K ANSAS CIT Y PUBLIC SCHOOL S (KCP S)
DIGITAL REPORT 2020
Creating The Classroom of Now
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
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Kansas City Public Schools: Creating The Classroom of Now WRITTEN BY
AMBER DONOVAN-STEVENS PRODUCED BY
MIKE SADR
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K ANSAS CIT Y PUBLIC SCHOOLS (KCPS)
Joe Phillips, Director of Technology, shares the leapfrogging that KCPS is undertaking in order to create greater student equity
D
igital transformation takes time and a considerable amount of resources, but for Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS),
Joe Phillips, Director of Technology, asserts that his students cannot afford to wait. Few people understand the technological needs of the students more 04
than Phillips, who grew up in Missouri, knowing first hand the disparity in educational support provided to children across the state. Before he came to his current role, Phillips spent 16 years in the army as a Chief Human Resources Officer and Chief Information Officer. Following an injury in Afghanistan he was medically retired in 2015. “Leadership breaks down into three components: purpose, direction and motivation,” explains Phillips, “and my time in the army really prepared me for my current position at KCPS in providing direction and leadership to our team.” Prior to his time at Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS), Phillips was the Manager of Technology Support Services at Park Hill School District, where he received the 2018 Spirit Award. Just recently he was nominated for the CoSN CTO of the year award
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1867
Year founded
$100mn Revenue in US dollars
2,500 Number of employees
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K ANSAS CIT Y PUBLIC SCHOOLS (KCPS)
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for his work at KCPS. Yet Phillips is far
Classroom of the Future’, but our kids
more occupied with the achievements
don’t have time to wait for this,” he says.
of the district. “My key responsibil-
Phillips shares that there are currently
ity in this role is to use technology to
42 technology projects underway to
improve the lives of our students, and I
improve upon the district’s infrastruc-
am particularly invested as I know how
ture, cybersecurity and classroom
our kids feel and what they face every
experience. “Our largest project is the
day. They can’t wait several years for
district-wide refresh of technology,
change, they need it now in order to be
so that our students can get the best-
equipped for the future.”
of-the-best and our teachers aren’t
The key way in which Phillips is
hindered by technological difficulties.”
doing this is via a project he calls
At the core of these edtech initiatives
‘The Classroom of Now.’ “Many other
is a clear goal: to become the go-to
districts may have projects called
strategic partner across the entire
‘The Classroom of Tomorrow’ or ‘The
organisation. “If we can help every
“ Many other districts may have projects called ‘The Classroom of Tomorrow’ or ‘The Classroom of the Future’, but our kids don’t have time to wait for this” — Joe Phillips, Director of Technology, KCPS
Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS): New laptops CLICK TO WATCH
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department improve upon their pro-
students when they go to college, or
cesses, procedures and technologies,
enter their career. We can’t simply keep
then we can truly improve the experi-
pace with other school districts; we
ences of our students.” This assistance
need to leapfrog our technologies so
may range from the effective technology
our students can remain competitive.
training of teachers, through assist-
Outdated technology won’t equip our
ing in the selection and deployment of
students for the future.”
active shooter simulation technology
KCPS is currently in the first year of
for the security department. “All of this
a five year edtech plan which aligns
comes down to equity: identifying the
with the district’s strategic plan and
challenges faced by our students in our
goals. “Often, an issue that you see
district, and helping them to overcome
with regard to others in my position
these challenges so that they can have
is that they decide on technology
the same opportunities as higher-SES
that they believe should be in place, w w w.kc publ i c sc ho ols . org
Safe students at school, home, and everywhere in between. Learn More
Relay helps Kansas City Public Schools and 6,500 other districts protect their students and devices—in the classroom and at home. Learn more at lightspeedsystems.com/kcps
they don’t necessarily work from the
To really articulate the scope of this
needs of the educators,” he explains,
transformation, Phillips details the
“This is where our team differs. We
conditions of the classrooms when he
see what our educators would like to
first started in his role in 2019. “One of
achieve in the next five years and we
my first initiatives was to ensure the
work backwards from there to pro-
implementation of iReady, however
vide the best processes and needs in
the elementary schools in the district
order to become aligned.”
had exceptionally poor technology.
E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Joe Phillips Before entering Educational Technology, Joe served as both an enlisted soldier and an Army Officer. During his tenure, Joe served in numerous positions including 10 years as a Chief Human Resources Officer and later as a Chief Information Officer. In both roles, Joe’s specialty was building new, and turning around poorly performing, organisations and departments for the Army. Joe retired from the Army in 2015 and joined the Park Hill School District in Kansas City, MO as the Manager of Technology Support Services. In 2018, Joe accepted the position of Director of Technology for the Kansas City Public Schools District and has spent the past two years completely transforming the department. Joe has numerous technology certifications, a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice from the University of Central Missouri, a Master’s Degree in Business and Organisational Security Management from Webster University, and is currently a doctoral candidate in Liberty University’s Ed.D in Educational Leadership programme. w w w.kc publ i c sc ho ols . org
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K ANSAS CIT Y PUBLIC SCHOOLS (KCPS)
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The laptops couldn’t hold a charge and the students didn’t have power outlets at their desks,” he explains. On Phillips’s 90th day as Director of Technology he approached his superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell and requested US$2mn. “Dr. Bedell and our board members are very supportive of the work we are doing and the project was easily approved.” After the first winter break, all students in grades three to six received new laptops, shortly followed with iPads for Kindergarten through to grade two. “This upgrade has made a huge difference on our ability to use technology to teach our kids as well as individualising our teaching for each student. We have also focused on reducing our average ticket time for IT problems and have been able to get it from 46 days down to under 48 hours.” In addition to this, the vast number of projectors are being replaced with OneScreen interactive flat panels, which were provided by Clary Co, a company Phillips cites as pivotal in standardising teaching for staff across all schools in the district, which, when paired with strong w w w.kc publ i c sc ho ols . org
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training in technology, has positioned
the technology, allowing for feedback
staff to be able to become more crea-
and amendments prior to the district-
tive and attentive with their classes.
wide rollout.
“Technology anxiety has the power to
As technology evolves, naturally so
undermine and destroy a whole trans-
does cybersecurity. “We have a layered
formation, so working with our Digital
approach to cybersecurity,” explains
Learning Team and making sure our
Phillips. “We have solid firewalls and
staff are trained and comfortable with
end point detection and response
these new technologies is paramount
software. We’re also following all NIST
to our greater strategy,” he says.
cybersecurity standards, CIS controls,
Phillips references Fred Davis’ 1989
CIPA, HIPPA, and FERPA where we
Technology Acceptance Model, which
modify it by grade range and the topics
was used as the framework for the
studied by students as needed.” KCPS
staff training. He adds that for every
also adheres closely to the Children’s
rollout, a school in the district will pilot
Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA),
“ CTOs need to move from the basement to the boardroom: we need to be out across the schools and departments building strategic partnerships and really trying to understand what our schools and departments need from us” — Joe Phillips, Director of Technology, KCPS
which ensures stricter security levels for children under the age of 13. “It is so crucial that educators understand cybersecurity and the threat it poses,” he says. To illustrate the gravity of the situation, Phillips shares that on the dark web, a student’s information is worth around $30 a transaction, as opposed to that of an adult, whose data is worth around 30 cents. “It’s important to understand that simple solutions can have a massive impact.” He goes on to share that KCPS has an email address for students and educators to forward
Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS): IT Department CLICK TO WATCH
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K ANSAS CIT Y PUBLIC SCHOOLS (KCPS)
suspect emails onto, as well as a warning banner that heads suspect emails external to the district. “From these solutions alone we have seen a massive decrease in phishing attempts across the district,” he remarks. A partner that has been integral to cybersecurity is Lightspeed Systems, which has assisted in a number of ways: piloting classroom management, staff monitoring and controlling what students see as well as the projection of work. Lastly, it provides a safety check that centers 14
around self-harm, bullying and anything else that may place students at risk. KCPS has already made great strides in the first year of this transfor-
education is valuable, and that they
mation and Phillips takes pride in this.
are valuable. Yet in my role, I need to
“My favorite part of this transformation
ensure that the best-of-the-best tech-
is seeing the impact. I grew up in this
nologies feel normal for our students
district and I remember how easy it is
and that they never feel that their
to succumb to feelings of inferiority
education isn’t as valuable as their
when relating to suburban districts.”
suburban counterparts.”
“Seeing our students, who have been
Looking ahead, Phillips makes his
using these depleted laptops, unbox
intentions clear: “It’s no secret that I
a new chromebook halfway through
want us to be the best K-12 technol-
the academic year was absolutely
ogy department in the world. I want
incredible. They’re durable and cut-
KCPS to be the first thing that people
ting edge and the students’ reactions
associate with K-12 EdTech, and not
were amazing; they realise that their
for personal ego, but because our
“ We can’t simply keep pace with other school districts; we need to leapfrog our technologies so our students can remain competitive” — Joe Phillips, Director of Technology, KCPS
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students truly deserve the best.” Phillips also wants to harness VR in
building strategic partnerships and really trying to understand what our
the classrooms, to take students on
schools and departments need from
virtual field trips. He is also interested
us.” Phillips says that KCPS is in an
to see how the role of 3D printing will
excellent position to accelerate to
evolve. “3D printing has been some-
transform from what he describes as
thing of a novelty, but I believe it has
“the underdog of school districts” to
the potential to serve a greater pur-
a Missouri leader, in time a regional
pose in helping students learn.” When
leader, and eventually a global leader.
considering his position in the wider industry, Phillips comments, “CTOs need to move from the basement to the boardroom: we need to be out across the schools and departments w w w.kc publ i c sc ho ols . org
KANSAS CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 2901 TROOST AVE. K ANSAS CITY MO 6 4109ES T 816-418-7 195 www.kcpublicschools.org
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