How K–12 Schools Can Make Smart Ed Tech Choices in Lean Times

GRACEY: If this was the year they were going to purchase new devices or add wireless access points, a lot of districts are putting that on hold. Some are also eliminating instructional coaching and instructional technology positions and putting those people back in the classroom. They are great teachers, but there won’t be as many people helping educators use the technology effectively, so that’s a real disadvantage.

MAYLAHN: Schools will be looking for ways to extend the life of devices. In the past, some school districts used students to perform break/fix repairs, more for career development than to save money. That might be a solution that folks will look into, especially since career and technical education is still being funded.

SEITZ: One strategy is to look at the scalability of existing tools. Often, district leaders don’t have a complete understanding of all the tools they have and how they could be expanded to other grade levels and subject areas. An assessment can be very useful for maximizing usage across the district. The ISTE Seal program and the EdTech Index can help districts look at digital tools and assess their effectiveness.

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EDTECH: Which technology investments should schools prioritize when their funding is reduced or uncertain?

MAYLAHN: That will be different for every district, but prioritizing is important and should involve cross-functional teams. Make sure everyone has a seat at the table, because you can make one decision here and not realize you’re breaking something there. Districts also need clarity about how they will make these decisions: how to plan and how to work the plan.

FALLON: I think of the National Educational Technology Plan, which looks at digital use, design and access divides. If you don’t have the access nailed down, the rest doesn’t matter, so prioritize your foundational infrastructure for access at school and at home. Also, secure your networks. If you have an insecure network, that can bring everything down.

SEITZ: Professional development should not be the first thing that is taken out of budgets. Reducing PD because of tighter budgets may seem like a good short-term solution, but the long-term outcomes can be negative. PD could mean repurposing some meetings to focus on technology use or highlighting teachers who can help others. Be strategic about who attends outside PD and how they can bring that learning back to the school.

LEARN MORE: Professional development boosts teacher confidence at a Texas district.

GRACEY: Schools must have certain tools in place, such as student data systems and cybersecurity, but they also need systems we may not think about, like cafeteria points-of-sale, building security, payroll and school bus systems. I think, unfortunately, they’re going to have to look at reducing some of what they provide for teachers and students in the classroom.

EDTECH: What’s one misstep districts should avoid right now?

FALLON: Professional learning, when it’s tied to technology, is often the first thing that’s cut. If you invest in technology and you do that without training, your impact is not going to be there. Professional learning has to be part of the implementation and integration, so avoid cutting that. And don’t sacrifice cybersecurity. Breaches cost way more than the savings you might gain from short-term cuts.

GRACEY: Don’t act too fast. Take time to analyze what’s going to be best for you and your students in the long term, as opposed to just saying, this is an easy cut.

MAYLAHN: Districts should be careful about cutting out their professional associations, which are more important than ever. CoSN and other organizations provide a lot of information on best practices, artificial intelligence and other areas that many professionals don’t have time to sort out. All the associations are focused on helping districts navigate that, and most have regional and national chapters to support networking. Even though districts will have to make some hard decisions, that’s one I would try to hold on to.

SEITZ: One misstep is forgetting that being innovative does not have to mean being expensive. You can be innovative with what you have already; it takes a change of mindset and sometimes changing the culture. Change doesn’t mean failing. It means being intentional, looking at what we have — including the talent we have — and asking, how do we expand and scale that?

EDTECH: How can nonprofits, local organizations and state agencies be a resource?

GRACEY: TCEA provides rubrics to evaluate software and hardware, along with online communities where educators can post questions. We provide training, usually recorded or in webinar format so teachers don’t have to leave their buildings. We also advocate. TCEA primarily advocates in Texas because that’s where the majority of our members are, but we also participate with ISTE and CoSN to advocate at the federal level.

SEITZ: Chambers of commerce, public libraries and museums often have state or federal funding that can support district initiatives or help offset expenses. Find ways to partner with local community colleges, universities and other districts.

FALLON: In some cases, statewide infrastructure can reduce local burdens. For example, Connecticut bought cybersecurity software for all of its schools and libraries, so that doesn’t come out of a local budget. At SETDA, we’re known as conveners and collaborators so we try to connect stakeholders, surface policy solutions and highlight what’s working across states.

MAYLAHN: Districts may want to research grants and grant writers or find existing employees who can do that work. Traditionally, organizations like the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation have done a lot of work with school districts, but now there will be greater competition for those dollars. Districts can also look at corporate grants, especially with tech companies. Local companies and organizations, including small businesses, also have a vested interest in making sure students are prepared to fill jobs.

WATCH: Indianapolis Public Schools reshapes education with technology.

EDTECH: How can districts balance short-term uncertainty with long-range planning?

MAYLAHN: Times like this show why it’s so important to engage stakeholders, both internal and external. It’s key to ensure that superintendents, school boards, teachers and others understand the technology, so that when they have to make decisions, they understand the implications. With community members, good communication should be ongoing so they understand the district’s priorities and how short-term changes relate to long-term goals. Communication also builds trust, so the community feels confident that district leaders have thought things through and have good reasons for any changes.

FALLON: Procurement is a strategic process, so build a flexible technology roadmap that can scale up or down with the available budget. Determine the total cost of ownership from the purchase all the way through to when you recycle or refurbish. Look at those three- to five-year horizons. You may buy a machine that’s more expensive on the front end, but it might afford you a longer lifecycle and a lower TCO than a cheaper model that lasts a short time.

SEITZ: Professional learning networks are an affordable way for teachers, coaches and leaders to see how other educators are responding to decreased or uncertain funding. How are they being intentional about tech purchases or professional development? Districts may feel siloed and alone, but we’re all in this together so networking with other educators right now is essential.

DISCOVER: Get the tools your district needs for a long-term strategic plan.

GRACEY: Districts should have a technology committee that includes teachers, librarians, administrators, IT staff, a parent or two, and maybe even have a high school student or two. They should evaluate everything the district is using, which means they need a rubric to work with. That process takes time, and that’s not what districts feel like they have right now. But before they make cuts, they should put this type of thought into them.

EDTECH: As a result of current funding uncertainty, do you foresee long-term changes in how districts approach ed tech strategy?

FALLON: We’ve been promoting a shift toward sustainability and intentionality — less “new, shiny object” and more evidence-driven investments. That’s not to say we don’t want to see new products come on the market, but we want them to be research-based. Going forward, there might be greater emphasis on shared service models and educational service areas to reduce costs.

MAYLAHN: Consortiums of small districts provide an opportunity for greater purchasing power and help with vetting products. I think that will gain traction, just because it makes sense. Further out, there’s the possibility of consolidating school districts. Nobody wants to do that, so there hasn’t been the political will to make those things happen, but finances may force the hand. Another option is using AI, not just for teaching and learning but also for operations: HR, finance, cybersecurity. That could help districts optimize their resources, so I think that will start to have traction.

UP NEXT: Artificial intelligence is changing K–12 education.

GRACEY: I am afraid that once you remove positions, it’s hard to get them back. We saw that in the pandemic, when people said, “We don’t need our librarians now because kids can’t go to the library and check out books.” Then they had to struggle to get those positions back. I think that could be a problem with some of the cuts we’re seeing now. This may also taint districts’ views of AI. If they don’t have money for it now, they may see it as something they can get by without, and that could have long-reaching effects.

SEITZ: This should have a long-term effect in that we should always be responsible and intentional around technology. Doing technology audits, having a strategy and determining which resources will get us there — we should be thinking about these things, whether or not we’re in times of uncertain funding.