For many educators, the path to leadership is a calculated climb. For Jennifer Mazza, Director of STEM and Instructional Technology at Clarkstown Central School District, it was a series of fortunate accidents and “trial by fire” moments.
Mazza, a recent winner of Tech & Learning’s Innovative Leader Award, began her journey in 1999 in Michigan, where she intended to be a wildlife biologist. However, a chance encounter with a principal while applying to substitute teach led to a long-term position teaching biology, geometry, and civics. Decades later, a similar pivotal shift occurred. Mazza moved into administration during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and assumed her current role in September 2022; ChatGPT was released in November.
“It’s turned out to be mostly technology with a little bit of science,” Mazza says of her role, noting that the release of generative AI “changed the whole nature of the position and everything that I was focused on.”
Today, Mazza is leading a district of approximately 8,000 students through a technological evolution, focusing on student agency, community partnerships, and instructional integrity.
Scaling Innovation at Clarkstown
Clarkstown Central School District, located in Rockland County, New York, is a well-funded, suburban district comprising nine elementary schools, a large middle school, two high schools, and a therapeutic alternative school. With a small technology team consisting of herself and two facilitators, Mazza faces the challenge of implementing large-scale changes across a broad demographic.
Her strategy relies on small-group implementation and “The AI Roadshow.” Tech facilitators visit elementary schools to meet with grade-level teams, grounding teachers in what AI tools are before they are introduced to students.
Mazza emphasizes that technology must serve instruction, not the other way around. “The goal of using the technology should be to take kids to places and opportunities and experiences that they couldn’t have without that technology.”
The AI Externship: A Reciprocal Model
Perhaps the most innovative initiative under Mazza’s leadership is the pilot AI Externship program. Recognizing that students often possess AI skills that surpass those of the average adult, Mazza saw an opportunity to change the traditional internship model.
“We really wanted to connect with our small business owners and our town government… and engage in a reciprocal relationship where instead of just sending a kid out to have an externship experience, we’re actually giving them some agency to bring something to the table as well,” Mazza says.
The program began with students earning AI certifications through Coursera. They were then placed in district departments and town government roles to create operations manuals and manage publicity using their new skills. The program is now expanding to include approximately 150 students across the county.
This initiative also connects to a broader career focus. One high school recently hosted a career fair organized by department chair Jess Flanigan, attracting professionals from American Express, the medical field, and finance to mentor students.
For district leaders curious about the specific tools powering Clarkstown’s innovation, Mazza offers a transparent look at their “tech stack.” While the district has restricted ChatGPT, they actively encourage the use of Google’s Gemini and NotebookLM, particularly noting the latter’s success in special education departments.
Video and content creation are also central to the district’s strategy. “We train widely on Canva and WeVideo,” Mazza notes. “We think it is really important to empower a student to share their voice in a world where technology is the platform for getting your voice out there.”
Mazza also highlights the importance of strong vendor relationships for student safety. The district uses Brisk, an AI-powered content creation and feedback tool. Mazza praises Brisk for being responsive to safety concerns and connecting the district directly with product engineers.
“I can’t monitor 17 different tools at the same time,” Mazza says. “Building those vendor relationships is really important because this is new work and the one place that we can go wrong is related to student safety.”
Leading Through “Natural Selection”
Mazza draws on her roots as a biology teacher when offering advice to other leaders hesitant to embrace AI. She views the current educational landscape through the lens of evolution.
“The environment has changed very significantly,” she says. “What is going to work in one place may not work in another place. And so right now there’s no excuse not to try because you can’t really get it wrong. You can only provide more opportunities for kids.”
By focusing on empowering new teachers through the district’s “New Professionals Institute” and giving students a seat at the table through externships, Mazza is turning potential obstacles into opportunities.
“To see your teachers feel empowered and optimistic about their profession, it makes you feel good about doing the work,” she says.
Key Takeaways for Aspiring Leaders
Mazza offers advice for aspiring edtech leaders.
- Embrace the “Accidental” Path: You don’t need a perfect roadmap to lead. Mazza’s career was defined by stepping up during “trial by fire” moments, from her first teaching job to navigating COVID-19 and the arrival of Generative AI.
- Prioritize Instruction Over Tech: Technology is a vehicle, not the destination. If a lesson works better without a screen, do it without the screen. Use tech only when it amplifies the experience or takes students somewhere new.
- Flip the Internship Model: Don’t just send students to learn from adults; acknowledge that students are often the experts in AI. Create “reciprocal relationships” in which students provide value to local businesses and government offices while gaining work experience.
- Vet Your Vendors: You cannot monitor every update on every platform. Build relationships with responsive partners who are willing to put engineers on the phone to discuss student safety.
- Start with Central Office: If you are hesitant to reach out to external companies, start your pilot programs within your own district office. Plenty of work needs to be done internally that can benefit from student tech expertise.
- Brisk
- Canva
- ChatGPT
- Coursera
- Gemini (Google)
- NotebookLM (Google)
- Prodigy
- WeVideo