Cultivating Leadership and AI Literacy with David Boxer, TLIS
This week, we're joined by David Boxer, TLIS, CIO of The Blake School. David shares his intentional approach to building leadership capacity within his technology team and fostering a culture of collaboration. He details the school’s methodical, PLC-driven strategy for developing critical AI literacy and discusses the growing role of data governance.
- The Blake School
- Technology Leaders in Independent Schools (TLIS) certification
- Center for Institutional Research in Independent Schools (CIRIS), an organization to support the work of institutional research practitioners as they help schools collect, analyze, and operationalize data in support of their mission
- Breakthrough Collaborative
- Asana Project Management
- Apple Distinguished Educator Program
- Google for Education Certified Innovator Program
- 28 Years Later, zombie film
Transcript
Peter Frank:
Nick, welcome to Talking technology with Atlas,
Peter Frank:
the show that plugs you into the important topics and trends for
Peter Frank:
technology leaders all through a unique Independent School lens.
Peter Frank:
We'll hear stories from technology directors and other
Peter Frank:
special guests from the Independent School community,
Peter Frank:
and provide you with focused learning and deep dive topics.
Peter Frank:
And now please welcome your host. Kristina llewellen,
Christina Lewellen:
hello everyone, and welcome back to
Christina Lewellen:
talking technology with Atlas. I'm Kristina llewellen, the
Christina Lewellen:
president and CEO of the Association of technology
Christina Lewellen:
leaders in independent schools.
Bill Stites:
And I am Bill Stites, the Director of
Bill Stites:
Technology at Montclair Kimberly Academy in Montclair, New
Bill Stites:
Jersey, and I'm
Hiram Cuevas:
Hiram Cuevas, the Director of Information Systems
Hiram Cuevas:
and Academic Technology at St Christopher school in Richmond,
Hiram Cuevas:
Virginia.
Christina Lewellen:
Good morning, gentlemen. How are you
Christina Lewellen:
today?
Bill Stites:
Living the dream. The dream can be a nightmare
Bill Stites:
too. Just so you know, I'm finally
Hiram Cuevas:
happy that the heat dropped.
Christina Lewellen:
Yeah. I was just moving one of my daughters
Christina Lewellen:
to her first big girl apartment in Washington, DC, in the last
Christina Lewellen:
two days, the heat and humidity was not as brutal as it had
Christina Lewellen:
been, but it was still pretty brutal. And there's nothing
Christina Lewellen:
worse than a move, but then a move amplified with like 90 plus
Christina Lewellen:
degrees and humidity like, that's a special circle of hell,
Christina Lewellen:
is it not? 100%
Hiram Cuevas:
Adam going to Disney World in August.
Bill Stites:
Yeah, it's a matter with that. I do that all the
Bill Stites:
time.
Christina Lewellen:
I had to cut my trip to ISTE short this year
Christina Lewellen:
because of that move, but I was able to pop down to San Antonio,
Christina Lewellen:
Texas for a day and a half of ISTE. And then my teammate
Christina Lewellen:
Ashley cross tag teamed me, and as I was leaving town to help
Christina Lewellen:
with the move, Ashley rolled in, and it's so funny, because I
Christina Lewellen:
love ISTE. I think it's great. I think there's a lot of cool
Christina Lewellen:
topics, and I see some neat, cool people and all that. For
Christina Lewellen:
Ashley, it's like her class reunion. That is her people. She
Christina Lewellen:
has like things to do and people to see the entire time she's at
Christina Lewellen:
ISTE, and she graduated from Pepperdine. And I don't know if
Christina Lewellen:
you guys understand the level of cult that is Pepperdine
Christina Lewellen:
graduates, but like they all meet up, so I have to say, I
Christina Lewellen:
don't think she minded that I called her in to help me out
Christina Lewellen:
with the back half of that event. I think she's pretty
Christina Lewellen:
excited to take over.
Bill Stites:
So Kristina, how was it with because they're tag
Bill Stites:
teaming now with the conference at the same time with ASCD
Bill Stites:
correct they're both running at the same point. Yeah, 100%
Christina Lewellen:
I was not there long enough to see how
Christina Lewellen:
that played out, so we'll have to have Ashley give us the
Christina Lewellen:
report on how that went. But what I loved about the approach
Christina Lewellen:
was that they co located it right, where both events had
Christina Lewellen:
their own personality, but they were just in the same city at
Christina Lewellen:
the same time. And so you could definitely see the ISTE 25
Christina Lewellen:
branding as opposed to the other. And it just, I think that
Christina Lewellen:
it was probably a really great experiment, and I can't wait to
Christina Lewellen:
hear how it turned out.
Bill Stites:
It was something I was very curious about. Given
Bill Stites:
the fact that I've attended both, I've gotten value out of
Bill Stites:
both, and the fact that they were both running together, I
Bill Stites:
think provides a really unique opportunity for people that kind
Bill Stites:
of bridge the tech and the academic space and having that
Bill Stites:
there at the same time, because I remember them saying that the
Bill Stites:
same admission would get you into both Was that correct?
Bill Stites:
Yeah, I think so. So that'd be great. Best of both
Christina Lewellen:
worlds. What have you guys been up to? And
Christina Lewellen:
what's the start of your summer been like?
Bill Stites:
So I went on a road trip and met Hiram. Oh no,
Christina Lewellen:
I thought I felt a disturbance in the force
Christina Lewellen:
here in Virginia. We were
Bill Stites:
both in Virginia at the same time.
Christina Lewellen:
Oh no. It was outstanding. Yeah, all
Christina Lewellen:
right, what did you guys do? Like, walk us through a typical
Christina Lewellen:
day when Bill and Hiram are in the same space? Well, it started
Christina Lewellen:
off probably
Hiram Cuevas:
a few months back, when Bill was saying, Hiram, you
Hiram Cuevas:
know what's coming out on June 20. And he reminded me that 28
Hiram Cuevas:
years later, which is the final installment of the 28 days, 28
Hiram Cuevas:
weeks, and now, 28 years later, zombie flick. He's like, I'm
Hiram Cuevas:
coming down to Virginia and we're gonna go watch it on
Hiram Cuevas:
opening night.
Bill Stites:
No, which is why we did so bill comes
Hiram Cuevas:
down, and we start off by going AX throwing with my
Hiram Cuevas:
youngest daughter, pretending that they're zombies on the
Hiram Cuevas:
targets. It's a lot harder than we thought it was, but 100% we
Hiram Cuevas:
now know that Kristina is an ax aficionado. And then that night,
Hiram Cuevas:
we ended up going to watch the film. We both kind of left
Hiram Cuevas:
puzzled, because we were just like, what did we just watch
Hiram Cuevas:
100% it was not your typical zombie flick. And then the next
Hiram Cuevas:
day, we shot zombie targets at the gun range.
Christina Lewellen:
Wow. Okay, so there's a theme. You guys are
Christina Lewellen:
like a bachelorette party gone wrong. There's a lot of theming.
Christina Lewellen:
Is there a sash in the tiara? Is really what I want
Hiram Cuevas:
to know? And Bill brings flowers to my wife. I.
Hiram Cuevas:
Did that's
Bill Stites:
nice. I bring tequila to Hiram and flowers to
Bill Stites:
his wife. Oh, and
Hiram Cuevas:
she comments, he always brings me flowers. All
Christina Lewellen:
right, guys, we're gonna have to organize a
Christina Lewellen:
pod weekend. It's gonna have to be an interesting combination of
Christina Lewellen:
things that I find amusing and things that you find amusing.
Christina Lewellen:
And we'll have to record the whole thing. We've
Hiram Cuevas:
got to get Brooke grace and Richard all on. Yes,
Hiram Cuevas:
yes. It
Christina Lewellen:
would definitely round it out. I love
Christina Lewellen:
it. And Bill, what have you been up to? How's the start of your
Christina Lewellen:
summer been a lot
Bill Stites:
of work. It's funny, I find that during the
Bill Stites:
summer I put in more hours than I do during the school year. I
Bill Stites:
get here at like 630 quarter seven, and I'm here until five
Bill Stites:
o'clock at night for most of us in it. You know, I think the
Bill Stites:
summers are some of our busiest times. We're flipping 1600
Bill Stites:
devices between iPads and laptops. We did that since the
Bill Stites:
last day of school, and today is our last day of it. So that's
Bill Stites:
been a fairly large lift. We're replacing all of our Wi Fi. We
Bill Stites:
just did a big data dump. You know, it's the time, because not
Bill Stites:
everyone's here. You have the ability to get up in the
Bill Stites:
ceilings. You have the ability to turn systems off. You have
Bill Stites:
the ability to do different things that you don't during the
Bill Stites:
school year, and you need to take advantage of that time and
Bill Stites:
also provide time for those that report to you to get time off,
Bill Stites:
because as much as this is our crunch time to get the work
Bill Stites:
done, we also need all of those people here during the school
Bill Stites:
year. So it's balancing schedules, it's balancing
Bill Stites:
projects, it's balancing all of those pieces out so that you can
Bill Stites:
get all of those things done. And I think I like most people
Bill Stites:
that are in that director role, the buck stops with you, so you
Bill Stites:
need to make sure that you're there and all these things are
Bill Stites:
happening. And once all that's done, you can take your time and
Bill Stites:
get away and do those things, but you need to make sure those
Bill Stites:
that are reporting to you, they're getting their work done,
Bill Stites:
they're getting their time before you can get out and do
Bill Stites:
those things on your own.
Christina Lewellen:
So it sounds like you have a lot of things
Christina Lewellen:
that you're juggling already. We have a really special guest
Christina Lewellen:
today, and I think that he probably has your experience
Christina Lewellen:
going on this summer as well. So please, welcome to the podcast.
Christina Lewellen:
David boxer. David, you are a T L, I S A T list, Certified
Christina Lewellen:
Professional here in our space. I'm so glad that you're with us.
Christina Lewellen:
Thank you for joining us. Thank you
David Boxer:
for having me. It's exciting to be here, and I have
David Boxer:
to say, I've been a big fan of the pod since it launched, and I
David Boxer:
always look forward to each episode dropping
Christina Lewellen:
love it. Thank you for being a fan.
Christina Lewellen:
Thanks for listening, and thanks for coming on. So David, you are
Christina Lewellen:
currently the CIO at the Blake school in Minneapolis. First
Christina Lewellen:
tell us a little bit about the school. For folks who don't know
Christina Lewellen:
the Blake school, they can get a sense of what kind of population
Christina Lewellen:
you serve and all that fun stuff, and then we'll talk a
Christina Lewellen:
little bit about your journey. The Blake
David Boxer:
School is a school that serves pre kindergarten
David Boxer:
through 12th grade students across two different campuses,
David Boxer:
located in Hopkins in Minneapolis. We're a co Ed, non
David Boxer:
denominational day school with about 350 faculty or staff,
David Boxer:
about 1350 students. It's a school that has been in
David Boxer:
existence well over 100 years now, and a really interesting
David Boxer:
school, like many schools across the country in the 1970s school
David Boxer:
that was originally a boys school, but in the 70s,
David Boxer:
partnered with the Northrop school for girls and the high
David Boxer:
Cross Country Day School and formed what we currently know as
David Boxer:
the Blake school. And it's a school that I have to say, 14
David Boxer:
years ago, if you had asked me, Would I still be loving and
David Boxer:
adoring the community that I serve, I would have been like,
David Boxer:
no. I you know, it's time for me to move on after about five or
David Boxer:
10 years, and I find myself each and every year, enamored by the
David Boxer:
faculty, our students and really, just like a really
David Boxer:
committed group of teachers that have really come to adore,
Christina Lewellen:
I do very much honor and recognize that,
Christina Lewellen:
because here I am, and my time at Atlas is flying by, and I
Christina Lewellen:
know firsthand how that can happen when you sort of fall in
Christina Lewellen:
Love with your community, and the years sort of melt away. I
Christina Lewellen:
really want to talk about your background, but what is
Christina Lewellen:
interesting to me in terms of your education is that you have
Christina Lewellen:
a Master's, you have a bachelor's, and in those
Christina Lewellen:
degrees, you cover the subjects that include reading, Afro
Christina Lewellen:
American studies, history, global, integrated studies. Can
Christina Lewellen:
you help me sort that? So I want to hear about your journey, but
Christina Lewellen:
in particular, help me understand this very diverse
Christina Lewellen:
education that you have.
David Boxer:
Well, you know, I think it's probably more simple
David Boxer:
than it sounds. I am the kind of person who is a very curious
David Boxer:
person by nature, and whenever I find myself really sort of
David Boxer:
anchoring in with a community of learners in my bachelor's
David Boxer:
degree, with a couple of professors who really took
David Boxer:
interest and mentored me, or after working in the field as a
David Boxer:
teacher and finding you know, what I really struggled to do is
David Boxer:
I really struggle to serve students who struggle. And.
David Boxer:
Terms of reading and writing, and I need to figure out how to
David Boxer:
do that work better as a teacher, what I find myself
David Boxer:
always coming back to is wherever I have the good fortune
David Boxer:
of being around a community of learners who are really
David Boxer:
passionate, that sort of ignites my passion. So I was really
David Boxer:
fortunate in my undergraduate experience to have a couple of
David Boxer:
professors who really mentored me and who are both situated in
David Boxer:
the Afro American Studies Department, really loved the
David Boxer:
ability to look at a trans disciplinary subject as the
David Boxer:
history of black Americans in the United States. As you can
David Boxer:
imagine, I'm very much connected to the work that was happening
David Boxer:
in the history department. And I think one of the things that I
David Boxer:
learned really early on, once I moved on to higher education,
David Boxer:
was find people you love, find a subject that interests you, and
David Boxer:
stick with it, because everything else in life will
David Boxer:
continue to change and evolve, and so if you're willing to go
David Boxer:
along with the ride, you can learn along the way. I
Christina Lewellen:
love that. What's your career journey been
Christina Lewellen:
like? So that's definitely your school piece of things, but you
Christina Lewellen:
mentioned that you were a teacher, is that where you
Christina Lewellen:
started? Have you always been in independent schools?
David Boxer:
My experience as a teacher started when I first
David Boxer:
visited a close childhood, a friend of mine, who was in DC,
David Boxer:
who was teaching in a program that was formerly called Summer
David Boxer:
Bridge. Now the breakthrough collaborative. It's a program
David Boxer:
that is national has had a couple of international sites
David Boxer:
along the way, and when I visited the program, she was in
David Boxer:
college, she was serving middle school students, and what I felt
David Boxer:
like I found for the first time, was this like beautiful
David Boxer:
triangulation between a program of both young teachers and kids
David Boxer:
who were intrinsically motivated. I always like to call
David Boxer:
it sort of like the nerdy person summer camp, right? Because
David Boxer:
college age students were teaching subjects that both
David Boxer:
matter to them, but also teaching subjects that were
David Boxer:
really going to be important for preparing students for high
David Boxer:
school, students who were signing up for six weeks, but
David Boxer:
also participating in a two or three year program, a year round
David Boxer:
program, in some of the sites I had felt like for the first
David Boxer:
time. I was like, Oh, this whole teaching thing sounds actually
David Boxer:
kind of amazing. And had the good fortune of then going on to
David Boxer:
work as a teacher at a summer bridge or a breakthrough site in
David Boxer:
Denver, New Orleans, and then eventually New York. And in New
David Boxer:
York, I had the really amazing experience of helping serve as
David Boxer:
what they refer to as the dean of faculty, right? This was a
David Boxer:
young person who was working with college age and high school
David Boxer:
students, and the head of school offered me an opportunity to
David Boxer:
teach in the middle school, work half time in the technology
David Boxer:
department, and serve as the dean of faculty at the
David Boxer:
breakthrough program there. And it was there where I realized
David Boxer:
how much I had to learn as a teacher, where shortly
David Boxer:
thereafter, I enrolled in a graduate program at Teachers
David Boxer:
College at Columbia University. No surprise, found a role in the
David Boxer:
Academic Technology Department, which was great because I had an
David Boxer:
opportunity to both sort of flex those skills, but then pursue my
David Boxer:
degree as a reading specialist, finally leaving graduate school
David Boxer:
working in a nonprofit called Teaching matters in New York
David Boxer:
City, and then eventually finding my way to a school that
David Boxer:
I know that you all nearly love, with Jim bologna and Stacie
David Boxer:
Munoz and others at the Windward school and had a really
David Boxer:
incredible community where the head of school and the community
David Boxer:
of teachers gave us A huge runway to start a program called
David Boxer:
the Center for Teaching and Learning, and had an opportunity
David Boxer:
to flex my love for libraries and research, working with a
David Boxer:
really unique group of technologists, librarians,
David Boxer:
Instructional Technology coaches, and then, most
David Boxer:
importantly, faculty who were really curious about ways that
David Boxer:
we could evolve our practice as practitioners and serving our
David Boxer:
students to finally finding my way and eventually as a CIO at
David Boxer:
Blake.
Bill Stites:
Two things that I love about having you on the
Bill Stites:
podcast, and if you think I'm going to be serious here, you're
Bill Stites:
wrong. One is that Christine mentioned that you're probably
Bill Stites:
as busy as most tech directors are this time of year. But for
Bill Stites:
those of you listening to the pod that may be hearing birds
Bill Stites:
chirping in the background, it's because Mr. Boxer here looks
Bill Stites:
like he's up in a tree house somewhere out in the woods.
Hiram Cuevas:
It's the 1000 lakes of Minnesota, and 1000
Hiram Cuevas:
exactly.
Bill Stites:
I mean the amount of work that is going on in that
Bill Stites:
location that relates to it, I have to believe is very limited,
Bill Stites:
my friend, Mr. Boxer. So wherever you are, I am envious
Bill Stites:
of that. The other thing is, I just want the audience to know
Bill Stites:
just what a complete rock star we have on the podcast today.
Bill Stites:
Because I remember, at a Atlas conference a few years back, I
Bill Stites:
was talking to Mr. Jim Bologna, and as soon as he saw Mr. Boxer
Bill Stites:
in the room, it was like I didn't exist. He walked away and
Bill Stites:
then spent the rest of the time talking to Mr. Boxer and left me
Bill Stites:
high and dry, stranded there. So this is more a criticism of Jim
Bill Stites:
than it is of Mr. Boxer here. But just to prove out how
Bill Stites:
grateful we are to have you on the podcast. Because you demand
Bill Stites:
the attention of only the best and the brightest Atlas has to
Bill Stites:
offer.
Hiram Cuevas:
But everybody does that to Bill,
Christina Lewellen:
I was gonna say maybe he just wasn't that
Christina Lewellen:
interesting. I don't know.
David Boxer:
Definitely is not the case. Definitely is not the
David Boxer:
case. Jim and I had the good fortune of a really unique
David Boxer:
opportunity to innovate and create. And I think just like I
David Boxer:
hear the three of you, I think as you plan your first pod
David Boxer:
retreat at some point, one of the things that's really
David Boxer:
wonderful about the Atlas community is when you get to
David Boxer:
reconnect with current former colleagues, I think one of the
David Boxer:
things that's really just beautiful about it is you just
David Boxer:
pick up where you left off. It's like going to a family reunion,
David Boxer:
where all of a sudden you're like, Oh, it's my first cousin,
David Boxer:
Jim. I hadn't seen him in ages, and I think that's really more
David Boxer:
of a sign of the kind of community and the need for the
David Boxer:
community that Atlas has created over the last 10 years. And
David Boxer:
that's in part because of folks like you and this and
Christina Lewellen:
David, I think that what's interesting,
Christina Lewellen:
you know, if I look in kind of shred the lines of your bio, you
Christina Lewellen:
are also an Apple Distinguished Educator, a Google certified
Christina Lewellen:
innovator, a Common Sense Media ambassador, and also an atlas T
Christina Lewellen:
list. And you've been really active in the Atlas community,
Christina Lewellen:
so clearly you have this lifelong learner thing going on.
Christina Lewellen:
But tell us a little bit about how the T list in particular,
Christina Lewellen:
sort of clicked into place now that you've been in independent
Christina Lewellen:
schools for so long. Why did you decide to pursue that, and what
Christina Lewellen:
do you think
David Boxer:
about it? Well, I think the credit goes to a
David Boxer:
colleague of mine here in Minneapolis who serves as the
David Boxer:
Director of Technology at another gear school. And AJ said
David Boxer:
to me, he's like, you know, I'm gonna take this T list thing,
David Boxer:
and this was at a conference a year ago and just see what it's
David Boxer:
like. And he described what his experience was, preparing for it
David Boxer:
and taking the T list. And I have to say, you know, I was a
David Boxer:
bit circumspect. I tend to be a little bit cagey, especially as
David Boxer:
I get older, about things. And as I heard more and more from
David Boxer:
AJ, I think one of the things I realized was this was a really
David Boxer:
great opportunity, in a way, to sort of reflect on where I was
David Boxer:
in my own professional journey, really hone in on areas I needed
David Boxer:
to continue to grow and support, not just in terms of my
David Boxer:
professional career, but I think more importantly, serving my
David Boxer:
school and serving the institution. And I have to say,
David Boxer:
Peter, who is here on the pod as a producer today led a great
David Boxer:
programming and preparation for the T list in terms of bringing
David Boxer:
a number of Instructional Technology directors and
David Boxer:
educational technology directors and directors of technology who
David Boxer:
helped really break the program into over four weeks as an
David Boxer:
opportunity to take sort of scenario based approaches to
David Boxer:
understanding what our strengths and Where are areas for growth?
David Boxer:
And then taking the exam and getting the results helped me
David Boxer:
identify areas that I, not surprisingly, were already
David Boxer:
curious and had spent a lot of time and energy growing, and
David Boxer:
areas that I still needed to continue to put more effort and
David Boxer:
time into. And if you could imagine, like, the nerdiest way
David Boxer:
you could take the T list, I really probably took it to the
David Boxer:
extent which was, you know, in my fall goal setting, after
David Boxer:
taking the T list, use it as an opportunity to identify the
David Boxer:
domains that I wanted to focus some particular energy and goals
David Boxer:
around. And then also, you know, as they work with our Head of
David Boxer:
School, I use it as an opportunity to calibrate against
David Boxer:
the domains within the T lists and sub domains, in part because
David Boxer:
it helps me recognize, like, am I spending enough time on the
David Boxer:
teaching and learning side of the house? Am I spending enough
David Boxer:
time on the data governance side of the house? Am I spending
David Boxer:
enough time in terms of institutional research and
David Boxer:
working with colleagues on that side of the house? And so it's
David Boxer:
also just an ongoing great mirror to know for myself areas
David Boxer:
that I need to continue to support and grow the school, and
David Boxer:
areas that I need to continue to learn and develop greater
David Boxer:
expertise in.
Christina Lewellen:
I love that. I love that you kind of use it
Christina Lewellen:
to take your own temperature, especially because you've been
Christina Lewellen:
in your role for a while, and that's something that we talk
Christina Lewellen:
about here on the pod a bit, because Bill and Hiram have been
Christina Lewellen:
in their spots for a while, and now you've been at Blake for
Christina Lewellen:
more than 14 years, so I'm sure that a lot of change has
Christina Lewellen:
happened in the last 14 years. Tell us a little bit about that
Christina Lewellen:
evolution, because you are now the Chief Information Officer,
Christina Lewellen:
but I would imagine that that has probably evolved over time
Christina Lewellen:
as well. Yes,
David Boxer:
yeah. I mean, I think one of the things I fell
David Boxer:
in love with schools and spent the majority of my time doing
David Boxer:
until I came to Blake, was really working directly in the
David Boxer:
classroom or team teaching or helping colleagues develop
David Boxer:
curricular based projects. So when I moved to Blake, my role
David Boxer:
really became much more focused around supporting what I would
David Boxer:
think of, more the traditional technology program at Blake, and
David Boxer:
I had a wonderful predecessor who began the program at Blake
David Boxer:
and had really offered a great stepping stone in terms of the
David Boxer:
program that I was asked to shepherd, and wonderful heads of
David Boxer:
schools and associate heads of schools and others who have
David Boxer:
guided me along the way. I would say the things that have changed
David Boxer:
a great deal. Than I would have never suspected 14 years ago
David Boxer:
was, of course, the advent of the one to one programs, and
David Boxer:
supporting those programs and supporting teachers in those
David Boxer:
arenas, I think a great deal as should be a lot more time
David Boxer:
spending on thinking about digital wellness in terms of
David Boxer:
supporting both students and families and getting that work.
David Boxer:
And then I think the biggest shifts have happened in a much
David Boxer:
more quicker pace than I would have ever imagined. You know,
David Boxer:
really thinking over the last seven, eight years, spending a
David Boxer:
tremendous amount of time on both cybersecurity, of course,
David Boxer:
most recently in terms of the event of generative AI and sort
David Boxer:
of the shifts of cybersecurity, the pandemic, generative AI, I
David Boxer:
have found myself immersed in topics that have really shifted
David Boxer:
and disrupted schools in ways that are both healthy and
David Boxer:
problematic for all the obvious reasons.
Bill Stites:
So I want to throw another topic at you, because
Bill Stites:
it's one of your colleagues I've seen on multiple webinars and
Bill Stites:
meetups, is Denise Covington, and really where the work that
Bill Stites:
you're doing with CIRIS and with institutional research is
Bill Stites:
falling in in what you do at Blake, and how that's impacting
Bill Stites:
things as well. So if you could provide some detail there, that
Bill Stites:
would be great.
David Boxer:
Yeah, so I have the great fortune of working with
David Boxer:
Denise Covington, who serves as our Director of Information
David Boxer:
Management, and Alicia barovich, her partner in crime, on the
David Boxer:
information management side of the house, and Denise, for the
David Boxer:
last 15 years, has led the program here at Blake. And a few
David Boxer:
years ago, especially after doing some really important work
David Boxer:
of transitioning to a new SIS system, we were finally poised
David Boxer:
to have the opportunity to think about ways in which all of this
David Boxer:
sort of a massive data could actually serve our institution
David Boxer:
in different ways that it was much more challenging and
David Boxer:
difficult to do so before and so CIRIS has been a great leader in
David Boxer:
this field. Eric Houle man's work, Bill, the work that you
David Boxer:
did around the institutional research handbook. You know, we
David Boxer:
took literally a Year of Reading through that handbook, planning
David Boxer:
our next steps this last year, really working through
David Boxer:
developing a data, governance policy and building some small
David Boxer:
but helpful pilot projects, working with different
David Boxer:
departments and different individuals around the school to
David Boxer:
where our goals for next year, which is two things, one, Denise
David Boxer:
will serve as one of the CIRIS fellows this year, helping
David Boxer:
develop the CIRIS data governance handbook, which I
David Boxer:
think will be a huge help for schools across the Independent
David Boxer:
School world, and then also launching a formal data
David Boxer:
strategy, Data Governance Committee. And I think one of
David Boxer:
the things that has been a joy and that work is really thinking
David Boxer:
about ways that we are probably under utilizing the talent
David Boxer:
across departments and across teams, and really trying to
David Boxer:
break down the silos that just naturally grow over time in
David Boxer:
schools. And so one of our goals in the state of strategy
David Boxer:
committee, of course, is to serve the needs of teachers, but
David Boxer:
I think the other is just to really help each other
David Boxer:
understand and leverage the talent that exists across many
David Boxer:
different departments, so that we approach this work in a much
David Boxer:
more peer based way. And so that's been really exciting. I'm
David Boxer:
even looking forward much more to the next step, because I
David Boxer:
think this is where, by breaking down those silos, we're gonna
David Boxer:
see things that we couldn't even imagined because we didn't even
David Boxer:
know the problems of practice that people were trying to
David Boxer:
solve. And this is, I'll just offer this as a tangental note.
David Boxer:
You know, one of the things that I feel, I just like experience
David Boxer:
guilt out all the time in my role, is I'll have a colleague
David Boxer:
that will say something along the lines like, Well, you told
David Boxer:
us seven years ago we couldn't do that. And I'm like, oh,
David Boxer:
shoot, I did, but four years ago, we solved that problem. We
David Boxer:
could do that, and we just didn't communicate that well
David Boxer:
enough that people realized that we could shift right. And I
David Boxer:
think part of the shift that can occur is by having people
David Boxer:
literally in the same room, picking a problem of practice,
David Boxer:
putting time and effort towards that problem of practice, and
David Boxer:
then which, then, I think spirals in a recursive way of
David Boxer:
helping others see opportunities. So really
David Boxer:
grateful in the work that Denise and Alicia are leading, really
David Boxer:
grateful in helping them support that work. And you know, we'll
David Boxer:
have to have Denise and Alicia here on the pod in a year from
David Boxer:
now to share their work, because I think they will be the ones
David Boxer:
that will have some great stories to tell.
Hiram Cuevas:
So David, you actually prompted this question
Hiram Cuevas:
I have here, which is when you mentioned that seven years ago,
Hiram Cuevas:
you had this question posed to you, and you said you couldn't
Hiram Cuevas:
do it, but then four years later, you're like, oh yes, we
Hiram Cuevas:
can do this. So as a team, as a school team, is this also coming
Hiram Cuevas:
from the head of schools? This coming from you and your work
Hiram Cuevas:
with the head of school is this the entire senior executive team
Hiram Cuevas:
that is having this recognition so that you can evolve,
Hiram Cuevas:
essentially the entire program at Blake.
David Boxer:
You know, I think leading schools, when it's done
David Boxer:
really well, it's a collaborative it's a give and
David Boxer:
take, right? So, of course, at our Head of School will lead. A
David Boxer:
strategic visioning process. And you know, the work that we do as
David Boxer:
academic leaders and teachers will align to that. You might
David Boxer:
sort of call that a traditional top down approach, but I also
David Boxer:
think there's a lot of opportunity when you think about
David Boxer:
a bottom up approach. And I would say the work around
David Boxer:
institutional research, in part, because of the CIRIS program,
David Boxer:
sort of opened our eyes what was possible for the first time,
David Boxer:
probably going, I don't know, first time, attended what, maybe
David Boxer:
four years ago, a Cirrus conference. And I think that was
David Boxer:
then also a part of educating other senior leaders about what
David Boxer:
was possible, and then creating proofs of concepts, right, like
David Boxer:
particular projects or small problems of practice. And they
David Boxer:
could be really like small things, what seems like small
David Boxer:
things, like in the health office, are we starting to see
David Boxer:
students who are coming back in a recursive way? Are we tracking
David Boxer:
that? Are we starting to identify that maybe that's more
David Boxer:
symptomatic of a greater need that we really need to be
David Boxer:
working with that student, the counselor, the family? Or are we
David Boxer:
looking at particularly like in the math department, like, what
David Boxer:
does our course placement look like. How does that break down
David Boxer:
in terms of socio economic or demographic identities? And so I
David Boxer:
think one of the things that occurs in a school, and I think
David Boxer:
it's the beauty of working in an independent school, is that it's
David Boxer:
an in both, right? So you have opportunities that a school
David Boxer:
leader will take you on, and then as a senior leader, making
David Boxer:
sure that you're inculcating and creating opportunities to both
David Boxer:
educate your head of school and then developing support across
David Boxer:
the senior leadership team. So in this case, I would say the
David Boxer:
work that Denise and Alicia are leading are really a bottom up
David Boxer:
right. So like, this is something that we are passionate
David Boxer:
about. This is something that we believe that will serve the
David Boxer:
school in terms of much more long standing needs, and I think
David Boxer:
this is partly like helping others understand why and what
David Boxer:
the purpose is.
Hiram Cuevas:
So David, have they always been part of those
Hiram Cuevas:
conversations? Or were you instrumental in having them
Hiram Cuevas:
provide the education for your senior leadership team?
David Boxer:
I would say that organizations like schools,
David Boxer:
they're like a layer cake, right? So, like the most
David Boxer:
tangible, real work is what's happening in the classroom.
David Boxer:
Spending time in the classroom. This is where you see where the
David Boxer:
rubber meets the road. And so I think Denise and Lisa in the
David Boxer:
work in information management, work with a number of peers,
David Boxer:
both on the academic side of the program and on the operational
David Boxer:
side of the program. And so having those relationships are
David Boxer:
really significant for cross pollinating the need. And then,
David Boxer:
of course, I have the good fortune of serving on the senior
David Boxer:
leadership team. And so it's happening, I would say both,
David Boxer:
like horizontally. It's happening vertically, sometimes
David Boxer:
it's happening diagonally, depending on how you think of
David Boxer:
it. And so my role is to make sure that when we've identified
David Boxer:
a need within the department, that I'm making sure that I'm
David Boxer:
putting oxygen the fire, leading it and lending my strengths, but
David Boxer:
also, more importantly, like deeply listening and creating
David Boxer:
space and runway for them to do the work that they will need to
David Boxer:
continue to lead and sustain in the end. And so, you know, the
David Boxer:
example that I offered earlier, a couple years ago, you know,
David Boxer:
did Denise and Lisa want to read the CIRIS institutional handbook
David Boxer:
to spend two months reading each chapter each week. You could ask
David Boxer:
them, but I'm just going to go out on a limb and say, probably
David Boxer:
not. But what I said, which was really important, was like You
David Boxer:
two may feel like you have a lot of strengths in understanding
David Boxer:
this area, but I don't, and so we're going to go on this
David Boxer:
journey together to make sure that we are in agreement of what
David Boxer:
we're trying to do, how it can be best supportive and really
David Boxer:
using this opportunity to listen in so sort of like an informal
David Boxer:
PLC, if you will, so that by the time we started working on the
David Boxer:
Data Governance Policy, by the time we started looking at the
David Boxer:
data strategy committee, that we had a solid foundation, and we
David Boxer:
were taking both a strategic and tactical approach to being
David Boxer:
successful in the long term. So probably, and I know they would
David Boxer:
say this without a shadow doubt, like we're going too slow, and I
David Boxer:
tend to be the kind of person who's like we might feeling like
David Boxer:
we might be going too slow, but our goal should be to do it
David Boxer:
really well, so that when we're ready to go fast, we know we
David Boxer:
have a North Star, we have a series of both rules and
David Boxer:
procedures, and that We're really helping guide others so
David Boxer:
the messiness could potentially be avoided. It
Christina Lewellen:
sounds like you've been pretty intentional
Christina Lewellen:
in terms of your process for developing leadership capacity
Christina Lewellen:
at your technology department. Slow steady, doing it the right
Christina Lewellen:
way. How do you think that plays through in terms of fostering
Christina Lewellen:
collaboration between the IT professionals at your school and
Christina Lewellen:
teachers, because I know obviously there can be a lot of
Christina Lewellen:
rub there.
David Boxer:
I feel very grateful that we have a team.
David Boxer:
And I tell fleet team to this all the time, like I wake up in
David Boxer:
the morning I'm super excited to go to work, in part because I
David Boxer:
feel like I am working with a team of superstars. And the
David Boxer:
superstars aren't necessarily because they have technical and
David Boxer:
expertise in every domain, or they can, you know, write a
David Boxer:
script faster than anyone else, or we're the most efficient
David Boxer:
department in every IT department in the Independent
David Boxer:
School world? No, I think the part that I really love about is
David Boxer:
that the team is very curious, very disciplined about their
David Boxer:
approach, but also joyful and, like very much, focused on the
David Boxer:
relationships that they've. Perform and sustain, and the
David Boxer:
team will remind me all the time, like, well, how will our
David Boxer:
end users feel about this? Like, what's the impact going to be
David Boxer:
about them? Like, what do we make sure that we're
David Boxer:
communicating in advance? And so I think one of the things that
David Boxer:
has worked really well, of breaking down the traditional
David Boxer:
stereotypes of an IT department, is hiring really smart people
David Boxer:
who care about other human beings in themselves, and then
David Boxer:
also, you know, taking very tactical approaches. So a few
David Boxer:
years ago, at an atlas conference, I saw Ethan present
David Boxer:
around developing a Kanban board and the importance that that
David Boxer:
provides both tactical and strategic opportunities for
David Boxer:
department and coming back to the team, and Jennifer, a
David Boxer:
colleague of mine, was like, I can help you do that, and I'm
David Boxer:
like, run with it, you know, and then let's then situate that
David Boxer:
culturally within the team, so that we're all contributing to
David Boxer:
it, but we all have, like, a common resource and a common
David Boxer:
understanding that we're coming back to. So I think we haven't
David Boxer:
encountered, and I would say, especially over the last five
David Boxer:
years, I think people have really come to see the
David Boxer:
department as someone that's helpful and not trying to stay
David Boxer:
another way and making sure that we're, you know, whether that's
David Boxer:
helping folks understand, like how we choose software, what
David Boxer:
that process is like, whether that's around peer based
David Boxer:
development and PLCs, around understanding the impact of AI
David Boxer:
as well the social disruption tool and as a way to both
David Boxer:
support teachers and students. I think one of the things we've
David Boxer:
always tried to do is be very much available and be very much
David Boxer:
like we're here to help you do what you do best in the
David Boxer:
classroom. You know, we just did the 360 work that mission data
David Boxer:
was partnering with you, and that helped sort of identify the
David Boxer:
strengths of the program. We've do, like a 360 feedback loop
David Boxer:
that I get periodically every couple of years. Next year,
David Boxer:
we'll be surveying as part of the Isaac self study. So I think
David Boxer:
there's lots of opportunities for both formal reflection, but
David Boxer:
I think one of the things I get to see firsthand is like being
David Boxer:
in the library with a member of our Help Desk team being in
David Boxer:
whether it's a zoom conference or in a conference room with
David Boxer:
information management team watching how our director of
David Boxer:
infrastructure and network operation interacts with
David Boxer:
colleagues and staff members across the department. I think
David Boxer:
it's those like hands on observations, where you get to
David Boxer:
really see what it looks like to be an IT department that cares
David Boxer:
and serves the community. That's
Christina Lewellen:
a cool culture, especially given that
Christina Lewellen:
we have all this AI fun happening now. Tell us a little
Christina Lewellen:
bit about that. Where are you at in terms of your school? And I'm
Christina Lewellen:
sure it varies by grade level and all that. But what's the
Christina Lewellen:
approach, or what's the philosophy around AI at the
Christina Lewellen:
Blake school?
David Boxer:
Well, that journey has been a wonderful ride and a
David Boxer:
challenging ride in so many different ways. I felt very
David Boxer:
fortunate with working with our pre K to 12 Chair of computer
David Boxer:
science, Madeleine Burton, especially over the last year,
David Boxer:
in particular with our senior leadership team a couple of
David Boxer:
years ago. So like two years ago, as this was unfurling as a
David Boxer:
senior leadership team, we sort of took a PLC approach of really
David Boxer:
understanding, like, what AI is, what generative AI looks like.
David Boxer:
What guidelines do we want to provide adults, the concerns
David Boxer:
that we had of the potential for circumventing learning in the
David Boxer:
classroom, what we were already seeing in terms of, of course,
David Boxer:
academic integrity issues. And then this last year, we've taken
David Boxer:
a PLC approach, working with teachers across the school who
David Boxer:
are interested in really focusing on how AI can both
David Boxer:
support them, sort of a teacher focused lounge, as well as
David Boxer:
thinking about the impact it might have in terms of student
David Boxer:
focus. Working with staff members, working with the
David Boxer:
executive assistant to the head of school, of creating a PLC for
David Boxer:
staff members this summer, we have about seven different
David Boxer:
summer curriculum grants going so we are working through
David Boxer:
developing a set of guidelines in a toolbox for teachers on
David Boxer:
helping support the appropriate and responsible use of AI in the
David Boxer:
classroom that will launch this summer. We will spend some time
David Boxer:
working through another teacher ELC group, and then we'll offer
David Boxer:
all the same opportunities again in the fall and this time this
David Boxer:
year, once those guidelines launch, also launch a family
David Boxer:
series and launch a student feedback loop across our middle
David Boxer:
and upper school in particular, the goal is get folks there who
David Boxer:
are intrinsically motivated get folks to show problems of
David Boxer:
practice, and ways in which AI can support acknowledge the
David Boxer:
problematic aspects of AI, and ways in which we guide students
David Boxer:
and understanding both its benefits and its limitations,
David Boxer:
and really just developing the capacities. And so we've taken a
David Boxer:
very intentional like we need to develop a critical AI literacy,
David Boxer:
and we need to sort of hit that tipping point. You know, I don't
David Boxer:
know if that means like, 50% or 60% of faculty will self
David Boxer:
identify. It's like, yeah, I have a pretty reasonable
David Boxer:
understanding of what this is. But we need to get to the point
David Boxer:
where, as adults, we feel comfortable in a really
David Boxer:
transparent way of both talking about it in the classroom and.
David Boxer:
In ways of listening to students really deeply, and I think we're
David Boxer:
getting there. It's challenging, right? It comes on the heels of
David Boxer:
a pandemic. It comes on the heels of a lot of like, change
David Boxer:
management within schools, and I think it comes on the heels of,
David Boxer:
like, maybe asking very fundamental questions as folks
David Boxer:
get more familiar around assessment, instructional
David Boxer:
design, the importance of process over product, and I feel
David Boxer:
really lucky to be at a school where teachers already value
David Boxer:
that, but also helping students understand, like why we do and
David Boxer:
how we do it, and what role it has to engage in the learning
David Boxer:
experience, and where AI I have, you know, a lot of hope and
David Boxer:
aspirations where it can serve students in really creative ways
David Boxer:
that I've seen teachers use it with students to help support
David Boxer:
them, you know, developing deeper understanding in
David Boxer:
particular subject areas, or being able to develop
David Boxer:
opportunities for them to be able to practice and engage when
David Boxer:
they don't have another human being next to them. So it's been
David Boxer:
great, and it's been wonderfully challenging, and I would have
David Boxer:
never would have thought I would have spent this much time on a
David Boxer:
topic like aI three years ago.
Bill Stites:
David, I want to pick on one thing that you said
Bill Stites:
there when you're talking about AI, a lot of the things that you
Bill Stites:
hit on were a lot of the topics that we hear from a lot of
Bill Stites:
different leaders in schools. But the one thing that you did
Bill Stites:
mention in there that doesn't often come up. It has come up
Bill Stites:
for us here at MKA, and we're still wrestling with it. But
Bill Stites:
it's that conversation with staff. You mentioned having a
Bill Stites:
conversation with, I believe you said your assistant to the head
Bill Stites:
of school. And you know, I think about when I'm in my development
Bill Stites:
office. I was in there yesterday and I was talking to somebody,
Bill Stites:
and I saw he was working on something in chat GPT. What are
Bill Stites:
the conversations outside of the academic areas in terms of the
Bill Stites:
way in which AI should be used in you know, admissions,
Bill Stites:
communications, alumni and development, business office,
Bill Stites:
what have those been like at school? So we've taken
David Boxer:
in very much peer based approach, right? So we had
David Boxer:
with our staff PLC this last year, a member from development,
David Boxer:
two members from emissions, a member from the communications
David Boxer:
department, Denise Covington from the information support
David Boxer:
services, information management side, member from athletics. And
David Boxer:
I think one of the things that we took as part of that peer
David Boxer:
based approach was, of course, facilitating develop basic,
David Boxer:
foundational understanding around what AI is, understanding
David Boxer:
concerns around data privacy, talking and experiencing and
David Boxer:
playing with tools that had in terms of the terms of service,
David Boxer:
like Gemini or notebook as being a Google workspace. School
David Boxer:
offers some degree of privacy talking through the processes of
David Boxer:
a tool adoption. And so I think those problems of practice are
David Boxer:
very much situated to each individual. It's the same thing
David Boxer:
I'm seeing on the faculty side. So our communications member as
David Boxer:
an example, walk through a problem of practice and working
David Boxer:
with a freelance writer and designer as part of a magazine,
David Boxer:
working through an iterative cycle as they were working on a
David Boxer:
piece, working on that piece, and running through AI, seeing
David Boxer:
around like, different ways that could be used, like creatively
David Boxer:
and brainstorming for like title pieces, to getting pure
David Boxer:
feedback, and then also really working to sort of, like, the
David Boxer:
ethical dimensions of like, how transparent do we need to be?
David Boxer:
Like, what are we communicating? And this was just a mock
David Boxer:
exercise, right? This wasn't something that ended up coming
David Boxer:
into, like a magazine or a piece. But I think what's more
David Boxer:
important is like, what role will it play? What role should
David Boxer:
it play? How can we be using it? Where should we have definitive
David Boxer:
boundaries? And I think each department, each professional in
David Boxer:
those departments, are working together as teams. But I think
David Boxer:
the thing that I found most interesting is breaking down
David Boxer:
those silos. So the executive assistant to the head of school
David Boxer:
and I just presented the senior leadership team towards senior
David Boxer:
leadership team towards the end of the year, proposing launching
David Boxer:
a school wide staff initiative for next year where we would
David Boxer:
have up to seven PLCs running across the two different
David Boxer:
campuses, but very intentionally doing these PLC so that ideally
David Boxer:
no more than one member of department is within Each PLC.
David Boxer:
Because what I think is more interesting than sort of like,
David Boxer:
solving the advancement problem or solving the communication
David Boxer:
problem, is showing folks what the possibilities are, and each
David Boxer:
person will sort of like lean into sort of where they are,
David Boxer:
right? So for some folks, you know, I'm sure, for the three of
David Boxer:
you, Mike, well, that sounds really basic, but for that
David Boxer:
person, that's like, right where they need to be, and others are
David Boxer:
doing much more complex and interesting things, things that
David Boxer:
I'm like, Oh, I never thought about that. Like, that's really
David Boxer:
interesting. So our goal next year is to offer the PLC
David Boxer:
opportunity for every staff member, in part because I think
David Boxer:
one of the things that at least at our school, that we've done
David Boxer:
really well is we've done a lot of work around cultural
David Boxer:
competency and making sure that staff are part of it, along with
David Boxer:
teachers. But we haven't really done a school wide work in a
David Boxer:
number of years around where technology can support the
David Boxer:
entire staff. And I think obviously, because of the social
David Boxer:
disruption that AI is offering, I think it's like more of a
David Boxer:
calling and a need than ever before.
Hiram Cuevas:
So Dave. What's interesting is, in your role as
Hiram Cuevas:
a CIO, how are you governing what AI tools your school is
Hiram Cuevas:
permitted to use, as opposed to everybody? Well, I'm using
Hiram Cuevas:
Claude, I'm using Gemini, I'm using chat GPT. How is Blake
Hiram Cuevas:
handling
David Boxer:
that? I'm going to offer a big caveat the friend I
David Boxer:
mentioned before, who I went visited at breakthrough in DC,
David Boxer:
who is now an assistant principal in the DC public
David Boxer:
schools, said something to me that has stuck with me for a
David Boxer:
number of years. She said, you know, David policies, from the
David Boxer:
district, when we have surveyed it make it to about 3% of the
David Boxer:
classrooms right? So, like, there's the reality of what a
David Boxer:
policy is right, and then there's the reality of what a
David Boxer:
practice actually looks like in the classroom. And I think,
David Boxer:
Hiram, you're asking a great question, right? So the senior
David Boxer:
admin team two years ago worked through developing a guideline
David Boxer:
set of guidelines for staff and for faculty, right, for all of
David Boxer:
our adults, because all the senior leadership team
David Boxer:
participated in that, right? We created, we had a general set of
David Boxer:
guidelines, and then when we realized was that there was
David Boxer:
different needs within each department. Not surprisingly, so
David Boxer:
we had in dependency for each department around specific needs
David Boxer:
and specific boundaries that we wanted to set, or different
David Boxer:
department leaders wanted to set. Then we asked each of the
David Boxer:
department leaders to make sure that they invited and had all
David Boxer:
their department members participate, and really sort of
David Boxer:
like deconstruct what the guidelines were, and then
David Boxer:
develop a set of scenarios of like ways in which they're
David Boxer:
applying what they're understanding the guidelines are
David Boxer:
to like real life examples. And then we maintain a software
David Boxer:
inventory across the whole school. We developed a looker
David Boxer:
report around school approved tools for employees really
David Boxer:
thinking around like data privacy issues, first and
David Boxer:
foremost, that was embedded into the guidelines. And then I think
David Boxer:
the reality is and so like lots of good work on the policy side,
David Boxer:
feel very proud of what we did on the policy side. But I think
David Boxer:
the whole point of developing some potentially seven PLCs for
David Boxer:
staff members next year, in conjunction with continuing to
David Boxer:
offer opportunities for teachers, is to really embed
David Boxer:
those practices so that there's a in depth understanding of
David Boxer:
like, here's why we've chosen this tool if you're going to use
David Boxer:
chat, GPT or cloud, here's the ways that are permissible.
David Boxer:
Here's the reason why it's not permissible based on the fact
David Boxer:
that you have a free license or a pro license, or, you know,
David Boxer:
because we don't have an enterprise or team license as a
David Boxer:
school. And here's why. And helping folks understand the
David Boxer:
same way that we all know that technology companies have
David Boxer:
developed products, and when those products are free, the
David Boxer:
products themselves aren't free because they're like, We're
David Boxer:
doing this for the general good of humanity. We're offering
David Boxer:
those products for free because we need humanity to be the
David Boxer:
product so that we can make the product better, right? And so
David Boxer:
just reminding folks that social media tools, free technology
David Boxer:
tools are based on different revenue models, and we have to
David Boxer:
be very thoughtful about how we interact with those particular
David Boxer:
tools or platforms, depending on what our needs are. And if
David Boxer:
you're going to use that third party tool that's not school
David Boxer:
approved, make sure you're anonymizing the data. Probably
David Boxer:
best yet to not even use those tools if you're using any sort
David Boxer:
of like student data, because you know the tools, as I keep
David Boxer:
saying, it's a rat race, right? And Gemini, six months ago,
David Boxer:
might not have been as good as chat GPT, but today might be
David Boxer:
better, like you probably won't get to that level of detail,
David Boxer:
that one general, large language model will be that much better
David Boxer:
than the other, better, just to develop best understanding
David Boxer:
within a tool such as Gemini or notebook for a particular use
David Boxer:
case or school approved tool. So I think that's where we are. We
David Boxer:
have a process. We cultivate that with every division every
David Boxer:
year talking about three tier levels of software support. AI
David Boxer:
is only one part of that process, and we do that with our
David Boxer:
department leaders and staff members as well.
Christina Lewellen:
I like that, and it seems like that's a more
Christina Lewellen:
sustainable approach, honestly, right? Because we are kind of
Christina Lewellen:
building the plane as we're flying it. So that makes a lot
Christina Lewellen:
of sense. Do you feel like this is capturing most of your
Christina Lewellen:
attention this summer? You know, I started by asking the guys
Christina Lewellen:
what they're working on this summer. You've now been at Blake
Christina Lewellen:
for 14 years. So how do you approach your summers and making
Christina Lewellen:
sure that you're stepping into the fall, into the school year,
Christina Lewellen:
feeling ready to tackle these issues that you're tackling
Bill Stites:
and outside of the tree house that you're in right
Bill Stites:
now? That's right. I think it's
David Boxer:
important for everyone listening to this pod
David Boxer:
to understand that today is July 3, the day before the Fourth of
David Boxer:
July. So if anyone is going to take a long holiday weekend in
David Boxer:
this role, this is the weekend to take.
Christina Lewellen:
This is the day we caught you on the day.
Christina Lewellen:
Yes,
David Boxer:
absolutely all right. So each year we literally
David Boxer:
work through a summer Kanban board that exists in a tool that
David Boxer:
you'll feel very familiar with within Asana, but also it exists
David Boxer:
as a physical representation. I'm very old school, like,
David Boxer:
you'll still see me with like, a pen and paper. All of my
David Boxer:
colleagues will, like, make fun of me. They're like, you kill so
David Boxer:
many trees. David, I
Christina Lewellen:
mean, I'm kind of like that too. I think
Christina Lewellen:
it's a marker of the generation, right? Like, I'm all about
Christina Lewellen:
Asana, but. I also have pen paper. I write in different
Christina Lewellen:
color pens depending on what the priority is, or whatever. And so
Christina Lewellen:
I just, I can't let go of that,
David Boxer:
yeah, and, you know, like, I'm really old
David Boxer:
fashioned, like, so we work through the whole combat board
David Boxer:
in Asana. We do some pre planning in early May. We launch
David Boxer:
it right after the school. We meet each week as a team for
David Boxer:
about 30 minutes talking about in the sin two foci, right?
David Boxer:
Fosa. Number one is, like, things that happened last week,
David Boxer:
like, went really well. Any lessons learned, right? We pull
David Boxer:
that into the comments of the asana board, and then we look
David Boxer:
for the week ahead. Like, what are the areas that are like,
David Boxer:
most important focus for this week? But here are other areas
David Boxer:
of time permits that we're going to get to. Obviously, we carry
David Boxer:
it over from week to week. If we don't you know how they move
David Boxer:
through both the planning stages, the doing stages and the
David Boxer:
done stages, and always aligning, of course, to sort of
David Boxer:
the swim lanes in the department. I think that ritual
David Boxer:
has been really great because we have a sense of, like, when
David Boxer:
we're going and where we're going, and what human resources
David Boxer:
that we'll need to provide at any given week. And then if
David Boxer:
there's any sort of, like potential conflict. You know,
David Boxer:
we're working out that together been a huge help this year. In
David Boxer:
particular, this summer, I keep mentioning to the team, like my
David Boxer:
Kanban part of the board is like, I will be co facilitating
David Boxer:
this summer curriculum grant this today, and then this one,
David Boxer:
two days from now. And so I have felt in a really nice way, but
David Boxer:
also like this, like sort of deep seated guilt, way that I'm
David Boxer:
like, Wow, I feel more removed this summer from the day to day
David Boxer:
operations, and I have in a long time, and I have more trust and
David Boxer:
a real sense of like, what's happening
Christina Lewellen:
based on the team, right? Sounds like you
Christina Lewellen:
have a great team. I do.
David Boxer:
I really feel very lucky about that. And I have
David Boxer:
felt like I can put energy onto sort of the academic side of the
David Boxer:
program in ways that typically don't happen in the summertime.
David Boxer:
And I think part of the way that we go into refresh into the
David Boxer:
school year is some folks, of course, are taking some summer
David Boxer:
time, not everyone. But I think one of the things that we try to
David Boxer:
do is we try to be really reasonable about what we can
David Boxer:
accomplish. Because, you know, folks in the IT world, at least,
David Boxer:
can sense this sense of like, but we didn't get as much done
David Boxer:
rather than like. Let's celebrate the things that were
David Boxer:
really important that got done and got done really well. That
David Boxer:
puts us in a great position of having a successful start and
David Boxer:
the school year, and I'm not having sleepless nights like
David Boxer:
when I first started this job, 14 years ago, in this particular
David Boxer:
moment, in part because of, as you just said, Kristina, the
David Boxer:
team, the team itself, is really where the magic happens.
Christina Lewellen:
And how about you? You're the CIO. So
Christina Lewellen:
what do you do for yourself to be ready?
David Boxer:
Well, there's a combination of taking and
David Boxer:
enjoying, like how the summer shifts, right? So I spend a lot
David Boxer:
more time biking between the two campuses than I can during the
David Boxer:
course of the school year, I spend time on the weekends, like
David Boxer:
canoeing, spending time with family, really trying to up my
David Boxer:
cocktail game with friends. So lots of good ways of recognizing
David Boxer:
that we have a busy summer, but I think much more focused and
David Boxer:
well paced. And then, as you have already mentioned spending
David Boxer:
a couple of days here over the Fourth of July with the family
David Boxer:
and some close friends up north, here in Minnesota, and having
David Boxer:
that time with family, for me is like a great recharge
Christina Lewellen:
moment. That's really awesome. So as we
Christina Lewellen:
start wrapping up our time with you today, one of my final
Christina Lewellen:
questions, if you were to look ahead, and especially given the
Christina Lewellen:
experience that you've had in your role for as long as you've
Christina Lewellen:
been there. What does a great school year look like like? What
Christina Lewellen:
would you hope for the coming school year? What does it look
Christina Lewellen:
like if it's a good one?
David Boxer:
I think if it's a great school year, most
David Boxer:
importantly, I would say that students, as you get a chance to
David Boxer:
talk with them, are like, ignited about what they're
David Boxer:
learning in and out of the classroom, right? Like they feel
David Boxer:
very much like they have caring adults who really know who they
David Boxer:
are, that they feel like they're in a community where they can be
David Boxer:
their full selves. I think then, of course, that's really
David Boxer:
important. Then in order to sustain that, care is making
David Boxer:
sure we're caring for our teachers. So like teachers
David Boxer:
themselves, feeling really curious, growing feeling like
David Boxer:
what they are leading in and out of the classroom is something
David Boxer:
that they feel sustained and cared for on the staff side or
David Boxer:
the IT side, team members will talk about feeling like they
David Boxer:
have accomplished a goal that they had set out, let's say,
David Boxer:
when we set our fall goals, and that they've been able to really
David Boxer:
see them through as we have like a cycle of both performance
David Boxer:
growth and performance management, where they feel like
David Boxer:
they have both met a departmental or institutional
David Boxer:
need, but also pursued potentially professional goal
David Boxer:
that will help the school, in the long run, an area that is a
David Boxer:
stretch goal for them. And I would say then, in terms of like
David Boxer:
our families, that they are feeling very much like the
David Boxer:
school serving the community in a way that each one of their
David Boxer:
children has grown into a much different young person than the
David Boxer:
start of the school year. I think really, when it comes down
David Boxer:
to, you know, I like to think of like the root word of education
David Boxer:
at akade, the root word and the definition of that. Is to come
David Boxer:
from within. And I think, in this day and age where
David Boxer:
information is more accessible than ever, helping students
David Boxer:
develop knowledge dispositions and understandings in a way that
David Boxer:
looks very different at the end of the year than the start of
David Boxer:
the year, and that they feel like they have grown as a young
David Boxer:
person or as a human being, that is, I think, the sign of a
David Boxer:
really good mirror. Priorities will shift, needs will shift.
David Boxer:
Things will come out of left field. That always will happen.
David Boxer:
But the resilience of a community, I think, really comes
David Boxer:
down to we're all very much mission aligned to what we do,
David Boxer:
which is to help grow and raise a next generation of young
David Boxer:
people who will grow and raise into good human beings and good
David Boxer:
adults. I
Christina Lewellen:
love that. Thank you for that. I want to
Christina Lewellen:
know what you guys would say to that too. I love that answer.
Christina Lewellen:
David bill and Hiram, what does a good school year look like for
Christina Lewellen:
you guys?
Hiram Cuevas:
I'd like to echo much of what David said. I think
Hiram Cuevas:
we are often surprised with how the students come in and then
Hiram Cuevas:
when they exit, how they've undergone this tremendous
Hiram Cuevas:
metamorphosis at the various stages, and we're all part of
Hiram Cuevas:
big schools. So we get to see the span across the Lower
Hiram Cuevas:
School, the middle school or the upper school. Then when they
Hiram Cuevas:
come back for alumni functions, it really is quite fascinating
Hiram Cuevas:
to see the overall metamorphosis and then realize how they've
Hiram Cuevas:
become just quality human beings
Bill Stites:
coming off of the summer, how do I know that I've
Bill Stites:
had a good school year? To be completely frank, is with all
Bill Stites:
the stuff that we do over the summer, if I'm bored by that
Bill Stites:
during the school year, I know it's going to be a good year,
Bill Stites:
because that means that all the work, all the effort that went
Bill Stites:
into, everything that we did during that time, this time that
Bill Stites:
we have now paid off and paid off? Well, all the pre planning
Bill Stites:
work, all the stuff that goes into it, left me in a position
Bill Stites:
where it is truly ubiquitous. It is just there. It's like air.
Bill Stites:
It's just happening. We're not thinking about it anymore. It
Bill Stites:
just simply works. So for me, that's how I judge a good school
Bill Stites:
year based on the projects that we've taken on, but you did
Bill Stites:
mention some David that I think is really important in terms of
Bill Stites:
a good school year is when we get to engage in those
Bill Stites:
conversations that are truly mission aligned, that are going
Bill Stites:
to improve teaching and learning and move the school forward, If
Bill Stites:
we've got time to dig into and work on those types of problems.
Bill Stites:
You know, I was really struck by the number of times that you
Bill Stites:
said the words problems of practice, the amount of time
Bill Stites:
that we can begin to then dig in on those things, because we're
Bill Stites:
not worried about the operational things that can
Bill Stites:
dominate what we do so frequently in this work, then I
Bill Stites:
know that we've had a successful summer and a successful school
Bill Stites:
year, is that when we're able to go deep on those questions and
Bill Stites:
those things that are really going to bring the biggest
Bill Stites:
meaning, I don't know any Latin, I don't know any root words to
Bill Stites:
any of the things I've just said, but when you can get to
Bill Stites:
That level of it, I think, is truly indicative of a good year.
Christina Lewellen:
Well, I really hope for all three of you
Christina Lewellen:
that your wishes and hopes for a good school year manifest. I
Christina Lewellen:
think they will, especially with leaders like you at the helm.
Christina Lewellen:
David, this has been such a pleasure to get to know you a
Christina Lewellen:
bit better and to also hear about all the great work you're
Christina Lewellen:
doing. What strikes me about this conversation is you just
Christina Lewellen:
spend so much time talking about and celebrating and lifting up
Christina Lewellen:
your team, and I really value that. So this has been an
Christina Lewellen:
incredibly satisfying and informational conversation. I'm
Christina Lewellen:
just so grateful that you carved out the time to do it. I have
David Boxer:
had such a good rip and again, really a huge fan of
David Boxer:
what the three of you are doing and learning so much from my
David Boxer:
peers in and out of the Atlas community because of it. So
David Boxer:
really appreciate the invitation to join.
Christina Lewellen:
Well with that. We'll let you get back to
Christina Lewellen:
the Fourth of July holiday. I hope you have a very lovely rest
Christina Lewellen:
of your summer and keep in touch with us on all these incredible
Christina Lewellen:
projects that you're doing.
Peter Frank:
This has been talking technology with Atlas,
Peter Frank:
produced by the Association of technology leaders in
Peter Frank:
independent schools. For more information about Atlas and
Peter Frank:
Atlas membership, please visit theatlas.org if you enjoyed this
Peter Frank:
discussion, please subscribe, leave a review and share this
Peter Frank:
podcast with your colleagues in the independent school
Peter Frank:
community, thank you for listening. You.
