How to Find Your Fellow K–12 Ed Tech Enthusiasts

K–12 organizations such as California IT in Education (CITE), ISTE, CoSN, the Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools (ATLiS), SETDA, TCEA and others can serve as one-stop shops for professional development resources. They can also set the stage for lifelong friendships with peers and mentors who have a keen interest in educational technology.

There are certain professional goals that cannot be learned within the vacuum of a single school or school district. Teachers may want to explore a career in IT or find a better fit outside of their current school, and IT experts might want to someday take on a leadership role. To make those shifts, it definitely takes a village.

The Challenges Facing K–12 Educators and IT Experts

No one understands the challenges facing IT staff or educators as well as someone who has experience in that role.

For educators, this might mean struggling with larger class sizes, and more administrative tasks. And, for the first time in the U.S., there are now five generations in the workforce. That means digital natives and digital migrants are working together in school settings that have more technology than ever before.

RELATED: Check out our 30 K–12 IT influencers for 2024.

Naturally, there are challenges in bridging such generation gaps. And educators must now balance these challenges while having a solid understanding of data privacy laws that govern 21st-century classrooms, keeping in mind the thousands of stakeholders that have a voice in how schools should be operated.

For IT experts in K–12, the struggles are similar, yet different. Whether they work in a private school, a charter school, a traditional public school or at the district level, IT experts often wear many hats while leading digital transformation with a small staff and an even smaller budget.

IT has changed over the years. There was a time when school IT experts were facilities workers who focused mainly on running cables and keeping the network robust. Today, however, with one-to-one devices now commonplace and cyberthreats ever present, the biggest challenge facing IT is balancing security, the needs of a modern classroom and elevating the voice of IT to school administrators.

How School Administrators Can Fill the Looming Leadership Gap

Schools also face staffing challenges, both in the classroom and in IT. A significant percentage of IT leaders are in mid-to-late career or nearing retirement, and younger IT experts often find the financial compensation packages offered in private industry more attractive, which makes recruiting difficult.

So, administrators must focus on growing a pipeline of educators and IT experts who can fill the shoes of education leaders looking to exit the workforce or leave education altogether in a few years.

According to research from Rachel White, formerly at the University of Tennessee, now an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin, “A superintendent change occurred at least one time in 35% of districts nationwide, and 6% of districts experienced two or more turnover events.”

And when these people leave, they take their institutional knowledge with them. This can be a huge loss for their communities, so administrators must make sure there are people poised to take over those roles.

They can do that by supporting both educators and IT staff who want to grow their careers. Encourage them to join professional organizations geared to K–12 ed tech, and set aside funds for them to attend conferences and complete certifications.

DISCOVER: What K–12 leaders think about the new national ed tech plan.

Leveraging the K–12 Collaboration Superpower

In some industries, competition may make it challenging to find wholehearted support from peers. However, in K–12, collaboration is our superpower. It is not uncommon for a leader from one school district to gladly share his or her best practices with a leader from a neighboring district.

Professional organizations can provide similar opportunities to make valuable connections on a national or international level. Organizations such as CoSN (for IT experts in K–12 schools generally) or ATLiS (for K–12 IT leaders in private and independent schools) can elevate and expand IT careers.

Teachers and administrators can get support from organizations such as TCEA or ISTE, which offer training in emerging technologies, leadership, security, personalized learning, instructional design and more. While these organizations have a lot more educators than IT members, they also offer robust support to IT professionals.

DIG DEEPER: What's unique about CoSN’s certified educational technology leader certification?

These organizations can offer great benefits to young professionals or career switchers mainly through proprietary research and best practices from their deep bench of experts. Of course, this is a time-saving trick to keep members from reinventing the wheel. These organizations offer not only annual, in-person conferences with professional development sessions but also opportunities to earn continuing education credits and certifications through in-person or online courses.

There are a lot of opportunities for highly experienced professionals as well. Those who are looking to give back can volunteer as a mentor, a national board member, a local leader or a teacher for a professional development course.

For IT leaders in particular, the profession has changed. Many K–12 technology leaders now occupy cabinet-level positions and work directly with their school superintendent to enable district goals. Those looking to move up will benefit from mentorship and certifications that can give them valuable nontechnical leadership perspectives.

Additionally, these communities are rather diverse. Yes, these organizations have educators and IT experts, but they also have vendors who provide the technologies that run the modern school engine.

Schools are among the largest customers for technology vendors like CDW, and as part of these communities, vendors can expose educators and IT staff to the latest technology innovations for the classroom and for school IT infrastructure. Schools that have used a particular technology or worked with a specific partner can share their experience with those starting to explore those solutions.

READ MORE: How independent school leaders navigate their unique challenges.

Professional Organizations Open Up a Broader Talent Pool

Finally, these organizations are a fantastic resource for school leaders seeking to diversify their talent pools. Educators looking to change careers, who may be interested in becoming an ed tech coach or an IT leader, don’t always need a technology background. In some cases, their educational background can be supplemented with certifications, guidance and mentorship from these organizations. For example, CoSN offers the Certified Education Technology Leader Certification and a CTO Academy for K–12 Early Career and Aspiring CTOs, while ATLiS has a Certification for Technology Leaders in Independent Schools.

Additionally, IT staff and educators don’t have to dive headfirst into a national organization. There are many regional charter and independent school associations and state or local chapters of the national organizations, which offer a good place to start small and build up connections and confidence. These organizations exist to help teachers and IT leaders make connections now that can catapult their careers and offer opportunities when they are least expected.

This article is part of the ConnectIT: Bridging the Gap Between Education and Technology series.