Dr. Joe Phillips’ Post

3rd Grade is when students have to switch from "learning to read" to "reading to learn" right? Well, not anymore. I explain in this article. #whateverITtakes

Exciting Leadership Growth at Day 2 of Our Fulton County Schools IT Leadership Retreat! What a powerful day of leadership team development! I’m so proud to see our team embracing the core elements of leadership that will push us forward. Today, we zeroed in on PDMRSA (Purpose, Direction, Motivation, Resources, Support, Accountability), the Doctrine of Completed Staff Work, our Leadership Decision-Making Process, COA (Course of Action) Development, Leader Intent, the 131 Rule, and creating Action Plans. I love seeing firsthand how these frameworks and processes are sparking real momentum across our team! It’s incredible to watch our leadership team grow, adapt, and lead with purpose! This is how we’ll continue driving innovation and transforming education technology. #whateverITtakes

Very excited to welcome Ehab Kader, MA, CISM to our Fulton County Schools IT Team!

AI and Robotic Automation: The New Battle Between Innovation and Job Security The ongoing longshoremen strike isn’t just about wages—it’s about the future of work in the face of automation. I explain in this article. #whateverITtakes #Automation #AI #JobSecurity #FutureOfWork #DigitalTransformation

Greatly enjoyed presenting in our Fulton County Schools Cabinet meeting today on the present and future of AI for our district. Technology is going to change more in the next 10 years than it has in the past 50 years. And we are doing some Amazing things in this body of work as we establish our unified AI Ecosystem and Use Cases. I am so grateful for our forward looking and innovative Superintendent Mike Looney and my Fantastic fellow Cabinet members. I am very excited about our road ahead! #whateverITtakes #AIinEducation #EducationalLeadership

🛑 Important Conversation on Fentanyl Awareness at Today's Fulton County Schools AdStaff Meeting 🛑 Today, we had an eye-opening presentation on the alarming dangers of fentanyl within our communities. The craziest part? Fentanyl is being mixed into so many substances that kids might experiment with—things that were once considered "gateway" drugs have now become hard and deadly. The historic gateway drugs are no longer just stepping stones; they’re potential killers. This topic is deeply personal for me as I lost my father to a fentanyl overdose. It’s a stark reminder that this crisis can impact any family, and it underscores the importance of the work we do to protect our students. Key Takeaways: Education and Awareness: Understanding the risks and warning signs associated with fentanyl use is critical. Hidden Dangers: Fentanyl is being mixed with everything from counterfeit pills to marijuana, making casual experimentation a lethal risk. Community Engagement: Building strong connections between schools, families, and law enforcement can help prevent tragedies. Proactive Measures: Implementing preventive strategies and providing resources for intervention and support are essential steps we can take. We are committed to keeping our students safe by raising awareness and taking action against this urgent public health issue. A huge thank you to Armando Roche and Katrina Freund for shedding light on this critical topic and guiding us on how to protect our students and community. #FentanylAwareness #StudentSafety #CommunityEngagement #FultonCountySchools

Is a bad safety plan that is well rehearsed better than a perfect safety plan that is never practiced? Yep! Safety is a top priority, and advanced technologies like AI-powered weapon detection, smart surveillance, and panic buttons are transforming security in schools. However, it’s crucial to remember that a bad plan well rehearsed is better than a perfect plan never practiced. The effectiveness of these technologies hinges on regular drills, staff training, and community engagement. I explain in this article. #whateverITtakes #SchoolSafety #Education #SafeSchools #Innovation #Leadership

Announcement: CoachingK12 is becoming Safe & Innovative Schools Schools and Districts today face an overwhelming challenge: safety issues and technology innovations are coming at us faster than we can absorb. From cybersecurity threats to the latest AI tools, the pace of change is relentless, and our ability to keep up often feels stretched thin. I’ve seen this firsthand in my work across various districts, and I’m committed to doing what I can to help. That’s why I’m retooling my article/newsletter series from CoachingK12 to Safe & Innovative Schools. This new focus will draw on my background in leadership, military operations, security management, technology, and innovation to help address these challenges head-on. I’ll share insights, strategies, and solutions aimed at helping schools navigate the complexities of today’s safety and tech landscape Why? Because our students deserve environments that are both secure and forward-thinking. Subscribe and Stay Tuned for more in the Safe & Innovative Schools series, where I’ll explore the intersection of safety, innovation, and leadership in education. Let’s work together to build safer, smarter schools. #whateverITtakes #EducationLeadership #SchoolSafety #EdTech #DigitalTransformation #InnovationInEducation #SafeSchools

Are AI Bully Bots coming? Yes. Imagine being a 15-year-old high school student who wakes up to a flood of cruel messages, deepfake videos, and relentless harassment—coming not just from classmates, but from anonymous AI bots. As AI evolves, so do the tactics of bullies, making the threat more pervasive, personalized, and difficult to escape. With AI systems now creating and training new AI, and large language models (LLMs) soon small enough to fit on cell phones, the potential for harm is growing faster than we can imagine. In my latest article, "AI-Powered Bully Bots: The Hidden Dangers of Agent Bots for our K-12 Students," I explore how AI is amplifying traditional bullying tactics and what educators, parents, and policymakers need to do to protect our students. #whateverITtakes #Education #Cyberbullying #ArtificialIntelligence #EdTech #StudentSafety #DigitalWellbeing

What if we innovated from the stage coach to the rocket ship within 5 years? Well that’s what’s happening with AI. As I speak with folks and see AI solutions from all over the world, it seems that many people believe that AI advancements are like moving from a stagecoach to an automobile, but if we look at the pace of evolution of AI models we can see that it’s much bigger than that— It’s more like going from a stagecoach to a rocket ship. In other words, disruptive innovation is being disrupted. We’re not just talking about faster processes; we’re talking about transformative leaps that redefine what’s possible. As Jensen Huang, founder of NVIDIA says, AI is now designing new AI, pushing boundaries faster than we can imagine. In the next two years, progress will be spectacular and surprising. For education, this means an opportunity to rethink and reshape how we teach, learn, and prepare our students for a world that’s changing at rocket speed. With an estimated 74 million jobs becomeing extinct and over 90 million being created in this global transformation. The challenge is clear: Will we be passengers on this journey or the pilots? It’s time for big transformational ideas in Education. I believe our focus should be on leveraging these advancements to elevate student outcomes, bridge gaps, and build systems that are resilient, adaptable, and innovative. We are closer now to a “school of one” model than ever before Where we can focus on “each” student as an individual learner and not simply “every” student as an aggregated group. I am incredibly excited about what this means for our ability to help each student build a successful future! #whateverITtakes #Leadership #AI #Innovation #DigitalTransformation #EdTech