3 Key Takeaways from CoSN 2025:
The energy in Seattle for CoSN2025 was buzzing from packed breakout sessions to essential keynotes, making it clear how IT leaders are shaping the future of education.
The K12 Insight team was thrilled to attend and showcase our newly launched Let’s Talk IT Service Management (ITSM) and integrated IT Asset Management (ITAM) offerings. We had meaningful conversations with IT leaders about the challenges they are facing, including the need to consolidate the number of solutions their teams support, stay on top of best practices, and continue to break down technology silos across departments.
With a conference topic of “Human Leadership in a World of AI” attendees were keen to learn about the use of AI in the Let’s Talk platform and how it builds capacity for district staff to deliver more customer-centric experiences. In other words, how does AI create more opportunities for meaningful human interactions, not less?
Curious to learn more? We’d love to show you in a personalized demo.
Here are three key takeaways we brought home from CoSN 2025.
1. IT Leaders Are Strategic Partners and Even Future Superintendents
A consistent theme throughout CoSN2025: IT leaders are no longer just the tech fixers, they’re strategic drivers of innovation and transformation in K-12 education.
From modernizing infrastructure to advancing digital equity and strengthening cybersecurity, technology departments are now central to districtwide success. Yet historically, IT teams are brought in at the tail end of major decisions, expected to “make it work” after the fact rather than help shape the strategy from the start.
At CoSN, that narrative is clearly shifting.
Attendees shared how their districts are recognizing the value of involving technology leaders earlier in the planning process. Sessions throughout the event spotlighted this shift — emphasizing IT leadership, the growing role of AI, and key trends shaping the future of education technology.
With visibility into every department from curriculum and instruction to communications and facilities, IT leaders are uniquely positioned to identify inefficiencies, connect systems, and design tech-forward solutions that support long-term district goals. Their systems-level thinking and cross-functional experience make them strong candidates for future superintendent roles.
The message from CoSN2025 was clear: school districts that embrace IT as a strategic partner will be better equipped to meet the challenges ahead.
2. AI Is Here to Stay, and It’s Changing Everything
Unsurprisingly given the conference theme, the topic of AI was everywhere at CoSN2025, in panel discussions, product demos, and hallway chatter. But unlike last year, this year the conversation moved from “what is AI?” to “how do we use AI effectively?”
Districts are exploring ways to leverage AI for:
Automated workflows to improve consistency across departments
Personalized learning to tailor content to individual student needs
Predictive analytics to examine past data and forecast trends
Streamlined operations to improve communication between departments
Whether you’re using AI in the Central Office or in classroom instruction, thoughtful deployment is a necessity.
3. It’s Time to Recognize the True Value of IT Departments
The final message echoed throughout the event was that IT staff often feel undervalued and underresourced.
District technology teams are the backbone of digital transformation. They keep schools connected, protect sensitive data from cyber threats, and support everything from learning management systems to chatbot-enabled parent support.
The influx of technology tools in every department has overburdened lean technology teams, a clear reason why consolidation and unification were such hot topics.
K12 Insight’s Let’s Talk: Unified Service Desk resonated with leaders looking to:
Eliminate vendor sprawl
Reduce confusion and ticket misrouting
Centralize stakeholder communications
Streamline and automate internal workflows and reporting
By giving IT departments the capabilities they need to succeed in a single solution, districts can save time, reduce burnout, and ultimately provide better service to students, staff, and families.
What’s Next?
Predicting the future is always tough, especially in the current environment, but we see more and more IT leaders stepping up to even bigger roles in public school districts. We can’t wait for next year’s conference!
Fortunately, you don’t have to wait to see how the Let’s Talk: Unified Service Desk can bring operational efficiency to your district. Schedule a consultation with one of our experts today.