MidHudson25

A modern communications platform is far more than just a phone system.  School organizations are beginning to transform communications, safety, and collaboration with fully integrated ecosystems specifically designed for school districts.
 
This session will provide district administrators and Chief Technology Officers with a broad vision of how cloud-based communications can and is reshaping the way schools connect. The next generation of cloud communications environments empower school teams with unmatched flexibility - enabling staff and administration to work from virtually anywhere – and integrate seamlessly with advanced emergency management systems.  These solutions are also packed with opportunities to enhance collaboration, making district/building teams and departments work faster, smarter, and more efficiently than ever before.  
 
Participants in this session will:

• Learn about this new ecosystem combining enhanced voice communications, emergency notification, incident/event management, and powerful collaboration tools.
• Collaborate to identify gaps in current district communications platforms and discuss how a modern communications system would potentially work within the participants’ districts (including integration with existing tools such as Microsoft 365 Copilot and Google Workspace). 
• Consider future developments in the integrated ecosystem, including the introduction of wearable devices for life safety. 

 

In recent years, there has been an intensified focus on cybersecurity within the K-12 educational sector, driven by local, state, and federal agencies. Notably, between 2023 and 2024, several pivotal reports have been released, offering strategic guidance tailored to the K-12 environment:

• “Protecting our Future: Partnering to Safeguard K-12 Organizations from Cybersecurity Threats” by the US Department of Homeland Security and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (January 2023)
• “K12 Digital Infrastructure: Defensible and Resilient” by the US Department of Education (August 2023)
• “K12 SIX Essential Cybersecurity Protections: 2022-2023/2023-2024” by K12 SIX (Annually)
• “Cybersecurity Guidance for K-12 Technology Acquisitions” by CISA (August 2023)

These documents converge on a set of best practices and core principles for the K-12 cybersecurity landscape. While the recommendations are essential, translating them into practice within diverse organizational cultures and political climates presents challenges.
Our session will outline effective strategies for implementing these recommendations and securing executive-level support to enhance cybersecurity postures. We will share insights from the West Irondequoit Central School District’s journey from policy to practice.