Creating shared definitions, navigating the noise around technology, and working together to improve accessibility and engagement were recurring themes in our ERDI conversations.
In late January, the Edlio team connected with education leaders from across the country at the Education Research and Development Institute (ERDI) Winter R&D Institute in Tucson, Arizona. It was an opportunity for our team–including our Founder and CEO Ali Arsan–to exchange ideas, get valuable feedback, and identify the problems we need to be focused on solving together. Most importantly, it was an opportunity to listen and learn from leaders who are working directly with students and families every single day. While those conversations covered a vast array of topics, there were some overarching themes that were present in almost every one.
Going Beyond Buzzwords
School and district leaders stressed the importance of clearly defining words like “innovation” and “engagement” for themselves, as well as their stakeholders. Whether the conversations were about the use of AI, redesigning education systems, or the challenges of doing more with less resources, everyone agreed that establishing shared definitions and making sure everyone understands them is an important first step. One parallel that was drawn was the “Portrait of a Graduate” that many districts use to clearly define their vision of student success. A similar approach can be taken for defining what innovation and engagement look like for a particular school or district.
Going Beyond Compliance in Improving Digital Accessibility
With the ADA Title II deadlines coming in 2026 and 2027, many schools and districts are focused on ensuring their web content and mobile apps are in compliance and following WCAG 2.1 AA standards. But getting to a place of compliance is just the beginning, as districts are constantly updating websites, apps, and digital content, and need to maintain accessibility. Not all districts currently have staff with a level of training and expertise in digital accessibility to ensure ongoing compliance, and most technology solutions are designed to identify accessibility issues with existing content, not prevent or fix them. Districts are looking for more proactive and sustainable solutions.
Technological Noise and the Need for Digital Coherence
From classroom instructional tools to communications, finance, and operations platforms, many schools and districts are finding their technology stack has become unwieldy and fractured. They have too many one-purpose tools that do not integrate well together, and are not all aligned to the strategic plan of the district. Education leaders described the “noise” of being constantly introduced to new technology, trying to navigate the use of AI, and struggling to answer the question “how is it all connected?” Schools and districts are working to align instructional practices, policies, and initiatives around their strategic goals, but technology is not always included in those efforts, especially when it comes to non-instructional technology. Multiple district leaders expressed a desire to streamline tech stacks and increase digital coherence.
Sustaining Family & Community Engagement
In every conversation about communications or family and community engagement, two challenges came up over and over again.
First, districts are struggling to keep up with all the places where conversations are happening–they can’t be everywhere, all the time. Even districts who have a frequently updated website, a presence on multiple social channels, and strong communication strategies across web, email, and mobile are still finding there are conversations happening online they have little to no insight into. There are simply too many channels to keep up with, and they often don’t learn about problems in time to be proactive.
Second, districts who have built strong engagement with particular stakeholders or around a particular issue often have trouble sustaining that engagement due to lack of time and resources. So for example, a district that worked hard to gain support for a budget referendum may have run information campaigns, invested in public relations, and dedicated hundreds of people hours to engaging the community around that issue. Keeping that momentum post-referendum when the time and resource investment is not sustainable is a real challenge for districts.
In addition to leveraging technology to be present in more channels, leaders are also looking for more insights on where their education community is having conversations, what the positives and negatives are, and how they can be more proactive in joining those conversations.
The Strongest Theme–The Desire to Work Together
Over and over again, the theme that was present in every conversation we had was that schools and districts want and need partners in building the future of education. Education leaders are constantly seeking ways to empower families to be active participants in the education of their children. Schools and districts are seeking community partners that can help students build workforce readiness skills and offer learning experiences beyond the school day. They’re also looking for solution providers who are not just vendors, but true partners who understand the unique goals and challenges of each school and district.
One of the most inspiring aspects of ERDI is that every education leader and solution provider at the event shared that collaborative mindset. There was a collective confidence that we can navigate the challenges together, and build a better future for students across the country.
Applying What We’ve Learned
ERDI was a great way for our team at Edlio to start the year, and we left energized for what we can do with our education partners in 2026 and beyond. It was validating to see how aligned we already are with what education leaders are focused on. The emphasis on coherence mirrors the approach we’ve taken with our K-12 communication suite, as it’s designed to support the whole educational ecosystem–student, school, family, and community. Our built-in accessibility tools fix issues and educate staff on best practices, helping them create a culture of accessibility, not compliance.
Hearing directly from education leaders about where they see gaps in communication and engagement helped us identify areas where we can enhance the Edlio platform to address some of those gaps. We were also able to share some of the tools and features we’re currently working on, and get valuable feedback that is helping shape our development process.
We’ll be sharing one of those new developments soon, so stay tuned!
