What Superintendents Need to be Successful This Year

Celebrating the leaders and experts that are powering education into the future, host JW Marshall sets out to ask the “right questions” in EdTech to understand the changes in policy and technology that will power our universities, tradeschools, and companies – and drive growth in upskilling certifications.

 

Twenty or so years ago, EdTech wasn’t a thing. Now, though, there are plenty of companies that develop products for school districts. The missing piece of the puzzle is when they can’t get their product in front of school administrators.

Enter Doug Roberts, Founder and CEO of the Institute for Education Innovation. They are working to bridge that gap. He talked about this on this episode of Voices of eLearning with JW Marshall. Doug has worked with edTech entrepreneurs and administrators for over 20 years. When he noticed a gap between those who run schools and those who start companies to help schools, he began IEI.

The Institute for Education Innovation “bridges the gaps between the individuals and organizations committed to seeing students succeed in school and life, creating a safe space for constructive problem-solving and innovative thinking.”

According to Roberts, superintendents love talking to vendors, but they want to speak in a productive way. They don’t want to be pitched random stuff. IEI set up an event called the IEI Superintendents Summits to bridge this gap. It helps connect edTech companies with school administrators, and in a way that’s helpful for the school staff.

The duo also talked about technology’s role moving forward after the pandemic. Schools are planning to reduce screen time once they return in person. Roberts believes EdTech will always be a part of K-12 schools, but there will be a push in Fall 2021 to scale back screens and increase one-on-one learning.

Listen to Previous Episodes of Voices of eLearning Right Here!

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

filmmaking
Lights, Camera, Authenticity: Why Trusting Your Voice Is the Most Radical Move in Filmmaking Today
February 3, 2026

The entertainment industry is at a crossroads, where questions of access, authorship, and technological disruption are reshaping who gets to tell stories—and how those stories get made. From the rise of AI-assisted tools to ongoing conversations about representation and gatekeeping, filmmaking today is as much about identity and equity as it is about craft….

Read More
AI in energy
May the Agentforce Be With You: AI in Energy Services
February 3, 2026

Generative AI has moved past being a shiny demo and into the messy reality of enterprise operations—where data lives in different systems, customers expect instant answers, and security teams (rightfully) say “prove it.” In energy services specifically, even small efficiency gains matter: many retail energy providers operate on thin margins, and operational blind spots—billing…

Read More
Energy billing
Nightmare on Revenue Street: Energy Billing Edition
February 3, 2026

Energy billing is one of those things most people only think about when something goes wrong—an unusually high charge, a missing bill, a surprise shutoff notice, or a rate plan that suddenly doesn’t make sense. With smart meters, more complex pricing options, and different rules in regulated vs. deregulated markets, even a small breakdown…

Read More
career coaching
Work-Based Learning & Career Coaching with Strada Education: Closing the Gap Between Education and Opportunity
February 2, 2026

As higher education faces mounting pressure to demonstrate clear career outcomes, institutions are rethinking how learning connects to work and the role of career coaching in that process. Employers continue to report skills gaps, students are questioning the return on investment of a degree, and states are demanding stronger alignment between postsecondary education and…

Read More