10 K–12 IT Rising Stars to Follow in 2023
From blended learning to cybersecurity to esports, there are many branches of educational technology, each with powerful voices leading the way for their peers. Every year, EdTech features a selection of these leaders in its list of K–12 IT Influencers to Follow. This year, we’re releasing a second list, featuring K–12 IT’s rising stars.
These experts are quickly becoming influencers in their respective ed tech circles, growing their followings as they share technology insights and solutions for schools across the country.
Be sure to check out these emerging voices — and if you’re featured on this list of rising stars, share the good news with your followers and peers.
Click the banner to explore the 2023 list of K–12 IT Influencers to Follow.
As the head of Minecraft Education, Allison Matthews is knowledgeable in all the ways K–12 schools are using the educational version of the popular game for teaching and learning. On her social channels, she shares updates from the game and stories about schools’ involvement with the program.
Andrea Wright is the STEM coordinator at DeKalb County School District in Georgia. Her social media feeds are filled with ideas, examples and inspiration from activities in her district’s classrooms and events in her everyday life. She is an Adobe Creative Educator and an advocate for all students.
In addition to being a resource on all things cybersecurity in K–12 schools, April Mardock is the CISO for Seattle Public Schools. She shares timely, relevant cybersecurity insights for school IT administrators, including actionable tips for protecting districts’ infrastructure when new threats emerge.
Buzz Garwood is a career and technical education teacher at Corona-Norco Unified School District and a technology reviewer. He brings a unique teacher perspective to his reviews of K–12 educational technologies, sometimes calling on his students to help him evaluate new products in his California classroom.
Dwight R. Levens Jr. is the chief technology and information officer at Oakland Schools in Michigan. He is also a board member of the Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning. Online, he shares updates from his district and his expertise on K–12 IT and cybersecurity.
The executive director of digital learning at Aldine Independent School District in Texas, Eric Levels seeks efficient tech solutions for his staff. He has helped Aldine ISD implement tools that simplify blended learning in K–12 classrooms. On his social channels, Levels celebrates the technology team and teachers in his district while embodying his motto to “live on purpose with purpose.”
Eric Miletich is the director of IT at Kalispell Public School District 5 in Montana. He is also a member of the North American Google Technical Collaborative, where he engages frequently with other K–12 IT leaders. Miletich is also a Certified Education Technology Leader through the Consortium for School Networking.
If you’re looking for news on K–12 esports, Julie Mavrogeorge is the expert to ask. As the career technical education coordinator for Fresno Unified School District in California, Mavrogeorge’s role has allowed her to create and implement a comprehensive CTE esports pathway. She has shared her expertise on podcasts and at conferences, such as ISTELive, with the hope of helping other schools begin their own journeys to esports in education.
The CIO of DeKalb County School District in Georgia, Monika Davis is a driving force behind its Digital Dreamers program. This comprehensive technology program aims to close the digital divide in the district by providing devices to students in need. Davis led the creation of the IT roadmaps that help guide the IT Division’s device management program.
Nick Williams is the director of technology innovation at Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. in Indiana. He is outspoken on accessibility in education, having presented at conferences and written articles on how schools can incorporate Universal Design for Learning. He also shares his expertise with other tech leaders in his state as clinic chair of the Indiana CTO Council.
