For 2026, I propose a radical change for EdTech provision in K-12 Schools— actual, sustained collaboration between IT, Admin, Teacher and Integration teams.

Even more outlandish? The work has nothing to do with “thought leadership”, “growth, now!” or “coaching/fixing” people.

The space I’m working to change is the shadowy side of things where the “tech bro and sister” sun doesn’t shine because of the absence of deliberate, collaborative work in:

• Cultivating collective cross functional efficacy across the community, the #1 correlate of student achievement growth.
• Moving beyond “problem solving” to building collaborative, “problem finding ” culture instead.
• Identifying and removing gumption traps and bottlenecks that drain teacher time and energy
• Illuminating the rube-goldbergian, internal systems yak shaving on administrative systems that create shadow work for teachers.
• Building computationally kind infrastructure that delights in its consistency of function because its design was aided by those who need to use it, up front.

Interestingly, none of these are really “technology problems” at all, and they’re not solved by the approaches “Tech Coaches” typically use as they’re not about “tool training”– they’re collaboration challenges wearing technology masks. 

The Synergist Project is a deeply human, context flexible protocol and set of role-defining resources for transforming how individuals and teams within educational communities collaborate and learn together to build collective cross functional efficacy. The work defines the “how” of digital transformation work regardless of the “what” of objectives, goals, platforms, devices, & software.  

Drawing on established systems frameworks (ISTE, MIT Center for System Awareness, Senge’s 5th Discipline @ learning organizations) the Synergist Protocol makes an original contribution by organically integrating and applying these “elements” to the specific archetypes & challenges in the K-12 technology integration space.

You can further convince yourself of the need for a better way in solving the “EdTech value delivery problem” at synergistprotocol.com.

You get the free resources to begin implementing the work at edtechsynergist.com.

Happy New Year!