Opinion: Time for State Ed-Tech Leaders to Take Matters Into Our Own Hands

The layoffs of staff serving in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology (OET) are a profound loss for the nation’s education system. For over 30 years, OET provided essential leadership in shaping ed-tech policy, guiding practice and fostering innovation. States now face a critical moment — either step up or risk leaving students and educators without the necessary support.

As the State Educational Technology Directors Association’s (SETDA) executive director and former leader at the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction for 17.5 years (Julia), as well as former OET adviser and current SETDA staff (Ji Soo), we have seen firsthand the impact of federal leadership on students, schools and states. OET’s work helped states build robust digital learning infrastructures, implement policies that protect student data, and prioritize efforts to advance digital equity. Its absence leaves a void, but it also presents an opportunity for states to take on a more pronounced role to ensure continued progress. For the time being, the future of ed-tech leadership now rests squarely in the hands of state education agencies (SEAs), and they must act decisively.

WHY OET'S LOSS MATTERS & THE RISING ROLE OF STATE LEADERSHIP

OET was not just another office in the federal bureaucracy; it was a linchpin in the national ed-tech ecosystem. It provided valuable policy guidance, research and coordination, ensuring coherence in ed-tech strategy across states and school districts.

Through its initiatives, OET:

• Championed K-12 universal broadband connectivity, collaborating with various federal agencies to expand access to high-speed Internet, devices and content. 
• Developed and refreshed the National Education Technology Plan (NETP), which served as a research-backed policy framework for states and districts.
• Advocated for interoperability standards, ensuring that digital learning tools can work seamlessly across different platforms.
• Provided research and guidance on data privacy and cybersecurity, helping states and districts navigate the complex landscape of protecting student information.
• Led national conversations on emerging technologies, ensuring that innovations such as generative artificial intelligence are responsibly developed and thoughtfully integrated.

Given the current landscape, where this type of leadership is unlikely to re-emerge anytime soon, it’s evident why states must take the lead:

1. Technology is embedded into all aspects of K-12. It is central to modern education, impacting how students learn and grow, how teachers instruct and collaborate, and how schools operate and communicate.
2. SEAs have a view into the needs of their local school districts. Each state has unique challenges and priorities when it comes to digital learning. With OET gone, SEAs must step in to provide tailored solutions.
3. Without strong state leadership, disparities will grow. A patchwork approach to ed tech will leave some states at the forefront of innovation while others fall behind, exacerbating educational inequities and leaving local systems ill-equipped to prepare students for today’s economy and society.

For nearly 25 years, SETDA has played a critical role in convening, representing and supporting state ed-tech leaders. Now, our work is more important than ever. States must work together to build a cohesive ed-tech strategy that ensures all students have access to high-quality experiences and opportunities. By failing to act decisively in this moment, we risk not only stagnating innovative approaches to teaching and learning, but also losing the progress we have made in narrowing the digital divides articulated in the NETP.

WHAT CAN STATES DO NOW?

Here’s how states can rise to the challenge with clarity and determination:

1. Strengthen state educational technology offices. Every SEA should designate a dedicated office or leader for ed-tech policy that reports directly to or collaborates regularly with the state education chief. This leadership is crucial in developing statewide strategies, securing funding and coordinating efforts across districts. Through our annual trends report last fall, SETDA found that states with well-established ed-tech offices demonstrated success in implementing large-scale digital initiatives — others must follow suit.
2. Invest in professional learning. Technology is only as effective as the educators who use it. States must prioritize impactful professional learning programs that help teachers integrate technology into their instructional practice meaningfully and intentionally across all content areas. This includes ongoing coaching on AI, digital literacy and data privacy.
3. Prioritize digital equity. To prepare students for the workforce and postsecondary success, efforts to expand digital access cannot be solely about devices and Internet connectivity. States must also ensure students and educators have the digital skills, technical support and accessible tools necessary to fully engage in learning.
4. Advocate for sustainable funding. With federal ed-tech funding streams uncertain, SEAs must work with their legislatures to secure resources that sustain educational technology initiatives. This includes advocating for dedicated state funding and exploring public-private partnerships to support ed-tech infrastructure.
5. Engage with national organizations. Interstate collaboration will be essential in this new landscape. States should not work in isolation and reinvent the wheel when it comes to shared priorities. Organizations like SETDA provide valuable research, policy guidance and networking opportunities that can help state leaders make informed decisions with peers.
   

THE FUTURE OF ED TECH DEPENDS ON STATE LEADERSHIP

The need for federal leadership has not disappeared. A strong national vision for ed tech is still necessary to ensure consistency, innovation and equity, and SETDA will continue to advocate for the restoration of OET’s staff and the importance of federal leadership in ed tech.

At the same time, states cannot afford to wait. OET’s empty desks signal a shift in responsibility, placing the future of digital learning in the hands of state leaders. While this change presents challenges, it also offers an opportunity for states to take ownership of their ed-tech strategies and drive innovation from the ground up.

The question is not whether states will lead, but how boldly they will step up to the challenge. The decisions made now will shape the future of ed tech and K-12 education in the U.S. for years to come.

State ed-tech leaders have risen to the occasion time and time again. They responded to the call when the Every Student Succeeds Act reorganized the K-12 system in 2015. They stood firm when COVID-19 required students and families to engage with school remotely. SETDA stands ready once again to support states in this new era of ed-tech leadership.

It’s time for states to lead the way.

Julia Fallon is executive director of the State Educational Technology Directors Association.

Ji Soo Song is director of projects and initiatives at SETDA.