Discussions

What would you like Heads of School to know about how to better support the Technology Director (and tech team)?

We have a transition toolkit to help Tech Directors that are new to their roles. There are many schools with new technology directors at the helm, and I'd like to create a secondary resource for the HoS offering some guidance on how to set their new technology leaders up for success. From your perspective, what can a Head of School do to help a Tech Director?

I appreciate your input!
#Leadership

------------------------------
Dr. Ashley Cross
Senior Director of Education and Content
www.theatlis.org
888-502-8547
------------------------------

Hi Ashley,
This is a great question and when I read it, one thing immediately came to mind. I think the HoS should evaluate the current senior leadership systems (responsible for the decision making process) that are in place. If there is not a representative from the technology team that is part of that group (Director of Technology etc.), the HoS should either consider having them join that group or at the very least meet with that group regularly throughout the year. Communication is everything and if facilitated by the HoS, the new technology director is set up for success and seen as a leadership position.

------------------------------
Angela Mackenzie
Director of Educational Technology and Library; Computer Science Dept. Chair
St Margaret's Episcopal School
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-01-2022 12:27 PM
From: Ashley Cross
Subject: What a HoS can do to support the tech team - advice needed

What would you like Heads of School to know about how to better support the Technology Director (and tech team)?

We have a transition toolkit to help Tech Directors that are new to their roles. There are many schools with new technology directors at the helm, and I'd like to create a secondary resource for the HoS offering some guidance on how to set their new technology leaders up for success. From your perspective, what can a Head of School do to help a Tech Director?

I appreciate your input!
#Leadership

------------------------------
Dr. Ashley Cross
Senior Director of Education and Content
www.theatlis.org
888-502-8547
------------------------------

At my school I am in all the Director's meetings, I think that is needed for tech at this point. Next, is making sure the HoS makes it clear that others like Lower / Middle heads can't make decisions that affect the tech department without consultation of tech department. An example, rolling out a new communication platform to teachers without any input of tech. I think most HoS don't try to micro-manage tech but that would be a no-no too. A certain level of autonomy I think is good for tech, hire people you trust to make the right decisions.

------------------------------
Brian Hoyt
French American School of Puget Sound
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-01-2022 12:27 PM
From: Ashley Cross
Subject: What a HoS can do to support the tech team - advice needed

What would you like Heads of School to know about how to better support the Technology Director (and tech team)?

We have a transition toolkit to help Tech Directors that are new to their roles. There are many schools with new technology directors at the helm, and I'd like to create a secondary resource for the HoS offering some guidance on how to set their new technology leaders up for success. From your perspective, what can a Head of School do to help a Tech Director?

I appreciate your input!
#Leadership

------------------------------
Dr. Ashley Cross
Senior Director of Education and Content
www.theatlis.org
888-502-8547
------------------------------

+1 for Tech having a place in the admin meetings. It made a huge difference in efficiency and ability for tech to support the various events and programs that take place at the school. Many schools are understaffed on their tech teams, which means that it's critical for the Director of Technology to be able to look ahead and help the team prioritize. 

Speaking of prioritization, new Tech Directors really need to hone in on their project management skills. H of S would be wise to invest in project management PD for new Tech Directors...seminars, books, etc... Perhaps ATLIS could support some easy to implement methods and tools that can stand alone within a team (versus needing to be implemented across the organization.)

------------------------------
Liz Beck
Director of Technology
Laurence School
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-01-2022 12:27 PM
From: Ashley Cross
Subject: What a HoS can do to support the tech team - advice needed

What would you like Heads of School to know about how to better support the Technology Director (and tech team)?

We have a transition toolkit to help Tech Directors that are new to their roles. There are many schools with new technology directors at the helm, and I'd like to create a secondary resource for the HoS offering some guidance on how to set their new technology leaders up for success. From your perspective, what can a Head of School do to help a Tech Director?

I appreciate your input!
#Leadership

------------------------------
Dr. Ashley Cross
Senior Director of Education and Content
www.theatlis.org
888-502-8547
------------------------------

Excellent suggestions, thank you! I appreciate hearing the language you use to articulate how important it is for the tech director to have a seat at the table. 

Liz, I also love the idea of providing some resources around project management. That's definitely a skill that a tech director needs, and I think ATLIS could help. We've had some programming on SCRUM before, and I think we could put together some great resources for the community. On it! :)

------------------------------
Dr. Ashley Cross
Senior Director of Education and Content
www.theatlis.org
888-502-8547
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-03-2022 12:43 PM
From: Liz Beck
Subject: What a HoS can do to support the tech team - advice needed

+1 for Tech having a place in the admin meetings. It made a huge difference in efficiency and ability for tech to support the various events and programs that take place at the school. Many schools are understaffed on their tech teams, which means that it's critical for the Director of Technology to be able to look ahead and help the team prioritize. 

Speaking of prioritization, new Tech Directors really need to hone in on their project management skills. H of S would be wise to invest in project management PD for new Tech Directors...seminars, books, etc... Perhaps ATLIS could support some easy to implement methods and tools that can stand alone within a team (versus needing to be implemented across the organization.)

------------------------------
Liz Beck
Director of Technology
Laurence School

Original Message:
Sent: 06-01-2022 12:27 PM
From: Ashley Cross
Subject: What a HoS can do to support the tech team - advice needed

What would you like Heads of School to know about how to better support the Technology Director (and tech team)?

We have a transition toolkit to help Tech Directors that are new to their roles. There are many schools with new technology directors at the helm, and I'd like to create a secondary resource for the HoS offering some guidance on how to set their new technology leaders up for success. From your perspective, what can a Head of School do to help a Tech Director?

I appreciate your input!
#Leadership

------------------------------
Dr. Ashley Cross
Senior Director of Education and Content
www.theatlis.org
888-502-8547
------------------------------

Hopefully they are told of projects with time to plan. Seems like often by the time I know it is a fire alarm.

------------------------------
Brian Hoyt
French American School of Puget Sound
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-03-2022 12:43 PM
From: Liz Beck
Subject: What a HoS can do to support the tech team - advice needed

+1 for Tech having a place in the admin meetings. It made a huge difference in efficiency and ability for tech to support the various events and programs that take place at the school. Many schools are understaffed on their tech teams, which means that it's critical for the Director of Technology to be able to look ahead and help the team prioritize. 

Speaking of prioritization, new Tech Directors really need to hone in on their project management skills. H of S would be wise to invest in project management PD for new Tech Directors...seminars, books, etc... Perhaps ATLIS could support some easy to implement methods and tools that can stand alone within a team (versus needing to be implemented across the organization.)

------------------------------
Liz Beck
Director of Technology
Laurence School

Original Message:
Sent: 06-01-2022 12:27 PM
From: Ashley Cross
Subject: What a HoS can do to support the tech team - advice needed

What would you like Heads of School to know about how to better support the Technology Director (and tech team)?

We have a transition toolkit to help Tech Directors that are new to their roles. There are many schools with new technology directors at the helm, and I'd like to create a secondary resource for the HoS offering some guidance on how to set their new technology leaders up for success. From your perspective, what can a Head of School do to help a Tech Director?

I appreciate your input!
#Leadership

------------------------------
Dr. Ashley Cross
Senior Director of Education and Content
www.theatlis.org
888-502-8547
------------------------------

I concur with all of these answers.

A big one touched on a bit, have a conversation with the director about ANY new software/platforms BEFORE initiating conversations with ANYONE. I have been in the extremely uncomfortable position of sitting in an staff audience as the HOS announced a new platform of which I had no knowledge. I had another come back from a conference years ago and announce all of the teachers were getting kindles to research digital texts. Another one came back and announced all of the teachers were getting ipads in prep for a 1-1 ipad initiative. In all of these cases, I was learning of it at the same time as the audience.

------------------------------
Jennifer Lamkins, Ed.D.
Coordinator of Member and Technology Support Services
she/her
Northwest Association of Independent Schools
5001 California Ave. SW (Ste. 112), Seattle, WA 98136
Office: 206-323-6137
Direct: 206-323-7005
jlamkins@nwais.org
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-01-2022 12:27 PM
From: Ashley Cross
Subject: What a HoS can do to support the tech team - advice needed

What would you like Heads of School to know about how to better support the Technology Director (and tech team)?

We have a transition toolkit to help Tech Directors that are new to their roles. There are many schools with new technology directors at the helm, and I'd like to create a secondary resource for the HoS offering some guidance on how to set their new technology leaders up for success. From your perspective, what can a Head of School do to help a Tech Director?

I appreciate your input!
#Leadership

------------------------------
Dr. Ashley Cross
Senior Director of Education and Content
www.theatlis.org
888-502-8547
------------------------------

I totally agree with the Technology Director being involved in "all things" technology at the get go.  I have been brought in to manage projects in process that change scope and you become the contention person because items were left out or not considered when budgeting.  Many times new systems are added that could have been integrated into current systems. The support of all these one-off systems because difficult for the current staff.

------------------------------
Donna Muller
Oak Hall School
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-06-2022 04:33 PM
From: Jennifer Lamkins
Subject: What a HoS can do to support the tech team - advice needed

I concur with all of these answers.

A big one touched on a bit, have a conversation with the director about ANY new software/platforms BEFORE initiating conversations with ANYONE. I have been in the extremely uncomfortable position of sitting in an staff audience as the HOS announced a new platform of which I had no knowledge. I had another come back from a conference years ago and announce all of the teachers were getting kindles to research digital texts. Another one came back and announced all of the teachers were getting ipads in prep for a 1-1 ipad initiative. In all of these cases, I was learning of it at the same time as the audience.

------------------------------
Jennifer Lamkins, Ed.D.
Coordinator of Member and Technology Support Services
she/her
Northwest Association of Independent Schools
5001 California Ave. SW (Ste. 112), Seattle, WA 98136
Office: 206-323-6137
Direct: 206-323-7005
jlamkins@nwais.org

Original Message:
Sent: 06-01-2022 12:27 PM
From: Ashley Cross
Subject: What a HoS can do to support the tech team - advice needed

What would you like Heads of School to know about how to better support the Technology Director (and tech team)?

We have a transition toolkit to help Tech Directors that are new to their roles. There are many schools with new technology directors at the helm, and I'd like to create a secondary resource for the HoS offering some guidance on how to set their new technology leaders up for success. From your perspective, what can a Head of School do to help a Tech Director?

I appreciate your input!
#Leadership

------------------------------
Dr. Ashley Cross
Senior Director of Education and Content
www.theatlis.org
888-502-8547
------------------------------

@Jennifer Lamkins that's wild, I can certainly see that happening, and it's extremely frustrating.

In any venture, and especially a school, there has to be enough "minding of the store" that the HoS needs to consider who has to be at the table to help ensure the success of a given initiative. Years ago, our HoS gave us a plain cube of wood. She said that with any decision, there are many individuals to consider in the process, and each side represents those people.

------------------------------
Dan

Daniel C. McGee, M.A., M.Ed.
Director of Technology & Library Services

dMcGee@LaurelSchool.org
Direct: 216.455.3051

Laurel School
One Lyman Circle
Shaker Heights, OH 44122
LaurelSchool.org
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-06-2022 04:33 PM
From: Jennifer Lamkins
Subject: What a HoS can do to support the tech team - advice needed

I concur with all of these answers.

A big one touched on a bit, have a conversation with the director about ANY new software/platforms BEFORE initiating conversations with ANYONE. I have been in the extremely uncomfortable position of sitting in an staff audience as the HOS announced a new platform of which I had no knowledge. I had another come back from a conference years ago and announce all of the teachers were getting kindles to research digital texts. Another one came back and announced all of the teachers were getting ipads in prep for a 1-1 ipad initiative. In all of these cases, I was learning of it at the same time as the audience.

------------------------------
Jennifer Lamkins, Ed.D.
Coordinator of Member and Technology Support Services
she/her
Northwest Association of Independent Schools
5001 California Ave. SW (Ste. 112), Seattle, WA 98136
Office: 206-323-6137
Direct: 206-323-7005
jlamkins@nwais.org

Original Message:
Sent: 06-01-2022 12:27 PM
From: Ashley Cross
Subject: What a HoS can do to support the tech team - advice needed

What would you like Heads of School to know about how to better support the Technology Director (and tech team)?

We have a transition toolkit to help Tech Directors that are new to their roles. There are many schools with new technology directors at the helm, and I'd like to create a secondary resource for the HoS offering some guidance on how to set their new technology leaders up for success. From your perspective, what can a Head of School do to help a Tech Director?

I appreciate your input!
#Leadership

------------------------------
Dr. Ashley Cross
Senior Director of Education and Content
www.theatlis.org
888-502-8547
------------------------------

I'm very interested in project management-type resources, if ATLIS or anyone here would be willing to share. I feel many of us have heard of the different styles and techniques but knowing how it works in an independent school setting with tech would feel very beneficial, imo.

------------------------------
Nicholas Marchese
Director of Academic Technology
Emma Willard School
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-07-2022 03:23 PM
From: Dan McGee
Subject: What a HoS can do to support the tech team - advice needed

@Jennifer Lamkins that's wild, I can certainly see that happening, and it's extremely frustrating.

In any venture, and especially a school, there has to be enough "minding of the store" that the HoS needs to consider who has to be at the table to help ensure the success of a given initiative. Years ago, our HoS gave us a plain cube of wood. She said that with any decision, there are many individuals to consider in the process, and each side represents those people.

------------------------------
Dan

Daniel C. McGee, M.A., M.Ed.
Director of Technology & Library Services

dMcGee@LaurelSchool.org
Direct: 216.455.3051

Laurel School
One Lyman Circle
Shaker Heights, OH 44122
LaurelSchool.org

Original Message:
Sent: 06-06-2022 04:33 PM
From: Jennifer Lamkins
Subject: What a HoS can do to support the tech team - advice needed

I concur with all of these answers.

A big one touched on a bit, have a conversation with the director about ANY new software/platforms BEFORE initiating conversations with ANYONE. I have been in the extremely uncomfortable position of sitting in an staff audience as the HOS announced a new platform of which I had no knowledge. I had another come back from a conference years ago and announce all of the teachers were getting kindles to research digital texts. Another one came back and announced all of the teachers were getting ipads in prep for a 1-1 ipad initiative. In all of these cases, I was learning of it at the same time as the audience.

------------------------------
Jennifer Lamkins, Ed.D.
Coordinator of Member and Technology Support Services
she/her
Northwest Association of Independent Schools
5001 California Ave. SW (Ste. 112), Seattle, WA 98136
Office: 206-323-6137
Direct: 206-323-7005
jlamkins@nwais.org

Original Message:
Sent: 06-01-2022 12:27 PM
From: Ashley Cross
Subject: What a HoS can do to support the tech team - advice needed

What would you like Heads of School to know about how to better support the Technology Director (and tech team)?

We have a transition toolkit to help Tech Directors that are new to their roles. There are many schools with new technology directors at the helm, and I'd like to create a secondary resource for the HoS offering some guidance on how to set their new technology leaders up for success. From your perspective, what can a Head of School do to help a Tech Director?

I appreciate your input!
#Leadership

------------------------------
Dr. Ashley Cross
Senior Director of Education and Content
www.theatlis.org
888-502-8547
------------------------------

Ditto to what others have said about the IT leader being a member of the senior leadership team. If any weight need be added to that argument, EduCause, the Higher Ed IT association, says that such a membership is crucial to the success of the IT program.
In terms of being made aware of changes, one of the most frustrating things for me has been to find out about physical plant changes too late in the game (even as a member of the senior leadership team).
Depending on the age/experience of your B&G head, and the architect used, they still may view IT needs as an "add on".
We had language like this added to construction contracts, along with a full spec for wiring closets/IDFs:



------------------------------
Bill Freitas
CTO
Self-employed
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-14-2022 01:34 PM
From: Nicholas Marchese
Subject: What a HoS can do to support the tech team - advice needed

I'm very interested in project management-type resources, if ATLIS or anyone here would be willing to share. I feel many of us have heard of the different styles and techniques but knowing how it works in an independent school setting with tech would feel very beneficial, imo.

------------------------------
Nicholas Marchese
Director of Academic Technology
Emma Willard School

Original Message:
Sent: 06-07-2022 03:23 PM
From: Dan McGee
Subject: What a HoS can do to support the tech team - advice needed

@Jennifer Lamkins that's wild, I can certainly see that happening, and it's extremely frustrating.

In any venture, and especially a school, there has to be enough "minding of the store" that the HoS needs to consider who has to be at the table to help ensure the success of a given initiative. Years ago, our HoS gave us a plain cube of wood. She said that with any decision, there are many individuals to consider in the process, and each side represents those people.

------------------------------
Dan

Daniel C. McGee, M.A., M.Ed.
Director of Technology & Library Services

dMcGee@LaurelSchool.org
Direct: 216.455.3051

Laurel School
One Lyman Circle
Shaker Heights, OH 44122
LaurelSchool.org

Original Message:
Sent: 06-06-2022 04:33 PM
From: Jennifer Lamkins
Subject: What a HoS can do to support the tech team - advice needed

I concur with all of these answers.

A big one touched on a bit, have a conversation with the director about ANY new software/platforms BEFORE initiating conversations with ANYONE. I have been in the extremely uncomfortable position of sitting in an staff audience as the HOS announced a new platform of which I had no knowledge. I had another come back from a conference years ago and announce all of the teachers were getting kindles to research digital texts. Another one came back and announced all of the teachers were getting ipads in prep for a 1-1 ipad initiative. In all of these cases, I was learning of it at the same time as the audience.

------------------------------
Jennifer Lamkins, Ed.D.
Coordinator of Member and Technology Support Services
she/her
Northwest Association of Independent Schools
5001 California Ave. SW (Ste. 112), Seattle, WA 98136
Office: 206-323-6137
Direct: 206-323-7005
jlamkins@nwais.org

Original Message:
Sent: 06-01-2022 12:27 PM
From: Ashley Cross
Subject: What a HoS can do to support the tech team - advice needed

What would you like Heads of School to know about how to better support the Technology Director (and tech team)?

We have a transition toolkit to help Tech Directors that are new to their roles. There are many schools with new technology directors at the helm, and I'd like to create a secondary resource for the HoS offering some guidance on how to set their new technology leaders up for success. From your perspective, what can a Head of School do to help a Tech Director?

I appreciate your input!
#Leadership

------------------------------
Dr. Ashley Cross
Senior Director of Education and Content
www.theatlis.org
888-502-8547
------------------------------