State and district leaders are leaving the 2026 Future of Education Technology Conference with bold ideas and “emerging practices” that they hope will bridge the gap between rapidly advancing edtech tools and reality.
One issue leaders highlighted is the speed of change in AI. The landscape can shift in as little as 12 to 24 hours, says Matthew Winters, AI specialist for the Utah State Board of Education. Attending conferences like FETC is vital for getting a “finger on the pulse” of global trends to integrate in his home state.
Meanwhile, the state board remains focused on its research-based Portraits of an AI-Infused Educator and Learner, which outline the foundations for future-ready learning with AI. Winters says this project is guiding many of his conversations at the conference.
“The document is the first of its kind as far as we know,” he says. “It’s not about new skills, but actually reinforcing the skills that have existed in education for a long time, like collaboration and critical thinking.”
In the superintendency, tech enthusiasts like John Federline rely on their tech directors to keep from adopting emerging tools like AI too quickly.
“AI is just moving at a speed faster than we could keep up with it for kids and for our teachers,” he says. “Our teachers have some concerns, not only about things like cheating, but is this going to be a replacement.”
Federline doesn’t believe technology can ever replace the personal relationships teachers form with students and colleagues.
“Leading through change is always a challenge,” he notes. “But one of the most important things you can do in leading through change is get stakeholder input and make sure that everybody has a seat at the table, including students, to make sure that what we are doing is not going to adversely affect them in the future.”
Superintendents like Federline and New Jersey’s Central Regional School District Michelle CarneyRay-Yoder attend conferences like FETC and the District Administration Leadership Institute to connect with other superintendents who are finding solutions to common challenges.
CarneyRay-Yoder, a self-described “tech geek,” also sees FETC as an opportunity to find tools that allow students to “create their own story.” She says new technology allows educators to move away from less engaging tools such as worksheets.
“I want teachers to have opportunities for 15 to 20 minutes in their 80-minute blocks where students are moving and feeling engaged and excited about learning,” she says. She adds that “organized chaos” is a sign of a highly engaged classroom.
A major priority for her in 2026 is to use technology to streamline the district’s multi-tiered systems of support, allowing staff to see students as individuals rather than just test scores. While she is eager for change, she says that integration must be thoughtful so it does not become “one more thing” for veteran teachers to manage.
“I know how important it is to see students as individuals, and a lot of times in education we operate in hypotheticals,” she says. “I don’t want to operate in hypotheticals. I want to know how students are doing academically, not just through their test scores.”
More from DA: 5 more AI prompts every administrator should know
