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Cultivating Leadership and AI Literacy with David Boxer, TLIS
Episode 8426th August 2025 • Talking Technology with ATLIS • Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools (ATLIS)
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This week, we're joined by David Boxer, TLIS, CIO of The Blake School. David shares his intentional approach to building leadership capacity within his technology team and fostering a culture of collaboration. He details the school’s methodical, PLC-driven strategy for developing critical AI literacy and discusses the growing role of data governance.

Transcripts

Peter Frank:

Nick, welcome to Talking technology with Atlas,

Peter Frank:

the show that plugs you into the important topics and trends for

Peter Frank:

technology leaders all through a unique Independent School lens.

Peter Frank:

We'll hear stories from technology directors and other

Peter Frank:

special guests from the Independent School community,

Peter Frank:

and provide you with focused learning and deep dive topics.

Peter Frank:

And now please welcome your host. Kristina llewellen,

Christina Lewellen:

hello everyone, and welcome back to

Christina Lewellen:

talking technology with Atlas. I'm Kristina llewellen, the

Christina Lewellen:

president and CEO of the Association of technology

Christina Lewellen:

leaders in independent schools.

Bill Stites:

And I am Bill Stites, the Director of

Bill Stites:

Technology at Montclair Kimberly Academy in Montclair, New

Bill Stites:

Jersey, and I'm

Hiram Cuevas:

Hiram Cuevas, the Director of Information Systems

Hiram Cuevas:

and Academic Technology at St Christopher school in Richmond,

Hiram Cuevas:

Virginia.

Christina Lewellen:

Good morning, gentlemen. How are you

Christina Lewellen:

today?

Bill Stites:

Living the dream. The dream can be a nightmare

Bill Stites:

too. Just so you know, I'm finally

Hiram Cuevas:

happy that the heat dropped.

Christina Lewellen:

Yeah. I was just moving one of my daughters

Christina Lewellen:

to her first big girl apartment in Washington, DC, in the last

Christina Lewellen:

two days, the heat and humidity was not as brutal as it had

Christina Lewellen:

been, but it was still pretty brutal. And there's nothing

Christina Lewellen:

worse than a move, but then a move amplified with like 90 plus

Christina Lewellen:

degrees and humidity like, that's a special circle of hell,

Christina Lewellen:

is it not? 100%

Hiram Cuevas:

Adam going to Disney World in August.

Bill Stites:

Yeah, it's a matter with that. I do that all the

Bill Stites:

time.

Christina Lewellen:

I had to cut my trip to ISTE short this year

Christina Lewellen:

because of that move, but I was able to pop down to San Antonio,

Christina Lewellen:

Texas for a day and a half of ISTE. And then my teammate

Christina Lewellen:

Ashley cross tag teamed me, and as I was leaving town to help

Christina Lewellen:

with the move, Ashley rolled in, and it's so funny, because I

Christina Lewellen:

love ISTE. I think it's great. I think there's a lot of cool

Christina Lewellen:

topics, and I see some neat, cool people and all that. For

Christina Lewellen:

Ashley, it's like her class reunion. That is her people. She

Christina Lewellen:

has like things to do and people to see the entire time she's at

Christina Lewellen:

ISTE, and she graduated from Pepperdine. And I don't know if

Christina Lewellen:

you guys understand the level of cult that is Pepperdine

Christina Lewellen:

graduates, but like they all meet up, so I have to say, I

Christina Lewellen:

don't think she minded that I called her in to help me out

Christina Lewellen:

with the back half of that event. I think she's pretty

Christina Lewellen:

excited to take over.

Bill Stites:

So Kristina, how was it with because they're tag

Bill Stites:

teaming now with the conference at the same time with ASCD

Bill Stites:

correct they're both running at the same point. Yeah, 100%

Christina Lewellen:

I was not there long enough to see how

Christina Lewellen:

that played out, so we'll have to have Ashley give us the

Christina Lewellen:

report on how that went. But what I loved about the approach

Christina Lewellen:

was that they co located it right, where both events had

Christina Lewellen:

their own personality, but they were just in the same city at

Christina Lewellen:

the same time. And so you could definitely see the ISTE 25

Christina Lewellen:

branding as opposed to the other. And it just, I think that

Christina Lewellen:

it was probably a really great experiment, and I can't wait to

Christina Lewellen:

hear how it turned out.

Bill Stites:

It was something I was very curious about. Given

Bill Stites:

the fact that I've attended both, I've gotten value out of

Bill Stites:

both, and the fact that they were both running together, I

Bill Stites:

think provides a really unique opportunity for people that kind

Bill Stites:

of bridge the tech and the academic space and having that

Bill Stites:

there at the same time, because I remember them saying that the

Bill Stites:

same admission would get you into both Was that correct?

Bill Stites:

Yeah, I think so. So that'd be great. Best of both

Christina Lewellen:

worlds. What have you guys been up to? And

Christina Lewellen:

what's the start of your summer been like?

Bill Stites:

So I went on a road trip and met Hiram. Oh no,

Christina Lewellen:

I thought I felt a disturbance in the force

Christina Lewellen:

here in Virginia. We were

Bill Stites:

both in Virginia at the same time.

Christina Lewellen:

Oh no. It was outstanding. Yeah, all

Christina Lewellen:

right, what did you guys do? Like, walk us through a typical

Christina Lewellen:

day when Bill and Hiram are in the same space? Well, it started

Christina Lewellen:

off probably

Hiram Cuevas:

a few months back, when Bill was saying, Hiram, you

Hiram Cuevas:

know what's coming out on June 20. And he reminded me that 28

Hiram Cuevas:

years later, which is the final installment of the 28 days, 28

Hiram Cuevas:

weeks, and now, 28 years later, zombie flick. He's like, I'm

Hiram Cuevas:

coming down to Virginia and we're gonna go watch it on

Hiram Cuevas:

opening night.

Bill Stites:

No, which is why we did so bill comes

Hiram Cuevas:

down, and we start off by going AX throwing with my

Hiram Cuevas:

youngest daughter, pretending that they're zombies on the

Hiram Cuevas:

targets. It's a lot harder than we thought it was, but 100% we

Hiram Cuevas:

now know that Kristina is an ax aficionado. And then that night,

Hiram Cuevas:

we ended up going to watch the film. We both kind of left

Hiram Cuevas:

puzzled, because we were just like, what did we just watch

Hiram Cuevas:

100% it was not your typical zombie flick. And then the next

Hiram Cuevas:

day, we shot zombie targets at the gun range.

Christina Lewellen:

Wow. Okay, so there's a theme. You guys are

Christina Lewellen:

like a bachelorette party gone wrong. There's a lot of theming.

Christina Lewellen:

Is there a sash in the tiara? Is really what I want

Hiram Cuevas:

to know? And Bill brings flowers to my wife. I.

Hiram Cuevas:

Did that's

Bill Stites:

nice. I bring tequila to Hiram and flowers to

Bill Stites:

his wife. Oh, and

Hiram Cuevas:

she comments, he always brings me flowers. All

Christina Lewellen:

right, guys, we're gonna have to organize a

Christina Lewellen:

pod weekend. It's gonna have to be an interesting combination of

Christina Lewellen:

things that I find amusing and things that you find amusing.

Christina Lewellen:

And we'll have to record the whole thing. We've

Hiram Cuevas:

got to get Brooke grace and Richard all on. Yes,

Hiram Cuevas:

yes. It

Christina Lewellen:

would definitely round it out. I love

Christina Lewellen:

it. And Bill, what have you been up to? How's the start of your

Christina Lewellen:

summer been a lot

Bill Stites:

of work. It's funny, I find that during the

Bill Stites:

summer I put in more hours than I do during the school year. I

Bill Stites:

get here at like 630 quarter seven, and I'm here until five

Bill Stites:

o'clock at night for most of us in it. You know, I think the

Bill Stites:

summers are some of our busiest times. We're flipping 1600

Bill Stites:

devices between iPads and laptops. We did that since the

Bill Stites:

last day of school, and today is our last day of it. So that's

Bill Stites:

been a fairly large lift. We're replacing all of our Wi Fi. We

Bill Stites:

just did a big data dump. You know, it's the time, because not

Bill Stites:

everyone's here. You have the ability to get up in the

Bill Stites:

ceilings. You have the ability to turn systems off. You have

Bill Stites:

the ability to do different things that you don't during the

Bill Stites:

school year, and you need to take advantage of that time and

Bill Stites:

also provide time for those that report to you to get time off,

Bill Stites:

because as much as this is our crunch time to get the work

Bill Stites:

done, we also need all of those people here during the school

Bill Stites:

year. So it's balancing schedules, it's balancing

Bill Stites:

projects, it's balancing all of those pieces out so that you can

Bill Stites:

get all of those things done. And I think I like most people

Bill Stites:

that are in that director role, the buck stops with you, so you

Bill Stites:

need to make sure that you're there and all these things are

Bill Stites:

happening. And once all that's done, you can take your time and

Bill Stites:

get away and do those things, but you need to make sure those

Bill Stites:

that are reporting to you, they're getting their work done,

Bill Stites:

they're getting their time before you can get out and do

Bill Stites:

those things on your own.

Christina Lewellen:

So it sounds like you have a lot of things

Christina Lewellen:

that you're juggling already. We have a really special guest

Christina Lewellen:

today, and I think that he probably has your experience

Christina Lewellen:

going on this summer as well. So please, welcome to the podcast.

Christina Lewellen:

David boxer. David, you are a T L, I S A T list, Certified

Christina Lewellen:

Professional here in our space. I'm so glad that you're with us.

Christina Lewellen:

Thank you for joining us. Thank you

David Boxer:

for having me. It's exciting to be here, and I have

David Boxer:

to say, I've been a big fan of the pod since it launched, and I

David Boxer:

always look forward to each episode dropping

Christina Lewellen:

love it. Thank you for being a fan.

Christina Lewellen:

Thanks for listening, and thanks for coming on. So David, you are

Christina Lewellen:

currently the CIO at the Blake school in Minneapolis. First

Christina Lewellen:

tell us a little bit about the school. For folks who don't know

Christina Lewellen:

the Blake school, they can get a sense of what kind of population

Christina Lewellen:

you serve and all that fun stuff, and then we'll talk a

Christina Lewellen:

little bit about your journey. The Blake

David Boxer:

School is a school that serves pre kindergarten

David Boxer:

through 12th grade students across two different campuses,

David Boxer:

located in Hopkins in Minneapolis. We're a co Ed, non

David Boxer:

denominational day school with about 350 faculty or staff,

David Boxer:

about 1350 students. It's a school that has been in

David Boxer:

existence well over 100 years now, and a really interesting

David Boxer:

school, like many schools across the country in the 1970s school

David Boxer:

that was originally a boys school, but in the 70s,

David Boxer:

partnered with the Northrop school for girls and the high

David Boxer:

Cross Country Day School and formed what we currently know as

David Boxer:

the Blake school. And it's a school that I have to say, 14

David Boxer:

years ago, if you had asked me, Would I still be loving and

David Boxer:

adoring the community that I serve, I would have been like,

David Boxer:

no. I you know, it's time for me to move on after about five or

David Boxer:

10 years, and I find myself each and every year, enamored by the

David Boxer:

faculty, our students and really, just like a really

David Boxer:

committed group of teachers that have really come to adore,

Christina Lewellen:

I do very much honor and recognize that,

Christina Lewellen:

because here I am, and my time at Atlas is flying by, and I

Christina Lewellen:

know firsthand how that can happen when you sort of fall in

Christina Lewellen:

Love with your community, and the years sort of melt away. I

Christina Lewellen:

really want to talk about your background, but what is

Christina Lewellen:

interesting to me in terms of your education is that you have

Christina Lewellen:

a Master's, you have a bachelor's, and in those

Christina Lewellen:

degrees, you cover the subjects that include reading, Afro

Christina Lewellen:

American studies, history, global, integrated studies. Can

Christina Lewellen:

you help me sort that? So I want to hear about your journey, but

Christina Lewellen:

in particular, help me understand this very diverse

Christina Lewellen:

education that you have.

David Boxer:

Well, you know, I think it's probably more simple

David Boxer:

than it sounds. I am the kind of person who is a very curious

David Boxer:

person by nature, and whenever I find myself really sort of

David Boxer:

anchoring in with a community of learners in my bachelor's

David Boxer:

degree, with a couple of professors who really took

David Boxer:

interest and mentored me, or after working in the field as a

David Boxer:

teacher and finding you know, what I really struggled to do is

David Boxer:

I really struggle to serve students who struggle. And.

David Boxer:

Terms of reading and writing, and I need to figure out how to

David Boxer:

do that work better as a teacher, what I find myself

David Boxer:

always coming back to is wherever I have the good fortune

David Boxer:

of being around a community of learners who are really

David Boxer:

passionate, that sort of ignites my passion. So I was really

David Boxer:

fortunate in my undergraduate experience to have a couple of

David Boxer:

professors who really mentored me and who are both situated in

David Boxer:

the Afro American Studies Department, really loved the

David Boxer:

ability to look at a trans disciplinary subject as the

David Boxer:

history of black Americans in the United States. As you can

David Boxer:

imagine, I'm very much connected to the work that was happening

David Boxer:

in the history department. And I think one of the things that I

David Boxer:

learned really early on, once I moved on to higher education,

David Boxer:

was find people you love, find a subject that interests you, and

David Boxer:

stick with it, because everything else in life will

David Boxer:

continue to change and evolve, and so if you're willing to go

David Boxer:

along with the ride, you can learn along the way. I

Christina Lewellen:

love that. What's your career journey been

Christina Lewellen:

like? So that's definitely your school piece of things, but you

Christina Lewellen:

mentioned that you were a teacher, is that where you

Christina Lewellen:

started? Have you always been in independent schools?

David Boxer:

My experience as a teacher started when I first

David Boxer:

visited a close childhood, a friend of mine, who was in DC,

David Boxer:

who was teaching in a program that was formerly called Summer

David Boxer:

Bridge. Now the breakthrough collaborative. It's a program

David Boxer:

that is national has had a couple of international sites

David Boxer:

along the way, and when I visited the program, she was in

David Boxer:

college, she was serving middle school students, and what I felt

David Boxer:

like I found for the first time, was this like beautiful

David Boxer:

triangulation between a program of both young teachers and kids

David Boxer:

who were intrinsically motivated. I always like to call

David Boxer:

it sort of like the nerdy person summer camp, right? Because

David Boxer:

college age students were teaching subjects that both

David Boxer:

matter to them, but also teaching subjects that were

David Boxer:

really going to be important for preparing students for high

David Boxer:

school, students who were signing up for six weeks, but

David Boxer:

also participating in a two or three year program, a year round

David Boxer:

program, in some of the sites I had felt like for the first

David Boxer:

time. I was like, Oh, this whole teaching thing sounds actually

David Boxer:

kind of amazing. And had the good fortune of then going on to

David Boxer:

work as a teacher at a summer bridge or a breakthrough site in

David Boxer:

Denver, New Orleans, and then eventually New York. And in New

David Boxer:

York, I had the really amazing experience of helping serve as

David Boxer:

what they refer to as the dean of faculty, right? This was a

David Boxer:

young person who was working with college age and high school

David Boxer:

students, and the head of school offered me an opportunity to

David Boxer:

teach in the middle school, work half time in the technology

David Boxer:

department, and serve as the dean of faculty at the

David Boxer:

breakthrough program there. And it was there where I realized

David Boxer:

how much I had to learn as a teacher, where shortly

David Boxer:

thereafter, I enrolled in a graduate program at Teachers

David Boxer:

College at Columbia University. No surprise, found a role in the

David Boxer:

Academic Technology Department, which was great because I had an

David Boxer:

opportunity to both sort of flex those skills, but then pursue my

David Boxer:

degree as a reading specialist, finally leaving graduate school

David Boxer:

working in a nonprofit called Teaching matters in New York

David Boxer:

City, and then eventually finding my way to a school that

David Boxer:

I know that you all nearly love, with Jim bologna and Stacie

David Boxer:

Munoz and others at the Windward school and had a really

David Boxer:

incredible community where the head of school and the community

David Boxer:

of teachers gave us A huge runway to start a program called

David Boxer:

the Center for Teaching and Learning, and had an opportunity

David Boxer:

to flex my love for libraries and research, working with a

David Boxer:

really unique group of technologists, librarians,

David Boxer:

Instructional Technology coaches, and then, most

David Boxer:

importantly, faculty who were really curious about ways that

David Boxer:

we could evolve our practice as practitioners and serving our

David Boxer:

students to finally finding my way and eventually as a CIO at

David Boxer:

Blake.

Bill Stites:

Two things that I love about having you on the

Bill Stites:

podcast, and if you think I'm going to be serious here, you're

Bill Stites:

wrong. One is that Christine mentioned that you're probably

Bill Stites:

as busy as most tech directors are this time of year. But for

Bill Stites:

those of you listening to the pod that may be hearing birds

Bill Stites:

chirping in the background, it's because Mr. Boxer here looks

Bill Stites:

like he's up in a tree house somewhere out in the woods.

Hiram Cuevas:

It's the 1000 lakes of Minnesota, and 1000

Hiram Cuevas:

exactly.

Bill Stites:

I mean the amount of work that is going on in that

Bill Stites:

location that relates to it, I have to believe is very limited,

Bill Stites:

my friend, Mr. Boxer. So wherever you are, I am envious

Bill Stites:

of that. The other thing is, I just want the audience to know

Bill Stites:

just what a complete rock star we have on the podcast today.

Bill Stites:

Because I remember, at a Atlas conference a few years back, I

Bill Stites:

was talking to Mr. Jim Bologna, and as soon as he saw Mr. Boxer

Bill Stites:

in the room, it was like I didn't exist. He walked away and

Bill Stites:

then spent the rest of the time talking to Mr. Boxer and left me

Bill Stites:

high and dry, stranded there. So this is more a criticism of Jim

Bill Stites:

than it is of Mr. Boxer here. But just to prove out how

Bill Stites:

grateful we are to have you on the podcast. Because you demand

Bill Stites:

the attention of only the best and the brightest Atlas has to

Bill Stites:

offer.

Hiram Cuevas:

But everybody does that to Bill,

Christina Lewellen:

I was gonna say maybe he just wasn't that

Christina Lewellen:

interesting. I don't know.

David Boxer:

Definitely is not the case. Definitely is not the

David Boxer:

case. Jim and I had the good fortune of a really unique

David Boxer:

opportunity to innovate and create. And I think just like I

David Boxer:

hear the three of you, I think as you plan your first pod

David Boxer:

retreat at some point, one of the things that's really

David Boxer:

wonderful about the Atlas community is when you get to

David Boxer:

reconnect with current former colleagues, I think one of the

David Boxer:

things that's really just beautiful about it is you just

David Boxer:

pick up where you left off. It's like going to a family reunion,

David Boxer:

where all of a sudden you're like, Oh, it's my first cousin,

David Boxer:

Jim. I hadn't seen him in ages, and I think that's really more

David Boxer:

of a sign of the kind of community and the need for the

David Boxer:

community that Atlas has created over the last 10 years. And

David Boxer:

that's in part because of folks like you and this and

Christina Lewellen:

David, I think that what's interesting,

Christina Lewellen:

you know, if I look in kind of shred the lines of your bio, you

Christina Lewellen:

are also an Apple Distinguished Educator, a Google certified

Christina Lewellen:

innovator, a Common Sense Media ambassador, and also an atlas T

Christina Lewellen:

list. And you've been really active in the Atlas community,

Christina Lewellen:

so clearly you have this lifelong learner thing going on.

Christina Lewellen:

But tell us a little bit about how the T list in particular,

Christina Lewellen:

sort of clicked into place now that you've been in independent

Christina Lewellen:

schools for so long. Why did you decide to pursue that, and what

Christina Lewellen:

do you think

David Boxer:

about it? Well, I think the credit goes to a

David Boxer:

colleague of mine here in Minneapolis who serves as the

David Boxer:

Director of Technology at another gear school. And AJ said

David Boxer:

to me, he's like, you know, I'm gonna take this T list thing,

David Boxer:

and this was at a conference a year ago and just see what it's

David Boxer:

like. And he described what his experience was, preparing for it

David Boxer:

and taking the T list. And I have to say, you know, I was a

David Boxer:

bit circumspect. I tend to be a little bit cagey, especially as

David Boxer:

I get older, about things. And as I heard more and more from

David Boxer:

AJ, I think one of the things I realized was this was a really

David Boxer:

great opportunity, in a way, to sort of reflect on where I was

David Boxer:

in my own professional journey, really hone in on areas I needed

David Boxer:

to continue to grow and support, not just in terms of my

David Boxer:

professional career, but I think more importantly, serving my

David Boxer:

school and serving the institution. And I have to say,

David Boxer:

Peter, who is here on the pod as a producer today led a great

David Boxer:

programming and preparation for the T list in terms of bringing

David Boxer:

a number of Instructional Technology directors and

David Boxer:

educational technology directors and directors of technology who

David Boxer:

helped really break the program into over four weeks as an

David Boxer:

opportunity to take sort of scenario based approaches to

David Boxer:

understanding what our strengths and Where are areas for growth?

David Boxer:

And then taking the exam and getting the results helped me

David Boxer:

identify areas that I, not surprisingly, were already

David Boxer:

curious and had spent a lot of time and energy growing, and

David Boxer:

areas that I still needed to continue to put more effort and

David Boxer:

time into. And if you could imagine, like, the nerdiest way

David Boxer:

you could take the T list, I really probably took it to the

David Boxer:

extent which was, you know, in my fall goal setting, after

David Boxer:

taking the T list, use it as an opportunity to identify the

David Boxer:

domains that I wanted to focus some particular energy and goals

David Boxer:

around. And then also, you know, as they work with our Head of

David Boxer:

School, I use it as an opportunity to calibrate against

David Boxer:

the domains within the T lists and sub domains, in part because

David Boxer:

it helps me recognize, like, am I spending enough time on the

David Boxer:

teaching and learning side of the house? Am I spending enough

David Boxer:

time on the data governance side of the house? Am I spending

David Boxer:

enough time in terms of institutional research and

David Boxer:

working with colleagues on that side of the house? And so it's

David Boxer:

also just an ongoing great mirror to know for myself areas

David Boxer:

that I need to continue to support and grow the school, and

David Boxer:

areas that I need to continue to learn and develop greater

David Boxer:

expertise in.

Christina Lewellen:

I love that. I love that you kind of use it

Christina Lewellen:

to take your own temperature, especially because you've been

Christina Lewellen:

in your role for a while, and that's something that we talk

Christina Lewellen:

about here on the pod a bit, because Bill and Hiram have been

Christina Lewellen:

in their spots for a while, and now you've been at Blake for

Christina Lewellen:

more than 14 years, so I'm sure that a lot of change has

Christina Lewellen:

happened in the last 14 years. Tell us a little bit about that

Christina Lewellen:

evolution, because you are now the Chief Information Officer,

Christina Lewellen:

but I would imagine that that has probably evolved over time

Christina Lewellen:

as well. Yes,

David Boxer:

yeah. I mean, I think one of the things I fell

David Boxer:

in love with schools and spent the majority of my time doing

David Boxer:

until I came to Blake, was really working directly in the

David Boxer:

classroom or team teaching or helping colleagues develop

David Boxer:

curricular based projects. So when I moved to Blake, my role

David Boxer:

really became much more focused around supporting what I would

David Boxer:

think of, more the traditional technology program at Blake, and

David Boxer:

I had a wonderful predecessor who began the program at Blake

David Boxer:

and had really offered a great stepping stone in terms of the

David Boxer:

program that I was asked to shepherd, and wonderful heads of

David Boxer:

schools and associate heads of schools and others who have

David Boxer:

guided me along the way. I would say the things that have changed

David Boxer:

a great deal. Than I would have never suspected 14 years ago

David Boxer:

was, of course, the advent of the one to one programs, and

David Boxer:

supporting those programs and supporting teachers in those

David Boxer:

arenas, I think a great deal as should be a lot more time

David Boxer:

spending on thinking about digital wellness in terms of

David Boxer:

supporting both students and families and getting that work.

David Boxer:

And then I think the biggest shifts have happened in a much

David Boxer:

more quicker pace than I would have ever imagined. You know,

David Boxer:

really thinking over the last seven, eight years, spending a

David Boxer:

tremendous amount of time on both cybersecurity, of course,

David Boxer:

most recently in terms of the event of generative AI and sort

David Boxer:

of the shifts of cybersecurity, the pandemic, generative AI, I

David Boxer:

have found myself immersed in topics that have really shifted

David Boxer:

and disrupted schools in ways that are both healthy and

David Boxer:

problematic for all the obvious reasons.

Bill Stites:

So I want to throw another topic at you, because

Bill Stites:

it's one of your colleagues I've seen on multiple webinars and

Bill Stites:

meetups, is Denise Covington, and really where the work that

Bill Stites:

you're doing with CIRIS and with institutional research is

Bill Stites:

falling in in what you do at Blake, and how that's impacting

Bill Stites:

things as well. So if you could provide some detail there, that

Bill Stites:

would be great.

David Boxer:

Yeah, so I have the great fortune of working with

David Boxer:

Denise Covington, who serves as our Director of Information

David Boxer:

Management, and Alicia barovich, her partner in crime, on the

David Boxer:

information management side of the house, and Denise, for the

David Boxer:

last 15 years, has led the program here at Blake. And a few

David Boxer:

years ago, especially after doing some really important work

David Boxer:

of transitioning to a new SIS system, we were finally poised

David Boxer:

to have the opportunity to think about ways in which all of this

David Boxer:

sort of a massive data could actually serve our institution

David Boxer:

in different ways that it was much more challenging and

David Boxer:

difficult to do so before and so CIRIS has been a great leader in

David Boxer:

this field. Eric Houle man's work, Bill, the work that you

David Boxer:

did around the institutional research handbook. You know, we

David Boxer:

took literally a Year of Reading through that handbook, planning

David Boxer:

our next steps this last year, really working through

David Boxer:

developing a data, governance policy and building some small

David Boxer:

but helpful pilot projects, working with different

David Boxer:

departments and different individuals around the school to

David Boxer:

where our goals for next year, which is two things, one, Denise

David Boxer:

will serve as one of the CIRIS fellows this year, helping

David Boxer:

develop the CIRIS data governance handbook, which I

David Boxer:

think will be a huge help for schools across the Independent

David Boxer:

School world, and then also launching a formal data

David Boxer:

strategy, Data Governance Committee. And I think one of

David Boxer:

the things that has been a joy and that work is really thinking

David Boxer:

about ways that we are probably under utilizing the talent

David Boxer:

across departments and across teams, and really trying to

David Boxer:

break down the silos that just naturally grow over time in

David Boxer:

schools. And so one of our goals in the state of strategy

David Boxer:

committee, of course, is to serve the needs of teachers, but

David Boxer:

I think the other is just to really help each other

David Boxer:

understand and leverage the talent that exists across many

David Boxer:

different departments, so that we approach this work in a much

David Boxer:

more peer based way. And so that's been really exciting. I'm

David Boxer:

even looking forward much more to the next step, because I

David Boxer:

think this is where, by breaking down those silos, we're gonna

David Boxer:

see things that we couldn't even imagined because we didn't even

David Boxer:

know the problems of practice that people were trying to

David Boxer:

solve. And this is, I'll just offer this as a tangental note.

David Boxer:

You know, one of the things that I feel, I just like experience

David Boxer:

guilt out all the time in my role, is I'll have a colleague

David Boxer:

that will say something along the lines like, Well, you told

David Boxer:

us seven years ago we couldn't do that. And I'm like, oh,

David Boxer:

shoot, I did, but four years ago, we solved that problem. We

David Boxer:

could do that, and we just didn't communicate that well

David Boxer:

enough that people realized that we could shift right. And I

David Boxer:

think part of the shift that can occur is by having people

David Boxer:

literally in the same room, picking a problem of practice,

David Boxer:

putting time and effort towards that problem of practice, and

David Boxer:

then which, then, I think spirals in a recursive way of

David Boxer:

helping others see opportunities. So really

David Boxer:

grateful in the work that Denise and Alicia are leading, really

David Boxer:

grateful in helping them support that work. And you know, we'll

David Boxer:

have to have Denise and Alicia here on the pod in a year from

David Boxer:

now to share their work, because I think they will be the ones

David Boxer:

that will have some great stories to tell.

Hiram Cuevas:

So David, you actually prompted this question

Hiram Cuevas:

I have here, which is when you mentioned that seven years ago,

Hiram Cuevas:

you had this question posed to you, and you said you couldn't

Hiram Cuevas:

do it, but then four years later, you're like, oh yes, we

Hiram Cuevas:

can do this. So as a team, as a school team, is this also coming

Hiram Cuevas:

from the head of schools? This coming from you and your work

Hiram Cuevas:

with the head of school is this the entire senior executive team

Hiram Cuevas:

that is having this recognition so that you can evolve,

Hiram Cuevas:

essentially the entire program at Blake.

David Boxer:

You know, I think leading schools, when it's done

David Boxer:

really well, it's a collaborative it's a give and

David Boxer:

take, right? So, of course, at our Head of School will lead. A

David Boxer:

strategic visioning process. And you know, the work that we do as

David Boxer:

academic leaders and teachers will align to that. You might

David Boxer:

sort of call that a traditional top down approach, but I also

David Boxer:

think there's a lot of opportunity when you think about

David Boxer:

a bottom up approach. And I would say the work around

David Boxer:

institutional research, in part, because of the CIRIS program,

David Boxer:

sort of opened our eyes what was possible for the first time,

David Boxer:

probably going, I don't know, first time, attended what, maybe

David Boxer:

four years ago, a Cirrus conference. And I think that was

David Boxer:

then also a part of educating other senior leaders about what

David Boxer:

was possible, and then creating proofs of concepts, right, like

David Boxer:

particular projects or small problems of practice. And they

David Boxer:

could be really like small things, what seems like small

David Boxer:

things, like in the health office, are we starting to see

David Boxer:

students who are coming back in a recursive way? Are we tracking

David Boxer:

that? Are we starting to identify that maybe that's more

David Boxer:

symptomatic of a greater need that we really need to be

David Boxer:

working with that student, the counselor, the family? Or are we

David Boxer:

looking at particularly like in the math department, like, what

David Boxer:

does our course placement look like. How does that break down

David Boxer:

in terms of socio economic or demographic identities? And so I

David Boxer:

think one of the things that occurs in a school, and I think

David Boxer:

it's the beauty of working in an independent school, is that it's

David Boxer:

an in both, right? So you have opportunities that a school

David Boxer:

leader will take you on, and then as a senior leader, making

David Boxer:

sure that you're inculcating and creating opportunities to both

David Boxer:

educate your head of school and then developing support across

David Boxer:

the senior leadership team. So in this case, I would say the

David Boxer:

work that Denise and Alicia are leading are really a bottom up

David Boxer:

right. So like, this is something that we are passionate

David Boxer:

about. This is something that we believe that will serve the

David Boxer:

school in terms of much more long standing needs, and I think

David Boxer:

this is partly like helping others understand why and what

David Boxer:

the purpose is.

Hiram Cuevas:

So David, have they always been part of those

Hiram Cuevas:

conversations? Or were you instrumental in having them

Hiram Cuevas:

provide the education for your senior leadership team?

David Boxer:

I would say that organizations like schools,

David Boxer:

they're like a layer cake, right? So, like the most

David Boxer:

tangible, real work is what's happening in the classroom.

David Boxer:

Spending time in the classroom. This is where you see where the

David Boxer:

rubber meets the road. And so I think Denise and Lisa in the

David Boxer:

work in information management, work with a number of peers,

David Boxer:

both on the academic side of the program and on the operational

David Boxer:

side of the program. And so having those relationships are

David Boxer:

really significant for cross pollinating the need. And then,

David Boxer:

of course, I have the good fortune of serving on the senior

David Boxer:

leadership team. And so it's happening, I would say both,

David Boxer:

like horizontally. It's happening vertically, sometimes

David Boxer:

it's happening diagonally, depending on how you think of

David Boxer:

it. And so my role is to make sure that when we've identified

David Boxer:

a need within the department, that I'm making sure that I'm

David Boxer:

putting oxygen the fire, leading it and lending my strengths, but

David Boxer:

also, more importantly, like deeply listening and creating

David Boxer:

space and runway for them to do the work that they will need to

David Boxer:

continue to lead and sustain in the end. And so, you know, the

David Boxer:

example that I offered earlier, a couple years ago, you know,

David Boxer:

did Denise and Lisa want to read the CIRIS institutional handbook

David Boxer:

to spend two months reading each chapter each week. You could ask

David Boxer:

them, but I'm just going to go out on a limb and say, probably

David Boxer:

not. But what I said, which was really important, was like You

David Boxer:

two may feel like you have a lot of strengths in understanding

David Boxer:

this area, but I don't, and so we're going to go on this

David Boxer:

journey together to make sure that we are in agreement of what

David Boxer:

we're trying to do, how it can be best supportive and really

David Boxer:

using this opportunity to listen in so sort of like an informal

David Boxer:

PLC, if you will, so that by the time we started working on the

David Boxer:

Data Governance Policy, by the time we started looking at the

David Boxer:

data strategy committee, that we had a solid foundation, and we

David Boxer:

were taking both a strategic and tactical approach to being

David Boxer:

successful in the long term. So probably, and I know they would

David Boxer:

say this without a shadow doubt, like we're going too slow, and I

David Boxer:

tend to be the kind of person who's like we might feeling like

David Boxer:

we might be going too slow, but our goal should be to do it

David Boxer:

really well, so that when we're ready to go fast, we know we

David Boxer:

have a North Star, we have a series of both rules and

David Boxer:

procedures, and that We're really helping guide others so

David Boxer:

the messiness could potentially be avoided. It

Christina Lewellen:

sounds like you've been pretty intentional

Christina Lewellen:

in terms of your process for developing leadership capacity

Christina Lewellen:

at your technology department. Slow steady, doing it the right

Christina Lewellen:

way. How do you think that plays through in terms of fostering

Christina Lewellen:

collaboration between the IT professionals at your school and

Christina Lewellen:

teachers, because I know obviously there can be a lot of

Christina Lewellen:

rub there.

David Boxer:

I feel very grateful that we have a team.

David Boxer:

And I tell fleet team to this all the time, like I wake up in

David Boxer:

the morning I'm super excited to go to work, in part because I

David Boxer:

feel like I am working with a team of superstars. And the

David Boxer:

superstars aren't necessarily because they have technical and

David Boxer:

expertise in every domain, or they can, you know, write a

David Boxer:

script faster than anyone else, or we're the most efficient

David Boxer:

department in every IT department in the Independent

David Boxer:

School world? No, I think the part that I really love about is

David Boxer:

that the team is very curious, very disciplined about their

David Boxer:

approach, but also joyful and, like very much, focused on the

David Boxer:

relationships that they've. Perform and sustain, and the

David Boxer:

team will remind me all the time, like, well, how will our

David Boxer:

end users feel about this? Like, what's the impact going to be

David Boxer:

about them? Like, what do we make sure that we're

David Boxer:

communicating in advance? And so I think one of the things that

David Boxer:

has worked really well, of breaking down the traditional

David Boxer:

stereotypes of an IT department, is hiring really smart people

David Boxer:

who care about other human beings in themselves, and then

David Boxer:

also, you know, taking very tactical approaches. So a few

David Boxer:

years ago, at an atlas conference, I saw Ethan present

David Boxer:

around developing a Kanban board and the importance that that

David Boxer:

provides both tactical and strategic opportunities for

David Boxer:

department and coming back to the team, and Jennifer, a

David Boxer:

colleague of mine, was like, I can help you do that, and I'm

David Boxer:

like, run with it, you know, and then let's then situate that

David Boxer:

culturally within the team, so that we're all contributing to

David Boxer:

it, but we all have, like, a common resource and a common

David Boxer:

understanding that we're coming back to. So I think we haven't

David Boxer:

encountered, and I would say, especially over the last five

David Boxer:

years, I think people have really come to see the

David Boxer:

department as someone that's helpful and not trying to stay

David Boxer:

another way and making sure that we're, you know, whether that's

David Boxer:

helping folks understand, like how we choose software, what

David Boxer:

that process is like, whether that's around peer based

David Boxer:

development and PLCs, around understanding the impact of AI

David Boxer:

as well the social disruption tool and as a way to both

David Boxer:

support teachers and students. I think one of the things we've

David Boxer:

always tried to do is be very much available and be very much

David Boxer:

like we're here to help you do what you do best in the

David Boxer:

classroom. You know, we just did the 360 work that mission data

David Boxer:

was partnering with you, and that helped sort of identify the

David Boxer:

strengths of the program. We've do, like a 360 feedback loop

David Boxer:

that I get periodically every couple of years. Next year,

David Boxer:

we'll be surveying as part of the Isaac self study. So I think

David Boxer:

there's lots of opportunities for both formal reflection, but

David Boxer:

I think one of the things I get to see firsthand is like being

David Boxer:

in the library with a member of our Help Desk team being in

David Boxer:

whether it's a zoom conference or in a conference room with

David Boxer:

information management team watching how our director of

David Boxer:

infrastructure and network operation interacts with

David Boxer:

colleagues and staff members across the department. I think

David Boxer:

it's those like hands on observations, where you get to

David Boxer:

really see what it looks like to be an IT department that cares

David Boxer:

and serves the community. That's

Christina Lewellen:

a cool culture, especially given that

Christina Lewellen:

we have all this AI fun happening now. Tell us a little

Christina Lewellen:

bit about that. Where are you at in terms of your school? And I'm

Christina Lewellen:

sure it varies by grade level and all that. But what's the

Christina Lewellen:

approach, or what's the philosophy around AI at the

Christina Lewellen:

Blake school?

David Boxer:

Well, that journey has been a wonderful ride and a

David Boxer:

challenging ride in so many different ways. I felt very

David Boxer:

fortunate with working with our pre K to 12 Chair of computer

David Boxer:

science, Madeleine Burton, especially over the last year,

David Boxer:

in particular with our senior leadership team a couple of

David Boxer:

years ago. So like two years ago, as this was unfurling as a

David Boxer:

senior leadership team, we sort of took a PLC approach of really

David Boxer:

understanding, like, what AI is, what generative AI looks like.

David Boxer:

What guidelines do we want to provide adults, the concerns

David Boxer:

that we had of the potential for circumventing learning in the

David Boxer:

classroom, what we were already seeing in terms of, of course,

David Boxer:

academic integrity issues. And then this last year, we've taken

David Boxer:

a PLC approach, working with teachers across the school who

David Boxer:

are interested in really focusing on how AI can both

David Boxer:

support them, sort of a teacher focused lounge, as well as

David Boxer:

thinking about the impact it might have in terms of student

David Boxer:

focus. Working with staff members, working with the

David Boxer:

executive assistant to the head of school, of creating a PLC for

David Boxer:

staff members this summer, we have about seven different

David Boxer:

summer curriculum grants going so we are working through

David Boxer:

developing a set of guidelines in a toolbox for teachers on

David Boxer:

helping support the appropriate and responsible use of AI in the

David Boxer:

classroom that will launch this summer. We will spend some time

David Boxer:

working through another teacher ELC group, and then we'll offer

David Boxer:

all the same opportunities again in the fall and this time this

David Boxer:

year, once those guidelines launch, also launch a family

David Boxer:

series and launch a student feedback loop across our middle

David Boxer:

and upper school in particular, the goal is get folks there who

David Boxer:

are intrinsically motivated get folks to show problems of

David Boxer:

practice, and ways in which AI can support acknowledge the

David Boxer:

problematic aspects of AI, and ways in which we guide students

David Boxer:

and understanding both its benefits and its limitations,

David Boxer:

and really just developing the capacities. And so we've taken a

David Boxer:

very intentional like we need to develop a critical AI literacy,

David Boxer:

and we need to sort of hit that tipping point. You know, I don't

David Boxer:

know if that means like, 50% or 60% of faculty will self

David Boxer:

identify. It's like, yeah, I have a pretty reasonable

David Boxer:

understanding of what this is. But we need to get to the point

David Boxer:

where, as adults, we feel comfortable in a really

David Boxer:

transparent way of both talking about it in the classroom and.

David Boxer:

In ways of listening to students really deeply, and I think we're

David Boxer:

getting there. It's challenging, right? It comes on the heels of

David Boxer:

a pandemic. It comes on the heels of a lot of like, change

David Boxer:

management within schools, and I think it comes on the heels of,

David Boxer:

like, maybe asking very fundamental questions as folks

David Boxer:

get more familiar around assessment, instructional

David Boxer:

design, the importance of process over product, and I feel

David Boxer:

really lucky to be at a school where teachers already value

David Boxer:

that, but also helping students understand, like why we do and

David Boxer:

how we do it, and what role it has to engage in the learning

David Boxer:

experience, and where AI I have, you know, a lot of hope and

David Boxer:

aspirations where it can serve students in really creative ways

David Boxer:

that I've seen teachers use it with students to help support

David Boxer:

them, you know, developing deeper understanding in

David Boxer:

particular subject areas, or being able to develop

David Boxer:

opportunities for them to be able to practice and engage when

David Boxer:

they don't have another human being next to them. So it's been

David Boxer:

great, and it's been wonderfully challenging, and I would have

David Boxer:

never would have thought I would have spent this much time on a

David Boxer:

topic like aI three years ago.

Bill Stites:

David, I want to pick on one thing that you said

Bill Stites:

there when you're talking about AI, a lot of the things that you

Bill Stites:

hit on were a lot of the topics that we hear from a lot of

Bill Stites:

different leaders in schools. But the one thing that you did

Bill Stites:

mention in there that doesn't often come up. It has come up

Bill Stites:

for us here at MKA, and we're still wrestling with it. But

Bill Stites:

it's that conversation with staff. You mentioned having a

Bill Stites:

conversation with, I believe you said your assistant to the head

Bill Stites:

of school. And you know, I think about when I'm in my development

Bill Stites:

office. I was in there yesterday and I was talking to somebody,

Bill Stites:

and I saw he was working on something in chat GPT. What are

Bill Stites:

the conversations outside of the academic areas in terms of the

Bill Stites:

way in which AI should be used in you know, admissions,

Bill Stites:

communications, alumni and development, business office,

Bill Stites:

what have those been like at school? So we've taken

David Boxer:

in very much peer based approach, right? So we had

David Boxer:

with our staff PLC this last year, a member from development,

David Boxer:

two members from emissions, a member from the communications

David Boxer:

department, Denise Covington from the information support

David Boxer:

services, information management side, member from athletics. And

David Boxer:

I think one of the things that we took as part of that peer

David Boxer:

based approach was, of course, facilitating develop basic,

David Boxer:

foundational understanding around what AI is, understanding

David Boxer:

concerns around data privacy, talking and experiencing and

David Boxer:

playing with tools that had in terms of the terms of service,

David Boxer:

like Gemini or notebook as being a Google workspace. School

David Boxer:

offers some degree of privacy talking through the processes of

David Boxer:

a tool adoption. And so I think those problems of practice are

David Boxer:

very much situated to each individual. It's the same thing

David Boxer:

I'm seeing on the faculty side. So our communications member as

David Boxer:

an example, walk through a problem of practice and working

David Boxer:

with a freelance writer and designer as part of a magazine,

David Boxer:

working through an iterative cycle as they were working on a

David Boxer:

piece, working on that piece, and running through AI, seeing

David Boxer:

around like, different ways that could be used, like creatively

David Boxer:

and brainstorming for like title pieces, to getting pure

David Boxer:

feedback, and then also really working to sort of, like, the

David Boxer:

ethical dimensions of like, how transparent do we need to be?

David Boxer:

Like, what are we communicating? And this was just a mock

David Boxer:

exercise, right? This wasn't something that ended up coming

David Boxer:

into, like a magazine or a piece. But I think what's more

David Boxer:

important is like, what role will it play? What role should

David Boxer:

it play? How can we be using it? Where should we have definitive

David Boxer:

boundaries? And I think each department, each professional in

David Boxer:

those departments, are working together as teams. But I think

David Boxer:

the thing that I found most interesting is breaking down

David Boxer:

those silos. So the executive assistant to the head of school

David Boxer:

and I just presented the senior leadership team towards senior

David Boxer:

leadership team towards the end of the year, proposing launching

David Boxer:

a school wide staff initiative for next year where we would

David Boxer:

have up to seven PLCs running across the two different

David Boxer:

campuses, but very intentionally doing these PLC so that ideally

David Boxer:

no more than one member of department is within Each PLC.

David Boxer:

Because what I think is more interesting than sort of like,

David Boxer:

solving the advancement problem or solving the communication

David Boxer:

problem, is showing folks what the possibilities are, and each

David Boxer:

person will sort of like lean into sort of where they are,

David Boxer:

right? So for some folks, you know, I'm sure, for the three of

David Boxer:

you, Mike, well, that sounds really basic, but for that

David Boxer:

person, that's like, right where they need to be, and others are

David Boxer:

doing much more complex and interesting things, things that

David Boxer:

I'm like, Oh, I never thought about that. Like, that's really

David Boxer:

interesting. So our goal next year is to offer the PLC

David Boxer:

opportunity for every staff member, in part because I think

David Boxer:

one of the things that at least at our school, that we've done

David Boxer:

really well is we've done a lot of work around cultural

David Boxer:

competency and making sure that staff are part of it, along with

David Boxer:

teachers. But we haven't really done a school wide work in a

David Boxer:

number of years around where technology can support the

David Boxer:

entire staff. And I think obviously, because of the social

David Boxer:

disruption that AI is offering, I think it's like more of a

David Boxer:

calling and a need than ever before.

Hiram Cuevas:

So Dave. What's interesting is, in your role as

Hiram Cuevas:

a CIO, how are you governing what AI tools your school is

Hiram Cuevas:

permitted to use, as opposed to everybody? Well, I'm using

Hiram Cuevas:

Claude, I'm using Gemini, I'm using chat GPT. How is Blake

Hiram Cuevas:

handling

David Boxer:

that? I'm going to offer a big caveat the friend I

David Boxer:

mentioned before, who I went visited at breakthrough in DC,

David Boxer:

who is now an assistant principal in the DC public

David Boxer:

schools, said something to me that has stuck with me for a

David Boxer:

number of years. She said, you know, David policies, from the

David Boxer:

district, when we have surveyed it make it to about 3% of the

David Boxer:

classrooms right? So, like, there's the reality of what a

David Boxer:

policy is right, and then there's the reality of what a

David Boxer:

practice actually looks like in the classroom. And I think,

David Boxer:

Hiram, you're asking a great question, right? So the senior

David Boxer:

admin team two years ago worked through developing a guideline

David Boxer:

set of guidelines for staff and for faculty, right, for all of

David Boxer:

our adults, because all the senior leadership team

David Boxer:

participated in that, right? We created, we had a general set of

David Boxer:

guidelines, and then when we realized was that there was

David Boxer:

different needs within each department. Not surprisingly, so

David Boxer:

we had in dependency for each department around specific needs

David Boxer:

and specific boundaries that we wanted to set, or different

David Boxer:

department leaders wanted to set. Then we asked each of the

David Boxer:

department leaders to make sure that they invited and had all

David Boxer:

their department members participate, and really sort of

David Boxer:

like deconstruct what the guidelines were, and then

David Boxer:

develop a set of scenarios of like ways in which they're

David Boxer:

applying what they're understanding the guidelines are

David Boxer:

to like real life examples. And then we maintain a software

David Boxer:

inventory across the whole school. We developed a looker

David Boxer:

report around school approved tools for employees really

David Boxer:

thinking around like data privacy issues, first and

David Boxer:

foremost, that was embedded into the guidelines. And then I think

David Boxer:

the reality is and so like lots of good work on the policy side,

David Boxer:

feel very proud of what we did on the policy side. But I think

David Boxer:

the whole point of developing some potentially seven PLCs for

David Boxer:

staff members next year, in conjunction with continuing to

David Boxer:

offer opportunities for teachers, is to really embed

David Boxer:

those practices so that there's a in depth understanding of

David Boxer:

like, here's why we've chosen this tool if you're going to use

David Boxer:

chat, GPT or cloud, here's the ways that are permissible.

David Boxer:

Here's the reason why it's not permissible based on the fact

David Boxer:

that you have a free license or a pro license, or, you know,

David Boxer:

because we don't have an enterprise or team license as a

David Boxer:

school. And here's why. And helping folks understand the

David Boxer:

same way that we all know that technology companies have

David Boxer:

developed products, and when those products are free, the

David Boxer:

products themselves aren't free because they're like, We're

David Boxer:

doing this for the general good of humanity. We're offering

David Boxer:

those products for free because we need humanity to be the

David Boxer:

product so that we can make the product better, right? And so

David Boxer:

just reminding folks that social media tools, free technology

David Boxer:

tools are based on different revenue models, and we have to

David Boxer:

be very thoughtful about how we interact with those particular

David Boxer:

tools or platforms, depending on what our needs are. And if

David Boxer:

you're going to use that third party tool that's not school

David Boxer:

approved, make sure you're anonymizing the data. Probably

David Boxer:

best yet to not even use those tools if you're using any sort

David Boxer:

of like student data, because you know the tools, as I keep

David Boxer:

saying, it's a rat race, right? And Gemini, six months ago,

David Boxer:

might not have been as good as chat GPT, but today might be

David Boxer:

better, like you probably won't get to that level of detail,

David Boxer:

that one general, large language model will be that much better

David Boxer:

than the other, better, just to develop best understanding

David Boxer:

within a tool such as Gemini or notebook for a particular use

David Boxer:

case or school approved tool. So I think that's where we are. We

David Boxer:

have a process. We cultivate that with every division every

David Boxer:

year talking about three tier levels of software support. AI

David Boxer:

is only one part of that process, and we do that with our

David Boxer:

department leaders and staff members as well.

Christina Lewellen:

I like that, and it seems like that's a more

Christina Lewellen:

sustainable approach, honestly, right? Because we are kind of

Christina Lewellen:

building the plane as we're flying it. So that makes a lot

Christina Lewellen:

of sense. Do you feel like this is capturing most of your

Christina Lewellen:

attention this summer? You know, I started by asking the guys

Christina Lewellen:

what they're working on this summer. You've now been at Blake

Christina Lewellen:

for 14 years. So how do you approach your summers and making

Christina Lewellen:

sure that you're stepping into the fall, into the school year,

Christina Lewellen:

feeling ready to tackle these issues that you're tackling

Bill Stites:

and outside of the tree house that you're in right

Bill Stites:

now? That's right. I think it's

David Boxer:

important for everyone listening to this pod

David Boxer:

to understand that today is July 3, the day before the Fourth of

David Boxer:

July. So if anyone is going to take a long holiday weekend in

David Boxer:

this role, this is the weekend to take.

Christina Lewellen:

This is the day we caught you on the day.

Christina Lewellen:

Yes,

David Boxer:

absolutely all right. So each year we literally

David Boxer:

work through a summer Kanban board that exists in a tool that

David Boxer:

you'll feel very familiar with within Asana, but also it exists

David Boxer:

as a physical representation. I'm very old school, like,

David Boxer:

you'll still see me with like, a pen and paper. All of my

David Boxer:

colleagues will, like, make fun of me. They're like, you kill so

David Boxer:

many trees. David, I

Christina Lewellen:

mean, I'm kind of like that too. I think

Christina Lewellen:

it's a marker of the generation, right? Like, I'm all about

Christina Lewellen:

Asana, but. I also have pen paper. I write in different

Christina Lewellen:

color pens depending on what the priority is, or whatever. And so

Christina Lewellen:

I just, I can't let go of that,

David Boxer:

yeah, and, you know, like, I'm really old

David Boxer:

fashioned, like, so we work through the whole combat board

David Boxer:

in Asana. We do some pre planning in early May. We launch

David Boxer:

it right after the school. We meet each week as a team for

David Boxer:

about 30 minutes talking about in the sin two foci, right?

David Boxer:

Fosa. Number one is, like, things that happened last week,

David Boxer:

like, went really well. Any lessons learned, right? We pull

David Boxer:

that into the comments of the asana board, and then we look

David Boxer:

for the week ahead. Like, what are the areas that are like,

David Boxer:

most important focus for this week? But here are other areas

David Boxer:

of time permits that we're going to get to. Obviously, we carry

David Boxer:

it over from week to week. If we don't you know how they move

David Boxer:

through both the planning stages, the doing stages and the

David Boxer:

done stages, and always aligning, of course, to sort of

David Boxer:

the swim lanes in the department. I think that ritual

David Boxer:

has been really great because we have a sense of, like, when

David Boxer:

we're going and where we're going, and what human resources

David Boxer:

that we'll need to provide at any given week. And then if

David Boxer:

there's any sort of, like potential conflict. You know,

David Boxer:

we're working out that together been a huge help this year. In

David Boxer:

particular, this summer, I keep mentioning to the team, like my

David Boxer:

Kanban part of the board is like, I will be co facilitating

David Boxer:

this summer curriculum grant this today, and then this one,

David Boxer:

two days from now. And so I have felt in a really nice way, but

David Boxer:

also like this, like sort of deep seated guilt, way that I'm

David Boxer:

like, Wow, I feel more removed this summer from the day to day

David Boxer:

operations, and I have in a long time, and I have more trust and

David Boxer:

a real sense of like, what's happening

Christina Lewellen:

based on the team, right? Sounds like you

Christina Lewellen:

have a great team. I do.

David Boxer:

I really feel very lucky about that. And I have

David Boxer:

felt like I can put energy onto sort of the academic side of the

David Boxer:

program in ways that typically don't happen in the summertime.

David Boxer:

And I think part of the way that we go into refresh into the

David Boxer:

school year is some folks, of course, are taking some summer

David Boxer:

time, not everyone. But I think one of the things that we try to

David Boxer:

do is we try to be really reasonable about what we can

David Boxer:

accomplish. Because, you know, folks in the IT world, at least,

David Boxer:

can sense this sense of like, but we didn't get as much done

David Boxer:

rather than like. Let's celebrate the things that were

David Boxer:

really important that got done and got done really well. That

David Boxer:

puts us in a great position of having a successful start and

David Boxer:

the school year, and I'm not having sleepless nights like

David Boxer:

when I first started this job, 14 years ago, in this particular

David Boxer:

moment, in part because of, as you just said, Kristina, the

David Boxer:

team, the team itself, is really where the magic happens.

Christina Lewellen:

And how about you? You're the CIO. So

Christina Lewellen:

what do you do for yourself to be ready?

David Boxer:

Well, there's a combination of taking and

David Boxer:

enjoying, like how the summer shifts, right? So I spend a lot

David Boxer:

more time biking between the two campuses than I can during the

David Boxer:

course of the school year, I spend time on the weekends, like

David Boxer:

canoeing, spending time with family, really trying to up my

David Boxer:

cocktail game with friends. So lots of good ways of recognizing

David Boxer:

that we have a busy summer, but I think much more focused and

David Boxer:

well paced. And then, as you have already mentioned spending

David Boxer:

a couple of days here over the Fourth of July with the family

David Boxer:

and some close friends up north, here in Minnesota, and having

David Boxer:

that time with family, for me is like a great recharge

Christina Lewellen:

moment. That's really awesome. So as we

Christina Lewellen:

start wrapping up our time with you today, one of my final

Christina Lewellen:

questions, if you were to look ahead, and especially given the

Christina Lewellen:

experience that you've had in your role for as long as you've

Christina Lewellen:

been there. What does a great school year look like like? What

Christina Lewellen:

would you hope for the coming school year? What does it look

Christina Lewellen:

like if it's a good one?

David Boxer:

I think if it's a great school year, most

David Boxer:

importantly, I would say that students, as you get a chance to

David Boxer:

talk with them, are like, ignited about what they're

David Boxer:

learning in and out of the classroom, right? Like they feel

David Boxer:

very much like they have caring adults who really know who they

David Boxer:

are, that they feel like they're in a community where they can be

David Boxer:

their full selves. I think then, of course, that's really

David Boxer:

important. Then in order to sustain that, care is making

David Boxer:

sure we're caring for our teachers. So like teachers

David Boxer:

themselves, feeling really curious, growing feeling like

David Boxer:

what they are leading in and out of the classroom is something

David Boxer:

that they feel sustained and cared for on the staff side or

David Boxer:

the IT side, team members will talk about feeling like they

David Boxer:

have accomplished a goal that they had set out, let's say,

David Boxer:

when we set our fall goals, and that they've been able to really

David Boxer:

see them through as we have like a cycle of both performance

David Boxer:

growth and performance management, where they feel like

David Boxer:

they have both met a departmental or institutional

David Boxer:

need, but also pursued potentially professional goal

David Boxer:

that will help the school, in the long run, an area that is a

David Boxer:

stretch goal for them. And I would say then, in terms of like

David Boxer:

our families, that they are feeling very much like the

David Boxer:

school serving the community in a way that each one of their

David Boxer:

children has grown into a much different young person than the

David Boxer:

start of the school year. I think really, when it comes down

David Boxer:

to, you know, I like to think of like the root word of education

David Boxer:

at akade, the root word and the definition of that. Is to come

David Boxer:

from within. And I think, in this day and age where

David Boxer:

information is more accessible than ever, helping students

David Boxer:

develop knowledge dispositions and understandings in a way that

David Boxer:

looks very different at the end of the year than the start of

David Boxer:

the year, and that they feel like they have grown as a young

David Boxer:

person or as a human being, that is, I think, the sign of a

David Boxer:

really good mirror. Priorities will shift, needs will shift.

David Boxer:

Things will come out of left field. That always will happen.

David Boxer:

But the resilience of a community, I think, really comes

David Boxer:

down to we're all very much mission aligned to what we do,

David Boxer:

which is to help grow and raise a next generation of young

David Boxer:

people who will grow and raise into good human beings and good

David Boxer:

adults. I

Christina Lewellen:

love that. Thank you for that. I want to

Christina Lewellen:

know what you guys would say to that too. I love that answer.

Christina Lewellen:

David bill and Hiram, what does a good school year look like for

Christina Lewellen:

you guys?

Hiram Cuevas:

I'd like to echo much of what David said. I think

Hiram Cuevas:

we are often surprised with how the students come in and then

Hiram Cuevas:

when they exit, how they've undergone this tremendous

Hiram Cuevas:

metamorphosis at the various stages, and we're all part of

Hiram Cuevas:

big schools. So we get to see the span across the Lower

Hiram Cuevas:

School, the middle school or the upper school. Then when they

Hiram Cuevas:

come back for alumni functions, it really is quite fascinating

Hiram Cuevas:

to see the overall metamorphosis and then realize how they've

Hiram Cuevas:

become just quality human beings

Bill Stites:

coming off of the summer, how do I know that I've

Bill Stites:

had a good school year? To be completely frank, is with all

Bill Stites:

the stuff that we do over the summer, if I'm bored by that

Bill Stites:

during the school year, I know it's going to be a good year,

Bill Stites:

because that means that all the work, all the effort that went

Bill Stites:

into, everything that we did during that time, this time that

Bill Stites:

we have now paid off and paid off? Well, all the pre planning

Bill Stites:

work, all the stuff that goes into it, left me in a position

Bill Stites:

where it is truly ubiquitous. It is just there. It's like air.

Bill Stites:

It's just happening. We're not thinking about it anymore. It

Bill Stites:

just simply works. So for me, that's how I judge a good school

Bill Stites:

year based on the projects that we've taken on, but you did

Bill Stites:

mention some David that I think is really important in terms of

Bill Stites:

a good school year is when we get to engage in those

Bill Stites:

conversations that are truly mission aligned, that are going

Bill Stites:

to improve teaching and learning and move the school forward, If

Bill Stites:

we've got time to dig into and work on those types of problems.

Bill Stites:

You know, I was really struck by the number of times that you

Bill Stites:

said the words problems of practice, the amount of time

Bill Stites:

that we can begin to then dig in on those things, because we're

Bill Stites:

not worried about the operational things that can

Bill Stites:

dominate what we do so frequently in this work, then I

Bill Stites:

know that we've had a successful summer and a successful school

Bill Stites:

year, is that when we're able to go deep on those questions and

Bill Stites:

those things that are really going to bring the biggest

Bill Stites:

meaning, I don't know any Latin, I don't know any root words to

Bill Stites:

any of the things I've just said, but when you can get to

Bill Stites:

That level of it, I think, is truly indicative of a good year.

Christina Lewellen:

Well, I really hope for all three of you

Christina Lewellen:

that your wishes and hopes for a good school year manifest. I

Christina Lewellen:

think they will, especially with leaders like you at the helm.

Christina Lewellen:

David, this has been such a pleasure to get to know you a

Christina Lewellen:

bit better and to also hear about all the great work you're

Christina Lewellen:

doing. What strikes me about this conversation is you just

Christina Lewellen:

spend so much time talking about and celebrating and lifting up

Christina Lewellen:

your team, and I really value that. So this has been an

Christina Lewellen:

incredibly satisfying and informational conversation. I'm

Christina Lewellen:

just so grateful that you carved out the time to do it. I have

David Boxer:

had such a good rip and again, really a huge fan of

David Boxer:

what the three of you are doing and learning so much from my

David Boxer:

peers in and out of the Atlas community because of it. So

David Boxer:

really appreciate the invitation to join.

Christina Lewellen:

Well with that. We'll let you get back to

Christina Lewellen:

the Fourth of July holiday. I hope you have a very lovely rest

Christina Lewellen:

of your summer and keep in touch with us on all these incredible

Christina Lewellen:

projects that you're doing.

Peter Frank:

This has been talking technology with Atlas,

Peter Frank:

produced by the Association of technology leaders in

Peter Frank:

independent schools. For more information about Atlas and

Peter Frank:

Atlas membership, please visit theatlas.org if you enjoyed this

Peter Frank:

discussion, please subscribe, leave a review and share this

Peter Frank:

podcast with your colleagues in the independent school

Peter Frank:

community, thank you for listening. You.

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