THE SAVVY EDTECH LEADER - Blogs

The Wisdom AI Can't Give You

10/5/2026

It’s been a minute since we’ve written The Savvy EdTech Leader. Published in 2024, it came out before GenAI tools like Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude was widely accessible.

As I reflect on what Sheryl, Frankie, Donna, and I wanted to include in the book, we set out to take all our institutional knowledge (over 120 years!) and condense it into a book that would transcend time and AI. We wanted to help aspiring educational technology leaders grow in the skills and attitudes that you cannot get from Generative AI.

As I reread the chapters of our book, it’s even more evident than before that it's chock-full not of how to write RFPs or Technology Plans, but of the durable skills leaders need to build relationships with people.

From Wish List to Roadmap: A Practical Approach to Device Refresh Planning

9/28/2026

If you lead technology in a district with fewer than 10,000 students, you may know the feeling: a big part of the planning responsibility lands on a team with few leadership positions beyond the CTO. In The Savvy EdTech Leader, we spend a great deal of time on technology planning and involving the people who use technology every day. The chapter “Proceed with Intention and Navigate with Purpose” asks leaders to align their long-term vision with district goals and core values, gather evidence from across the organization, and make room for stakeholder perspectives. There was less room to talk about what happens after those conversations, when someone has to turn the ideas into a working plan. Often, that someone is the technology team.

Beneath the Water: Where Vision Begins

9/18/2026

I recently sat down with my friend and The Savvy EdTech Leader co-author Diane Doersch for the first episode recording of her new podcast series, Beneath the Water. We expected to talk about our book, leadership, our careers, and some of the experiences that shaped our work.

We did. But the conversation went much deeper than I anticipated. We talked about vision: Not simply the kind of organizational vision we write into a strategic plan. I mean the picture we hold of who we are and what could be—even when what we see around us doesn’t look anything like it yet. And perhaps that is where leadership vision really begins.

Diane’s premise is that what we see in another person is only what exists above the waterline. We see the position, accomplishments, confidence, decisions, relationships, and results. What we don’t see is everything beneath the water—the experiences, people, mistakes, beliefs, lessons, aspirations, and choices that helped create the person standing in front of us.

A Savvy EdTech Leader reflection on seeing what could be—and giving vision form.

Screen Time Is the Wrong Measure and It Could Lead Schools in the Wrong Direction

9/10/2026

“We must rethink measuring educational technology by minutes on a screen. We should measure it by the type of access, creativity, connection, and learning those minutes make possible.”
— Dr. Sheryl R. Abshire

Let’s stop pretending that all screen time is the same.

A student endlessly scrolling through social media is not having the same experience as a student using text-to-speech to access grade-level content. Watching algorithm-driven entertainment is not equivalent to creating a documentary, collaborating with classmates, receiving targeted intervention, or connecting to an advanced course unavailable locally.

Yet much of today’s debate reduces all these experiences to a single number: minutes.

That is not meaningful measurement. It is convenient measurement and convenience is a dangerous foundation for education policy.

Families and policymakers are right to be concerned about distraction, mental health, excessive screen use, and the erosion of human connection. Schools should limit passive consumption, protect time for discussion and movement, and preserve hands-on, relational, creative, and device-free learning.

But broad restrictions based primarily on minutes risk solving the wrong problem.

A Proven Playbook for Savvy EdTech Leaders

1/10/2026

From the beginning, our Savvy EdTech Leader blogs have been grounded in the belief that leadership success is not measured by isolated wins, heroic effort, or individual expertise. It is measured by how well the entire organization performs under your leadership, over time, and in service of what matters most. That belief led us to explore performance excellence not as a checklist, but as a leadership system—one that provides clarity, alignment, and shared accountability.

Throughout this Unlocking Performance Excellence blog series, we introduced the NIST Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework as a practical playbook for building what we earlier described as an EdTech Playbook—a transparent, disciplined way to understand organizational health, guide improvement, and elevate collective performance.

Leadership sets direction. Strategy establishes priorities. Customers define value. Measurement creates insight. Workforce brings energy. Operations deliver execution. Results are how leaders know they are on the right path.

When Savvy EdTech Leaders lead with results, they don’t just measure success—they create the conditions for sustained performance excellence!

Unlocking Performance Excellence Blog Series

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage Disclosure
This blog post was developed with the assistance of ChatGPT, an AI language model by OpenAI (May 2025 version, GPT-4o) [https://chatgpt.com]. In alignment with MIT's Guidance for use of Generative AI tools, ChatGPT was used exclusively to support the structure and clarity of the writing. All core ideas, personal insights, EdTech Leader experiences, and references remain the sole work of the author.

Future-Ready Leadership in 2026: A Call to Courage, Clarity, and Commitment

1/1/2026

“The future of education will not be shaped by the technology we purchase, but by the leaders we become. In 2026, our courage, clarity, and commitment will determine whether innovation elevates every learner or leaves too many behind.”

—Dr. Sheryl R. Abshire

As we enter 2026, public education is standing at a defining threshold. The disruptions of the last decade, pandemics, funding cliffs, AI acceleration, cybersecurity threats, and unprecedented workforce challenges have reshaped the landscape of learning. But they have also opened extraordinary opportunities for leaders who are willing to innovate, adapt, and lead with both insight and integrity.

In The Savvy EdTech Leader, my co-authors and I outlined the essential leadership dispositions and practices needed to guide technology-rich learning environments with clarity and purpose. Today, those ideas aren’t just relevant…they’re urgent.

Public education is shifting faster than many systems are prepared for. Leaders must be ready not just to respond, but to anticipate.

Results: Turning Intent Into Impact

12/31/2025

After a year of focused work, we are concluding the Unlocking Performance Excellence blog series with the NIST Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework, category 7: Results—where leadership intent, strategic priorities, operational discipline, and organizational culture finally become visible.

If you’ve been following this series from the beginning, the first blog was published on December 31, 2024. Time really does fly when the work is meaningful, and even more so when we are having fun along the way. I can thank my Savvy EdTech Leader co-authors for that!

Now, a year later, we return to the question that launched this journey in the first place: How do Savvy EdTech leaders truly measure success?

That question is exactly where NIST Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework, category 7: Results comes in.

Beyond the Leaderboard

Results are not simply numbers on a dashboard or standings on a leaderboard. They are the feedback loop that tells leaders whether their systems are working as intended—or where adjustments are needed. In this final post, we shift from designing leadership systems to reading their outcomes with maturity and intention. Not to judge, but to learn. Not to defend, but to improve.

ALSO, results are not a standalone destination in the NIST Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework. Results are the evidence that systems are working—together, over time, and in service of what matters most. Category 7 asks Savvy EdTech leaders to move beyond asking “Did we hit the number?” and instead examine a deeper question: Are our systems producing the outcomes we truly value?

Not Your Average Job Post: Finding Talent Outside the Tech Bubble

10/29/2025

As we continue the discussion of equitable hiring, we have already revised our job description to reflect the organization's current needs. We remember that we have already distributed tasks from the outdated job description to other team members to meet the organization's current needs. We may also have uncovered other skills/abilities we didn’t know we needed due to new developments in the IT department's responsibilities and workflows. Think of an accurate job description as an RFP (request for proposal) for humans. The more descriptive you get in what you’re looking for in a candidate, the more clarity you provide. That improves your department’s chances of getting the right person for the job. On the flip side, the candidate receives clarity on the organization’s needs and how to best present themselves in their resume and during the interview.

Elevating Leadership Through Integration and Systems Thinking

10/27/2025

As part of our Unlocking Performance Excellence blog series, before we dive into the final category of the NIST Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework--Category 7: Results—it’s worth pausing to talk about integration: the art and science of seeing how everything fits together—people, processes, data, and results. And leading in a way that makes those connections visible, intentional, and sustainable.

In EdTech leadership, integration is the catalyst that transforms isolated initiatives into a unified, high-performing system. It’s how we move from silos to synergy—where technology no longer operates apart from instruction, cybersecurity, or strategy, but as the thread that weaves all systems together—from operations and infrastructure to teaching, learning, data, finance, and beyond.

When integration is weak, organizations chase fragmented goals and duplicate efforts. When it's strong, systems speak to each other, people align, and performance accelerates. Integration turns good ideas into sustainable excellence.

In this post, we’ll explore what it really means to make systems “speak”—to build intentional bridges between functions, and to move from strong parts to a stronger, smarter, and more connected whole.

Write to Invite: The Art of Inclusive Job Descriptions

10/12/2025

RETHINK YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION

I recently assisted a company in revising a job description to incorporate more inclusive language. Job descriptions are a key component in attracting top technology staff. Unfortunately, organizations often overlook opportunities to refine job descriptions and instead focus on filling the position as soon as it becomes available.

As a former Chief Technology and Information Officer of a large school district, I wholeheartedly know the temptation to just go to the electronic file folder, pull out the old job description, update the deadlines and dates, and hastily post it so that you can begin reviewing the resumes that you anticipate receiving. Sometimes your need to fill a position outweighs the time you have to rethink the job posting.

I encourage you to pause at this crucial first step in the hiring process. There’s no rule that the role must be refilled exactly as it was, with the same skills and dispositions as the person who just left our team. Each vacancy is an opportunity for continuous improvement and even reinvention for your team. Why not take advantage of it?

A Portrait of an effective CTO in 2025

10/2/2025

When a longtime Chief Technology Officer announced his retirement at a mid-sized district last spring, the superintendent found herself facing a big question:

“Do we hire someone who’s a tech expert or someone who knows education inside and out?”

On paper, it seemed like an either/or. The IT manager in the district was familiar with every server, every switch, and every help desk ticket. Meanwhile, an assistant principal had been dabbling in instructional technology and had developed a strong rapport with teachers. Both looked promising—but which path would serve the district best?

This is the crossroads many schools find themselves at in 2025. And here’s the twist: the right answer isn’t about choosing one background over the other. It’s about finding a leader.

Navigating the Funding Storm: What K–12 Educators Need to Know and How to Respond

9/26/2025

Every school leader, teacher, and district administrator today is feeling the crunch. Class sizes swell, support services shrink, and innovation budgets evaporate. Yet the mission remains unchanged: to deliver high-quality, equitable learning for every student.

This post is a call to arms and not to despair, but to equip educators with clarity, context, and tools to act intentionally in a difficult funding landscape.

The Landscape: Why Funding is More Volatile Now Than Before Multiple Revenue Sources, But Growing Instability

Public K–12 education in the U.S. is funded via a three-legged stool: local, state, and federal sources. Local funds often come from property taxes, which inherently favor wealthier districts and can shift with local housing markets and tax bases.

State funding is mediated through formulas meant to level inequities, but those formulas often lag behind real costs (especially for special education, English learners, and mental health services).
Federal funds are intended to provide additional support (e.g. Title I, Title II, ESSER, after-school programs), but increasingly those funds are delayed, withheld, or reprogrammed.

Rising Costs and Expanding Needs

In 2025 alone, an estimated $6.2 billion in federally authorized K–12 funding was delayed from distribution, directly affecting programs many districts had already committed to.

Staffing and benefits costs (especially health care, special education, and mental health supports) are rising faster than base revenues.
Enrollment declines in many districts (since COVID) have triggered “hold harmless” clauses that are now expiring. Districts are receiving less per-pupil funding even though overhead and fixed costs remain the same.
The proportion of students with greater needs (e.g. IEPs, English learners, social-emotional supports) continues to grow, placing stress on systems that were never fully funded for those demands.

Policy Uncertainty and Political Pressures

Some states are revisiting (or are being forced via courts to revisit) funding formulas and tax structures.
Federal policy changes, such as rescinding or withholding formerly approved grants can disrupt district planning at the last minute.
Widening interest in school choice, vouchers, charter expansions, and redirected funding mandates can shift public dollars away from traditional public schools.
Staffing and benefits costs (especially health care, special education, and mental health supports) are rising faster than base revenues.
Enrollment declines in many districts (since COVID) have triggered “hold harmless” clauses that are now expiring. Districts are receiving less per-pupil funding even though overhead and fixed costs remain the same.
The proportion of students with greater needs (e.g. IEPs, English learners, social-emotional supports) continues to grow, placing stress on systems that were never fully funded for those demands.

Why This Matters Deeply for Your Work, for Students, and for Equity

Program cuts hurt innovation and growth - It’s often the first to go (e.g. STEM enrichment, professional development, instructional coaching).
Burnout intensifies - Teachers take on extra duties, class sizes rise, support staff are lost.
Equity gaps widen - Under resourced districts lose ground when wealthier schools can tap more local resources or private support.
Strategic paralysis - Many leaders postpone bold initiatives because they fear “what if the money disappears next year?”

But funding instability doesn’t mean defeat. It means we must become more strategic, more collaborative, and more proactive.

Some districts are innovating by forming education service cooperatives, foundation arms, and “friends of the schools” nonprofit support arms. Others anchor their funding appeals in equity narratives, helping stakeholders see that every cut is a cut to a child’s opportunity.

Focus on data & impact tracking

Tie programs to student outcomes and cost metrics; show ROI
Builds credibility when asking for funds; requires good systems and capacity

Flexible and phased implementation

Pilot innovations on small scale before full roll-out
Lowers risk of failure; may slow growth

Build reserve funds / rainy day funds

Allocate small portions of budget toward reserves when possible
Provides buffer—but difficult when margins are razor thin

Models, Cases, and Reference Points Worth Studying

Pew’s “Competing Forces Complicate State Education Funding” — A framing piece on the dynamics pressing state budgets. Pew Charitable Trusts
Education Week article: “State Funding for Schools Is a Mess This Year, Too” — Real-time examples of states missing deadlines, court fights, and policy stakes. Education Week
Learning Policy Institute blog: “States Face Uncertainty as an Estimated $6.2 Billion … Remains Unreleased” — A breakdown of federal funding impoundment and its effects. Learning Policy Institute
Case: William Penn v. Pennsylvania — A court ruling that a state’s system was unconstitutional for creating manifest funding disparities. Wikipedia
Ohio’s Fair School Funding Plan (HB 1) — A sustained legislative effort to more equitably fund schools, worth studying as a state reform model. Wikipedia
EPI’s “Public education funding in the U.S. needs an overhaul” — A deeper critique of structural reliance on local funding and inequities in the system. Economic Policy Institute

Opportunity in Crisis

Yes, the funding environment is brutal. But crisis also creates possibilities. When margins are tight, conversations become sharper. When community support is essential, people must see and believe in the mission. As tech-savvy educators and leaders, you are uniquely positioned to bridge vision with pragmatism.

Use constraints as creative constraints, not just obstacles.
Invite your staff into transparent financial conversations; collective ownership helps morale.
Prove small wins; let data tell your story.
Be relentless at telling the human story behind the numbers.

You don’t have to “fix” the funding system overnight, but you can lead your school or district through the storm with greater clarity, unity, and resilience.

Resources

Allegretto, S., García, E., & Weiss, E. (2022, July 12). Public education funding in the U.S. needs an overhaul: How a larger federal role would boost equity and shield children from disinvestment during downturns. Economic Policy Institute. Retrieved from https://www.epi.org/publication/public-education-funding-in-the-us-needs-an-overhaul/
DiNapoli, M. A., Jr., & Griffith, M. (2025, June 30). States face uncertainty as an estimated $6.2 billion in K–12 funding remains unreleased: Here’s the fiscal impact by state [Blog]. Learning Policy Institute. Retrieved from https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/blog/states-face-uncertainty-k-12-funding-remains-unreleased
Fall, A., & Forrest, P. (2025, January 16). Competing forces complicate state education funding. The Pew Charitable Trusts. Retrieved from https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2025/01/16/competing-forces-complicate-state-education-funding?pse_map_data_picker=projenrollchange
Lieberman, M. (2025, August 29). State funding for schools is a mess this year, too. Here’s why. Education Week. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/state-funding-for-schools-is-a-mess-this-year-too-heres-why/2025/08
Peter G. Peterson Foundation. (2025, July 22). How is K-12 education funded? Retrieved from https://www.pgpf.org/article/how-is-k-12-education-funded/
Shoemaker DeMio, P., & James, W. (2025, August 27). Public education under threat: 4 Trump administration actions to watch in the 2025-26 school year. Center for American Progress. Retrieved from https://www.americanprogress.org/article/public-education-under-threat-4-trump-administration-actions-to-watch-in-the-2025-26-school-year/

From Chaos to Clarity: Leading Operations to Enable What's POssible

9/25/2025

We’re diving into the NIST Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework Category 6: Operations as part of our Unlocking Performance Excellence blog series—a roadmap for EdTech leaders who are serious about systems thinking and results-driven innovation. At the heart of this category is a question every savvy leader should be asking: How do we design, manage, and improve our key processes to consistently deliver value?

When school systems stumble, it’s rarely because the vision was unclear. More often, it’s the result of inconsistent, inefficient, or reactive operations. That’s why Category 6: Operations is one of the most important—and overlooked—components of organizational leadership.

From cybersecurity to service delivery, operations are the behind-the-scenes engines that power every successful technology strategy. Let’s unpack how the NIST Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework can help EdTech leaders operationalize vision, build resilient systems, and create sustainable impact.

This blog is for Savvy EdTech leaders who want to tighten their operations, improve how work gets done, and ensure their teams deliver consistent, high-value services to students and staff.

Write to Invite: The Art of Inclusive Job Descriptions

9/4/2025

I recently assisted a company in revising a job description to incorporate more inclusive language. Job descriptions are a key component in attracting top technology staff. Still, unfortunately, organizations overlook opportunities to improve the job description and immediately focus on filling the position once it becomes available. As a former Chief Technology and Information Officer of a large school district, I wholeheartedly know the temptation to just go to the electronic file folder and pull out the old job description, update the deadlines and dates, and hastily post it so that you can begin reviewing the resumes that you anticipate receiving.

I encourage you to pause at this crucial first step in the hiring process. There’s no rule that the role must be refilled exactly as it was, with the same skills and dispositions as the person who left. Each vacancy is an opportunity for continuous improvement and even reinvention for your team. Why not take advantage of it?

The Architecture of Excellence: Building Systems for Measurement, Insight, and Learning

8/23/2025

In this post from our Unlocking Performance Excellence blog series, we unpack Category 4: Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management of the NIST Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework.

Let’s build together the systems and culture that turn data into decisions, insights into innovation, and knowledge into continuous learning.

As an EdTech leader, are we simply collecting data—or are we architecting a leadership system that transforms information into insight, and insight into excellence?

K–12 research shows that exemplary EdTech leaders are distinguished by the systems they design—architectures that dissolve silos, learn continuously, and embed measurement, insight, and learning.

Data is more than mandated reporting or dashboards—it is the operating architecture of excellence. Within the NIST Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework, Category 4: Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management defines this architecture with precision. It elevates data from a compliance tool into the very backbone of organizational learning, decision-making, and continuous improvement. In this view, data is not an afterthought—it is the system by which excellence is designed, sustained, and scaled.

Designing for intelligence

It’s not about the volume of data—designing for intelligence is about how well our systems convert data into actionable insight and applied knowledge. This isn’t a spreadsheet skill; it’s a leadership capability. In the NIST Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework, Category 4 (Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management) centers on two questions:

How do you measure and analyze performance to drive improvement and innovation?
How do you manage knowledge and information so the organization can learn and adapt?

Make it simple. Don't overthink it. The important thing is get started! Here are a few ideas to kick things off.

Collect and use the right data to track performance and advance strategic priorities.
Review and analyze information to spot trends, determine root causes, and forecast what’s next.
Ensure data quality, security, accessibility, and interoperability across the enterprise.
Create systems for knowledge sharing and learning—playbooks, after-action reviews, and communities of practice that fuel innovation.

Modernizing Data Governance: A Roadmap for School Districts in the AI Era

8/15/2025

Over the past month, I’ve had the opportunity to work with several K-12 districts to refresh both Acceptable Use and Data Governance Policies. For many of us, it had been years—pre-COVID and before new state laws like cell phone restrictions—since their last update.

With the move to primarily cloud storage and cloud-hosted applications with AI infused, it's crucial to re-evaluate policies to protect data, improve workflows, and align with today's technology landscape.

Strong data governance starts with clear roles and responsibilities. Establish a Data Governance Committee with representatives from administration, teaching, and IT. Consult legal counsel when needed. We listed the Superintendent or the Superintendent's designee as the chair of the committee and the person who initially defines responsibilities for all data users.

K-12 EdTech Funding is at a Crossroads

8/12/2025

"Vision without a funding plan is just a wish. In K-12, dreams become reality only when we match innovation with sustainable resources." – Sheryl Abshire

In today’s K-12 landscape, funding for educational technology is caught in a perfect storm. Federal relief dollars are expiring, E-rate faces legal and policy uncertainty, and state and local budgets are tightening.

Meanwhile, districts are expected to expand broadband access, modernize cybersecurity defenses, and use AI responsibly, all while addressing the diverse needs of every learner.

These challenges are not hypothetical; they are real and pressing. Many districts are being forced to make tough decisions, such as delaying hardware refresh cycles, scaling back on instructional technology support, or putting digital equity projects on hold. Without careful planning, these cuts could reverse years of progress.

This funding squeeze requires more than just belt-tightening; it demands strategic foresight and proactive leadership. Savvy edtech leaders must:

When Leaders Learn: Lessons from the Dance Floor

8/4/2025

Back in 2021, while the world was still navigating the pandemic, I decided to challenge myself to learn something new.

Growing up, I was a classical ballet dancer from ages 7 to 12. As an only child, my mother enrolled me in various activities to keep me active and engaged, and I especially loved dance. It was where I felt most alive. But when we moved to a rural area, continuing those lessons meant long drives to the nearest city, and eventually, I had to let it go.

Fast forward to the pandemic.

Like so many things, dance instruction evolved, and suddenly, virtual classes became possible. I found myself signing up for online jazz and hip hop lessons at the same studio where my daughter and granddaughter danced. The moment I hit “register,” I reopened a chapter I’d closed decades ago.

Let me be clear, going back to dance class wasn’t easy. What once felt natural was now frustrating. Remembering choreography in my head and training my muscles to follow took real effort. I felt like a beginner all over again.

Workforce Optimization: Uniting People, Purpose, and Performance

7/25/2025

In this post from our Unlocking Performance Excellence blog series, we take a deep dive into Category 5: Workforce of the NIST Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework.

When attracting and retaining educators and IT professionals ranks among the top three challenges facing EdTech leaders—especially at the start of the 2025–2026 school year--how can we strategically optimize our workforce by aligning people, purpose, and performance?

What steps can we take to cultivate an inclusive, future-ready workforce culture that builds capacity, sparks engagement, and delivers measurable results?

Let’s ignite a powerful conversation about aligning workforce strategies with purpose-driven outcomes. Together, we can build inclusive, empowering environments where every team member feels seen, supported, and inspired to thrive. By leveraging the right data to measure what truly matters, we can drive meaningful progress and set a new standard for workforce optimization in the EdTech community.

The Strategic Link Between Leadership and Workforce optimization

First, what is workforce optimization in our EdTech community conversation?

Workforce is the people who do the work — our team, our staff, our employees, the people that we lead — that keeps things running.

Optimization is a strategic approach that we use to maximize the performance, efficiency, well-being, and satisfaction of the people that we lead.

Workforce optimization is the intentional alignment of people, processes, and technology to drive excellence. It’s about placing the right individuals—with the right skills—in the right roles, doing the right work at the right time.

Excellence happens when our workforce is united with strong leadership, guided by a shared purpose, and empowered by clear performance goals that help everyone succeed.

Workforce optimization doesn't happen in isolation. It is a direct reflection of leadership and strategy—the first two categories in the NIST Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework. Leaders define vision, set priorities, and model the culture they expect to see. Strategy provides the direction that aligns people, performance, and resources.

Here’s how the connection plays out:

Blueprint for a Breakthrough Team: Leadership Lessons in Design, Direction, and Difficult Decisions

7/15/2025

In my decades of leading ed tech teams through innovation cycles, budget storms, and seismic shifts in K-12 policy, one truth remains: great teams don’t happen by accident. They’re crafted with vision, guarded by trust, and sustained by a leader’s relentless commitment to clarity and accountability.

A high-performing team is more than a group of capable people. It’s a dynamic system of relationships, priorities, and practices that, when designed intentionally, can drive extraordinary outcomes. But here’s the hard part: building this kind of team starts with you. As a leader, you are the architect. And the blueprint must include more than tasks and timelines. It requires shared purpose, meaningful recognition, and an environment where people feel safe enough to speak the truth and challenged enough to grow.

The Mark of a Great Leader? Who Comes After You

6/15/2025

Leadership legacies aren’t etched in awards or accolades; they're reflected in what endures when you step away. The real benchmark of your leadership isn't how long you stayed or how much you accomplished; it's how well your successor thrives when you're gone.

Every leadership transition sends ripples through an organization. For school districts, edtech departments, or any mission-driven team, poor succession planning leads to disarray, delay, and sometimes decline. But with intention and strategy, that same transition can catalyze renewal, trust, and progress.

Executive Presence for EdTech: Leading with Intention, Growth, and Purpose

6/13/2025

In my May 2025 blog, I discussed executive presence: What it is and why that type of presence makes savvy leaders stand out. My first five tips included creating and running clear meetings, providing timely feedback, gracefully course correcting, recognizing hidden agendas, and displaying emotional intelligence. Impactful leaders seem to effortlessly do those things and more that help people feel that they’re part of the team, walk away energized, and know that their leader has their back.

Here are some additional strategies that can help you take your presence to the next level:

Customer-Centered Excellence: From Relationships to Remarkable Experiences

6/3/2025

There’s something powerful about learning and leading together! The passion and purpose within our Savvy Leadership community keep us motivated and moving forward.

What if the most powerful force driving excellence in your school district isn’t a system or strategy, but rather the voice of a student, the trust of a parent, or the insight of a teacher?

At the heart of every successful educational organization are those we serve. In this blog post from our Unlocking Performance Excellence series, we take a deep dive into Customers, as part of category 3 in the Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework.

This post encourages us to go beyond simply collecting data and to ask deeper questions: Are we truly listening? Are we capturing what matters most? Are we recognizing unspoken needs, responding intentionally, and building relationships that earn trust and inspire loyalty?

Let’s explore together how we can elevate the voice of our customers--students, families, educators, administrators, staff, and community partners—and reshape the way we lead, build relationships, and deliver meaningful experiences in education.

Building Buy-In for Summer Tech Upgrades:A Guide for EdTech Leaders

5/30/2025

As summer approaches, Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) in education face a critical window of opportunity to implement upgrades, roll out new systems, and refresh technology across their campuses. With tight deadlines before students and teachers return, success hinges not only on technical execution but also on the ability to gain the team’s buy-in as well as the stakeholder’s buy-in. Without commitment, even the best plans can fall flat. To help CTOs lead effective transitions, here are four key strategies to inspire commitment and ensure smoother, successful summer implementations.

Preplanning: Create a Shared Vision

Hopefully, if some of the summer upgrades will change the way students and staff operate or WHAT they operate, you started by involving teachers, administrators, support staff, students, and community representatives in the planning process. You collaboratively built a vision that reflects your district’s goals and educational values. This inclusivity ensured that everyone feels a sense of ownership over the changes, which naturally leads to greater engagement and accountability. With your team, I am sure you developed a roadmap that outlined the implementation steps, expected outcomes, and evaluation measures. You used “we” language to emphasize collective effort and shared success with your team and with the stakeholders. When they see their input reflected in the plan, their commitment increases.

Growing Respect: The Unseen Work of a Trustworthy Leader

5/22/2025

Respect Isn't Granted - It's Grown.

Respect is not inherited with a title; it's nurtured through intention, humility, and human connection.
– Dr. Sheryl R. Abshire

In today's education and technology leadership, there's a persistent myth that respect naturally comes with the role. It doesn't. The true weight of leadership begins when you realize respect must be earned every day, not assumed.

Leaders are not respected simply because they've logged years of service, hold multiple degrees, or have sharp strategic minds. Those traits matter, but they're not the tipping point. How they engage with people elevates a leader from competent to respected. Especially when there's disagreement or discomfort. Real respect stems from a leader's empathy, transparency, fairness, and consistency.

So, how do you become the kind of leader that others respect deeply?