About the BLEgroup

K-12  education is in the process of  major change. It is moving from print-based materials in school buildings  to integrated  web-based individualized  delivery of  teaching and learning, anytime anywhere. The new systems offer tremendous opportunities to provide improved educational outcomes. However, there are complex organizational, technical and policy issues that need to be addressed for this transformation to be successful. The BLEgroup is dedicated to the strategic use of technology for improved outcomes and operational efficiency by providing services to technology firms, education publishers, schools, and financial institutions working in the education sector.

Driving Principles

The BLEgroup is unique as it works with both schools and education technology providers . The group’s work is based on the premise that educational objectives should drive technology use. The group believes that effective education is determined by two factors :

  • The quality of educational products
  • The capacity of schools to effectively implement and adopt educational products

The focus of the BLEgroup is to enable the transformation of education to the web in order to improve outcomes and improvement of processes by providing the following services:

  • Technology planning and management services to school systems
  • A flow of market research, evaluation, pilot management, advisory services, and implementation services to technology firms working in K-12 schools
  • The utilization of methodologies that focus on the organizational and implementation issues to assure technolgo
  • Due-diligence services to investment banks working in the education industry
  • Assistance to publishing and ed tech firms in alliances and acquisitions
  • Information on evolving trends in the market to schools and the industry so that decision makers can choose appropriate products and the industry can build the right products

 

The BLEgroup Community

View complete BLEgroup member listing>>>

The core of the BLEgroup is a group of over 100 working CIOs, superintendents, business administrators, and heads of instruction from State Education Departments, large districts, intermediate districts, and leading edge technology districts. The BLEgroup members are known as being the leading educational technology practitioners in the country whose districts are at the leading edge of practice.

 

Dr. Manuel L. Isquierdo, Superintendent of Sunnyside Unified School District, Arizona 

Sunnyside is a district that has transformed itself through technology, going from dropout factory to tech-savvy and most recently gaining national recognition for its one-to-one program

 

 

Debbie Karcher, CIO of Miami Dade, Florida Schools

This district has over 350,000 students and 168 language groups and their network enables very effective communication

 

 

Rob Dickson, CIO of Andover, Kansas Schools 

This is a growing suburban district of 18,000 students which is known for its leading edge use of cloud architecture

 

View complete BLEgroup member listing >>>

Eliot Levinson, Founder and CEO

Levinson began the group in 1996 as an independent consultant to combine his interests in technology-based change and K-12 education. The group has grown to its current size and range of services as technology and education have integrated and become mutually dependent.

 

 

View Eliot’s complete bio>>> 

Advisory Board

The BLEgroup industry advisory board is made up of leading members of the education industry who share the challenges, opportunities and changes in the marketplace that they are dealing with in their own businesses. This insight helps to shape the services that the BLEgroup offers.

  • Lil Kellogg, Vice President of Marketing, ENA
  • Brad Baird, Consultant to NWEA
  • Christopher Curran, Managing Director, Berkery, Noyes, and Co.
  • David Driscoll, Former State Commissioner, Massachusetts D.O.E
  • Todd Brekhus, CEO, Capstone Digital
  • Bryan Setser, Former Director, N.C. Virtual Charter School

BLEgroup Staff