Yet these two superintendents are also the best we have seen at integrating technology into the operations of their districts. Many administrators may look on this as having to handle just another set of issues where they lack a lot of personal experience, like finding a contractor to repair the school roof. But this is different. Managing technology is not like patching a hole. It requires leadership.
Challenges here are new, and questions posed sometimes appear as paradoxes without answers.
Realistically, it takes five years from the first budget request until hardware and software components have been acquired, everything is wired and major systems are operating. Along the way there are political and organizational hurdles to overcome in keeping funds flowing and the roll-out on schedule. There is limited knowledge in educational organizations about how to choose, implement and use technology. There are fewer established practices on how to use technology effectively. Superintendents did not learn how to work with technology as part of their coming up through the ranks, and most do not know how to manage it strategically across all levels and functions.