Australian schools have long battled a familiar headache: dozens of systems all demanding teachers’ time and attention. One platform for attendance, another for lesson planning, a different one again for reporting, parent comms or storing resources. It’s no wonder staff feel stretched.
In a job where every minute counts, the digital clutter has become its own kind of workload. And as expectations around communication, personalisation and accountability grow, so does the pressure.
For many educators, the question has become painfully clear: why hasn’t someone just put all of this in one place? That question is what sparked the creation of Schoolbox, founded back in 2002 after a simple conversation between developers and a school that wanted ed-tech to be useful, not overwhelming.
More than two decades on, the platform has become a single, central hub for teaching, learning and community life. Schools lean on it to plan curriculum, run assessments, manage reporting, share resources and keep parents, students and staff connected — without the usual scatter of tools.
And as AI sweeps through classrooms, Schoolbox has doubled down on its “schools-first” approach, rolling out features designed to save teachers time, lighten admin and give leaders a clearer, calmer view of their school’s daily rhythm.
Duane Cox is the Chief Innovation Officer at Schoolbox, where he leads the organisation’s education strategy, innovation programs, and strategic technology initiatives. With a background in education and more than a decade working across teaching, product development, and edtech leadership, Cox brings a rare blend of pedagogical insight and technical expertise to his role.
Since joining Schoolbox in 2016, he has held senior positions spanning product, learning design, and educational consulting. His work focuses on exploring emerging technologies, particularly AI, and translating them into practical, ethical, classroom-ready tools that genuinely support teachers and students.
As a strong advocate for co-design and evidence-informed innovation, Cox collaborates closely with school communities across Australia and internationally to ensure new solutions respond to real challenges in teaching, learning, and school operations.
Below, The Educator speaks to Cox about how the company’s work is tracking in 2025, and how it is helping Australia’s Principals build a digital ecosystem in their school that genuinely reduces workload and strengthens teaching in the age of AI.
TE. In your view, what has been the most transformative value-add of Schoolbox for Australian schools since its founding 23 years ago?
The most transformative impact Schoolbox has delivered is providing schools with a unified digital home that reflects their learning philosophy, not ours. Many solutions solve a single problem or impose a prescribed pedagogy. We’ve always taken the opposite approach: we design technology that adapts to a school’s identity and keeps the student at the centre of the community. By bringing learning, wellbeing and communication together, schools reduce fragmentation and avoid constantly rebuilding their systems. After 23 years working alongside Australian schools, one principle holds true: schools thrive when their technology grows with them.
TE. With Generative Artificial Intelligence now creeping into lesson planning, assessment and reporting, what should Australian school principals look for in an LMS to make sure it supports good pedagogy rather than becoming just another shiny add-on?
Principals should look for AI that strengthens their school’s pedagogical model, not technology that replaces teacher judgment or locks schools into rigid workflows across planning, assessment or reporting. Effective AI offers flexible, context-aware support that teachers shape using their expertise. Poor AI imposes structures that don’t reflect how a school actually teaches or learns. Leaders should also ensure AI aligns with local policy, supports consistent assessment practices, and genuinely reduces cognitive load. Most importantly, schools must stay in control of how and when AI is adopted. The key question is simple: Will this AI enhance teaching practice, or simply add work?
TE. For principals trying to cut through the noise of multiple platforms, what does a genuinely streamlined digital ecosystem look like in 2025, and how does Schoolbox’s AI layer help reduce, rather than add to, workloads?
A streamlined ecosystem starts with strong, stable foundations: your SIS, your productivity suite, and a learning platform with proven longevity. These aren’t the flashy tools, they’re the ground your school stands on. Everything else should integrate into that core, not compete with it. When schools layer disconnected apps, complexity and cognitive load rise quickly. Schoolbox’s strength is unifying learning, wellbeing and communication so teachers move through one coherent experience. Our AI is designed to reduce friction by removing duplication, surfacing differentiation needs based on learning profiles, and generating high-quality starting points. The real question is: Does your ecosystem simplify or fragment your work?
TE. Schoolbox’s ‘AI philosophy’ points out that this technology isn’t meant to replace teachers but rather amplify their work, reduce workload, and let educators stay in control. Specifically, how is Schoolbox AI supporting teachers in a way that keeps them firmly in control of the teaching and learning process?
Our philosophy is simple: teachers remain the authors; AI accelerates the work around teaching. Every AI interaction in Schoolbox is optional, editable and transparent, and deliberately placed inside familiar workflows. Early tools focused on high-impact but low-risk tasks like tone refinement and content support. We’ve extended this to curriculum-aligned lesson planning recommendations and, in our next release, AI-informed differentiation based on Individualised Learning Plans supported by anonymisation to protect student privacy. Even our AI-powered learning activities keep teachers in full control of the narrative while returning rich insights to them. AI guides and scaffolds, but it never governs teachers’ decisions.
TE. Schools are increasingly reporting that they’re tired of (EdTech) solutions that arrive fully formed and don’t fit real classroom needs. How is Schoolbox working with school communities to ensure new features (especially AI tools) actually solve the problems leaders are facing on the ground?
Schools are right to reject solutions that arrive fully formed and don’t reflect real classroom needs. Technology must adapt to a school’s learning design, not force a new one onto them. That’s why we co-design with our community through pilot programs, feedback cohorts and authentic classroom testing. Our AI features emerged directly from what educators told us: the time spent building lessons from scratch, navigating ILP accommodations, and adjusting communication tone for different cohorts. Schools also control how and when they enable new functionality. Good technology evolves with educators, not ahead of them, and never without them.
TE. Looking ahead, Australian principals are eager to ‘future-proof’ their digital infrastructure. In your view, what does long-term support from Schoolbox look like, and how are you evolving the platform to help schools stay efficient, connected and confident amid the growing role of AI in classrooms?
For principals across Australia, future-proofing isn’t about predicting the next wave of technology, it’s about choosing partners who make thoughtful, evidence-informed decisions and support schools through rapid change. At Schoolbox, long-term support means stability with continual evolution: deeper SIS integrations, stronger interoperability, and responsible AI that is safe by default. We deliberately avoid chasing novelty; instead, we invest in tools that demonstrably reduce workload and align to pedagogy. Schools shouldn’t be forced to keep pace with AI’s speed, that is the role of their ecosystem partners. Our commitment is to keep schools efficient, connected and confident with a platform that grows with them.