Given the fact that technology leaders frequently are not held in very high esteem by those at the highest levels in their district, what can they do to change this sorry state of affairs?

The solution to this issue goes far beyond making certain that the district's technology works and is current. In this spirit, I offer the following suggestions as guides to enhance your status as a technology leader in your district during the upcoming year.

Visit more schools

Your effectiveness as a technology leader will always be limited by your understanding of what is taking place in your district's schools and the support you receive from the schools. Nothing will help you both increase your understanding and gain the necessary support than leaving your office and visiting the schools.

See firsthand how schools are using and supporting your technology. Talk to principals, teachers, technology specialists and students. Log into some computers that your staff says always work well. See if the system you developed is all that you think it is.

While this strategy is particularly necessary for those who have come to work in K-12 from other work environments, it should not be neglected by those who have spent their entire careers in education, for things may have changed since you last took a field trip to some schools.

Research the essential skills you need

The Consortium of School Networking (CoSN) has recently revised its Framework of Essential Skills of the K-12 CTO (chief technology officer) to follow recent trends in the private sector. The framework now focuses less on the technical skills required by technology leaders while increasing the emphasis on strategic skills such as leadership, fiscal management and organization.

For those currently in technology leadership positions or those who wish to assume such positions in the future, reading and studying this is a must. Without getting into any detail about it, I will say that some of you may be in for quite a shock when you see the breadth of non-technology skills that are expected of technology leaders. In some ways, the framework is beginning to institutionalize the difference between the "techie" and the "technologist."
 

Behave in a thoughtful, serious manner

In other words, don't be an advocate for every new technology or technological device that comes down the pipe. Similarly, be careful about using phrases such as "revolutionize" (as in this will revolutionize education) or "research has shown" (as in research has shown that test scores improved two grade levels after using this technology for three months).

Also, when referring to the cost of goods or services, never use the term "only" (as in it only costs $50 per student). This term is a red light to members of the financial team in the best of times, while under the current economic conditions is a signal that you are not to be taken seriously (as in how many books can we purchase with that only $50 per student?).

Over the last several years, a number of districts have raised the status of technology leaders by placing them on the superintendent's cabinet or executive council, while in many others the status of technology leadership remains as it has for the last 20 years, as a secondary support unit. My guess is that those who have filled these upgraded positions have gone far beyond techie.