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The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation and Ed-Fi Alliance are thrilled to be Business Partners with AESA!
An Energizing Launch into the AESA Community
By: Lyria Zeh, Technical Program Manager, and Nicole Page, Strategy and Data Analytics Consultants, Michael and Susan Dell Foundation.
Preparing to attend a big conference for the first time always sits right at the intersection of exciting and overwhelming. This has always felt true as an education leader but somehow feels even more poignant since transitioning to a business partner. It feels critical to learn as much as possible from all of the consolidated brain power - what are the challenges everyone is facing so we can learn how best to support them? How can we build relationships and deepen trust? How do we engage people in meaningful conversation when all they really want to do is get the cool swag and grab a drink and not listen to you drag on to something that's probably not even relevant to them? (It's okay - we've all been
that person.)
While all of these questions always swirl, the most important one remains the same - how do we demonstrate the powerful impact of getting connected data from across systems into the hands of teachers can have on student outcomes?
The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation deeply believes in the power of harnessing data and technology to support the incredible work happening in schools across the country, and, in particular, education data systems should connect securely and seamlessly. This is why we have worked with educators, administrators, vendors, and technologists to build the Ed-Fi data standard.
When we arrived at the conference, we were excited to share, but we were thrilled to be able to engage as listeners and learners, as well. From the moment the event kicked off with an amazing performance from a local high school, the rhythm of the conversation never stopped. Presentations tackled challenging topics and sparked thoughtful questions - the discussions surrounding the presentations of the incredible work NEFEC has been doing as well as the complex integration work happening across Texas better told the story of Ed-Fi than anything we may have shared at a booth did. We felt both like participants and partners, engaging in open and honest dialogue about the opportunities and challenges within and around data while continually refocusing ourselves on our "why" through powerful speakers throughout the event.
We learned more about the unique complexities and challenges ESAs face and left with many conversations feeling like they were just getting started. As we reflect on the conference, our biggest takeaway is how we cannot wait to continue them.
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