CoSN IT Leader Spotlight: Kley Todd

In partnership with CoSN, eSchool News is highlighting the innovative and dedicated work of IT leaders in school districts across the country.

The spotlight is on Kley Todd, Assistant Director for Technology Integration in Virginia’s Albemarle County Public Schools.

1. What is your biggest IT challenge today?

Our biggest challenge is currently ensuring that our instructional technology resources and curricular outcomes are delivered equitably to all students, in such as way that they work to close and not expand achievement gaps.

2. What project, initiative, or accomplishment are you most proud of?

I am most proud of how our learning technology team has collaboratively worked to develop an in-house technology survey which is used to specifically generate data round the needs of our students and teachers in terms of which technologies best support their learning. This survey was designed to be filter-able along various student academic and demographic lines, so that we can determine which technologies have the greatest impact on student engagement and closing achievement gaps.

I’m also quite proud of our digital equity report, which uses data to make recommendations on technologies to our various division departments

3. What are your top 3 priorities over the next few years?

Instructionally: Closing achievement gaps through effective technology integration and leveraging AI in the classroom while teaching towards it’s potential pitfalls.

IT: Increasing cybersecurity threat readiness.

4. Technology evolves at such a high rate–what are some of the school IT innovations you see coming down the pipeline, and which are you most excited for?

Artificial intelligence as it applies to shifting the landscape of learning, while also preparing students to use it ethically.

5. What advice would you give to other school IT leaders and school IT teams?

Collaborate with instructional leaders! As technology leaders, it can be easy to become bogged down by the “IT” aspects of our role and lose sight of the larger mission of education. Sometimes, the unique nature of working for schools requires that we think differently and in more diverse ways to meet diverse student needs. Always create pathways to keep instruction and students in the conversation.

For more news on IT leadership and innovation, visit eSN’s IT Leadership page.