Technology Essentials in Education Episode 40:
AI, EdTech Vetting, and Cyber Governance

About the Episode

In this episode of Technology Essentials in Education, host Monica Burns sits down with Dr. Andrea Tejedor—consultant, researcher, author, and former Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology—to discuss cyber governance and contingency planning in K–12 education. Dr. Tejedor clarifies that while cybersecurity focuses on technical defenses like firewalls and passwords, cyber governance is a leadership endeavor centered on proactive decision-making, risk management, data privacy, and vendor governance. The conversation emphasizes the human element in cybersecurity, pointing out that data breaches rarely stem from sophisticated hacking alone, but often from human error, phishing, or unvetted third-party apps. Dr. Tejedor addresses how contingency planning must expand beyond traditional IT disaster recovery to encompass both operational and instructional resilience during system disruptions. Looking ahead, she frames the evolution of cyber governance as "disruption governance," driven by the rapid, widespread adoption of AI tools and the necessity for cross-functional leadership teams to vet new technologies responsibly.