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
