At the Learning Counsel’s National Gathering in Dallas, three award-winning school districts came together on a panel to describe their journeys toward digital transformation. Each district shared what worked, what didn’t, and how technology was used to improve learning opportunities for every student.
Anne Arundel County Public Schools — Skip Lee, Director of Curriculum
Skip Lee of Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Annapolis, MD highlighted people and vision as the foundation of his district’s transformation. Beginning in 2014, the district shifted virtually all instructional resources into digital formats. Partnering with platforms such as Classlink and Blackboard, the district converted guides, course materials, and other resources—work that required changing long-standing habits and overcoming resistance from staff who were accustomed to paper-based curriculum materials.
Lee emphasized that the most important step was building shared understanding: getting staff to see how a digital resource base could liberate instruction rather than constrain it. Today, that work supports a PreK–12 division with 947 courses under his responsibility. The digital transition has made curriculum and instructional materials more accessible to teachers, students, and community members, and has helped push high-quality learning directly to students in ways that are sustainable and scalable.
St. Vrain Valley Schools — Kahle Charles, Assistant Superintendent of Assessment, Curriculum & Instruction
Kahle Charles of St. Vrain Valley Schools in Longmont, CO described how equity guided their district-wide strategy. Charles recounted his experience as a principal, where stark differences in resources between neighborhoods made clear that a child’s education should not depend on their zip code. Under Superintendent Dr. Don Haddad, the district committed to making high-quality experiences available to all students regardless of where they live.
Part of that commitment involved rethinking the master schedule to reflect district priorities and moving from a collection of individual schools to a cohesive system. Charles reported that digital learning played a critical role in “elevating the playing field,” giving students across the district access to rigorous, high-quality instruction and helping them gain a competitive advantage. The focus was on system-wide alignment—creating structures and schedules that reinforce equitable access and consistent expectations for learning.
Academy for Urban Leadership — Abraham Williams, Director of Information Technology
Abraham Williams of the Academy for Urban Leadership in Perth Amboy, NJ spoke candidly about barriers to adoption—particularly staff resistance—and shared a powerful example of how individual attention and empathy can change outcomes. He described a student who struggled academically and behaviorally because of difficult personal circumstances. Rather than relying solely on punitive measures, Williams intervened by facilitating communication between the student and teacher and by helping the teacher understand the student’s background.
That human-centered approach—combining technology-enabled supports with relationships and context-aware interventions—helped the student turn his performance around, moving from failing grades to the 80th percentile. Williams’ story highlights that successful digital transitions require more than hardware and platforms; they demand empathetic leadership, teacher support, and personalized outreach to address nonacademic barriers that affect learning.
Common Themes and Lessons
Across these districts several consistent themes emerge: leadership that sets and models a clear vision, intentional attention to equity, a focus on systems rather than isolated school-level solutions, and the central importance of people. Technology enabled access, consistency, and scalability, but human relationships—teachers, leaders, and community members—drove adoption and meaningful impact.
Each district took different paths but reached similar outcomes: broader access to curriculum, a more equitable distribution of learning opportunities, and improved student engagement when digital resources were combined with thoughtful human supports. Their experiences demonstrate that digital transformation in education is as much about change management, professional learning, and community buy-in as it is about devices and software.
Watch the Video Below
The panel discussion is both strategic and emotional: it shows how district leaders marry technology decisions with the human realities of schools. The video captures practical strategies and real-world examples that other districts can adapt to their own contexts—ideas for improving access, scaling curriculum, and supporting students who face barriers outside the classroom.
