2026 TETL Summer Conference

Districts invest heavily in EdTech, yet many tools fail to gain meaningful classroom adoption. This session explores the implementation gap between purchasing technology and using it effectively. Participants will examine common barriers to adoption and learn practical strategies to build sustainable systems that support teachers, align with instruction, and increase usage. Designed for technology leaders seeking to move beyond tools and focus on long-term impact.
Additional Information 
This session is informed by direct experience supporting EdTech implementation in a 1:1 high school environment that serves more than 2,000 students and 250 staff members. My work focuses on the gap between purchasing technology and achieving meaningful classroom use. Attendees will leave with a practical framework for improving adoption through instructional alignment, support structures, and implementation monitoring. This perspective is especially relevant for technology leaders seeking stronger returns on digital learning investments.
Essential Skill
Leadership & Vision

Speaker: Elijah Goins, Co-founder , ErateSync Beverly Sutherland Co-founder ErateSync
E-Rate is entering a new era. What does that mean, and what are the details? We'll cover everything you need to know about the E-Rate Program Review and the changes coming in FY2027.
From there, we'll get operational. What trends are we seeing nationwide, and what can CTOs and Technology Directors learn from them to make the most out of E-Rate? We'll look at the patterns that separate districts that maximize their funding from districts that leave it behind.

Ransomware is increasingly targeting schools, turning simple gaps into major disruptions. In this 30‑minute session, we’ll break down how attacks actually happen across K‑12 schools—from initial access (often via compromised credentials or phishing) to lateral movement and full network impact.
Using real-world examples, we’ll highlight why schools are especially vulnerable and where attackers are consistently succeeding. Most importantly, we’ll focus on practical, high‑impact defenses schools can implement today—covering prevention, detection, and response strategies that don’t require large budgets or complex tools.
Attendees will leave with a clear, actionable understanding of how to reduce risk and better protect their environments against modern ransomware threats.

On January 1, 2026, the Texas Responsible AI Governance Act (TRAIGA) changed the landscape for every district in the state. This session provides a collaborative space for tech leaders to curate the essential policy updates, notice requirements, and risk management frameworks required for 2026 compliance. We will distill complex state mandates into a "District Support Toolkit" ready to share with TETL members statewide.

Essential Skill
Leadership & Vision; Strategic Planning; Ethics & Policies

La Vega ISD's technology department set out to fix school-family communication. What they built, over years of doing that work, was trust. Families responded. Attendance improved. The tech team became architects of real change. This session tells that story through district-wide data showing what happens when schools move from mass notifications to the right message reaching the right family at the right time. Come ready to think differently about what your tech team can do.




Additional Information 
Key Takeaways

1. Early family engagement at the start of the year predicts responsiveness all year long. When you reach out first, families show up.
2. When and how to send messages that produce measurably better outcomes than mass outreach.
3. Technology teams are well-positioned to lead family communication strategy, not just manage the tools.
4. This is a vendor agnostic presentation

Essential Skill
Communication Systems; Data Management; Leadership & Vision

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.

As AI rapidly changes education, school systems must move beyond tools and focus on people. Students, staff, and families all have unique questions, concerns, and opportunities related to AI. In this session, we will share how intentional communication, training, and community engagement can help build confidence and understanding across an entire district. Topics will include student AI frameworks, professional learning for staff, parent education through PTA and community meetings, and strategies for aligning AI use with district goals and values.

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