Chips and Chalk

Every school district has a rock nobody wants to turn over. You know… the one crawling with forgotten switches, aging servers, mystery devices, budget-eating surprises, and cybersecurity bugs nobody knew were there. 🪳 In this episode of Chips & Chalk, we're lifting the rock and exposing what happens when K–12 districts don't maintain an accurate technology inventory. From budget nightmares and poor planning to security vulnerabilities and equipment that's long past its expiration date, we're talking about the creepy crawlies hiding in your infrastructure. Because if you don't know what you own, you don't know what could be lurking underneath. Go ahead. Lift the rock. Just don't be surprised by what crawls out.

The end of summer in K–12 technology isn’t exactly a slow landing. It’s a full-speed sprint from summer projects, device deployments, system upgrades, and last-minute fixes straight into the chaos of the first day of school. And somewhere in the middle of it all, the people making it happen are running on empty.

In this episode of Chips & Chalk, we’re talking directly to the people behind the scenes who make the first day possible. The final push is here. You’ve done the preparation. You’ve put in the hours. Now let’s get through the finish line together—and remember that the people who make the first day possible deserve a little support, too.

In this episode of Chips & Chalk, we explore intentional readiness: protecting safety and security first, enabling instruction, and making responsible tradeoffs when staffing and time are limited. Drawing from opening school experience, we share how to build a leadership-aligned readiness list, use evidence to challenge assumptions, and apply choice architecture to move beyond “yes” to every request.

From kindergarten devices that were not used until October to supported workarounds and scheduled delays, this episode explains why readiness is not a completed checklist and why planning must begin in March or April, not halfway through summer.

A great software demo can make anything look easy, but the real work starts after the contract is signed. In this episode of Chips & Chalk, Adam explores why successful K-12 technology projects are not won by flashy features or polished presentations. They are won through leadership, clear project ownership, disciplined scope management, effective communication, and operational excellence.

Using Disney as an unexpected leadership analogy, this episode looks behind the scenes at what really creates the "magic" of a successful implementation. Whether you are evaluating a new student information system, planning an AI initiative, refreshing devices, or leading a district-wide technology rollout, this episode will help you focus on what truly determines success long after the demo ends.

When technology fails, communication becomes your most important tool.

In this episode of Chips & Chalk, we discuss how effective communication impacts every aspect of K–12 technology leadership.

We'll explore why silence creates panic, how misinformation spreads faster than facts, and how technology leaders can build trust before problems occur. We'll also share practical communication frameworks that help administrators, teachers, students, parents, and boards stay informed when things don't go according to plan.

When students leave for summer break, the real work begins.

In this episode of Chips & Chalk, Adam takes listeners behind the scenes of what it takes to prepare a 4,000-student school district, five schools, two administrative buildings, and thousands of devices with a seven-person technology team in just 56 working days.

From classroom maintenance and device refreshes to infrastructure upgrades, SIS and LMS rollovers, new device deployments, stadium technology, safety systems, and opening-day readiness, this is a candid look at the operational reality of K–12 technology leadership.

Summer isn't about having time off. It's about balancing priorities, managing risk, protecting schedules, and making sure students and staff walk into a learning environment that simply works.

Whether you're a technology director, technician, superintendent, principal, or operations leader, you'll find practical lessons, planning strategies, and a real-world summer readiness checklist you can use in your own district.

And remember: the public sees the first day of school. Technology leaders see the six months that made it possible.

Your district's technology operation may be working, but is it sustainable? We discuss hero culture, technical debt, staffing, business risk, technology audits, and why some school systems are only one resignation away from discovering their biggest operational vulnerabilities.

Document cameras may be the most overlooked — and most consistently effective — tool in modern classrooms.

While edtech chases AI, dashboards, gamification, and the next flashy platform, document cameras continue quietly supporting instruction every single day with almost no friction, minimal support overhead, and enormous instructional flexibility.

In this episode of Chips & Chalk, we break down why document cameras remain instructional powerhouses in K-12 education. From cognitive load theory and visible learning research to kindergarten engagement, student-centered instruction, synchronous learning, accessibility, ROI vs. VOI, and why sometimes the best technology for the job is a familiar friend.

Modern schools run on digital systems, hosted vendors, cloud platforms, and nonstop expectations. But when something breaks, whether it’s a snow day notification, a vendor outage, a login issue, or a workflow failure, everything somehow ends up in IT.

In this episode of Chips & Chalk, we break down how K–12 districts accidentally turn technology departments into operational black holes where ownership disappears, blame gets centralized, and support teams absorb the pressure for systems they often don’t fully control.

From hosted mass notification failures and concierge-level service expectations to staffing misalignment, vendor accountability, dashboards like StatusGator, and the dangerous phrase “I’m not technical,” this episode dives into the operational realities school leaders need to understand in modern digital ecosystems.

Because if every problem eventually lands on IT…the organization stops solving problems correctly.

From the PowerSchool breach to the Naviance settlement and growing AI concerns, this episode of Chips & Chalk explores the uncomfortable reality of modern K-12 technology: student data is everywhere.

We discuss vendor risk, privacy certifications, breach notifications families may never actually see, cloud vs. on-prem debates, and why districts often have little leverage against massive EdTech ecosystems.

Because when the average student may interact with dozens of apps every year…

who actually has access to their data anymore?