Van ISD was faced with a unique challenge of providing a space for STEM learning on all of its campuses. With classroom space being limited, the answer was to build a STEAM Bus. Come and see how the process unfolded from start to finish and see the finished project for yourself! Additional Information A great session for anyone planning to pursue their own bus project or any other venture that may be viewed as too grandiose for a public school system. We will talk about ways to build support for such projects amongst your stakeholders. Essential Skill Leadership & Vision; Strategic Planning; Instructional Focus & Professional Development; Team Building & Staffing
What does the next generation of school communications look like? In this session, we’ll explore how AI and automation are transforming how K-12 manages safety, communication, and daily operations. We’ll also highlight how our integrated tools are shaping the future of connected and responsive schools.
Rose Garcia Northside ISD Jacob Infante Minerva Cooperwood
Budget cuts? No problem! Discover the "Force Multiplier" blueprint that saved our district's tech support during a hiring freeze. Northside ISD’s two largest divisions, IT Support Services and Training & Development, fused their teams with radical transparency and next-level cross-training. We didn't just survive—we created a more cohesive, high-efficiency support experience for every teacher! Learn our exact strategies for unified ticketing, resource sharing, and communication that are now our new standard for excellence. Additional Information The Challenge In an era of increasing budget deficits and hiring freezes, school districts often face the impossible choice between scaling back services or risking staff burnout. At Northside ISD, we refused to accept these as our only two options. When traditional operations became unsustainable, we transformed our IT Support and Training & Development departments from siloed entities into a unified, cross-functional "Force Multiplier." The Solution This session moves beyond the "what" of collaboration to dive into the "how" of evolving organizational strategy. By treating Communication as Infrastructure, we established a framework for radical transparency and synchronized team deployments. Attendees will explore the strategies we used to align departmental priorities and maintain classroom uptime during high-pressure windows, such as start-of-year distributions, despite significant staffing impacts. The Participant Experience Designed for technology leaders and district stakeholders, this interactive session provides a practical toolkit for Collaborative Leadership. Participants will audit their own departmental structures to identify "redundant friction points" and service gaps. We will share an adaptable Support Blueprint that helps instructional staff assist with common technical hurdles while equipping technical staff to provide "just-in-time" classroom support—maximizing on-site efficiency without increasing headcount. The Impact Attendees will walk away with a framework for shifting their departments from reactive troubleshooting to a proactive, sustainable standard of excellence. This session offers alternative supports for any district looking to maintain—and even improve—the customer experience in the face of budgetary unknowns. Essential Skill Leadership & Vision; Strategic Planning; Communication Systems; Team Building & Staffing
