Strategic Syncing

Strategic Syncing is a conversation-led podcast for education and workplace IT — technology as it shows up in real life: devices, access, security, service, and the people keeping it moving. Hosted by James Symons, CEO of PC Locs and LocknCharge, each episode brings candid talks with IT leaders and operators on what’s working, what isn’t, and what they’d do differently — so you leave with practical takeaways and plenty to ‘sync’ about.

Strategic Syncing is a technology podcast hosted by James Symons, with 17 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

James Symons hosts Strategic Syncing, a technology show with 17 episodes published.

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  Episode #6

  Will AI Tutors Change the Classroom? | Dr. Victoria Fudge

  Sep 27, 202640 minS2

  What happens when every student has access to an AI tutor? In this episode of the Strategic Syncing Podcast, James Symons sits down with Dr. Victoria Fudge, Director of Instructional Technology at IDEA Public Schools, to explore what AI tutors could actually mean for teachers and students. Victoria shares her experience implementing AI tutors in real classrooms, including how they can help personalise learning, fill gaps in background knowledge and give teachers another way to support students with different needs. They also talk about preparing students for an AI-enabled future, AI literacy, introducing new technology without overwhelming teachers, managing change across a large education system and why simply giving people another tool rarely solves the problem. Plus, James admits to getting in trouble with his IT security team, and a conversation about leadership gets unexpectedly close to home after a recent performance review. In this episode: 03:55 Will AI tutors replace human tutors? 05:46 What is an AI tutor? 07:30 How AI tutors are being used in real classrooms 13:28 Could AI help a student struggling with maths? 17:56 Why AI implementation matters 20:33 Preparing students for an AI-enabled workforce 22:05 Why AI literacy needs to start early 24:33 The AI hype problem 29:29 Managing change and the fear around AI 32:34 Keeping student and school data safe 34:53 Leadership and performance reviews 36:28 The problem of EdTech tool sprawl Follow Strategic Syncing Watch the full video episodes on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0-CCfoXnxaI LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/strategic-syncing Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strategicsyncing/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@syncwithjames New conversations with IT leaders, educators and technology professionals about technology, leadership and the people behind both.

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  Episode #5

  What’s Really Happening to Public Education?

  Sep 13, 202638 minS2

  What does it look like to lead school IT when budgets are tightening, AI is entering the classroom, and public education is facing significant change? James Symons sits down with Dustin Gray, Director of Informational Technology Services at Santa Rosa County District Schools in Florida, for a candid conversation about school IT leadership, education technology and the people behind it. They explore public education funding and E-Rate, doing more with limited IT budgets, AI in schools, responsible AI adoption and the challenge of preparing students for a rapidly changing technological future. Dustin also shares his journey from mathematics and teaching into IT leadership and opens up about leading teams through uncertainty, building trust, listening, consistency and empathy. And, as Dustin puts it, school IT teams are often the “shadow workers”: nobody knows they’re there until something goes wrong. 00:00 Strategic Syincing Podcast: Episode 500:56 Meet Dustin Gray01:04 What’s happening to public education?02:25 E-Rate funding explained04:33 Why funding changes worry school IT leaders05:50 Managing technology across a large school district07:04 How school choice is changing public education09:53 The “perfect storm” facing public education10:08 Doing more with less in school IT10:32 Finding technology solutions on limited budgets11:33 Putting students first when making IT decisions13:53 AI in schools: opportunity or risk?15:07 Why teachers need to understand AI first16:09 From mathematics to education and IT18:23 Choosing relationships and experiences over money21:08 Should AI be in the classroom?22:28 Preparing students for an AI-powered future23:36 AI guardrails, privacy and responsible use24:00 When does AI become a crutch?25:24 Leading an IT team through difficult times26:11 Why leaders shouldn’t sugarcoat reality26:59 The “shadow workers” behind school technology28:43 What does taking care of your team really mean?29:43 Why consistency matters in leadership30:21 Why our wives are usually right31:08 Asking your team to evaluate your leadership31:58 Choosing which fires to fight as a leader34:19 What leadership teaches you about being a student again35:28 Can a leader have too much empathy?36:15 Why self-awareness matters in leadership38:00 Final thoughts Listen to the full conversation and follow the Strategic Syncing Podcast (Also available in YouTube) for more candid conversations about technology, education, leadership and the people making it all work.

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  Episode #4

  Leadership Lessons on Confidence, Technology & Building Better Leaders | Dr. Chad Stevens

  Aug 30, 202643 minS2

  What does great leadership really leave behind? In this episode of the Strategic Syncing Podcast, James Symons sits down with Dr. Chad Stevens for a candid conversation about leadership, technology, confidence, and the realities facing education today. Drawing on 30 years in education and leadership roles across CDW, AWS, and now ClassDojo, Chad shares his perspective on navigating change, leading through uncertainty, and staying focused on what creates real value for schools and their communities. The conversation also gets personal. Chad opens up about self-confidence, slowing down, learning to be yourself, and why some of life’s biggest challenges can ultimately give us lift. They explore what it means to build resilient organisations, why technology still needs human connection, and the legacy great leaders leave behind: the leaders they help develop. A thoughtful conversation about technology, leadership, and becoming more comfortable with who you are. EPISODE TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Welcome to the Strategic Thinking Podcast 00:55 Meet Dr. Chad Stevens 02:28 ClassDojo and a Different Approach to EdTech 06:05 Why You Can’t Mandate Engagement 07:31 Doing More With Less in Education 10:11 Innovation During Challenging Times 13:09 What Happens When Schools Can’t Invest in Technology? 16:32 Proving That Technology Actually Works 17:40 Building Resilient Businesses Through Uncertainty 21:56 Why the EdTech Industry Needs to Work Together 24:14 From Technology to Life and Leadership 26:15 How Failure Can Give Us Lift 28:29 What Great Leaders Really Leave Behind 30:39 Why Leaders Need Time to Slow Down and Reflect 35:58 What Does Success Really Look Like? 38:32 Leadership and the Struggle With Self-Confidence 40:52 Building Confidence Through Vulnerability 41:44 The Power of Being Yourself 42:45 Closing Thoughts

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  Episode #3

  Screen Time Limits Are the Wrong Fight | Natasha Rachell, Atlanta Public Schools

  Aug 16, 202642 minS2

  Atlanta Public Schools serves 50,000 students across 80+ campuses. Natasha Rachell leads instructional technology for all of it, with a team that's shrunk from 39 people to 13.Her district is currently proposing screen time limits: minute caps for elementary, percentage caps for secondary. As Director of Instructional Technology, she understands why. Personally, she thinks we're asking the wrong question.In this conversation with James Symons, Natasha makes the case that "screen time" is a bucket we've thrown everything into, a student building a portfolio and a kid scrolling alone in their bedroom counted as the same thing. She argues the panic is adults projecting their own fear onto children who don't learn the way we did.She also talks about doing more with half the staff, why she hasn't let anything go (and why that might be a problem), and how her twin brother's traumatic brain injury reshaped how she thinks about accessibility and leadership. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (00:55) Where "undeniable impact" came from (03:37) Running a 50,000-student district with 13 people (05:54) What had to give (07:44) Jamaica to England to Toronto to Atlanta (09:35) "I see something in you" (10:37) Screen time: the research argument (13:16) "Our fear is being projected onto our kids" (17:28) All screen time is not equal (19:20) Where parents come in (20:05) Her brother's brain injury (23:14) How that changed her leadership (25:02) Technology and accessibility (26:55) What excites her about leading people (32:25) The 360 review (36:03) "Stop coming up with so many ideas" Natasha Rachell is Director of Instructional Technology at Atlanta Public Schools.

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  Episode #2

  The AI Cheating Debate Was Never About the Kids | Maurice Dragon, CIO, Orange County Public Schools

  Aug 4, 202652 minS2

  Teachers use AI to build the lesson. Teachers use AI to grade the lesson. Students use AI, and it's cheating.Maurice Dragon, CIO of Orange County Public Schools, thinks the AI cheating conversation in K-12 has almost nothing to do with students. The same assignment can earn an A+ in first period and a zero in second. The work didn't change, the adult reading it did.James Symons opens by asking whether AI is going to destroy our children. What follows is a conversation about what AI actually threatens in education: productive struggle, the processes we've assumed were the point, and which of those are still worth protecting.Maurice also traces his path from teaching first grade in Florida, burning 300 alphabet DVDs one weekend because only one student in his class had a computer at home, to leading technology for one of the largest districts in the country. And he makes the case that AI implemented well will increase human connection in classrooms, not reduce it.(00:00) Welcome to the messy middle (00:56) "Is AI going to destroy our children?" (01:36) What AI takes away: productive struggle (01:58) The Dark Ages, and why we stop valuing skills (07:10) Where has education focused on the wrong things? (08:54) Math at a scale humans can't reach alone (13:18) What's too simple to hand to AI? (13:32) A+ in one class, cheating in the next (23:47) What Maurice is most optimistic about (24:43) Why human connection increases, not decreases (26:41) The workload teachers carry after hours (28:12) The mixed message schools send students (30:31) 40 math problems and the point of practice (31:20) First grade teacher to district CIO (32:41) Burning 300 DVDs for kids without computers (36:44) The juice bottle: leading humans first (41:37) What first grade teaching and the CIO role share (43:32) What Maurice's team would tell him to work on (47:14) When people stop emailing you (49:46) Closing thoughtsGuest: Maurice Dragon, Chief Information Officer, Orange County Public SchoolsHost: James SymonsWatch the full conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8c9kOv3gskw

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