The right team, professional development and buy-in are essential to transformative digital learning, according to leaders of some of the largest K–12 school districts in the U.S. During a panel discussion at 1EdTech’s Learning Impact Conference in Anaheim this summer, distinguished educators shed light on their districts’ digital transformations and emphasized the crucial role of collaboration, professional development and buy-in to ensure the effective integration of technology and curriculum.
Upskill Leadership
Tara Carrozza, director of the Digital Learning Initiative (DLI) for New York City Public Schools, highlighted the importance of upskilling leadership to match the pace of technological advancements. She emphasized that ‘If we want to make informed decisions to sustainably transform education, our leaders must have authentic knowledge and skills in technology.” To achieve this, Carrozza’s district is streamlining platforms, tools and curriculum choices to develop a unified digital learning ecosystem. The district is committed to equipping leaders with the necessary expertise to sustainably transform education.
Foster Collaboration
Reflecting on Chicago Public Schools’ Skyline project, a universal preK-12 digital curriculum, Kara Thorstenson, director of digital learning and libraries for Chicago Public Schools, emphasized the significance of assembling the right team from various departments. Collaborative efforts, interdisciplinary workstreams and unified goals were instrumental in driving progress. Thorstenson explained, “We pulled in different departments, had interdisciplinary workstreams, procurement, e-teaching and learning, and we were all pulling in the same direction.”
Shana Rafalski, chief of staff for Clark County School District, emphasized that despite contextual variations in challenges, the key to finding solutions lies in fostering collaboration among diverse teams. Rafalski stated, “Problems in context can be different, but the solutions are usually the same, and that is finding a team that works together to create a plan, monitor the plan and react to the results.” By cultivating a shared vision, coordinating efforts and diligently monitoring outcomes, educational leaders can effectively address obstacles and achieve desired results. Rafalski highlighted her district’s use of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds to invest in a district-wide curriculum while also focusing on analyzing the efficacy of the implemented changes.
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