Articles

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

Tony Perez’s experiences— from theater to Yahoo’s early years to his own business—have helped him see the fine print and the big picture, leading him to his calling: transforming how schools view technology and the role of technology leader.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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. 

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.

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.

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

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).

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.

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

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.

Instructions: Answer the following questions by selecting the option that best represents your typical behavior or preference in these leadership situations.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Assessment in schools often feels like judging a book by its cover – it never quite captures the whole story. Especially when every student is a unique individual with their own stories and strengths.

“But what if we must perform surgery in the dark on a badly injured Macbook Air?” I thought. “Does not a Help Desk surgeon require optimal lighting? Would we all fall fast asleep while students wait in line to change a password or connect to wireless?”

Digital citizenship skills are not inherent to educators today. For many teachers, this is because they are uncomfortable with technology themselves. They did not grow up with devices at their fingertips like today’s students have.

Minister Thomas Barnes of St. Margaret’s Church observed, “Youth were never more sawcie, ...the ancient are scorned, the honorable are contemned, the magistrate is not dreaded.” Even if he originally penned it in 1624, it’s a sentiment that would not be out of place on social media in 2023.

We’re stepping into new territory with generative AI tools becoming commonplace in schools. It's an exciting time, but it also raises some tough questions. How do we use AI in a way that helps and doesn't hinder? How do we make sure it's fair and useful for everyone?

It is easy to get lost in the realm of risk management. Whether applying it to the entire school in an Enterprise Risk Management program, or simply focusing on privacy and information security, managing risk can be a daunting task.

The energy of having a fresh start at school each year has always given me joy. This year I began my year with a self-inventory and asked what I could improve, and I swiftly and I swiftly landed on the topic of passwords.

Imagine that one day the head of school receives an email from a colleague with an attachment or a link.

Technology is pervasive across our society. It touches all facets of our lives.