The 2023 CoSN survey found that 55 percent of K-12 technology leaders have a background in education or leadership. And in a conversation with 1,100 technology leaders, opening session keynote speaker Susan Enfield, former Washoe County School District and Highline Public Schools superintendent, explained: Leadership means committing to the task of serving children. But I think it’s bigger than that. It must be a commitment to developing fellow leaders. ”
She added that truly creative and innovative leaders take risks to do the right thing for children. They also need to work on “making our lives harder.”
“When are you going to step up and join me?” I asked. @SuptEnfieldpoints out the importance of taking risks to be innovative and creative, and doing so at a fast pace. #k12. #futureeducation #edchat pic.twitter.com/WIKaXHwatj
— EdTech K–12 Magazine (@EdTech_K12) April 8, 2024
And while it is critical that all K-12 students see themselves as part of a leadership structure, mentorship and sponsorship are critical to earning formal leadership titles. said Enfield.
“Mentoring is very important, but it’s really more guidance, advice and conversation, and sponsorship is an action,” she explained. “So sponsorship requires actually using your political capital to advance a colleague’s career. Advocating for someone to fill the role puts your reputation at risk. It will expose you.”
Related: Educational leaders share insights after transitioning to educational technology.
The importance of mentorship and sponsorship was also cited as a driving force in supporting women to become CTOs. At the Women’s Technology Breakfast, Ivy Nelson, instructional technology manager for Belton School District 124, shared her doctoral research on what’s holding back female CTOs in K-12 schools. . Those she interviewed revealed that sponsors provided a much-needed boost to aspiring female CTOs.
Nelson also found that professional networks, self-efficacy, a growth mindset, and family support are helpful.
“Our main finding is that self-efficacy and a growth mindset can alleviate external forces,” she said. “So how do you overcome sexism and prejudice when faced with it? Let’s have the mindset that setbacks are temporary problems that can be overcome. We can strategize and overcome them. You can find a way to overcome it.”
This resilient mindset is especially valuable for breaking down silos. Kelly Mae Vollmer, former CTO and current superintendent of the Desert Sands Unified School District, spoke with Enfield on stage as part of her keynote address and shared the importance of being bold and fearless in making change. did.
“If you’re still working in a siled district, you have to say enough is enough,” she says. “It absolutely has a negative impact on our students every day, so we have to work hard until it goes away. We can’t do our best job and serve our students if we work in silos. You can’t. So just keep pushing and pushing until you can change that.”
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