Summary “Empowering EdTech Leaders” opens with a clear mission: to provide K-12 educational-technology leaders—whether at the district level,school level, or instructional-support role—with a roadmap to move from theory to practice to impact.  The authors draw on the extensive experience of veteran leaders (including Dr. Sean Adcroft, Linda Alesi, Marc Epstein, Dr. Guy Lodico, and others) who have served as technology directors, instructional coaches, and district digital leaders.  The book is structured to guide readers from day-one essentials, through infrastructure, staffing, budgeting, pedagogy and coaching, to sustainability and scaling of technology-enabled instructional innovation. 

Early chapters focus on setting vision, developing credibility, and building stakeholder relationships: teachers, administrators, parents, board members. The authors emphasise that technology alone does not equal improvement — what matters is how it is integrated into instructional practice and how it supports teaching-learning goals. The introduction underscores this: “From classroom to boardroom, one of an EdTech leader’s main roles is to cultivate the critical triangle of success between teacher/staff, student, and parent/community.” 

Subsequent sections turn more operational. The book provides practical tools — templates, checklists, frameworks “you can use immediately.”  The authors tackle infrastructure (connectivity, device-management, security, E-Rate funding), staffing (roles of instructional technologists, coaches, professional learning), and budgeting (aligning tech spend with instructional goals). At the same time, they do not shy away from change management: shifting culture, aligning systems, and creating metrics that matter (student achievement, teacher practice growth) rather than merely counting devices.

A strong feature is the use of real-world case stories and reflective anecdotes. The authors share “those days” when the unexpected happens (for example a campus internet outage, or a pandemic pivot) to show how EdTech leaders must be flexible, resilient and ready to lead through ambiguity.  Importantly, the book weaves in instructional thinking: the concept of TPACK (Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge) is used as a guiding frame for aligning innovation to what teachers and students actually do. 

Finally, the book looks ahead to scale and sustainment: how to evaluate impact, how to refine, how to build capacity so that innovation is not person-dependent but becomes part of the district’s DNA. The voices of seasoned practitioners lend credibility — this is not a purely aspirational treatise but grounded, “been-there” advice.

Review – Why this book is a strong choice for EdTech and educational leaders First, the book fills a genuine gap. While many publications address classroom-level technology use or general leadership, this volume speaks directly to the mid-to-senior EdTech leader operating at the nexus of instruction, technology, and change. It is relevant for directors of technology, instructional technology specialists, CTOs, district leaders, principals invested in tech-enabled change. 

Second, the practical orientation is a major strength. The inclusion of ready-to-use tools, step-by-step guidance, and real scenarios makes this more than theory. For a busy administrator or lead learner, having templates, checklists and frameworks means this can become a working resource, not just optional reading. The authors’ claim that this is “the guide I wish I had 30 years ago” (in praise on the site) underscores this practical value.

Third, the instructional lens is well maintained. Technology for its own sake is avoided; instead, the emphasis is on how tech supports teaching and learning. That kind of orientation helps ensure that budgets, staffing, and infrastructure are aligned with student-outcomes, not gadgets. The discussion of TPACK and real-world change showcases that the authors understand both pedagogy and operations.

Fourth, the authors’ credibility and breadth of experience shine through. Their backgrounds — years as directors, technologists, coaches — mean the book is rooted in lived reality, not simply theory. This adds authenticity and sets realistic expectations about the work, including the messiness of change.

Finally, the tone is encouraging without being naïve. The authors acknowledge the day-to-day challenges of EdTech leadership (competing resource demands, resistance, infrastructure failures) and yet frame the role as uniquely impactful and fulfilling. The balance between realism and aspiration is well struck.

Minor Consideration Because the book is targeted specifically at K-12 instructional-technology leadership, those in earlier stages (classroom teachers new to tech) may find some of the advanced district-level content less immediately applicable. Also, as with any leadership guide, local context and culture will shape implementation—so readers still need to adapt. But these are minor caveats in an otherwise well-crafted volume.

Conclusion In sum, “Empowering EdTech Leaders” offers a timely, relevant and well-crafted guide for those steering technology-infused instructional innovation in K-12 settings. With its strong blend of vision, practice, tools and real-world case, it stands out as a go-to resource for educational leaders committed to meaningful, sustainable change. I recommend it wholeheartedly for district tech directors, instructional coaches, principals and superintendents seeking to move beyond devices and embrace strategic, instruction-centered transformation.

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Prepared with the assistance of AI software

OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com