Chad A. Stevens, Ph. D., is the Head of K–12 engagement at ClassDojo, where classrooms become communities with the #1 communication app used by millions of K–12 students and teachers. Chad’s public education career began at Clear Creek ISD in Texas, where he served as a teacher, principal, and chief technology officer. A former teacher of the year, Chad is now a seasoned leader in the EdTech industry. His expertise lies in blending business strategies with educational insights for improved student outcomes.
Based on your experience as an educator and technology professional, what have you learned about communication best practices that enable teaching and learning?
Throughout my career, I try to keep the perspective that technology is just a tool for a school or district—no different than pencils and textbooks were in earlier eras. This perspective has grounded my approach to communication technology in education.
I’ve seen firsthand that technology alone cannot solve educational challenges. The trap many district leaders fall into is believing that “this one tool is going to fix everything,” and it’s just not true. Behind every tool is a person, and the effectiveness of any communication technology hinges on human relationships.
You can have the most effective communication tool in the world, but if the person on the other end doesn’t feel safe, doesn’t know how to use it, or doesn’t have a relationship with a teacher, it doesn’t matter if it’s an email or a face-to-face meeting—it’s not going to be effective. The foundation of successful educational communication is establishing trust and safety within relationships first, then leveraging technology to enhance those connections.
User experience also plays a critical role in adoption. The tools that are the most rapidly adopted are easy to use. They often gain traction among educators because they remove barriers to communication. Google Classroom, ClassDojo, and other consumer-grade apps gained rapid adoption because of their intuitive interfaces.
I believe it is important for schools to think about who the consumer or customer of their services are. During my time at Amazon Web Services, I learned about ‘customer obsession’. We focused on knowing our customer and who is actually using these tools at the school or district? Schools have multiple customers, and we have to think about each tool in terms of who’s touching it the most. If it’s not easy to use, nobody’s going to use it anyway.
What are the primary challenges schools and districts face that can’t be ignored with communications technology?
Student data privacy and security represent critical challenges that cannot be overemphasized. Student information is the most precious data that schools have, and this demands robust security protocols.
Ransomware attacks on schools continue to escalate each year. I approach security with a three-layered mindset of people, processes, and tools. Schools must adopt the mindset that it’s not if we’re going to have a cyberattack; it’s when. There is often an additional layer of security with software that reaches the global community, as European safety protocols are more strict than in the U.S. This is additional protection for schools.
Another challenge is balancing accessibility with security. It seems like the things that get rapidly adopted are the things that schools tend to block first. Finding this balance requires thoughtful evaluation rather than reflexively blocking new technologies. As I mentioned above there is a reason many of these technologies get adopted so fast because they are easy to use. Again, balance and thoughtfulness is key.
Scale is another challenge, and the human element cannot be overlooked when considering scaling a communication system. I’ve noticed that there’s a human aspect to scaling that often gets forgotten. Many people assume technology will scale automatically, but procedural bottlenecks typically involve human factors, not just technology. Effective communication systems must take these human elements into consideration in their design.
How do you see the evolution of school learning communities as the world becomes more tech-enabled?
Looking ahead, I see technology enabling broader learning communities that extend beyond traditional school boundaries. Kids learn best when they’re surrounded by a community of people who support them and help them achieve their full potential.
Today’s students build communities in digital environments. These virtual spaces provide opportunities for learning and connection that complement traditional school environments. Technology enables the learning community with parents playing a crucial role. Consumer-grade applications are creating pathways for parent involvement that extend learning support beyond school hours.
Ultimately, I believe the evolution of school communities must maintain a focus on human connection while leveraging technology appropriately. The most successful approaches will integrate families, teachers, and students in ways that create environments where students feel safe and that they belong, regardless of whether those interactions happen face-to-face or through digital interfaces.
As schools navigate economic and policy shifts, success will come through “strategic abandonment” of ineffective technologies while embracing innovations that genuinely enhance communication, security, and community-building in service of student learning.
