How a superintendent can see the tech perspective
Superintendents often forget how their goals and priorities are perceived in other departments and sectors within their districts. That is why this leader believes other administrators could benefit from events like the Future of Education Technology Conference for cross-sector collaboration.
Rush-Henrietta Central School District Superintendent and FETC featured speaker Dr. Barbara Mullen has the “good fortune” of being married to a technology services professional. She has seen firsthand the challenges that impact the tech sector.
“I’ve been given a front row seat to the technical issue that other sectors are dealing with, which those of us in education come to realize a little late in the game,” she says. “We wait until something breaks or something’s wrong until we ask the important questions.”
This concept is central to many of her sessions, which she will present in January at FETC, including:
- Leveraging Board Relations for Innovation and Rapid Growth
- Healing Centered Leadership in Schools: Human Centered Approach to AI Adoption
- Tech Use for Purpose; Not Popularity
She’s particularly excited about the “Leveraging Board Relations” session, where attendees will obtain strategies for managing rapid innovation and integration.
Case studies will be analyzed to uncover best practices for scaled tech adoptions, curricular alignment and change management.
“Every stakeholder group is coming into the AI integration conversation at different moments, and with different vantage points,” Mullen says.
In Ohio, for example, a new law requires school districts to adopt an artificial intelligence policy by July 1, 2026. The nation is waking up to AI’s potential in education, and now is the time for leaders to invest in conversations and innovation, Mullen says.
“I believe this is the right moment to think about what an AI policy means to leaders,” she says. “What does it need to look like, and how can boards be prepared to think about policy work and how relationships with community stakeholders come together to create a robust AI integration strategy rather than just a policy?”
Looking ahead to FETC, Mullen says she’s excited to get closer to the folks who are putting in the work on the ground.
“As a superintendent, I sit at the 10,000-foot level,” she explains. “I am always interested to see how other teachers, other tech directors, folks who are across sectors are thinking about this work.”
“I hope that folks leave my sessions with the feeling that the technical piece is not only part of a very strong strategy, but the people matter just as much.”
