estate, in the military, in fire control, in emergency management, in the agriculture realm. A lot of light bulbs go on and now the kids are intrigued about moving forward. Interdisciplinary cross-functional learning is really important.”

Mayszak doesn’t want the program to feel like a novelty treat, but an ongoing resource toward better learning.

“We don't want this to be a one-time, ‘Let's go do this cool thing because we earned it’ concept. We want this to be a normal experience,” he says. “We learn in the classroom, we move to the Exploration Station to do things, then the learning comes back to the classroom. It’s an ebb and flow of learning back and forth.”

The goal is for students and teachers to plan together in the classroom before coming down to the Exploration Station in order to give students opportunities to have some autonomy to create things, solve problems and really dig into things that makes learning more hands-on and engaging.

“We have students creating board games, mapped out based off of a book they were reading. They design and then 3D print the board and pieces and trade with their peers to play and critique the games,” Mayszak says. “We've got students creating podcasts. They are writing scripts, editing, publishing these creations. When you see a student sit down behind the microphone and the persona comes out — that confidence is really neat.”

Mayszak played an integral role in the development of new middle school electives such as Podcasting & Multimedia Editing, and ensured the longevity of his tech initiatives through robust professional learning opportunities.

“We were able to use some of the funding we had through carryover funds, but I've been fortunate working closely with our Associate Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction and the Superintendent,” he says. “They have been really supportive in this vision and seeing it forward to make sure we have means to start this, further it, and continue it.”

Mayszak says part of the future-proof plan is to always keep interdisciplinary goals in mind. For example, “Does this fit in ELA time, is it a science or math concept, all three?” “How can we tie in technology and STEM/STEAM concepts?” The goal is to show learning doesn't have to be in silos.

4 Things To Consider When Building an Exploration Station in Your District

1. Physical Space — “What can your district offer as a space to center your program?” asks Mayszak. “We have the ability during the day to use our internal busing system to bring kids here and to move some of this tech back into their buildings as well.”

2. Funding — “How are we going to build out some of these elements to offer the widest array of opportunity?” says Mayszak, who adds the district has laser cutters, 3D printers, screen printing, a podcast studio, and a multimedia lab.

3. Professional Learning — It’s critical to make sure the adults know what's at their disposal and that they're comfortable with it. “We brought teachers down to do some of the projects we would do with kids to get them engaged,” Mayszak says. “Then they understood, ‘This is an option I never would have thought about before, but now I know how to do this myself.’”

4. Concrete Structure, Routines, and Procedures — It can be really exciting for kids to go to other places, and demonstrates that learning doesn't just have to happen in the classroom. “Sometimes it can get a little extra wiggly, especially with younger students,” Mayszak says. “Make sure you have all those parameters built into the program where this is fun and this is exciting, but we're also going to get down to business in an academic way.”

AI Unites Summit — A Collaboration Station

Much like his dedication to creating a space dedicated to exploration of future goals for students, Mayszak wanted to create a place to bring stakeholders together to take on the challenge of AI in education.

“Life is always dynamic, but it feels like in the age of artificial intelligence, it's more dynamic than ever,” he says. “You start thinking, ‘What are schools for? What skills are we building out here?’ That's a really big opportunity for us to grab the reins and work together to make sure that teacher voice, educator voice, administrator voice, parent voice, student voice — all those perspectives are shaping the way we're doing things.”

Mayszak focused on the larger educational community by partnering with the Learning Technology Center of Illinois, his regional office of education, and vendor partners to create and host the regional AI Unites Summit 2025. The free event drew more than 100 attendees from 12 school districts, two colleges, pre-teachers, and community partners. It featured a keynote speaker, breakfast, breakout sessions, and a student panel.

“The ultimate goal was to create a wonderful one-day professional learning opportunity,” he says. “We know that budgets are shrinking in school districts and not everybody has an opportunity to get to a conference. This was free and in July when no one needed coverage for their classroom.”

The event had multiple breakout sessions — such as how to support English learners and students with disabilities, and being more effective with AI prompting and image generation — as well as vendor partners talking about how AI is embedded in their tool.

“The most important thing for me was our student panel with middle and high school kids,” Mayszak said. “All day long we talked and listened to adult voices. Student voices need to be right at the center of all this conversation as well. Our students are going to be the next wave, and it's really cool to help shape the future of the workforce.”

The student panel offered eye-opening insight about how AI “freaks kids out,” how students are already using it, how their friends are misusing it, and the passionate viewpoints on how it impacts the environment and academic integrity.

Those who attended received CPDU credits. Access was a huge priority for Mayszak, who didn’t want cost to be an obstacle to attend.

“If we create a barrier in this local summit with it being right down the road, then what would ever be an easy route for teachers to participate,” he says. “I worked with local grocery stores to help fund the breakfast items. We hosted at our administration building’s professional development spaces to avoid rental fees. I leaned into my professional network and the Learning Technology Center for speakers and to get expert voices around the table. I even put together some raffles with the help of generous vendor partners. If we're having really good conversations and learning, that to me is more important than it being really flashy.”

The event was such a success attendees have already asked for details about next year’s program.

“I'm really proud of this because I think it's a scalable model,” Mayszak says. “I think other people can do this no matter where they are located. We’re stronger when we operate together and when you pool knowledge, when you pool resources, all of those things can really benefit students.”

The Tools They Use

• Glowforge
• Cricut cutting machine & heat press
• Robolink CoDrones
• Chompshop ChompSaws
• 3D Printers (Flashforge, Elegoo, Lulzbot)
• Bee-Bots & Blue-Bots
• Lego Spike Prime Sets
• Ozobot Evo
• Sphero Bolt+
• LittleBits Invention Kits
• Keva Planks
• Podcast Studio (Rode Rodecaster Pro II) with microphones, headphones, seating
• Multimedia Lab (Green screen, GoPro Cameras, tripods)
• Science Interactive StarLab

Tech & Learning recently partnered with NYSCATE (The New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education) for the inaugural pre-NYSCATE Conference Tech & Learning Leadership Summit, which took place at the Turning Stone Resort Casino, a Native American resort casino owned and operated by the Oneida Indian Nation. School district leaders from New York and beyond gathered for this one-day event dedicated to the theme of “Reimagining Education.”

The agenda for the day was informed by the attendees, who identified their most pressing issues as district leaders. Topics included AI, student wellness, cell phone bans, implementing computer science and digital fluency standards, cybersecurity challenges, and more. These conversations were facilitated by attendees with experience on each topic, who guided meaningful conversations that encouraged everyone at the table to share their successes, troubleshoot challenges, and expand their professional learning communities.

Three general session presentations also offered real-world examples of ways district leaders can prepare their students for an uncertain world of work.

Beyond "What Do You Want to Be?": Quakertown’s K-12 Career Language Integration Program

In a rapidly evolving workforce where tomorrow’s jobs may not yet exist, Dr. Matthew Friedman, Superintendent of Schools, Quakertown Community School District argues that the age-old question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" is obsolete. Instead, Quakertown Community School District (QCSD) is championing K-12 Career Language Integration, a systemic program designed to equip students with a robust vocabulary to understand their own identities and interests.

At the heart of this initiative is the RIASEC framework, which categorizes interests into six themes: Realistic (Doers), Investigative (Thinkers), Artistic (Creators), Social (Helpers), Enterprising (Persuaders), and Conventional (Organizers). By introducing these terms as early as kindergarten, the district provides a shared language that evolves with the student. Rather than forcing a first-grader to pick a career, teachers help them identify as a "Helper" or a "Creator," making career development personal and accessible.

Friedman emphasized that this is "a dialogic process," not a one-time test. Career readiness is built through ongoing conversations embedded in everyday instruction. When students connect their enjoyment of a science experiment to being an "Investigative Thinker," they see the link between current education and future aspirations.

Early research shows this approach is working, with students reporting a deeper understanding of themselves and data indicating that school-based career conversations are successfully "activating" similar discussions at home.

Bringing the "Portrait of a Graduate" to Life

While many districts have a "Portrait of a Graduate", the real challenge lies in translating that vision into daily practice. Julianne Ross-Kleinmann, Supervisor of Instructional Services, Ulster BOCES, presented a roadmap for bridging this gap, centered on Ulster BOCES' "North Star Commitments": developing a unique self, contributing to the community, developing capacity, and engaging in inquiry.

Ross-Kleinmann highlighted Project-Based Learning (PBL) as the most effective vehicle for realizing these competencies. By guiding students through real-world problems, educators can turn abstract ideals like "critical thinking" into tangible skills. She outlined a four-part PBL framework:

1. The Launch: An experiential opening ensuring equitable access.
2. Ideation & Design: Students drive the planning while teachers facilitate.
3. Tuning & Reflection: Structured feedback loops.
4. Celebrations of Learning: Honoring both success and struggle.

To make these concepts practical, Ross-Kleinmann introduced protocols such as "Four Corners," in which participants brainstorm what attributes such as "Culturally Responsive Global Citizen" look like in action. She also emphasized integrating modern tools, such as the Question Formulation Technique and AI curriculum, to ensure the Graduate Portrait remains relevant in a digital age.

Implementing Computer Science and Digital Fluency K-12

Laurie Guyon, Lead Coordinator for Instructional Technology Programs, WSWHE BOCES, addressed the urgency of integrating computer science and digital fluency, framing it as a critical intervention for student well-being and future success. She contextualized the need by looking at Gen Z and Gen Alpha, cohorts grappling with cyberbullying, digital overload, and anxiety. Implementing robust standards is essential not just for technical skills, but for equipping students with the resilience to navigate their digital environments.

A stark economic imperative also exists. With 67% of new STEM jobs in computing and 58% of tech jobs existing outside the traditional tech sector, the demand is high. Yet, only 6% of high school students are enrolled in computer science courses.

Guyon argued that preparing students for an AI-driven economy requires a holistic approach to standards, focusing on four pillars: Digital Literacy, Information Literacy, Media Literacy, and AI Literacy. By prioritizing these areas, districts can transform students from passive consumers into critical creators.

Collaborative Workshops and Awards

The culminating activity asked the attendees to work together to devise actionable strategies for staff and student wellness, fostering growth mindsets, and data privacy. Each team member was tasked to identify one action they can take in their role, and then discuss as a team how they might work collaboratively to bring their cumulative expertise together to impact their topic. Each team then presented their action plans, providing all attendees with actionable takeaways that they can take back to their districts.

The event concluded by recognizing excellence in the field with the Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Awards, an award given to district leaders in the region that are doing exemplary work to support innovation in education.

The winners are:

• Innovative Director of STEM and Instructional Technology: Jennifer Mazza, for launching an "AI externship" connecting students with local government.
• Innovative Director of Technology & Innovation: Dr. Andrew Taylor, for developing a new dashboard that tracks student emotions so teachers and staff can provide personalized support as needed.
• Innovative Technology Director: Eric Coronado, for integrating AI to support multilingual learners and launching a high school Cybersecurity Academy.
• Innovative Superintendent Award: Dr. Matthew Friedman, for his leadership in creating transformative learning environments that focus on durable workforce skills.

At the heart of the inaugural pre-NYSCATE Tech & Learning Leadership Summit conversations was the student, with an eye on how we as district leaders can best prepare them for an unknown future workforce. Attendees left with actionable strategies they can use to reimagine education in their own districts.

Thanks to our Summit partners for supporting these conversations:

• Apptegy builds products and provides services that empower you to run better schools. Our products make it easy for administrators and educators to reach and interact with your parents, students, staff, and your community at large.
• BrainFreeze by Airia is a leader in educational technology, providing a powerful AI platform that transforms learning for students, teachers, parents, and administrators.
• ClassLink is a global education provider of identity, access and analytics products that create more time for learning and help schools better understand digital engagement.
• D2L is transforming the way the world learns—helping learners of all ages achieve more than they dreamed possible.
• GoGuardian and Pear Deck Learning provide a comprehensive suite of educational tools designed to enhance classroom engagement and improve student outcomes.
• MagicSchool AI is on a mission to bring an AI assistant to every teacher in the world and help tackle the crisis of teacher burnout and bring responsible AI to students to prepare them for the future.
• Veracity's mission is to connect technology, instruction, and business office leaders through a centralized system that enables team collaboration, communication with every stakeholder (including students and parents), and informed decision making.
• **A special thanks to the team at NYSCATE for being terrific partners!

Watch the video above or listen/download the audio below.

Alabama has achieved what many thought impossible: climbing from dead last to the middle of the pack in national math rankings. The state, which historically jockeyed with Mississippi for 52nd place on NAEP assessments, now ranks 32nd — a dramatic improvement driven in part by the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI).

"We are in the middle of the pack," says Rachel Broadhead, who works with the statewide initiative. "That's a big deal for a state that's been at the bottom for as long as anyone can remember."

AMSTI operates on what Rachel describes as a "three-legged stool" approach: professional learning opportunities, physical resources, and job-embedded on-site support. The initiative benefits from regional hubs that place staff closer to classrooms than most statewide programs can achieve.

AMSTI recently extended its partnership with BW Walch to continue scaling the implementation of the Ongoing Assessment Project (OGAP) professional learning program statewide.

Through AMSTI, thousands of Alabama teachers have already been trained in OGAP’s systematic, research-based frameworks—helping them identify student misconceptions early and respond with targeted instruction.

“This partnership with AMSTI has demonstrated what’s possible when teachers are empowered with evidence-based professional learning that deepens their understanding of how students learn math,” said Al Noyes, CEO of BW Walch. “OGAP enables educators to look beyond right or wrong answers—to see inside students’ reasoning, address misconceptions, and help every learner build lasting mathematical understanding.”

The multi-year extension will expand professional learning opportunities, deepen district-level support, and introduce new online tools to strengthen ongoing coaching and collaboration.

This snippet of the conversation features advice to district administrators about making time for PD.

• Tech & Learning Conversations with Kevin Hogan

USA EdTech, a coalition of education and edtech companies dedicated to global expansion, announced its official delegation for Bett UK 2026, the world’s largest celebration of education technology with more than 35,000 attendees.

Now in its third year, USA EdTech is helping forge meaningful relationships among education providers around the world. What began as a fellowship of like-minded providers has evolved into a growing movement to accomplish two major goals. First, USA EdTech helps providers based in the U.S. build connections with education leaders around the world, including individual educators, school group leaders, and ministries of education. Second, USA EdTech supports the mission-critical role of services companies dedicated to helping global education companies navigate US markets with confidence.

Members of this year’s USA EdTech Delegation include an impressive array of global brands and emerging leaders who will be presenting their solutions to the global community, including:

• Amplify
• ClassLink
• EdGate
• Edlink
• Imagine Learning
• iPearl Inc. Jupiter Ed
• PowerSchool
• SchoolDay
• Trimble (SketchUp)
• Walkabouts

USA EdTech is a production of First Step Advisors and is under the direction of Jim McVety, Managing Partner. Citing the benefits that come from collaboration, McVety lauded the partners’ contributions, saying, “Through the power of community, early-stage and global leaders alike have an opportunity to make incredible connections and, more importantly, make an impact on education.”

As the only U.S. delegation operating in Bett’s Global Showcase Arena, the delegation will present members in a bespoke pavilion, enabling delegates from around the world to engage with leaders from across the United States. Along the way, a community of supporting organizations is helping strengthen the education industry. Supporting members who will be participating in the delegation include:

• Advancing Global EDU
• Content2Classroom
• Cooley LLP
• Ed2Market
• Greenfield Learning

Together, this community of education leaders have demonstrated a lasting commitment to supporting providers around the world, and the global marketplace has an opportunity to see their capabilities and forge meaningful connections.

With additional support from Product & Process, OpenField, RP Impact Partners, and The Trailhead Group, USA EdTech has reached an unprecedented level of participation, underscoring the strong desire among all providers to seek, find, and build a stronger education community for all.

The late Dave Pasquini, my friend and a history teacher at Glenbrook South High School near Chicago, always said “A day without handouts is like a day without sunshine!” I think that is still true.

In providing support in technology-integrated classrooms, the value of well-developed instructional support materials cannot be overstated. Whether teaching middle school learners or graduate students in instructional technology, educators must provide clear, engaging, and accessible resources that guide students through complex concepts and foster deeper understanding.

Today, we often rely on vendor developed materials that are exhaustive and complex. These are often beyond the skill sets of early learners, and due to the customization of systems, do not always look the same as the interface end users see.

Therefore, to support learning, each instructional session that provides technology should provide a short and useful handout. When I was a district IT leader, that was a requirement for all our staff developers to develop handouts that included the following key points:

1. Provide the objectives to be covered in the lesson
2. Provide step-by-step instructions, including screenshots, diagrams, or other images where possible
3. Provide follow on (or enrichment) activities for those looking to expand their skills
4. Provide contact information to access help

1. Lesson objectives are essential. This can help participants identify the sessions they may want to attend. A clear articulation of what students are expected to learn will help orient learners and help instructors maintain focus and measure outcomes.

2. Step-by-step instructions are important and need to be customized to the version of the software that the learners will see. It is easy for instructors and other technologically literate people to chunk information (combining steps) or make assumptions. However, some users are tentative to make those types of leaps. It is easy to assume that everyone who touches a computer in today’s digitally rich world is facile with technology. However, like many assumptions, it is not accurate.

In my most recent beginning of course survey, 57% of my graduate students acknowledged that “sometimes I struggle with technology.” Instructors should not assume that learners are all, or even the majority, strong technology users.

3. Follow up the directions with a section providing enrichment or follow on activities for those learners who are eager or able to go further than the lesson was intended. This might encourage learners to extend their skills, come back for more training, or simply be able to take the instruction directly into their classrooms. If some learners are ahead of the group, it could effectively provide opportunities for guided practice while they are in the training session. This section might include a short bibliography for further reading or a list of related courses or workshops.

4. Lastly, make sure handouts include the contact information. Provide email, phone, or video link for users who need support. In a perfect world, provide all of these! Some learners might just need to ask a simple question by email. However, some might need to discuss a problem over the phone as they don’t have the vocabulary to summarize their concerns in writing. Others may want to share their screen and be walked through a process.

Making Materials Usable and Inviting

The structure and design of instructional materials play a critical role in effectiveness. A clear layout, with headings, bullet points, and logical flow, makes content easier to navigate. Learners should be able to scan the handout and quickly locate key information. Generally, handouts should be no more than a single sheet of paper, potentially using both sides for more 30-50 minute training sessions.

Visual appeal matters, too. Thoughtful use of color, icons, and images can make materials more engaging and reduce cognitive load. While aesthetics should never overshadow substance, it can enhance motivation and retention. Plain black text on a white page is rarely engaging.

If possible, provide space for notes. Whether through margins, blank sections, or guided prompts, allowing users to jot down thoughts encourages active learning and personal reflection.

Strong instructional materials contribute to broader educational goals. These promote equity by ensuring all students have access to the same high-quality resources and support accessibility by accommodating diverse needs, such as visual impairments or language barriers.

Well-designed and enticing materials reflect professionalism and respect for learners’ time and effort. These demonstrate that the instructor has thoughtfully prepared and values the learning process. If the situation does not allow printing the handouts ahead of time, provide the learners with a link so they can access and print handouts themselves. Many people still like paper copies even though we live in a digitally rich world.

Phones in class? Tablets at home? Everyone's got an opinion — but what does the data say?

The results from a national survey of school districts around student screen time and its impact on learning was the focus of a recent webinar sponsored by Lightspeed Systems. Hosted by Christine Weiser, Content Director for Tech & Learning, the discussion featured Amy Bennett, Chief Of Staff for Lightspeed Systems, Kyle Berger, Chief Technology Officer at Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, and Charles Franklin, Assistant Superintendent for Cypress Fairbanks ISD. The panel explored the realities of student screen time, challenging common misconceptions with data and expert insights.

“Chances are the majority of y'all looked at the screen of your phone before your feet touched the earth this morning,” said Berger. “It's just a natural addiction that everybody seems to have.”

WATCH THE WEBINAR ON DEMAND HERE

Key Data and Misconceptions

A significant finding from Lightspeed Insight, based on data from hundreds of school districts, reveals that K-12 students spend an average of 77 minutes of screen time per day on district-owned devices. This constitutes less than 20% of the average school day, a figure considerably lower than many parents and policymakers assume. The majority of this screen time occurs within school hours, supporting instruction, rather than after school.

Screen time averages vary by age, with elementary students using devices for less than an hour daily, while middle and high schoolers spend more time online due to increased coursework and collaboration. The data also shows a seasonal tapering of screen time throughout the school year, aligning with instructional rhythms, holidays, and testing periods, generally staying below 90 minutes a day. This consistency suggests that digital learning is integrated into instruction rather than replacing it.

A crucial takeaway is the shift from "quantity to quality" of screen time. The 77 minutes average is predominantly spent on curriculum platforms, productivity tools (such as Google Docs), and academic apps, not on "doom scrolling" or entertainment. This highlights the importance of the purpose behind screen use – whether it's for creating, researching, collaborating, or building fluency. Tools such as content filtering and classroom management are vital for establishing "digital guardrails" to ensure students remain focused on educational applications.

"Screen time is tied to mental health, to student engagement, to educational outcomes, school budgets, even topics like AI,” said Bennett. “Really, all the hot topics that are going on in edtech, screen time relates to them."

Educating the Community and Addressing Concerns

Both Berger and Franklin emphasized the ongoing battle against the misconception that students are constantly glued to their devices.

“As you reflect and spend time walking your schools and looking, you'll probably agree that there's probably a very, very small amount of students that are glued to a screen eight hours a day,” Berger said. “It's just not happening. So that misconception is really big."

“We have the same type of misconceptions where parents and the community feel like the students are on their screens constantly," Franklin added. “And I do think that some of the misconception comes from when students get home. We're not necessarily mirroring the exact environment that you may or may not have at home."

Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, a one-to-one district for over 13 years, and Cypress Fairbanks ISD, a one-to-one take-home district since the pandemic, actively educate their communities through professional development for teachers and Parent Tech Academies. These initiatives break down the different types of screen time (passive, active, and required for assessments) and communicate the districts' expectations and boundaries.

The districts also work to engage parents to help manage screen time.

"We go as far as to encourage our parents to participate, and we do a device-free dinner,” said Berger. “Once a year, we invite people out to the local restaurant. We lock up their cell phones and say, ‘Hey. If you can make it through dinner without looking at a device in general, our partners will help sponsor your dinner for you.’"

Impact of Cell Phone Bans and Equity

The implementation of House Bill 1481 in Texas, banning cell phones in schools, has been overwhelmingly positive. Teachers and principals reported increased student engagement in class activities and more direct student-to-student interaction. While some initial "withdrawal" was observed among students, and parents expressed anxiety about connectivity to their children, the ban ultimately reinforced existing policies and led to a re-education on student safety protocols.

Regarding equity, both Berger and Franklin highlighted their districts’ commitment to providing equal access to technology. This includes pre-K through 12 one-to-one device programs and providing wireless hotspots for students lacking home internet access.

The panelists stressed that while restrictions such as cell phone bans can create more equal usage, blanket screen time limits on district devices could widen gaps for students who rely solely on these devices for learning and connectivity. The consensus was to find ways to make the use of technology safe, protected, and healthy by teaching digital citizenship and self-regulation skills.

Advice For Districts

For districts feeling overwhelmed, the experts advised starting with data – whether from surveys, software such as Lightspeed Insight, or observations. This data should initiate open conversations within the community, involving curriculum and instruction teams, teachers, and parents, to establish shared expectations for screen time usage. The goal is to define what is appropriate for each campus and district, understanding that every community is unique.

Said Franklin: “A lot of it is explaining to the parents exactly what students have access to, showing them exactly what our approved applications are, explaining exactly what screen time looks like for every grade level, and also engaging our CTE and those departments to also explain exactly what boundaries we have and what opportunities we have because it does work both ways."

Aspiring to a leadership role in education can feel daunting, but it's a journey fueled by passion, purpose, and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone.

Anna Fitzsimmons, Coordinator of Digital Learning at Belton ISD in Texas, and recent winner of Tech & Learning’s Innovative Leader Award, shares her advice for educators considering a move into a school district leadership position.

Fitzsimmons began her journey as an elementary school teacher and, with the help of allies in the district who championed her talent, found the courage to pursue a leadership role.

Embrace the "Renaissance"

One of the most important takeaways from successful leaders is the ability to see challenges as opportunities for growth.

“A pivotal turning point for my career in this role was during COVID,” says Fitzsimmons. “A lot of people felt like drowning during COVID, but I felt like it was my renaissance. I taught virtual classes in the morning and in-person classes in the afternoon. I realized that I had to shift how I taught the virtual class because you had to engage kids in a very different way. I brought some of those tidbits into my in-person class in the afternoon and I started realizing how well personalized and blended learning worked for all kids. This put me on a path to learn more about implementing personalized learning and rejuvenated me as a teacher.”

Fitzsimmons went on to get her masters at Texas Tech in personalized and blended learning, which was an important first step toward a leadership path and personal mission and vision.

Join the Conversation

Leaders aren't made in isolation. They emerge from the collective work of their community. Fitzsimmons advises: “Get involved. Volunteer for committees, join professional learning communities, and actively participate in district-wide initiatives. This not only gives you a voice but also allows you to connect with other dedicated educators and administrators.”

Presenting, while it can feel scary, is also a powerful way to share your expertise and learn from others. As Fitzsimmons notes, "the truth is there's always somebody that will resonate from what you were saying."

By presenting, you not only learn what's working and what isn't, but you also expand your network and showcase your skills to those who might be looking for future leaders. She also emphasizes the importance of joining "anything and everything whether you're getting paid or not" because it helps you realize you're not alone and exposes you to different ways of solving problems.

Find Your People and Your Purpose

Fitzsimmons stressed that the people you surround yourself with are crucial.

“Seek out mentors and colleagues who inspire you, challenge you, and support you on your professional journey,” she advises. “These mentors don't have to be in your field. What's most important is that they advocate for you and push you to grow.”

Equally important is staying grounded in your "why." The stress of “imposter syndrome”—the feeling that you're not good enough or don't deserve your position—is a common experience, even for the most successful leaders. When you feel this doubt, remember your purpose. For Fitzsimmons, "when I put myself out there, that's actually where I get the most rewarded because that's when people do reach out. At one recent presentation, for example, a teacher came up to me and said, 'Wow, what you said to me impacted my whole day.' When I have doubts, this kind of feedback is a reminder that people believe in me.”

By focusing on your passion—whether it's celebrating what your students are achieving or helping colleagues with new technology—you shift the focus away from your own fears and onto the collective good. This helps you move past the self-doubt and into a space of purpose-driven leadership.

Paying it Forward

Fitzsimmons has embraced her new role as Coordinator of Digital Learning by creating engaging professional development programs to support the teachers in her district. She highlights several successful programs that have created a "fun momentum" within her district, proving that investing in teachers’ growth directly benefits students and makes the entire educational ecosystem stronger.

• Tech Tuesdays: This initiative is a series of short, fun videos showcasing how technology partners are used within the district. It’s an easy way to share what’s working and help teachers feel confident using new tools. The program also highlights effective partnerships. As Fitzsimmons explains, it’s about "showing how these partnerships work and also what we're doing with the tech products in the district."
• Certifications: The district offers various certification programs, including Google certifications, which are accessible through a self-paced online format or an in-person summer session. Fitzsimmons believes these certifications are empowering because it provides teachers with valuable, practical skills that can be immediately applied in the classroom. The program has grown significantly, starting with just five participants and expanding to more than 80 in a recent summer session.
• Blended Learning Certifications: This intensive 30-hour program has been a huge success. The district celebrates teachers' accomplishments with badges and public recognition from upper administration, which creates a buzz and encourages others to participate. "Those are just really fun initiatives that end up taking off like fire," Fitzsimmons says. The enthusiasm generated by these certifications has led teachers to become confident and proactive leaders themselves, with many starting their own PD on their campuses.

Fitzsimmons notes that these programs, while starting small, have been instrumental in creating a culture of organic professional growth. By empowering teachers and celebrating their successes, the district has been able to overcome budget limitations for mentorship or ambassador roles. The result is a self-fulfilling cycle of excitement and learning that ultimately helps teachers and, most importantly, impacts the students they serve.

“The journey to educational leadership is not a linear one,” says Fitzsimmons. “It's about taking risks, embracing discomfort, and staying connected to your purpose. By getting involved, building your network, and focusing on your core beliefs, you can chart a course that not only benefits your career but also uplifts the entire educational community.”

Tools They Use

• Nearpod: This is a tool that Anna Fitzsimmons used during COVID-19 to create a virtual class. She states that it "really helped...me kind of...find my light again," and that it was instrumental in her realization of the effectiveness of blended learning.
• Google: Fitzsimmons states that they offer certifications that are "very empowering" for teachers and that the district is a "workspace district" dedicated to their products and approach to education.
• Google Meets: Fitzsimmons and her colleague use their video conferencing platform to meet with other districts to talk about things and learn from them.
• Gemini: Fitzsimmons says this AI tool from Google is her "biggest baby right now," and is being used by teachers to make their jobs easier and help enhance learning.
• Sam's Lab: A company that provides STEM-related products and services. Fitzsimmons mentions that they've had "fun with that" and that it is one of their partners.
• Cybernut: This cybersecurity company was the first tool presented at the district’s "Tech Tuesdays" initiative. Fitzsimmons says it provides a fun gamified approach to cybersecurity.
• Managed Methods: Fitzsimmons states this filtering solution is very good and has "definitely...saved some kids."
• Renaissance: A company that offers educational solutions, including the Nearpod and Renaissance platforms. Fitzsimmons says, "The Nearpod Renaissance gives us the needed capacity for personalized learning."

Tech & Learning's new weekly article/podcast series, “Tech & Learning Conversations,” is hosted by veteran edtech reporter Kevin Hogan, who digs beyond the prompts to get to the human side of every story.

Each week, Kevin will interview innovative edtech leaders from school districts, industry, researchers, and more to discuss:

• Industry Trends: Not the clickbait headlines, but the real trends that are impacting student success.
• Overcoming Challenges: Real educators share their solutions to the challenges they’ve encountered, from the classroom to the board room.
• A Look Ahead Beyond the Bells & Whistles: What technology is likely to make a real impact in teaching and learning – and what is more likely hot air.

KEVIN'S LATEST CONVERSATIONS

Data Dashboards Aren’t Enough—AI Makes PD Smarter
The AI for Advancing Instruction at Scale (AI2S) project, developed in partnership with edtech company Edthena, uses a multimodal neural network trained on thousands of hand-coded classroom videos to analyze both the audio and visual dimensions of math instruction. Rather than generating a dashboard of metrics, the system guides teachers through a structured coaching cycle—helping them identify a focus area, review their classroom data in context, and build a concrete action plan.

How Schools Can Stay Safe
In an age of K-12 school-targeting cyberattacks, how can district administrators protect vital systems and private information? Kevin speaks with Clever’s Head of Education Strategy Jeff Carlson on the state of school district security, with an emphasis on artificial intelligence-generated wrinkles.

Bad AI Policy Is Worse Than No Policy at All. How to Build One That Works
SchoolAI policy analyst Sasha Luks-Morgan offers a clear-eyed framework for where AI policy in schools stands — and what it's going to take to move it forward. In the process she clarifies the difference between acceptable use policies and responsible use policies. "Bad policy is worse than no policy," she says. "We really want to see districts succeeding."

How KidWind Turns Clean Energy Into A Classroom Without Walls
The 2026 World KidWind Challenge drew 125 teams of 4th–12th graders competing across wind turbine and solar home design categories. Kevin spoke with KidWind founder Michael Arquin and veteran coach Morgan Berkgren about the structure of the challenge, funded virtual workshops, as well as the appeal to students of varied majors.

Time to Clean House
How does a K12 CIO determine which tech tools are providing real value to students' education? Kris Hagel's Washington State district of nearly 10,000 students is in the middle of a pullback from what he describes as a pandemic-era "whatever works" posture toward technology—one that left his team with thousands of approved apps and no clear rationale for most of them.

The Southern Surge Proves Science of Reading Works. Why Aren't More Districts Listening?
Kevin's interview with the founder of Learn Platform and CEO of Really Great Reading (RGR) delves into Mississippi's dramatic rise in reading scores, which he credits to evidence-based instruction. They also touch on outcomes-based contracting as a model for accountability within the literacy platform field.

Edtech's Big Tobacco Moment Is Here. Schools Can't Afford to Miss the AI Reckoning That Follows
Author and educator Andrew Marcinek argues that the Meta lawsuit is the inevitable outcome of 20 years of algorithmic manipulation — and that schools have a narrow window to get AI right before history repeats itself.

Beyond the Classroom: How Esports Spaces Double as Learning Hubs
Extron's Jason Bond explains how districts can start small with esports AV infrastructure, leverage dual-purpose spaces, and use AV over IP to build a scalable foundation for student engagement.

Get Cash Out of the Backpack: Adopting Digital Communication And Payments
Chad Stevens, Head of Growth & Partnerships at ClassDojo for Districts on digital payments, family engagement, and the future of school-to-home communication

Responsible Use Is The New Acceptable Use: One District's Pragmatic Playbook for the AI Era
Pineville ISD (TX) technology coordinator Kenzo Vanhaesebroeck explains why vague-on-purpose policy, a grading scale for AI use, and teacher-to-teacher modeling are the best defenses a small district has against an overnight technological revolution

Better Safe Than Sorry: A Gold-Standard Approach To Cybersecurity
Charles Franklin, Assistant Superintendent of Technology & Information Services at Cypress-Fairbanks ISD in Texas, shares his district's approach to cybersecurity and data privacy.

Take Teaching To The Next Level: Live From The Kira Event
Kira execs and beta-users explore new ways to use AI in schools.

How The West May Win When It Comes To Improving Literacy
Allison Zimmermann, CEO of Foundations in Learning, and Dr. Seth King, Associate Professor of Special Education at the University of Iowa, on their initiative to help struggling readers across rural Wyoming, Iowa, and other states—with lessons for schools everywhere.

From Compliance to Companion: How One District Built an AI Culture That Puts Students First
Franklin Township Schools (IN) Director of Technology Integration Nadine Gilkison and Superintendent Dr. Chase Huotari share their three-year journey moving beyond AI policy debates to create authentic learning experiences.

A Different Way to Lead
Marlon Styles Jr., Award-winning superintendent and upcoming keynote for the Tech & Learning Leadership Summit at NCCE 26, delivers new techniques to manage today’s school districts.

The Scoop on BETT 2026
Elizabeth Crawford, Senior Director, Global Education at Kahoot! breaks down BETT, this year’s largest edtech conference.

Let’s Make Some Things Clear: One District's Communications Evolution
Superintendent Tom Livezey of Oakridge Public Schools in Muskegon, Michigan, discusses how he implemented a deliberate approach to communication, that wasn't a grand strategic plan but rather a series of "course corrections" responding to parent needs and changing technology.

How Teachers Can Kick TikTok's Butt (Kind Of)
Matt Bardin, former educator and Zinc Learning Labs Founder, argues that teachers shouldn't try to compete with TikTok's dopamine hits, but instead offer the deeper satisfaction of meaningful reading experiences.

Survey Says: The Human Touch Defines Student Success
Peter Emmel, Director of Technology at Randolph Township Schools (NJ), and Juliana Finegan, VP of Educator Experience at Vivi break down the 2025 Global Teacher Insights Report, in which 85% of nearly 2,000 teachers worldwide identified strong teacher-student relationships and active engagement as the two most influential factors in their sense of success.

Beyond the Ban: Why Taking Away Phones Isn't Enough
FETC 2026 keynote speaker Alana Winnick argues schools must explain the "why" behind cell phone bans and teach students self-regulation for the real world.

Addressing The Digital Design Divide
The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) reports that teachers increasingly have access to technology but lack the time, resources, and training to integrate it effectively into their instruction. Kevin unpacks the issue and explores solutions with Julia Fallon, Executive Director, and Ji Soo Song, Director of Projects and Initiatives at SETDA.

AI Gets Real
How should schools respond to students' increasing use of artificial intelligence tools? Is a total ban the best answer, or is there a legitimate place for generative AI in the classroom? Join Kevin and educator and edtech innovator Carl Hooker as they answer these questions and discuss the options.

How Next-Generation CTE Programs Prepare Students for High-Wage, High-Demand Careers
Career and technical education (CTE) has evolved far beyond the traditional "vocational ed" model. Aldine Independent School District executive director Brooke Martin oversees programs serving 19,000 students across multiple career pathways, preparing them for high-paying, high-demand jobs rather than just minimum wage opportunities.

Things We Talk About When We Talk About Student Engagement
90% of educators, superintendents, and principals recognize the importance of student engagement—yet they disagree on what engagement means. In fact, while majorities of superintendents and principals believe they have the right tools to measure engagement, only about half of teachers agree. Kevin explores this dichotomy in his conversation with Brian Shaw, CEO of Discovery Education.

Exploring the Dynamics of Online Gaming Behavior
Within the gaming ecosystem, there's an underworld—anonymous chat rooms where 83 million American players have faced harassment, where extremist recruitment happens, and where hate speech thrives unchecked. Kevin's conversation highlights the gap facing parents and educators who struggle to understand gaming's hidden dangers.

Back to Basics: Why Student Engagement Remains a Core Priority
Has all the buzz about AI, VR, and other emerging technologies changed the way education leaders measure success in their schools? Perhaps not. According to a recent study by Logitech, educators and IT decisions makers still prioritize student engagement and participation.

Warning: Social Media Hurts
Is social media as dangerous as alcohol and tobacco? If so, will annoying and intrusive caution banners have any effect on kids' social media use? As California prepares to become the first state to require warning labels on social media platforms, Kevin talks with Mikey Hothy from Common Sense Media about California's groundbreaking Assembly Bill 56.

As we see more of our leaders heading toward that “magic retirement number” (age + years of district service), creating pathways for the next generation of education leaders is crucial. This is even more important for more women. In a recent CoSN’s 2025 State of EdTech Leadership Survey, the percentage of female respondents declined to 29%, compared to 37% in the previous year.

Creating a female-focused mentorship program in your school district is a great first step. At the recent LeadHERship Network Conference in Washington, D.C., Dr. Kristin N. Brown, Superintendent of Schools for Lake Dallas ISD, highlighted some statistics that shows mentorship programs have a powerful impact on supporting women in their leadership career pathway, according to a Women in the Workplace (2024) study from LeanIn.Org & McKinsey & Company:

• Women who have mentors tend to report higher wages
• Women with sponsors are 40% more likely to be promoted
• Mentored employees are 43% more likely to report higher engagement in their work

Building Careers In Leadership: Three Models

Brown cited three models that can be used to support women in their career growth:

• Mentor: A “mentor” is someone who offers career guidance, shares their knowledge, provides feedback, and helps with skill-building and reflection. For example, a school principal might meet monthly with a new assistant principal to review leadership challenges and share strategies.
• Sponsor: A “sponsor” takes a more active role by advocating for an individual behind closed doors, opening up opportunities for them, and protecting their reputational risk. An example would be a district superintendent who recommends a rising instructional coach for a state task force and speaks on her behalf in leadership meetings to help her gain visibility.
• Ally: An “ally” is an individual who actively supports others by addressing systemic barriers. This could be an assistant principal who observes that women in leadership are consistently scheduled for evening events that might conflict with family obligations and works to propose a new, rotating schedule to ensure equitable opportunities for all staff.

Modern Mentoring Approaches

Brown shared several modern mentoring methods beyond the traditional one-on-one relationship:

• Peer Circles: These are small, diverse groups of 4-6 individuals who meet regularly to share goals, problem-solve, and reflect. Facilitation rotates among the members to maintain a balanced power dynamic. An example includes four female principals and two district directors who meet monthly as an "Aspiring Superintendents Circle" to support one another's career paths.
• Reverse Mentoring: This approach involves early-career educators mentoring senior leaders on topics such as technology, generational trends, and evolving school culture. A first-year STEM teacher could mentor a veteran assistant superintendent on using AI tools for personalized learning, for instance. (Read more here.)
• Group or Flash Mentoring: These are short, one-time sessions during which an expert leads a focused conversation on a specific skill or topic. Examples include a "Leadership Lunch & Learn" hosted by a "Teacher of the Year," or "Conference Speed Learning Tables" in which female curriculum directors rotate to share expertise.
• Micro-Mentoring: These are highly targeted, short sessions lasting 15-30 minutes, designed for immediate questions or skill sharpening, similar to "office hours." This could be a female superintendent offering virtual slots for aspiring principals to discuss district budgeting or a librarian hosting quick sessions on new learning-management features.

Launching a Mentorship Program

In the “practice what we preach” category, Tech & Learning launched its first mentorship program in September. This free/volunteer program includes regular meetings, activities, networking, and more, all designed to bolster personal growth and learning, as well as the general educational leadership pipeline.

“As one of the few women in edtech leadership in the start of my career, I never had a mentor, so I feel that it's my duty to do this and help others,” Sandra Paul, former Director Of Information Technology at Township of Union Public School, said in our mentorship kickoff call. “There is so much I have gotten from the T&L community – getting policies passed, budgets passed. This community has taught me so much and has been essential to the work I did over many years. I’m happy to pay that forward through this new mentorship program.”

How are you paying your expertise forward to support the next generation of female leaders? And if you are a woman getting started on this pathway, who can you approach about becoming your mentor, sponsor, or ally? By making a commitment to the professional growth of women in their careers, we can hopefully work toward having a representative leadership team in every school district.

Many potential school leaders are talented and driven. That’s not what gets them over the finish line in uncovering long-term success as a leader, however. In fact, being so good can backfire.

Most school leaders fit a brand: hard-working, successful, highly driven, and full of lofty expectations. While these work for most aspects of our work in schools, many, if not most, of school leaders overemphasize challenging expectations over one important skill–and it’s the most important.

Looking back over a quarter century as a school leader, I often see brilliant people in charge crash and burn. I might try to help, provide guidance, or share my experience, except in our present world, this seems much more difficult, even incredibly risky, now that any constructive criticism, whether fed through a social media pipeline or at the Keurig machine, is met with defensiveness, even a pouncing pushback.

Strongmen (and women) seem to dominate the present leadership landscape in politics and corporations. Schools are no exception. I consider the literature I have read on effective leadership, and how frequently the perception held by others is a major factor in the success or failure of school leaders. Perception is more powerful than fact, and while I can anecdotally say it out loud, just look at the literature, and you can see the evidence for why perception of school leaders is so substantial.

So how do we get the perception of staff to result in high marks, and along the way, become faithfully loyal to us? Does perception and trust really matter?

Start By Being Transparent Yourself

Yes, having faculty trust and wanting them to follow us matters big-ly! It matters so much that without it, schools become dysfunctional and, as I say frequently, kids lose in schools where there are unmotivated, undedicated, and unsupported adults surrounding them.

If trust matters then, how do we gain it? First, it is not in being “nice” and avoiding conflict. In fact, it is often the reverse. Yet the critical way to approach feedback messaging is how we deliver it to those who need to hear the way in which we can both support and advise them in their workplace development.

We begin making incremental achievements in this area by allowing ourselves to be vulnerable. “Blasphemy!” you say. “I have to be strong, and come across as confident, and definitive.” True . . . but everyone knows leaders are fallible, and more respect comes from acknowledging this and moving on rather than hiding it and making attempts to cover up mistakes.

Leaders who deny, shift, and avoid are quickly spotted, and then the whispers behind their back gain momentum.

Confront the truth, show others that you have the courage to be wrong, be transparent, and as important, move on.

The Messenger Matters Just As Much As The Message

Leaders should be as thoughtful with how they deliver a message of constructive feedback as they are in planning a master schedule. I observe so often the bad delivery of important goals and points, even if the idea behind it is sensible or right. It causes many school leaders to fall flat on their face, and then who loses? Kids.

Dan Pink shares a perfectly succinct version of this honest and supportive message-delivery approach, evidence that it works, and in just 19 words of feedback. Consider using this or a variation in your own approach to provide supportive and purposeful feedback: “I’m giving you these comments because I have very high expectations and I know that you can reach them.”

A study on delivering feedback shows that how we deliver constructive feedback is far more effective than a flat message that attempts to cheer an achievement. Effective school leadership requires understanding that the impact of a message is determined more by the leader's non-verbal cues and tone than the actual words used. Body language is far more influential messaging than we realize.

Remember to approach messaging unrushed and thought out, show care, and hold onto it throughout your administrative career. If you do, you will get to enjoy the camaraderie of a loyal faculty, one who remains fiercely faithful to you.

Ultimately, the winners of such organizational frameworks are our students, and the echoes of their successes loom large with a school community that permeates trust, a strong perception of leadership, and a school atmosphere that capitalizes on potential.

The impact of screen time on children continues to be an important and closely watched topic for educators and parents. Many currently believe that excessive use of screens, from iPads to phones, laptops, and TVs, have facilitated mental health problems in children across the globe. But research has also demonstrated that it is precisely those children who are more at-risk who tend to turn toward screens as a coping mechanism. In other words, it’s the chicken or egg problem: Which came first, screen use or negative mental health?

A recent study looking at the social-emotional impact of screen time on children was designed to provide the most comprehensive answer to that question. In a review of 132 previous studies involving tens of thousands kids, researchers found that excessive screen use was linked to social-emotional problems and that social-emotional problems also led to more screen use. However, moderate amounts of screen time had minimal impacts.

Meanwhile, using screens for gaming was associated with significantly more negative mental health outcomes, says Michael Noetel, one of the study's authors and a professor at The University of Queensland in Australia.

How Was This Review Designed

For this analysis, Noetel and his fellow researchers only included longitudinal studies—studies that follow the same group of participants over extended periods of time. This contrasts with many studies that examine screen time, which are often cross-sectional studies that only look at data from people at one specific point in time.

“Cross-sectional studies are snapshots—they might show heavy screen users have more problems, but we can't tell what came first,” Noetel says. “Maybe anxious kids just like screens more? Our longitudinal studies followed the same kids for years. We could see that kids using screens at age 5 had more problems by age 7, even after accounting for their problems at age 5. That's much stronger evidence that screens actually cause problems, not just that troubled kids like screens.”

He adds, “When you track 300,000 kids over time and see the same patterns everywhere, that's about the best evidence we can get without randomly banning screens for thousands of children.”

What Are The Biggest Takeaways For Parents And Educators?

Screen time guidelines for children often recommend less than 1 hour of screen time per day for young kids, and under 2 hours a day for older children. If you stick to these guidelines, risks are minimal, Noetel says. He describes the risk around various amounts of screen time as follows:

• "Under guidelines: Almost zero increased risk. Like having one biscuit versus two—no meaningful difference."
• "At the guideline limit: Still pretty safe. The problems are minimal."
• “Exceeding guidelines—3+ hours—the risk increases noticeably. Each extra hour likely means less sleep, less play, or less family time."
• “4+ hours daily: This is where we see real problems emerging. Kids in this range showed meaningfully higher anxiety, aggression, and attention problems.”

Noetel adds that you can think of screen time like a soft drink. “One glass won't hurt. Two is pushing it. By the third or fourth glass daily, you're looking at real health impacts that build over time,” he says.

Additionally, gaming changes this equation. “Even moderate gaming—1-2 hours—showed stronger links to problems than 3-4 hours of TV.”

What Is Most Surprising About This Research?

Noetel says he was not expecting to see such a negative impact from gaming.

“I'd just bought my kids a Nintendo Switch, hoping games would teach my kids problem-solving. But gaming stood out as particularly risky, much worse than other screen activities,” he says.

He's also surprised by the two-way connection between screens and emotional problems.

“We always hear screens damage kids. We rarely hear that damaged kids seek out screens. It's a vicious cycle that feeds itself,” he says.

What About Educational Screen Use?

“Unfortunately, we couldn't properly test educational content on its own. While six studies looked at educational screen use, they weren't reported in a way we could separate out for analysis,” Noetel says. “Most studies lumped all screen types together.

He adds, "What we can say is that when screens were used for 'general purposes,' (which includes some educational use), the effects were much weaker than gaming. The negative effect for general screen use was small.”

In addition, previous research suggests educational content—especially programs targeting literacy or numeracy—can actually have benefits. But the team couldn't isolate those effects in their meta-analysis.

A previous study by Noetel and his colleagues suggested “screens for education are fine, and probably very good.”

How Has This Research Impacted Noetel as a Parent?

“I've got three kids under seven, so this research hit home,” Noetel says. “We removed Netflix from the smart TVs and only kept our public broadcaster, which is a bit tamer and more educational. We dropped YouTube from their tablets and kept just educational games.”

He adds, “We only play the Switch together or watch Netflix movies as a family. When screens are shared, they're less likely to become a problem. It turns screen time into family time.”

Other Advice For Parents

“Parents get told to cut screen time but rarely get tools to handle the emotional problems driving it,” Noetel says. “Programs like Triple P can help families build those skills.”

Although the idea of cutting screen time can be daunting, understanding the impact is the first step.

“The most important thing: this isn't about perfection. No parent gets it right all the time," he adds. "But understanding that screens and emotions are connected—that excessive use might be a symptom, not just a cause—that changes how we help our kids. We don't need to ban screens. We need to help kids handle their emotions better, so they don't need screens as a crutch.”

• The Screen Inferiority Effect: How Screens Affect Reading Comprehension
• Implementing School Cell Phone Bans

As the new academic year approaches, educational leaders face a prime opportunity to reset priorities and strategically align their institutions for the future. Whether in K-12 schools, higher ed, or nonprofit learning organizations, successful strategic planning requires clarity, accountability, and adaptability. A well-structured plan should provide concrete direction for the immediate future while remaining flexible enough to respond to change over time.

Outlined here are what I consider some essential considerations for initiating a strategic multiyear planning process that is both grounded and aspirational, with a clear emphasis on SMARTE goals, tangible objectives, and a robust process for evaluation.

1. Establish a Clear Strategic Intent and Vision

Every effective strategic plan begins with a shared understanding of where the organization is going and why. Leaders should start by reaffirming or revising the organization’s mission and vision statements to ensure both resonate with current realities and future aspirations. These foundational statements serve as a compass, guiding decisions, aligning efforts, and inspiring stakeholders. When the strategic intent is clear, the planning process gains coherence and legitimacy.

2. Conduct a Comprehensive Environmental Scan

Before setting goals, leaders must understand the context in which they are operating. A thorough environmental scan includes both internal analysis (strengths, weaknesses, culture, staff capacity) and external factors (policy shifts, funding trends, demographic changes, technology). Tools such as SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) and PEST (Political, Economic, Social, Technological) analyses help structure this process. Engaging stakeholders through surveys, interviews, and focus groups ensures that diverse perspectives inform the planning process and strengthens stakeholder engagement.

3. Use the SMARTE Framework for Goal Development

Often strategic plans fail because their goals are vague or overly aspirational. By using the SMARTE framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound, and Equitable), leaders can create goals that are inspiring and actionable. Each goal should clearly articulate what success looks like and when it should be achieved. SMARTE goals bring clarity and structure to the plan and provide a foundation for accountability and evaluation.

4. Set Tangible, Measurable Objectives

Once SMARTE goals are identified, these should be broken down into specific objectives that describe the steps necessary to achieve each. Objectives should be granular enough to assign responsibility and allocate resources. For each objective, include key action steps, timelines, success indicators, and the person responsible. This level of detail is especially critical in the first two years of the plan when clarity and implementation are most important. The person responsible is generally identified by position title and not by name.

5. Define a Clear Evaluation and Monitoring Process

A strategic plan is only as strong as the system in place to monitor its progress. Leaders should establish a recurring process to evaluate implementation, track metrics, and adjust strategies as needed. This may include biannual checkpoints, progress dashboards, or standing agenda items at leadership meetings. Evaluation should be a learning process that enables the organization to stay on track and make data-informed adjustments. Having each section of the plan reviewed at the governance level on an annual basis is a good way to ensure the Board stays engaged and up to date as to the plan’s process.

6. Build Concrete Plans for Years 1 and 2

The first two years of the strategic plan should be highly detailed. This is when momentum is built, key foundations are laid, and early successes can be achieved. Include specific initiatives, project timelines, budgets, and leadership assignments. Identify potential risks and mitigation strategies. Clear planning at this stage helps ensure that progress is both visible and measurable, which is essential for building trust and maintaining energy. When possible, ensure that the plan includes a few simple objectives that can be highlighted as early victories to help build engagement.

7. Design Year 3 as a Strategic Guidepost

By Year 3, the organization should be reflecting on lessons learned, measuring outcomes, and preparing to pivot if needed. This year serves as a bridge between execution and evolution, and the planning for it should be flexible enough to allow for redirection but structured enough to sustain forward movement. Leaders should schedule a formal review of the strategic plan in Year 3 and invite broad stakeholder feedback to determine what needs refining, which supports the concept of it being a living document and not simply a leadership exercise. A revision would then outline the concrete steps for the next two years and help the evolution of the organization.

8. Blend Guideline and Aspirational Planning for Years 4–5

Years 4 and 5 should strike a balance between direction and innovation, and should remain aligned with the original strategic intent while allowing room for aspirations that may not have been fully realized earlier. By design, these years can include more ambitious goals, pilot programs, or exploratory initiatives that anticipate emerging trends or new opportunities. While not overly prescriptive, these goals should still include general milestones and indicators of progress. Most likely, if the plan is revised in Year 3, these guidelines will help form the subsequent plan.

9. Align with Budget and Resource Forecasts

No strategic plan can succeed without realistic budgeting and resource alignment. Every initiative and objective should be backed by a financial forecast and staffing plan. Leaders should anticipate revenue changes, explore potential grant or partnership opportunities, and consider reallocating existing resources toward higher-impact areas. Budget planning should be ongoing and transparent, ensuring that strategic priorities are financially sustainable. Remember budgeting is the ultimate identification of organizational priorities. Not aligning planning and budgeting is a key way to ensure strategic failure.

10. Ensure Stakeholder Engagement and Ownership

A strategic plan created in isolation is unlikely to succeed. Leaders must engage stakeholders early and often, which fosters shared ownership and taps into valuable insights from those closest to the work. Strategies for engagement may include advisory councils, town halls, surveys, and collaborative planning sessions. If the plan is large enough to be broken into multiple facets or strategic directions, it is best practice to assign board members, administrators, and staff to co-chair each section in order to further build stakeholder ownership.

11. Develop a Plan for Ongoing Adaptation

Finally, leaders should recognize that strategic planning is not a one-time event. A dynamic organization will face shifting priorities, new challenges, and evolving stakeholder needs, so any plan must include a process for regular updates and adjustments. Annual retreats, mid-year reviews, and real-time dashboards can help keep the plan relevant. Flexibility is not a weakness in strategic planning—it’s a necessity for long-term success.

Ultimately, strategic multiyear planning is a powerful tool for institutional coherence, innovation, and impact, but only if it is thoughtfully designed and faithfully implemented. By establishing SMARTE goals, defining measurable objectives, and creating a transparent evaluation process, educational leaders can develop a plan that serves as both a roadmap and a living document.

In a time of rapid change, strategic planning must be both rigorous and responsive, and the most successful leaders will be those who can achieve that balance.

• Maximizing Existing Technology Before Adding More: What To Know
• 3 Key Concepts Education Leaders Need To Understand About Technology

Tech & Learning is launching the Innovative Leader Report, a new weekly newsletter for education leaders and decision makers. Just as the name implies, this resource will feature actionable education leadership advice, edtech news, best practices, school leader profiles, information about upcoming T&L leadership events, and much more.

“The Innovative Leader Report will be your weekly go-to for everything school leaders need to help their schools and students succeed,” says Christine Weiser, content and brand manager for Tech & Learning. “It’s also a wonderful opportunity to showcase and share the experience and expertise of our longtime advisors, our award winners, and our readers. The content is for school district administrators, by school district administrators.”

By highlighting education leaders from across the nation, the Innovative Leader Report can help in looking beyond your own silo for advice and inspiration. To that end, readers can submit story ideas and news to share–for example, a new book, award, speaking engagement, etc.--and more. SUBMIT YOUR IDEAS HERE.

The Innovative Leader Report will be in inboxes every Tuesday.

SIGN UP HERE TO START RECEIVING INNOVATIVE LEADER REPORT

ISTELive25 was another energetic and inspiring conference, held in San Antonio this year with hundreds of sessions and exhibitors enjoying the learning and networking.

The exhibit hall showcased hundreds of new products and services, and our Tech & Learning judges culled the show floor to review the many nominated products for this year’s Tech & Learning's Best of Show awards at ISTELive 25 awards. The evaluation criteria included: ease of use, value, uniqueness in the market, and proof that the product helped make teachers' lives easier and supported student achievement.

"While AI continued to dominate discussions at ISTE this year, we were truly impressed by the nominated products that bolster the core of teaching and learning while also thoughtfully integrating emerging technologies," noted Christine Weiser, Content Director for Tech & Learning. "Our judges selected the innovative products they believe support classroom and district needs. Congratulations to all our winners!"

PRIMARY EDUCATION

Acer America, Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (model CPE794-1N-797A)
"The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 offers excellent multitasking power with Intel Core Ultra processors, crisp visuals on a 14" touchscreen, and AI-enhanced video/audio tools for teaching and conferencing."

Acer America, Acer Chromebook Spin 512 (Model R857TN-P5QA)
"Purpose-built for elementary students, the Acer Chromebook Spin 512's flexible 360-degree hinge, Wi-Fi 7 readiness, optional LTE, and replaceable components make it an adaptable and sustainable classroom companion. With Chrome Education Upgrade support, it's also easy for IT teams to manage at scale."

ActiveFloor, ActiveFloor
"This is an innovative, portable solution that utilizes movement for learning."

Avantis Education, ClassVR from Avantis Education
"ClassVR is the total package when it comes to bringing and scaling Virtual Reality use for schools to adopt this technology. ClassVR not only has made the hardware and management of that hardware easy for schools to adopt and implement, it has also created a phenomenal software platform to complement this amazing system."

Beanstack, Beanstack
"I really like their approach to reading and comprehension. The use of AI as well as other ways of tracking and discerning comprehension is very well thought out. Also, the data reporting capabilities is a huge help."

BenQ Education, RP04
"These boards and are excellent. They have a great feature set and are very easy to use and manage."

BirdBrain Technologies, Inc., Hummingbird Robotics Kit for Primary Ed
"The Hummingbird Bit Robotics Kit offers an exceptional, research-backed platform for inclusive and creative STEM learning. Its blend of accessibility, flexibility, and cross-curricular applicability make it an ideal tool for engaging students in meaningful, long-term robotics exploration."

BookBreak,BookBreak
"BookBreaks is an amazing platform that connects real-world authors in realtime to classrooms. This is a great tool to ignite the passion of reading and writing in students of all ages."

BrainFreeze, BrainFreeze by Airia
"This new BrainFreeze AI Literacy Platform is just "what the doctor ordered"! It comes just in time for the explosion of AI tools that have come on the market and provides a beacon of safety and sanity when it comes to helping students, teachers, parents, and community navigate the AI complexities of today's world."

ClassLink, ClassLink Suite
"The ClassLink Suite has been a tremendous asset in boosting both learning access and operational efficiency across schools. Its intuitive design, especially features like QuickCards and LaunchPad, makes digital access seamless for younger students while maintaining strong security for older users."

Clear Touch,Sho Software
"Clear Digital's Sho Software offers a modern, scalable approach to digital signage, perfect for schools seeking dynamic communication tools. Its creative integrations and safety-focused features make it both practical and engaging."

Clear Touch, Connect Software
"Connect Software has addressed a pain point for educators that may teaching a variety of settings outside their classroom."

Clear Touch,Next Hub
"I like that NEXT Hub is trying to keep older technology working in schools instead of disposing. This is a very nice solution that not only upgrades software and security, but adds a camera and video capability to older interactive panels."

Cricut, Cricut Explore 4
"Cricut Explore 4 is a fast, user-friendly cutting machine that makes high-quality crafting more accessible. It’s a great tool for education and creative environments, blending ease of use with the flexibility to produce professional-looking custom projects."

CTL, CTL Chromebook PX121E
"CTL Chromebooks are very well made and the addition of free provisioning and quick service turnaround are great additions."

Curriculum Associates, i-Ready: Clear data and connected instruction
"This is a very comprehensive solution. I like i-Ready’s adaptive diagnostic features and the fact that it is a connected ecosystem and not a set of disparate tools."

Edmentum,Exact Path for Primary Education
"ExactPath by Edmentum is a really nice tool for taking assessment scores and standards from annual and quarterly summative assessment companies and projecting a unique learning path for students to improve their areas of deficiencies."

Edmentum,Edmentum Virtual Tutoring
"I like how this product first identifies gaps in prerequisite skills that indicate standards readiness and then focuses on mastery of the on-grade skills. This product also emphasizes the need to quickly close gaps in a student's learning by providing targeted remediation based on that student’s needs."

FACIL'iti MYdys, FACIL'iti MYdys
"MYdys EDU, an assistive technology app, helps students with dyslexia read and comprehend text more easily."

Forward Edge, Edge•U Badges Primary Education
"EdgeU Badges is an innovative professional learning platform that brings a game-based approach to educator growth. We’ve used it to streamline PD and keep it focused, personalized, and engaging. The badge system motivates teachers while clearly showing progress in their learning journey. At the elementary level, educators especially appreciate the incentive-based format, as it mirrors the reward systems they often use with their own students making the experience both familiar and motivating. It’s a creative and effective way to build educator capacity while fostering a sense of accomplishment and continued growth."

HMH, HMH AI Tools
"I like HMH's use of AI to help automate tasks as well as their approach to data privacy which is an issue in the AI space."

HoverCam / Pathway Innovations, Inc., HoverCam Orbit Trio
"Teachers can use Trio to show student work from anywhere in the classroom without being tied to a desk or projector. Its wireless document camera and AV-over-IP casting let teachers share student thinking in real time."

IXL Learning, IXL
"IXL is a great product that they keep working on to improve. The feedback and help students get "un-stuck," are very good. The data reporting is also a great tool for the teachers."

JAR Systems, Open6 Charging Station Automated by Go-Box
"Go-Box has always been a great tool for IT Departments. It makes provisioning and refreshing Chromebooks so fast and easy. This design is even better and takes up less space with less cords."

Kahoot!,Kahoot! AI Generator
"I like how Kahoot! has grown. Their AI features are a huge time saver for teachers. The ability for students to get feedback as well as generate their own study content is terrific."

Kai's Education, KaiBot and Market Math
"KaiBot with Market Math is a playful, engaging tool that effectively combines early math skills with hands-on coding for young learners. The UDL-based design ensures all students can access and enjoy the content"

Kibeam Learning, Inc. Big Readers Start Small: The AI Wand That Transforms Paper Books Into Interactive Learning Adventures
"This is a very innovative and creative use of AI with a device that has no screen. The ability to interact with books both as an entire page, or just a word is very good. Plus the kinetic and interactive features make it more than an tool that reads a book to you. And the data feedback to teachers is great."

LG Electronics USA, LG CreateBoard Core
"This is a very competitive space, but LG has included preloaded operating system feature that helps them stand apart from the competition. I especially appreciate like management and an OPS slot for customization."

LG Electronics USA, LG CreateBoard Prep
"This is a really good tool and the fact that it allows you to import a variety of file types like, .notebook and .flipchart is terrific. The fact that it is free and can be used without a interactive board is great."

Mackin,MackinVIA
"I really like this product's comprehensive resources and features. It is an excellent addition to for the education space."

Magic EdTech, MagicBox
"MagicBox has addressed both end user and administrative and data privacy issues. They allow for integrations with LMS and SIS solutions. Feedback and the use of AI helps improve productivity."

MagicSchool, MagicSchool AI
"MagicSchool AI has been at the forefront of reliable, trustworthy AI tools for teachers looking to dig into AI and experience the "Magic" when it comes to using AI to save time and make learning more meaningful for their students."

MAXCases, MAXCases Extreme Shell-FL Case for Chromebooks & Laptops
"This MaxCases Extreme Shell-FL is MAXCases the best case yet. They have learned from the demands that cases have gone through during the past years and have found solutions and made fixes on the feedback of their users. "

MIND Education, Seeing is Believing: InsightMath Makes K-6 Math Click
"I'm impressed with the neuroscience behind this product and the interactivity and multi-modal methods of instruction."

MIND Education, ST Math: See Math. Learn Math. Know Math.
"ST Math is a powerful visual learning program that supports deep conceptual understanding through spatial-temporal reasoning. Its emphasis on problem-solving over rote memorization makes it especially valuable. A must-have resource for districts focused on strengthening math instruction."

Otus
"Otus stands out for its comprehensive, AI-enhanced data and assessment tools that help educators make smarter decisions with speed and clarity. Its integration with Discovery Education greatly broadens its reach and impact."

OverDrive, Sora
"With built-in tools like dyslexia support, reading goals, LMS integration, and real-time reading analytics, Sora not only makes accessing ebooks and audiobooks seamless—it also fosters a love for reading and student ownership over literacy growth."

Ozobot, Ozobot Ari
"I have always like Ozobot's approach and the improvements on this device are really great. I especially like the touchscreen."

Play Piper LLC, Piper Computer Kit
"The Piper Computer Kit is an inventive STEM tool that allows students to build their own computer and explore coding and circuitry through interactive, story-driven activities. By blending physical assembly with game-based learning, it introduces complex concepts in a hands-on, engaging way that makes computing accessible and exciting for students in grades 3–8."

Play Piper LLC, Play Piper's Enhanced Base Station Curriculum
"Play Piper’s Enhanced Base Station Curriculum stands out for its educator-first design, adaptability, and hands-on approach to STEM learning. It's a well-rounded tool that lowers barriers to classroom integration while still sparking curiosity and technical growth among students."

Pocketalk
"The Pocketalk system for on-the-spot translation of over 92 languages is nothing short of amazing. Perfect for students to use on field trips and using with parents who speak a language other than English when they come into school to speak with teachers and other building staff."

Prodigy Education, Prodigy
"Prodigy is a zero-cost, game-based learning platform that combines engaging adventures with standards-aligned math (grades 1–8) and English (grades 1–6) instruction. Its optional revenue model ensures free access while maintaining high standards for student data privacy."

Robotical, Robotical Cog
"I really like the simplicity of this product and the variety of coding languages. This a a great fit for an introduction to coding at the primary level."

Samsung Electronics America, Samsung WAF Enhances Classroom Collaboration
"Samsung’s WAF Interactive Display elevates classroom interaction and collaboration with high-quality hardware, familiar Android integration, and thoughtful instructional tools. It's a powerful, scalable solution for modern learning environments."

CyberNut, Security Awareness Training
"CyberNut is a game-changing tool for K-12 education that brings real-time cybersecurity awareness training to teachers and staff in a gamified approach while providing a mechanism for educators to report phishing and suspicious email activity."

Seesaw Learning, Seesaw Learning
"Seesaw Instruction & Insights offers a rich, research-backed digital platform tailored for elementary education. By combining interactive lessons, creative student portfolios, and two-way communication, it delivers an engaging, transparent learning experience."

Sergeant Laboratories, AristotleK12
"AristotleK12's digital integration platform and content filtering solution can help improve classroom management, enhance online safety for students, and provide detailed reporting for IT and administrative staff."

Smartbox Assistive Technology, Inc., Grid
"Smartbox's Grid software and Grid Pad assistive technology devices include intuitive interface, customization options, text-based communication, and environmental control."

Teachers First LLC, Toddle
"I like that this is a solution by educators for educators. They have the features needed in a good LMS as well as the integration of AI for productivity."

ViewSonic Corp.ViewSonic ClassSwift Education Software
"The ViewSonic ClassSwift Software is designed with educators in mind, offering an intuitive interface and straightforward navigation. ClassSwift is designed to integrate well with other educational technologies and platforms, including LMSs and digital whiteboards."

World Book, Inc., ClassMate
"The Worldbook Classmate platform offers expert-verified WorldBook Content combined with AI-powered scaffolding to produce and boost literacy abilities. This is a good use of AI with wonderful, well-known Worldbook content."

zSpace, Inc.,zSpace Imagine - A Headset-free AR/VR Solution for Elementary Learners
"This Z-Space Headset-free AR/VR Solution for Elementary Learners is an amazing platform that will help young students navigate their through using AR and VR. I particularly liked the 3D aspect of performing hands-on tasks. The platform also provides for life skills programs for neurodiverse students."

SECONDARY EDUCATION

Acer America, Acer TravelMate B3 Spin 12 (Model: TMB312R-31-C45D)
"The TravelMate B3 Spin 12 goes beyond basic functionality, encouraging deeper interaction with content. A smart, student-friendly device for dynamic learning environments."

Acer America, Acer TravelMate B5 14 (Model: TMB514-31-G2)
"The Acer TravelMate B5 14 offers strong performance and long-term stability for daily classroom use. A solid investment for maintaining a stable and efficient device program."

Ativion, StudentKeeper from Ativion
"StudentKeeper stands out as a multi-functional platform that enhances digital safety, classroom engagement, and student well-being. Its AI-powered tools and parent connectivity make it a smart solution for schools seeking comprehensive and cohesive digital environment management."

BenQ Education, RP04
"These boards and are excellent. They have a great feature set and are very easy to use and manage."

BenQ Education, BenQ SL04 PANTONE VALIDATED SIGNAGE
"The BenQ SL04 Series delivers impressive visual quality and Google certifications, making it ideal for educational environments where color accuracy matters. It’s an excellent solution for engaging digital signage and content display.

BirdBrain Technologies, Inc., Finch Robot for Secondary Ed
"With robust hardware, a removable micro:bit, cross-platform compatibility, and comprehensive instructional support, The Finch Robot 2.0 is a versatile and affordable robotics solution tailored for secondary students to master programming from block-based to advanced text-based coding like Java and Python."

Brisk Labs Corp.,Brisk Teaching: Helping Educators Focus on What Matters Most
"Brisk Teaching is one of my favorite AI tools for teachers on the market today. Not only do they pay close attention to student and teacher data privacy as the process input with AI, but I love the fact that it already resides as an extension to your browser."

Cellairis,The Cyber Pouch
"The Cyber Pouch is a smart, low-tech solution to tackle cellphone distractions in the classroom. It blocks signals to keep students focused without compromising safety or accessibility, using a rugged, no-fuss design that’s easy for schools to adopt at scale."

ClassDojo, ClassDojo for Districts
"ClassDojo for Districts strengthens school communities by connecting educators, students, and families through inclusive, multilingual communication and student engagement tools. It enables district leaders to broadcast updates, teachers to share classroom moments, and students to participate in learning with personalized incentives—all within a mobile-first, user-friendly platform that prioritizes equity and transparency."

ClassLink, ClassLink Suite
"The ClassLink Suite has been a tremendous asset in boosting both learning access and operational efficiency across schools. Its intuitive design, especially features like QuickCards and LaunchPad, makes digital access seamless for younger students while maintaining strong security for older users."

Cricut, Cricut Maker 4
"The Cricut Maker 4 elevates personalization with unmatched versatility, cutting everything from paper to leather and metal with precision and speed. The easy setup and free Design Space app make it both accessible and powerful for diverse applications."

Edmentum Courseware
"Edmentum’s comprehensive Courseware digital curriculum for grade 6 through adult learners is based on the development of real-world skills, identifying students’ passions, and cultivating perseverance and grit."

Edmentum, Exact Path for Secondary Education
"ExactPath by Edmentum is a really nice tool for taking assessment scores and standards from annual and quarterly summative assessment companies and projecting a unique learning path for students to improve their areas of deficiencies."

Edmentum Virtual Tutoring
"I like how this product first identifies gaps in prerequisite skills that indicate standards readiness and then focuses on mastery of the on-grade skills. This product also emphasizes the need to quickly close gaps in a student's learning by providing targeted remediation based on that student’s needs."

Forward Edge, Edge•U Badges Secondary education
"Edge U Badges is an innovative professional learning platform that brings a game-based approach to educator growth. We’ve used it to streamline PD and keep it focused, personalized, and engaging. The badge system motivates teachers while clearly showing progress in their learning journey. A creative and effective way to build educator capacity with impact."

Gale, part of Cengage Group, Learning Differentiated with Gale In Context: For Educators
"Gale's newly updated platform makes it easy for educators to share curations and resources across their grade levels and across their districts. This is a terrific resource to help librarians and educators help our students become savvy digital information curators."

HMH AI Tools
"I like HMH's use of AI to help automate tasks as well as their approach to data privacy which is an important issue in the AI space."

Incident IQ, iiQ Resources
"iiQ Resources modernizes how school districts manage instructional materials by consolidating inventory, distribution, and accountability into a single, streamlined platform."

Incident IQ, iiQ Ticketing and Assets
"iiQ Ticketing and Assets offers a tailored, streamlined solution for K-12 tech teams, combining help desk automation with robust asset management."

IXL Learning, IXL
"IXL is a well thought out product that uses research to hep students and teachers improve teaching and learning. The diagnostic data is great feedback for the teachers."

Learning Genie
"I really like the co-creation features in this product. It gives students and teachers a collaborative workspace to help them successfully understand content. It also gives the agency they speak of to the students so they can feel empowered in their learning."

Learning.com, Digital Literacy and Citizenship
"Learning.com's EasyTech Digital Literacy and Citizenship is a strong, well-structured program that equips K-12 students with the foundational skills to navigate the digital world responsibly. The lessons are age-appropriate and cover critical areas like privacy, digital footprints, and ethical online behavior."

Lightspeed Systems,Lightspeed Signal
"Lightspeed Signal is a powerful visibility platform that gives tech leaders a clear, real-time view of device usage, app access, and network health across the district. It helps identify issues like unused devices, VPN workarounds, and performance gaps that are otherwise hard to track. An essential solution for any district focused on efficiency, accountability, and digital safety."

Logitech, Logitech Reach
"Logitech Reach is a sleek, portable, and powerful tool that empowers educators to bring physical content to life in the classroom. It blends precision, ease of use, and smart design into a compelling solution for hands-on teaching, particularly in STEM and art-based disciplines."

MAXCases, MAXCases Extreme Shell-FL Case for Chromebooks & Laptops
"This MaxCases Extreme Shell-FL is MAXCases the best case yet. They have learned from the demands that cases have gone through during the past years and have found solutions and made fixes on the feedback of their users."

NetSupport, classroom.cloud
"The NetSupport Classroom Cloud product is amazing when it comes to mobile device management at the classroom and teacher level. This system is also device agnostic and allows teachers to have full control over the content and use of their students devices that are district owned."

Ori Learning
"OriLeaning provides a platform that makes teaching emotional well being and transition easy and engaging. I loved the multiple modes of lesson delivery and it's incredibly accessible with text-to-speech autoplay and text highlight, while also serving over a 136 different languages."

Otus, Otus
"Otus consolidates assessment, grading, and data analytics into one intuitive platform. Its recent partnership with Discovery Education and AI-driven insights elevate its capabilities, empowering educators to act quickly on trends and support every learner effectively. With broad adoption and deep integration features, Otus stands out as a streamlined, high-impact educational tool."

ParentSquare
"ParentSquare is a powerful communication platform built for inclusivity, helping schools foster stronger, more equitable connections with families. Its deep feature set, ease of use, and integration capabilities make it a cornerstone for modern school engagement."

PBLWorks Teach
"PBLWorks Teach is a platform that provides more than 70 projects for Project-Based Learning, all backed by research."

Power Technologies,Power Technologies PT-Pro Series Locker
"This storage solution gives IT departments the ability to securely store repaired or loaner devices."

PowerSchool, PowerSchool Attendance Intervention
"PowerSchool's Attendance Intervention tool helps schools monitor attendance patterns and automate basic outreach."

Samsung Electronics America, Samsung WAF Enhances Classroom Collaboration "With support for simultaneous student interaction, seamless Google app integration, and robust device management tools, The Samsung WAF Interactive Display promotes collaboration, engagement, and instructional flexibility. The WAF stands out for its ability to include more students in interactive learning via screen mirroring and multi-zone whiteboarding."

Teachers First LLC, Toddle
"I like that this is a solution by educators for educators. They have the features needed in a good LMS as well as the integration of AI for productivity."

ViewSonic Corp.,ViewSonic ViewBoard IFP8651 EDLA Interactive Flat Panel Display"The Viewsonic IFP8651 EDLA Interactive Display is amazing! Not only is it priced right but it offers a wonderful functionality to laptops or desktop computers by bringing the power of touch to these devices as well as additional viewing real estate."

Vivacity Tech PBC, Vivacity 36-Unit Smart Charging Cart
"This is a is a durable, easy-to-use solution designed specifically for school environments. It keeps devices secure, charges them efficiently, and makes organization simple with clear slots and smooth mobility between classrooms."

Vivacity Tech PBC, Vivacity B30U 30-Unit Pre-Wired USB-C Charging Cart
"This is a sleek, time-saving solution perfect for classrooms using USB-C devices. With pre-wired connections and organized cable management, it's ready to use right out of the box no setup stress for teachers or tech teams."

Vivacity Tech PBC, Vivacity Guardian Backpack
"The Vivacity Guardian Backpack is a fantastic and durable way to transport and protect your technology when it comes to any size laptop, Chromebook or tablet. In fact, this backpack is so versatile that it can carry all three of those items, and more, at the same time!"

Vivacity Tech PBC, Vivacity Guardian Work-in Case with Pouch
"The Vivacity Guardian Work-in Case is a fantastic and durable way to transport and protect your technology when it comes to laptops or Chromebooks. This case has many great features, especially the many pockets that are specific to the accessories and supplemental technologies that are carried with your workstation."

Vivacity Tech PBC, Vivacity Repair Academy
"The Vivacity Repair Academy is an incredible platform for learning how to repair your own devices. This academy is not only perfect for your staff in your school district, but can provide a wonderful opportunity to bring into a high school CTE program."

Vivacity Tech PBC, Vivacity V Suite Pro
"The Vivacity V Suite Pro provides the most comprehensive Chromebook warranty in K-12. V Suite Pro offers unlimited claims, zero deductibles, free shipping, and an incredible repair turnaround time."

HIGHER EDUCATION

AVer Information Inc. USA, M11WB
"I particularly like that the AverMedia M11WB features 4K resolution and 29X zoom to eliminate visibility problems, allowing every student to see fine details, whether it’s a science experiment or a piece of student art."

BenQ Education, InstaShow VS20 Wireless Presentation System
"There are a lot of wireless presentation systems on the market but this one seems to address the connectivity issue quite well. I especially like the touch back feature."

BenQ Education, RP04
"These boards and are excellent. They have a great feature set and are very easy to use and manage."

BenQ Education, BenQ SL04 PANTONE VALIDATED SIGNAGE
"The BenQ SL04 Series is a standout choice for higher education environments that demand vibrant, accurate visuals and adaptable digital signage. This solution combines performance and style, perfectly suited for the fast-paced, visual demands of higher ed."

Epson America, Epson EB-PU2116W large venue laser projector
"The Epson EB-PU2116W is a powerful solution for educational institutions seeking to create immersive, large-scale visual experiences. Its compatibility with various lenses and advanced setup tools makes it highly adaptable and effective for dynamic instructional and artistic applications."

Samsung Electronics America, Samsung WAF Enhances Classroom Collaboration"The Samsung WAF Interactive Display is a robust, Android 14-powered classroom solution that enhances collaboration and engagement with seamless access to Google Apps and smart multitouch features. Its updated Note app, intuitive annotation tools, and centralized device management make it a powerful hub for modern, interactive instruction."

ViewSonic Corp.,ViewSonic LDS138-151 Mobile Direct View LED Display Solution
"The ViewSonic LDS138-151 is an impressive 138-inch all-in-one, mobile Direct View LED Display Solution. This Video-Wall display is nothing short of amazing and even folds up to transport it when combined with the wheelable cart."

We're here in San Antonio, walking the exhibition floor of ISTELive 2025. Here are a few of the sights! Enjoy!