Former K-8 principal says districts need more professional development for school leaders

A former K-8 principal who now approves purchase orders for apps and software in the district said professional development typically stops at the teacher level and fails to prepare principals to evaluate and support edtech adoption. "If the principal doesn't know any AI, any app, any of that, they're gonna be like, 'I'm gonna put it on yard supervisor hours,'" the participant said, describing how principals' unfamiliarity can sideline instructional tools.

The issue matters because principals often decide how district money is spent before teachers can adopt or scale new tools. The speaker said the district's spending deadline "ends next week," adding urgency to the need for decision-maker training and noting that sometimes only a handful of teachers use a tool while the principal does not engage.

Participants discussed several approaches to address the gap. One historic model cited was an "8075 grant" run through County Offices of Education that approved providers for a Principal Training Academy with three modules (the third focused on technology); approved providers could then compete to offer training across districts. Attendees also named associations that offer administrator-level PD, including ACSA and CoSN California, but said such opportunities are often cut first when budgets are tight.

Speakers described local, lower-cost workarounds such as vendor-led "lunch-and-learn" sessions and relying on tech teacher leaders in schools to bridge the gap. One participant noted they handle PO approvals and must sometimes push principals to consider usage dashboards and subscriptions before renewing or replacing services.

The group agreed that outreach should include school leaders as well as teachers; one participant said principals are being added to a roadmap for principal-level tooling and supports going forward. The discussion closed with a question about what district priorities typically outrank technology in budget decisions, underscoring that funding choices will shape any expansion of administrator-focused PD.