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    • TLIS Domains
      • Professional Development
        • 1.01 Determine technology professional development strategy for the school community
        • 1.02 Implement technology professional development strategy for the school community
        • 1.03 Evaluate technology professional development strategy for the school community
        • 1.04 Research technology and trends to make appropriate recommendations
      • Operations
        • 2.01 Determine and evaluate technology systems and tools
        • 2.02 Implement technology systems
        • 2.03 Manage deployment
        • 2.04 Manage school data (e.g., SIS, LMS)
        • 2.05 Design strategies for user support
        • 2.06 Execute management of infrastructure projects
        • 2.07 Onboard/offboard members of the school community
      • Independent School Governance and Leadership
        • 3.01 Develop policies and procedures
        • 3.02 Implement and enforce policies and procedures
        • 3.03 Develop and execute technology vision for the school community
        • 3.04 Design technology department structure based on needs
        • 3.05 Determine technology department staffing needs
        • 3.06 Create annual budgets and forecasting
        • 3.07 Develop ed tech academic plan for teaching and learning
        • 3.08 Manage expectations of technology department and the roles that fall within its scope of work
        • 3.09 Develop and maintain equitable, inclusive practices across the technology team and systems
        • 3.10 Exercise effective independent school leadership practices based on established theories and research
      • Technology for Teaching and Learning
        • 4.01 Align learning space technology with the needs of teaching and learning
        • 4.02 Evaluate use of current ed tech tools to assess impact on learning
        • 4.03 Manage and streamline ed tech tools
        • 4.04 Leverage ed tech tools and platforms to enhance learning experiences
        • 4.05 Recommend technologies to support learning objectives
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TLIS Domains and Objectives
A diverse group of five smiling colleagues, three women and two men, are gathered around a computer in a modern office. A seated woman points at the screen, engaging the group in a lively discussion.
Article

Choosing the Right Accounting Software for Schools

A Checklist for Decision Makers

Aug 12, 2025
When numbers start clouding your missionIt often begins quietly.

A department head emails an updated budget—only to realize their version doesn’t align with the master spreadsheet.

Article

AI is Changing Education Fast. Here’s How to Write Your AI Policy.

Aug 6, 2025
by Sun Paik

In 2024, a Digital Education Council survey found that 88% of students said they use artificial intellig

Article
Members Only

Through the Portal: The Future of School

Jun 13, 2025
by Will Richardson

As we emerge from the shadows of the pandemic, it is tempting to believe that the challenges faced by schools are behind us.

Article

Participant Snapshot

May 15, 2025

Results for the 2025 Compensation Benchmark Report for Technology Leaders in Schools were gathered from 664 respondents (up from 527 the previous year) in an online survey, designed and executed by 12M & Ed Tech Recruiting, in fall 2024.

Logo: TLIS certification for technology leaders.
Article

How TLIS Fits With Technology Leader Succession

May 15, 2025

As experienced technology leaders think about retirement, it’s more important than ever to make sure knowledge and leadership are passed on smoothly and effectively, especially with new technologies emerging and the needs of independent schools constantly evolving.

Two coworkers looking at a tablet in an office.
Article

Navigating Transitions

Technology leaders offer thoughts on what makes succession planning successful

Mar 25, 2025

As seasoned technology leaders approach retirement and the industry continues its rapid evolution, succession planning in independent schools has emerged as a critical priority.

Access Points cover featuring teacher and students in class.
Article

Building Connections and Expanding Your Growth Potential

Mar 25, 2025

In independent schools, leaders face the critical challenge of navigating constant change while shaping how technology serves students, faculty, and the broader community.

Access Points cover featuring teacher and students in class.
Article

Help Desk Harmony: Balancing Productivity and Autonomy in Schools

Mar 25, 2025

Managing a help desk team in an independent school is like orchestrating a symphony. Each player has a critical role, but the magic happens when everyone works together.

Access Points cover featuring teacher and students in class.
Article

Fostering Wellness Through Digital Citizenship

Mar 25, 2025

It has been more than a decade since digital citizenship curriculums started making their way into our schools, the broader educational technology spaces, and conversations.

Man in plaid shirt smiling against building columns.
Article

Leader Profile: David Boxer, TLIS

Chief Information Officer | The Blake School | Minneapolis, Minnesota

Mar 25, 2025

David Boxer, TLIS, knows that he doesn’t know what he doesn’t know, so to fill the gaps, he leans on his dynamic team at The Blake School in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Teacher leading class in tech-filled, bright classroom.
Article

Designing Tech-Ready Spaces for Tomorrow’s Learning

Updating your infrastructure now means thinking long term – and further than you might think

Mar 25, 2025

In a previous job, Afandie Winter, TLIS, once learned that planning was underway for a construction project. He started asking simple questions: Where will phones plug in? How will Wi-Fi be delivered? Where will the printers go? Will the spaces have displays or projectors? How about audio?

Illustration: Financial cycle with gears and business people.
Article

A Shifting State of Pay

ATLIS’s annual benchmarking report reveals insights into evolving independent school technology roles

Mar 25, 2025

To help technology leaders understand where they fit in the broad and ever-evolving independent school landscape, it remains essential that tech leaders have what they need to start the necessary conversations surrounding compensation and growth.

An illustration of hands layered over each other.
Article

Amplifying Your School’s Community Building Work

Feb 5, 2025
by Christina Lewellen, MBA;CAE;FASAE

The newly introduced Community Building Framework for Technology Leaders in Independent Schools has been years in the making.

"Access Points" magazine cover with hallway graphic.
Article

Building Your School’s Data Dream Team: A Strategic Approach

Oct 2, 2024
by Josh Berberian

Have you ever tried to answer a question with the support of data but found yourself baffled and befuddled by where your school stores various pieces of information?

"Access Points" magazine cover with hallway graphic.
Article

Real-World Uses for AI

Oct 2, 2024

We can talk all day about how AI will make teachers’ jobs easier, but they need solid ideas for exactly what it can do for them. Here are examples of concrete tasks and projects AI can handle for educators.

Woman with short gray hair, smiling.
Article

Leader Profile: Erika Eason

Director of Academic Technology | Maret School | Washington, D.C.

Oct 2, 2024
by Erika Eason

From Spanish and Latino studies grad to teacher and now director of academic technology, Erika Eason has emerged as a dynamic leader in her various roles over the years at Maret School in Washington, D.C.

Man on cliff overlooking lake at sunset.
Article

TLIS Trailblazers

Learn about the experiences of four of your peers in their pursuit to join inaugural class of ATLIS’s new TLIS certification earners

Oct 2, 2024
by Karen Huang, Kevin Warenda, MBA;CISM;TLIS, Afandie Winter, and Lane Worrall

ATLIS created the Technology Leaders in Independent Schools (TLIS) certification to ensure that people serving in such roles are fully equipped to fulfill all aspects of the job and to provide independent schools with a reliable way to identify and hire qualified technology leaders who have the n

"Access Points" magazine cover with hallway graphic.
Article

ALI: Pioneering Research and Development Projects for Educational Excellence

Oct 2, 2024
by Ashley Cross CAE, CAE;Ed.D

As education continually evolves, the demand for innovative solutions and strategic insights has never been more vital. The ATLIS Leadership Institute (ALI) stands at the forefront of this mission, championing the development of leadership capabilities within the independent school community.

Woman at desk with books and math formulas on blackboard.
Article

Harnessing AI to Prevent Teacher Burnout

Using the right AI tools – and introducing them the right way – can help make educators’ jobs easier

Oct 2, 2024
by Linda Formicelli

Teachers are the most burned-out professionals in the United States. In a 2024 Rand report, based on results from the 2024 State of the American Teacher survey, 60% of teachers in the U.S. feel burned out at work versus 33% of comparable working adults.

Hallway with carpet and potted plants, photograph.
Article

Doing Your Homework

When vetting potential vendors, community building has ascended the list of considerations for independent schools

Oct 2, 2024
by M Diane McCormick

The vendor-vetting checklist for tech leaders of independent schools is well established: cybersecurity, interoperability, educational impact, and home connectivity.

"Access Points" magazine cover with hallway graphic.
Article

Embracing the Intersection of AI and Student Growth

Oct 2, 2024
by Jennifer Parnell

In early winter 2022, more than 150 students filed into the venerable Abbott Hall at The Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, and took their places at long tables surrounded by white oak paneling and terrazzo flooring. As a final assessment for a U.S.

Article
Members Only

20 Years in Ed Tech, 20 Lessons Learned

Sep 27, 2024
by Curt Lieneck

Curt Lieneck is legendary among independent school technology leaders. When he began posting tweets gleaned from his decades of experience in the field, we paid attention. Happily, Lieneck has allowed ATLIS to collect his wisdom into this blog post. It's actually 21 tips, but who's counting.

Article
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IT Asset Management

Why do you need ITAM software? Here’s a list of reasons why leaders in the independent school community are implementing ITAM solutions in their IT Departments.

Sep 9, 2024

Throughout the nation, independent schools are fixing their IT headaches with an IT Asset Management solution. Find out how you can also benefit from one below.

Article
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Integrating Core Values into Acceptable Use of Technology Policies

Jul 31, 2024
by Brad Lands

With the rise of artificial intelligence and discussions around academic integrity, it has never been more important than it is today for our students to use technology safely and responsibly.

Article
Members Only

The Importance of Vendor Vetting in Schools: Ensuring Privacy, Security, and Compliance

Jun 26, 2024
by Mark Orchison

Schools are increasingly reliant on various vendors to provide essential services, ranging from educational software to data management systems. With this reliance comes the critical responsibility of ensuring that these vendors adhere to stringent privacy, security, and compliance standards.

Article

All About Progress

Discover how ATLIS’s annual compensation benchmark report is showing signs of improvement for independent school tech leaders – and where further strides must be made

May 30, 2024
by Sam Hoffmeister

As the technological evolution in independent schools continues at a fast pace, so does the need for effective technology leaders, whose compensation must be in line with the essential work they deliver.

Article

Managing Vendors and Vetting New Products

May 30, 2024
by Ashley Cross CAE, CAE;Ed.D

In the labyrinthine world of K–12 educational technology, independent school technologists face a unique challenge. Balancing the needs of a modern curriculum with the safety and privacy of student data requires a meticulous approach to IT vendor vetting.

Article

What’s Next? Essential Academic Shifts in Independent Schools

May 30, 2024
by Connie White

Independent schools shifted dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, but essential academic shifts continue to drive our strategic plans as we strive to meet the needs of today’s students.

Article

Evolution and Elevation

Behind the creation of the new ATLIS credential – and how it will be a gamechanger for independent school tech leaders

May 30, 2024
by M Diane McCormick

The COVID-19 pandemic cast a new light on the powers — and perils — of technology in education. Since then, independent schools have elevated their technology directors to lead roles in crafting strategy and enacting vision.

Article

Different Approaches for Training Users With Limited Time, Trainers, and Attention Spans

May 30, 2024
by Linda Lawrence

As educational technology evolves, training various school constituents effectively and efficiently presents a unique challenge, especially when resources are limited and interest levels are low.

Article

Creating Consensus

A look inside Vail Mountain School’s student AI committee

May 30, 2024

In the landscape of independent schools, the integration of artificial intelligence is becoming a tangible reality.

Portrait of Robert Drake, with dog.
Article

Leader Profile: Robert Drake

Director of Technology | North Shore Country Day School | Winnetka, Illinois

Mar 13, 2024
by Robert Drake

If you haven't met Robert Drake, director of technology at North Shore Country Day School (NSCD) in Winnetka, Illinois, you might assume he is a normal guy doing work similar to yours.

Article

The Direct Approach

Technology Leaders Need the Structural Capacity to Make Strategic Decisions for Their Schools

Mar 11, 2024
by M Diane McCormick

In a powerful career moment, Oren Marcktell heard a head of school at an ATLIS meeting cite his director of IT as his most trusted employee. No one else works with every person in the school, including students, the head said. 

Instructor with students sitting outside.
Article

The Department of Modern Learning

The next evolution of the technology department?

Mar 11, 2024
by Ashley Cross CAE, CAE;Ed.D

In recent months, I have come across many people who have an unusual phrase in their title: the department of modern learning. For some, it’s not a new title, but there is a shift in how technology is viewed at those schools.

Article
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Navigating and Evaluating AI in Education

Mar 11, 2024

AI has made significant strides in education, revolutionizing the way students learn and teachers teach. In response, ATLIS hosted a four-part virtual workshop on AI in education for the independent school community.

Article
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Managing Workload in Trying Times

Mar 11, 2024
by Curt Lieneck

Tech leaders’ workloads are always heavy, but they often rise to stratospheric levels.

Landscape view of a building in Hawaii, with mountains in the distance.
Article

Island Insights

Independent schools in Hawai‘i tackle technology, inclusion, and preparing island learners for a big future

Mar 11, 2024
by Christina Lewellen, MBA;CAE;FASAE

Editor’s note: ATLIS Executive Director Christina Lewellen visited Hawai‘i earlier this year to speak at the heads/trustees’ summit hosted by the Hawai‘i Association of Independent Schools (HAIS).

Article
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Guiding IR in the Right Direction

Mar 11, 2024
by Eric Heilman

Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, schools all over the world were learning to adapt to the rise of the internet and the migration of many school processes from physical to electronic formats.

Article
Members Only

Creativity in the Classroom

Mar 11, 2024
by Beth Holland

Creativity is the competence to leverage self-interests, motivation, imagination, and prior knowledge in flexible ways[1] to generate, evaluate, or improve ideas; imagine new ways of solving problems;[2] forge new connections — across content and people;[3] create new understanding; or commun

Article
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Speaking the Language of Your Business Officer

A brief primer on accounting definitions for technology leaders

Mar 6, 2024

As an independent school technology leader, it's important to familiarize yourself with key accounting terms that a CFO (Chief Financial Officer) at a school would commonly use.

Article
Members Only

Navigating the Balance: Insights from Ethan Delavan on Radical Candor for Tech Leaders in K-12 Schools

Mar 6, 2024
by Ethan Delavan

Ethan Delavan, Director of Technology at The Bush School in Seattle, Washington previews

Article
Members Only

Understanding Leadership Styles

Mar 6, 2024

Effective leadership is an art that requires a combination of innate abilities, learned skills, and continuous personal growth.

Article

Educational Technology Continues to Revolutionize Modern Classrooms

Embracing ed tech is not just about adopting tools; it is about embracing a new way of teaching and learning that prepares students for a world driven by innovation and digital literacy

Mar 5, 2024

Educational technology has become an integral part of modern classrooms, reshaping the landscape of education as we know it. With its vast array of tools and resources, this transformative force holds the potential to revolutionize the way students learn, engage, and excel.

Article

Collaborative Risk Management

A shared responsibility for school business officers and technology leaders

Mar 5, 2024

Schools face various risks that can significantly impact their operations, financial stability, and reputation.

Article
Members Only

Change Your Mind

Why we need to embrace technology at a foundational level across all areas of education.

Mar 5, 2024
by Steve Jenson
It’s Science Fiction

You’ve heard it before, technology in our lives and our kids’ lives is unavoidable. It’s what drives our world as we know it. I grew up in a time when technological advances moved so fast that many people had a hard time keeping up.

Article
Members Only

ATLIS Ethics and Bias AI Resource

Mar 5, 2024
Data Privacy

Data privacy encompasses safeguarding personal data from unauthorized activities. Modern data privacy laws protect individuals’ rights and require organizations, like schools, to comply.

A woman instructs a man, pointing to a computer screen.
Article

Breaking the Code of Silence: How Web Accessibility Sparks Collaboration Between School IT & Marketing

Dec 11, 2023
by Connor Gleason

Web accessibility is critical to every school’s online presence, but achieving and maintaining ADA compliance is a team sport that requires the collaboration of multiple departments that often operate in isolation: School IT professionals and school marketers.

Article
Members Only

Minimally Invasive IT

Dec 4, 2023
by Gary Stager

My New Jersey public school district had terminals connected to timeshare mainframes in classrooms before the Beatles set foot in America. I learned to program in a required 7th grade class around 1975.

Article

The Importance of Techquity

Nov 28, 2023
by Ken Shelton
Technology can be transformative

Over the past at least 15 years and even more so within the past 3 years, educators have heard many statements made about technology and education. In spirit, and most likely intentions, it may be true.

Article
Members Only

Breaking Free of the Inertia Surrounding AI in Education

Nov 16, 2023
by Sarah Wike

I entered the field of education because I found angsty teenagers amusing in a way that many adults didn't appreciate, and because I wanted to impart my knowledge of the Spanish language and the Spanish-speaking world to them.

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Latest Podcasts

Podcast

International Tech Leadership with Nate Doelling

Season
4
Episode
83
Aug 19, 2025

Join us for a conversation with Nate Doelling, Director of Technology at Seoul Foreign School. Nate shares his extensive experience leading technology in international schools across several continents, offering a unique perspective on the challenges and rewards of his global career.

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View all podcasts

Access Points

Illustration: Financial cycle with gears and business people.
Article

A Shifting State of Pay

ATLIS’s annual benchmarking report reveals insights into evolving independent school technology roles

Mar 25, 2025

To help technology leaders understand where they fit in the broad and ever-evolving independent school landscape, it remains essential that tech leaders have what they need to start the necessary conversations surrounding compensation and growth.

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Downloadable Resources

Cybersecurity Recommendations for Independent Schools
Download

Cybersecurity Recommendations for Independent Schools

This guide empowers independent school leaders to protect their communities by providing clear, actionable cybersecurity strategies tailored to their unique environments, ensuring the safety of sensitive data and safeguarding their educational mission for the future. 

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Contact

4 Weems Lane #257
Winchester, Virginia 22601
United States

888.502.8547

     

About ATLIS

The Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools (ATLIS) is a growing association dedicated to empowering schools to thrive through technology leadership. Founded in 2014 to address the unique challenges of independent school technology directors, the organization has now expanded to support all aspects of technology at schools, ensuring that they are equipped for the future. Across all dimensions of its practice, ATLIS is also dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive association.

ATLIS Membership

Don't start from scratch. ATLIS provides a wealth of resources to help you with everything from technology audits to cybersecurity policies. We've done the heavy lifting so you can focus on what matters most: providing your students with a world-class education.

Join ATLIS and become part of a community that understands your challenges and is committed to your success.

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