Independent schools are sizing up their technology departments to meet new demands and expectations for technology. This presents a puzzle for many school leaders who are seeing that it is time to make long overdue investments in technology and are working on a fixed budget. On top of the increased demand for skilled technology professionals, schools are needing to shore up operations, academics and other critical areas of school life and business to compete in an evolving marketplace. There are many examples of unique staffing arrangements in independent school technology departments that have occurred in just the last year to address these needs. Hybrid positions that include remote work and new posts that span multiple department schools are being utilized as a way to embrace the changing job market and address multiple needs.
Many schools are recognizing the value of breaking down silos between departments and divisions within the school. Lane Young was recently named Director of Strategic Operations at Phillips Brooks School in Menlo Park, California having previously served as Director of Educational Technology since 2017.
When asked about what he is excited to bring to this new role Lane replied, “Tech touches everything which means I have the chance to work with and collaborate with a large number of people. I have pieces of institutional knowledge that aren't just within my world of tech. Bringing those relationships and knowledge to my new role is something I'm excited about.” Lane is looking forward to helping the school implement key elements of its strategic plan such as campus development, risk management and diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) initiatives.
Independent schools are beginning to embrace the industry trend of remote and hybrid work. According to Pew Research Center, more than one-third of employees are remote in industries across the nation. Talented IT professionals are in demand and sometimes a school's location does not match up with available local talent. David Boandarant began working at Interlochen Arts Academy in 2008 for what he says was meant to be a short stint in Northern Michigan that turned into a 15-year plus career. Family is taking him to North Carolina where he will continue to remotely lead the IT department at Interlochen.
A common challenge that schools face is when a long-time technology leader retires, especially right as a pandemic is winding down! The Langley School in Virginia welcomed Michele Claeys as head of school in 2021. Michele was immediately faced with a gap in technology leadership with the school's long-time senior technology administrator having just retired. The school already had a strong educational technology program championed by Bradley Landis, but remained unsure of how to approach the necessary restructuring to bring its technology department staffing and infrastructure up to speed.
The school chose to utilize a contracted CTO/CIO team through Educational Collaborators and managed network service provider EduTech Group to fill the gap and clarify long-term IT staffing needs. Bradley Landis, director of technology & innovation at The Langley School was promoted to CTO to bring academics and technology operations under one integrated umbrella. “I'm most excited about having dedicated leadership and an experienced team in IT while at the same time integrating them with all our academic and operational departments. We're super lucky that they all have history with Langley, so while there will be a learning curve on some of the systems, they have deep knowledge of our school community, our learning model, and our implementation of technology over the past few decades,” said Claeys.
As a technology professional in independent schools, now is a great time to take inventory of the contributions you make to your school in tech and in areas of the school that fall outside of tech. What are the gaps in your technology departments staffing and what gaps are you filling for others in your school?
There are many creative solutions towards right sizing responsibilities and skill sets in your school. As a technology leader, you have a distinct and rare view into your school community that is of value beyond tech. There are lots of new ways to fill in the gaps within your own department should you be willing to try something new!