How One Spilled Bowl of Blueberries Became a Leadership Motto in Our Family Some lessons in leadership don’t come from books, boardrooms, or conferences. Sometimes, they come from your kitchen floor, covered in blueberries. Our youngest son was about three years old, and it had already been one of those days. You know the kind:…
Summer in education leadership can feel like a paradox. On one hand, the hallways are quiet, inboxes slow down (at least a little), and the buses stop rolling. On the other hand, the pressure doesn’t stop. Planning for the next school year begins before the last one ends. Staff need support, systems need upgrades, and…
They don’t put it on the calendar. There’s no formal notation on your schedule, no school-wide memo that says, “Warning: The emotional weight of this season is about to get heavier.” But those of us in education feel it. As the school year winds down, the load we carry quietly intensifies. And it’s not just…
I didn’t spend my vacation day last week on a beach.I spent it on Capitol Hill, talking to policymakers, dodging D.C. downpours, and advocating for the future of K-12 education. It was a whirlwind 24 hours in DC and 36 hours of travel. Because when it comes to education technology, how we fund it, protect…
The Myth of the Solo Hero In education, we love the underdog stories—the visionary leader who pushes innovation forward against all odds. But the truth? No leader does it alone. Especially in edtech, where complexity is high and stakes are higher, the strongest leaders are those who build partnerships that support sustainable, meaningful growth. This…
Hi, I’m Dr. Chantell Manahan! I’m a life-long educator and a life-long student. I began my career with six glorious years of teaching mostly French and a little English in Bryan, Ohio. I had recently graduated from Ball State University, and I was fortunate that Bryan offered tuition reimbursement for teachers seeking their Master’s degrees….
I had an idea a few years ago to start a podcast. I wanted to capture the stories of successful Directors of Technology/Chief Technology Officers to showcase the varied and rich backgrounds we all come from, since there is no clear path to becoming a K12 CTO! I know some from education backgrounds and some…
At the 2024 CoSN Conference, I had the honor of joining my friends and fellow CoSN board members Dr. Stacy Hawthorne and Dr. Chad Stevens on this episode of the Perspectives: Finding Common Ground podcast sponsored by ClassLink. We shared our takeaways from CoSN’s 2024 Driving K-12 Innovation Report, which highlights the top three hurdles,…
What fosters effective teamwork? It’s not just about grouping individuals together and hoping for the best. It’s about cultivating an environment where trust, open communication, mutual respect, and a shared vision converge.
