Featured CoSN IT Leader: Lisa Higgins

In partnership with CoSN, eSchool News highlights the innovative and dedicated work of IT leaders in school districts across the country.

This month, the spotlight is on Tennessee CTO Lisa Higgins Collierville Schools.

1. What is your biggest IT challenge today?

Cybersecurity, for us, is the biggest challenge. The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) has begun an evaluation of more than 150 controls at various levels. As one of three districts to pilot the program, completing the survey was an hours-long process completed as a team. Additionally, in order to apply for a grant, a second survey of similar duration is also required. While extensive, the state assessment highlighted areas where we have opportunities for growth; It also made it evident that cybersecurity is not just a function of technology. After our team completed the TDOE assessment, we identified several controls that, without the help and support of other departments, we knew could not be achieved. We established conversations with Finance, Human Resources, the Department of Exceptional Children, Curriculum and Operations. This was a significant boost because all departments were willing to help and raised awareness about the need for cybersecurity measures in general. As a result, we have made progress in several areas, including MFA, examining vendor security, and adding measures to ensure student and staff data remains secure.

2. What project, initiative or achievement are you most proud of?

Collierville Schools is celebrating its 10th year as a school district this year. The most logical option would be to start in 2013 with approximately 3,500 student devices (all shared) to introduce, where each student in preschool through 12 is assigned a device to learn on; This is a great project, initiative and achievement. While I'm proud of that, I have to say that I'm most proud of the team I'm lucky enough to work with every day. Our technology team has technical and instructional personnel. As the number of devices in our district has increased, so has our staff. Our staff works hard and pitches in where needed. The team knows that if I ask them to do something, I will also collaborate. Our team is strengthened by engaging in conversations to solve problems and plan projects. I also encourage you to work and build relationships with other departments in our district and other districts. Our group is one of the most diverse in the district and we operate with a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. Although staff are occasionally absent, I always feel proud and happy when one of our group moves on to a job with greater responsibility.

3. What are your top 3 priorities for the next few years?

First, cybersecurity is a priority, as I detailed in the first question. Ensuring we are as protected as possible against cyber attacks is huge. Second, another priority is preparing students for life after high school. Providing technology and also training in its correct use, from proper email etiquette, digital citizenship, digital footprint, collaboration, communication and ways to share student work and achievements, are objectives by the that we work daily. Our district has many post-secondary opportunities outside of the traditional college route. Welding, nursing, cybersecurity, and aviation are just a few areas where students can earn industry certifications while still in high school. This variety challenges our team to ensure our devices support students in these areas. And finally, ensure that our staff continues to grow in their skills and use of technology to improve their teaching strategies to engage students.

4. technology is evolving at such a high rate: what are some of the school IT innovations you see coming and which ones are you most excited about?

ai will have a significant effect not only in schools but also in the business world and beyond. We must find ways to adopt and use this technology positively and effectively. For example, a teacher could use this technology to write an informative reading on a topic in her curriculum. They can ask it to be written for a specific reading level and then ask the ai ​​platform to rewrite the same information at a different grade level. In this way, they could have personalized teaching materials for students. This is a relatively easy way to individualize education. Another way might be for a teacher to request a sample of writing with errors and then use it to have students identify those errors. Working with students on ways to use this type of technology is also powerful.

5. What advice would you give to other school IT leaders and IT teams?

1. Foster and maintain good relationships with your colleagues, both within your team and across departments. To be successful, it is essential to have a strong community and be active within that community. If possible, meet regularly with district leaders to ensure they accurately understand essential issues and gain support for initiatives.

2. Build a good team and support them. Identify yourself as a member of the IT team rather than their boss or leader. Recognize the unique talents of each team member and leverage those skills to produce positive results for the district.

3. Always think about what is best for students and what you can do to achieve it. With technology, it can sometimes be easy to lose sight of the overall purpose. Adopting a student-first mindset helps ensure technology leaders remain aligned with district goals.

4. Get involved with the technology community. Being an active participant in state technology associations and national organizations like CoSN gives you access to a professional group of peers from which you can learn and gain new ideas. With so many challenges, it is essential to have resources and other industry experts from whom you can seek guidance and recommendations.

5. Treat others as you would like to be treated. This is a universal rule of thumb, but it is very applicable in K-12 learning environments. To build an effective, collaborative team and foster relationships within the IT peer community, you must respect team members and treat them as you would like to be treated.

For more IT leadership and innovation news, visit eSN's IT Leadership page.