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The title of CIO typically stands for Chief Information
Officer, the person who leads technology and information systems. However, in a school system it often seems
more appropriate to stand for Chief Interpretation Officer.
It is now the end of October and the school year is now
firmly under way. Summer projects are
complete and hiccups that hit during the start of school are hopefully smoothed
out. It is time to look back and analyze
the work that has been done, both the successes as well as areas that need
improvement. As I look at where the
majority of my time has been spent and where I may have needed to spend some
more, it seems that most of my “time well spent” was on translation and
interpretation.
Interpretation and translation of the technology vision, of
the purpose of varying technologies, and of the direction a school is
technologically headed is essential to keep all stakeholders on the same
page. A CIO needs to be able to
articulate what their needs are to the school administration, and illustrate
how fulfilling those needs will move the school in the direction that has been
suggested by the board. The CIO needs to
interpret those visions into tech language and tangible directions for the
Information Services team. Then the CIO
needs to interpret these needs, directions and visions to the faculty of the
school so that they can stand behind and integrate these tools to enhance the
students’ experiences in all educational areas. Now, the story is not finished,
the CIO then needs to interpret all of this to the community at large with a
special focus on the students’ parents.
You need your parents to be “on board” with the school’s direction and
mission, and the CIO’s effective interpretation and its delivery can mean the
difference between endorsement and empowerment or a steep, uphill battle.
While it is important for a CIO to know the elements of
technology and the nuances of education, understanding the stakeholders that
make up the school community and having the ability to communicate to each of
these groups in the ways that are most effective to each is a skill set in and
of itself. A CIO should take the time to
know each of their stakeholder groups and how they relate to the culture of the
school. A great CIO needs to know the
vernacular of each of these groups and have the language and understanding
needed to interpret the needs, goals, visions and concerns of each group to all
of the others with regards to the Information Services of the school.
