https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/ en https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/09/agentic-ai-k12-it-help-desk-support The reality of K–12 IT teams is that most are very small — and, as a result, stretched thin. More than half of K–12 districts say they’re understaffed for everyday classroom technical support needs. On a given day, technicians may handle dozens of support requests for password resets, basic device troubleshooting, network connectivity issues, broken devices and more. When a district’s technical needs outweigh its team’s capacity to support it, something has to give. The solution? Agentic artificial intelligence. Agentic AI isn’t here to replace IT staff. Instead, it gives small departments a… Fri, 04 Sep 2026 15:30:42 -0400 Tom Ashley https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/09/agentic-ai-k12-it-help-desk-support https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/09/beyond-graduation-how-school-data-can-prepare-students-careers All too often, students reach their junior year of high school with only a vague notion of what they want to do after they graduate. Waiting until graduation is within reach to begin college and career conversations can leave both the students and counselors feeling rushed and out of time. Districts that are already using data to inform decisions have pivoted to using this information to improve the post-graduation experience for students. “The innovative shift is moving away from a generic ‘here’s a list of colleges’ approach and toward tracking students longitudinally,” says Eric Crespo,… Thu, 03 Sep 2026 12:17:24 -0400 Alexandra Shimalla https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/09/beyond-graduation-how-school-data-can-prepare-students-careers https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/09/technology-didnt-transform-these-classrooms-relationships-did The conversation around educational technology often begins with the tools. Gallup-McKinley County Schools in northwestern New Mexico started with something else entirely: relationships. The district’s Heritage Language and Culture teachers were hired for their expertise in Navajo culture and the Diné language. Many entered teaching through nontraditional pathways, with varying levels of formal preparation in pedagogy and experience integrating instructional technology. For the last two and a half years, the Northwest Council for Computer Education has partnered with the HLC teachers to… Wed, 02 Sep 2026 16:42:32 -0400 Diane Harrington, Maria Turner https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/09/technology-didnt-transform-these-classrooms-relationships-did https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/09/hybrid-cloud-k-12-what-should-live-where Before the beginning of each school year, teachers spend time getting their classrooms ready for students. Everything has its place, from whiteboards to pens, pencils and pushpins. With the adoption of cloud computing by school districts, the IT departments of K–12 schools also must figure out what goes where, but on a much larger level. Many districts operate in hybrid cloud environments, where some data and applications reside on servers that are on-premises and others reside with public cloud providers. It’s not a decision that should be taken lightly. Click the banner below to see how a… Fri, 04 Sep 2026 17:53:15 -0400 Joel Keller https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/09/hybrid-cloud-k-12-what-should-live-where https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/08/how-run-successful-k-12-ed-tech-pilot-program-perfcon Adopting new technology across a school district is a significant investment that’s hard to reverse if the rollout misses the mark. A pilot program can mitigate the risks by first launching a small-scale, time-limited test of a technology tool with a defined group of users before committing to full schoolwide or districtwide adoption. “A pilot helps districts validate that a solution will work in their unique environment and determine if it will integrate with the rest of their ed tech ecosystem and instructional practices,” says Kris Astle, learning and adoption manager at SMART Technologies… Thu, 27 Aug 2026 10:01:30 -0400 Nancy Mann Jackson https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/08/how-run-successful-k-12-ed-tech-pilot-program-perfcon https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/08/chromebook-classroom-management-strategy-k-12-it-teams-perfcon Even as post-ESSER budgets tighten, Chromebook fleets are still growing. And with large device fleets comes more management and maintenance complexity. To manage these devices effectively, IT directors and district administrators in K–12 must understand the Google Admin console, mobile device management options and physical device workflows. Here, we dive into those areas to help districts make informed decisions about their Chromebook device management strategies. Click the banner below to discover how CDW can help your district manage its entire device fleet. Wed, 26 Aug 2026 15:40:35 -0400 Adam Stone https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/08/chromebook-classroom-management-strategy-k-12-it-teams-perfcon https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/08/intentional-professional-development-supports-technology-investments K–12 districts aren’t slowing down on technology investments. U.S. schools spent an estimated $30 billion on ed tech in 2024, a figure that is expected to nearly double by 2033. But even the smartest investments can succeed only if the people they’re meant for actually use them. Too often, planning focuses on procurement and rollout, but skips a critical component of implementation: professional development.  The CoSN 2026 Driving K–12 Innovation Report emphasizes the importance of professional development as a critical component of building up leaders in school settings: “When schools… Tue, 25 Aug 2026 14:33:00 -0400 Janice Mertes https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/08/intentional-professional-development-supports-technology-investments https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/08/finding-funding-network-modernization-k-12-schools Some ed tech gets a lot of hype; it’s easy to get excited about esports setups, one-to-one device upgrades and artificial intelligence. But the infrastructure that makes all of that possible is often an afterthought. Modern network infrastructure is a building block for a modern classroom. If your network isn’t upgraded to support these projects, they are going to fail. Districts preparing to modernize must ask the unglamorous question first: Is the network ready? If not, they can build an upgrade plan with a funding strategy that supports the infrastructure that makes the new technology… Mon, 24 Aug 2026 12:26:50 -0400 Dave LeNard, Amy Passow https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/08/finding-funding-network-modernization-k-12-schools https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/08/why-every-k-12-leader-should-be-paying-attention-e-rate-funding-right-now For nearly three decades, E-Rate has made connectivity and network infrastructure accessible for even the smallest and most rural schools. Now, the Federal Communications Commission is taking another look at the program and deciding whether it should continue in its current form. The reason? Leaders have raised questions about whether screen time on E-Rate–funded networks can be tied to educational purposes, especially in light of school board concerns about screen time. Our team at CDW has been talking to K–12 districts about E-Rate for years, and lately we've been hearing that school… Fri, 21 Aug 2026 16:07:09 -0400 Amy Passow, Dave LeNard https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/08/why-every-k-12-leader-should-be-paying-attention-e-rate-funding-right-now https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/08/when-house-breakfix-works-and-when-call-backup Virtually every school district has it: A closet, back room or office corner cluttered with broken devices that nobody has time to fix. What felt manageable when a device fleet was a year or two old can quickly become overwhelming as Chromebooks, laptops and tablets age and begin needing maintenance or repairs. When K–12 IT teams are already working at maximum capacity and wearing multiple hats, device repairs and hardware maintenance can be one of the tasks that gets pushed to the backburner. But hardware downtime can hinder classroom learning and teacher efficiency, and district budgets can… Thu, 20 Aug 2026 11:58:27 -0400 Dena Harris https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/08/when-house-breakfix-works-and-when-call-backup