With the surge of education technology tools came a surge of new challenges and responsibilities for K12 IT professionals. From bolstering cybersecurity to providing professional development opportunities for teachers, it’s safe to say tech leaders have had their hands full these past several years. Now, new research outlines the challenges such leaders expect to overcome in 2024.
A new survey from Incident IQ, a workflow management platform for K12 schools, offers new perspectives from the Technology Leadership Council, a group of 30 technology leaders from around the country who are “selected to provide insight and expertise regarding the forces that are shaping the next generation of K12 support tools,” according to a news release.
The survey predicts a surge in IT asset management workload in 2024, and tech leaders must be ready to respond. Ninety percent of tech leaders surveyed expect their asset inventories to grow this year. However, a fair share anticipates budget cuts in their IT departments (48%).
“Even as we remain committed to providing districts with all the tech support they need, the reality is that today, IT leaders may have to do more with less,” Assistant Director of Technology Support at Mukilteo School District Sarah Lawrence said in a statement. “To meet these growing demands, we’ll have to shift our processes and platforms to focus on workflow technology that is efficient, cost-effective and streamlined.”
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Despite these hurdles, tech leaders remain committed to their mission to help students learn through edtech. For instance, nearly three-fourths (73%) of survey respondents said maintaining device access for students is important this school year. Furthermore, 87% indicated sustaining 1:1 initiatives at their current levels is also a top priority for 2024.
Additional findings
The Technology Leadership Council was also asked to outline some of the challenges and issues that “keep them up at night.” Take a look at their list below and see if you can relate to their concerns:
- 75% of leaders named device loss/breakage as their biggest challenge for student devices in 2023.
- 78% of leaders said cybersecurity threats keep them up at night. Another 61% cited concerns surrounding staff shortages.
- 44% of leaders said they won’t be able to sustain their current staffing levels over the next three years.
“Our survey participants have highlighted a major trend for 2024, which is the need for a laser focus on operational efficiencies and program sustainability,” CEO of Incident IQ R.T. Collins said in a statement.
