By LeiLani Cauthen
Editor’s Note: This is part two in a three-part series
What does “normal” mean today? Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, people have talked about a “new normal.” Yet the reality for schools remains far from stable. Even before the pandemic, districts were wrestling with a rapidly changing education landscape. Education was shifting toward a digital-first model, moving away from a century-and-a-half-old industrial approach and toward an experience-driven system—one unlocked by technology.
Then everything shifted. In a matter of days—or even a weekend—many schools moved from primarily in-person, whole-group instruction to remote and hybrid learning environments for which few were fully prepared.
In part one of this series, we examined five major obstacles blocking education’s digital transition, including leadership gaps, compliance issues, limited devices and infrastructure, budget constraints, and parental resistance. In this second installment, we explore six more barriers and offer practical action steps to help districts move forward with a successful digital transformation.
Barriers to Change: By the Numbers
Number One: Testing
Excessive testing repeatedly ranks as a top concern for teachers. Over recent years, testing volume has increased significantly. Many educators report they are forced to “teach to the test,” limiting the time available for rich, direct instruction. In turn, more testing is deployed as proof of accountability, creating a cycle that undermines quality teaching time.
The remedy lies in more effective learning systems. When courseware and digital curriculum demonstrably raise achievement, testing pressure eases because administrators and stakeholders see improved results.
Tips to overcome testing pressure:
Integrate professional-grade courseware into core subjects and supplement classroom instruction with high-quality digital curriculum. By using proven digital resources to cover standards-aligned content, teachers regain time for targeted direct instruction that raises student performance.
Number Two: Standards
The adoption of state academic standards has added complexity to curricular planning. Where textbooks once provided a common baseline, educators now must align lessons and pacing to detailed standards. Cross-walking standards against materials is time-consuming, and frequent changes to standards—sometimes sudden and substantial—create extra workload for teachers and districts.
Tips to simplify standards alignment:
Rather than relying solely on top-down mandates, collaborate with teachers to inventory lessons and streamline alignment. Partner with digital curriculum providers to identify which content maps to specific standards, and prioritize ready-made alignments to save teacher planning time.
Number Three: Schedules
Rigid, traditional schedules are another obstacle. Families increasingly expect flexibility—especially as online goods and services become commonplace—while others still rely on schools for consistent childcare during work hours. Schools that fail to offer modern scheduling options risk losing enrollment and failing to meet community needs.
Tips to increase scheduling flexibility:
Identify which subjects and activities can be delivered flexibly and create clear, marketed options for families. Treat enrollment as a membership that includes digital participation even when students are not physically on campus—this supports continuity and meets diverse family needs.
Number Four: Red Tape
Bureaucracy often slows technology adoption. In an era when innovation must move quickly, lengthy procurement processes and restrictive policies sap momentum and demoralize staff eager to improve instruction.
Tips to cut through red tape:
Create innovation set-asides within procurement rules that allow faster, accountable purchases for pilot projects. Allocate shares of these funds to teams so educators can responsibly test solutions, combining resources when needed. Small, controlled purchasing power encourages experimentation and timely implementation.
Number Five: Curating Curriculum
The sheer volume of online resources creates a new problem: fragmentation. Tens of thousands of digital curriculum options mean teachers often waste time searching for suitable materials. In the days of textbook adoptions, districts had common resources; today, content is fractured across links, documents, and apps, creating inconsistency and extra operational burden.
Tips to reduce curriculum fragmentation:
Adopt core subject courseware where appropriate, and curate supplemental solutions and pre-vetted digital libraries. Administrative leadership in digital content selection—learning common terminology and quality criteria—helps restore coherence and frees teachers from constant content hunting.
Number Six: Professional Development
Many districts invest heavily in professional development, yet delivery methods often remain outdated. Device training and software overviews rarely match what teachers actually want: concise, practical, task-focused learning that they can apply immediately. Long, one-size-fits-all sessions feel inefficient and wasteful.
Teachers prefer short, on-demand modules—think brief videos, podcasts, FAQs, and just-in-time guides—combined with opportunities for peer-to-peer sharing and hands-on workshops. Professional learning that feels imposed is less effective than programs offering choice, customization, and collaborative time.
Tips to modernize professional development:
Convert lecture-style sessions into short videos or podcasts, use learning management systems for distributed training, and design in-person workshops to maximize sharing and practical application. Offer elective pathways and quick reference resources so staff can learn what they need when they need it.
The COVID-19 crisis accelerated the digital transition in education. As leaders and educators adopt new tools and methods to stabilize day-to-day operations, they will face barriers to change repeatedly. How effectively districts identify and dismantle these obstacles will determine the success of their digital transformation.
In the next installment, we will examine additional common barriers—including less obvious, hidden challenges—and share strategies to address them once they are recognized.
About the author
LeiLani Cauthen is the CEO and Publisher of The Learning Counsel. She specializes in the digital content ecosystem, software development, adoption strategies, school coverage models, and the larger transformation of teaching and learning in this century. With twenty years of research, publishing, and market leadership across high tech, education, and government sectors, she is an author and media commentator on education innovation.