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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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Article

Through the Portal: The Future of School

Jun 13, 2025

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

Portrait of Tony Perez.
Article

Leader Profile: Tony Perez

Remote Director of Technology | University Lake School, Fugees Academy, and St. Michael’s Academy

Jun 10, 2025

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.

Portrait of Robert Drake, with dog.
Article

Leader Profile: Robert Drake

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

Jun 10, 2025

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.

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

May 15, 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?

Article

Doing Your Homework

When vetting potential vendors, Community Building has ascended the list of considerations for independent schools

Feb 5, 2025

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

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.

Article

ALI: Pioneering Research and Development Projects for Educational Excellence

Oct 3, 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.

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 3, 2024

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.

Article

Embracing the Intersection of AI and Student Growth

Oct 3, 2024

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

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

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

Portrait of Erika Eason.
Article

Leader Profile: Erika Eason

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

Oct 2, 2024

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.

Article

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

Oct 2, 2024

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?

Article

20 Years in Ed Tech, 20 Lessons Learned

Sep 27, 2024

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

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

Integrating Core Values into Acceptable Use of Technology Policies

Jul 31, 2024

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

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

Jun 26, 2024

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

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

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

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

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.

Article

The Direct Approach

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

Mar 11, 2024

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

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

Managing Workload in Trying Times

Mar 11, 2024

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

Guiding IR in the Right Direction

Mar 11, 2024

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

Creativity in the Classroom

Mar 11, 2024

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

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

Quiz: Discover Your Leadership Style

Mar 6, 2024

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

Article

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

Mar 6, 2024

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

Article

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

Change Your Mind

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

Mar 5, 2024
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

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

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

Minimally Invasive IT

Dec 4, 2023

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
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

Breaking Free of the Inertia Surrounding AI in Education

Nov 16, 2023

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.

Article

Why Portfolios are the Future

Nov 16, 2023

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.

Article

Blending Technology Skills with Collaborative Problem Solving

Nov 16, 2023

“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?”

Article

Turning Teachers Into Digital Citizens

Nov 16, 2023

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.

Article

Team Work Makes the Dream Work: How Generational Diversity Can Spell Success

Nov 16, 2023

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.

Article

Students and AI: A Partnership for the Future of Education

Nov 16, 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?

Article

Risk Management Basics

Nov 16, 2023

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.

Article

Leading the Change Away From Old Tech Culture

Nov 16, 2023

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.

Article

Incident Response Planning

Nov 16, 2023

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

Article

Funding A Sustainable Technology Program

Nov 16, 2023

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

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Article

Through the Portal: The Future of School

Jun 13, 2025

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

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Contact

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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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