Institute for Education Innovation

08/17/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Mark Benigni and the team at Meriden Public Schools, featured by CoSN this month for sixteen years of purposeful technology work.

The Connecticut district has taken its time with EdTech, keeping access, relationships, and opportunity at the center of the decisions along the way. Every student has a device; elementary schools run weekly Genius Labs where technology skills, coding, creativity, and digital citizenship are part of the curriculum; and teachers move through a six-stage learning program before AI tools reach their classrooms.

Since 2010, Meriden has reduced suspensions by 71% and expulsions by 96%.

Dr. Benigni is part of our network here at IEI, and this is the kind of patient, student-first work we're lucky to learn from. Well deserved, Dr. Benigni!

Read more: https://www.cosn.org/recognized-sixteen-years-of-purposeful-technology-in-meriden-public-schools/

During an elementary literacy block in Meriden Public Schools, a teacher gathers a small group of students around a kidney-shaped table. Across the room, other students read aloud to Diya, the animated reading partner inside Google Read Along. The tool listens, encourages, helps with unfamiliar word...

07/31/2026

Our next National Spring Summit will take place March 11-13, 2027, in Tucson, Arizona, and we're already looking forward to it!

Have you requested your invite yet?!

https://www.instituteforedinnovation.com/2027-spring-summit-tucson

07/29/2026

Last week during her keynote, "Small Bets, Big Future: Leading Schools for a World That Already Changed," closing out day one of the Summer Summit, Iranetta Rayborn Wright, Chief Leadership Officer at IEI, gave district leaders permission to stop writing five-year plans for a five-month world and to try something smaller instead.

Her advice: pick one school, one grade, one question you can answer in 90 days. Name the problem in a sentence, run the test where people can actually see it, and then decide out loud whether it grows, changes, or ends.

"The clearer you are with what you're expecting, the more likely you are to achieve it."

Small bets over big plans was the heart of her message to the leaders in the room.

07/29/2026

This week we celebrated the winners of SupeTank 2026, but SupeTank isn't about founders getting a trophy. It's about giving innovative K–12 companies a chance to put their ideas in front of the people who know schools best.

The conversations don't end when the pitches are over. They turn into feedback, relationships, potential pilot opportunities, and, ultimately, better solutions for students and educators.

Congratulations again to this year's winners, and thank you to every founder who had the courage to step on stage and share what they're building; it's no easy feat.

If you're building something for K–12 and you're looking for meaningful district connections, we'd love to hear from you. Whether you're thinking about applying for the next SupeTank or want to learn if it's the right fit, let's start the conversation. Connect with Whitney Ballantine to learn more.

Read more about this year's winners in our press release: https://www.einpresswire.com/article/929996355/iei-announces-winners-of-the-2026-supetank-startup-pitch-competition

The Institute for Education Innovation (IEI) is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2026 SupeTank Startup Pitch Competition.

07/27/2026

Introducing the 2026 SupeTank winners!

This year's winners went to three companies that each looked at a different piece of the student experience and asked how to make it better:

Medley Learning, giving multilingual learners the scaffolds they need to keep pace with grade-level work.

Diamond Beauty Academy, turning a love of beauty into real STEM, business, and life skills.

Budget Quest, making money management something kids actually want to learn, one gamified challenge at a time.

You all stood before superintendents and district leaders, made your case, explained your 'why,' and welcomed their feedback.

A huge thank you to the superintendents and district leaders who judged this year's pitches. Your time and feedback are the whole reason SupeTank exists: to put real district perspective in front of the companies building for K-12 classrooms.

Here's to building what students actually need. Congratulations - we're rooting for what's to come for you all!

07/16/2026

Superintendents everywhere are staring down the same impossible math problem: declining enrollment, rising costs, and budgets that don't stretch like they used to.

The first cuts usually hit what kids can see: counselors, music, athletics, smaller class sizes. But there's another place districts are starting to look first: the EdTech stack. The average district pays for nearly 3,000 tools, and about half of those licenses sit unused.

This month's Doug's Digest digs into the EdTech audit headed districts' way, and what it means for the companies serving them.

Subscribe to get this and quarterly issues in your inbox: https://share.hsforms.com/1ihtGBSRrQnCv3eDug4Htlwc03iv?utm_campaign=Doug%27s%20Digest&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8ddrk8cxz5qloQn-jF_Nzqpf0mrQ4zBx1Nb5oU4C7SCIp0h-xfxBub2f5UFZTg2ORIpbnK

07/07/2026

Join superintendents from across the country at the IEI National Spring Summit in Tucson, Arizona, March 11–13, 2027. Engage in peer-led conversations on today's most pressing K-12 challenges, connect with trusted EdTech partners, and build relationships with district leaders who get it.

Superintendent Martin Madrid, Santa Rosa CSD, NM, had this to say about our Spring Summit:

"The event was exceptionally well-organized. The balance between professional development, partner meetings, and informal networking felt just right. It's rare to find a conference that respects a superintendent's time so effectively."

Come see for yourself what an IEI event is like - request your invite and join us in Tucson this spring! https://share.hsforms.com/1ZINvf5PISGuatPV-uCJTHAc03iv?hsCtaAttrib=211392846966

07/04/2026

As we celebrate Independence Day and mark 250 years of America, we're reminded that our nation's future has always been shaped by those willing to invest in the next generation.

At the Institute for Education Innovation, we're grateful for the superintendents, district leaders, educators, and innovators who work every day to expand opportunity for students and strengthen communities across the country.

Thank you for your leadership, service, and commitment to building a brighter future for every learner.

Wishing you, your families, and your communities a safe and meaningful Fourth of July!