Every July and August, my LinkedIn feed fills with the same message:
“Please leave technology teams alone right now. They’re busy.”
And honestly?
They’re right.
School technology leaders are carrying an incredible load. Devices are arriving or being prepared for distribution. Classrooms are being prepared. New staff are onboarding. Student accounts need to work on day one. Budgets are tighter than ever, expectations continue to grow, and technology touches nearly every part of the school experience.
The last thing anyone needs is another cold call, an unsolicited calendar invitation, or someone pushing for a meeting that serves the salesperson more than the district.
I understand the frustration because, frankly, those tactics frustrate me too! I also think there’s another side to this conversation that deserves attention.
Technology Leaders Aren’t Looking for Fewer Partners
They’re looking for better ones.
The best vendor relationships I’ve seen over the last decade don’t disappear during busy seasons. They become even more valuable. When a district already has a trusted partner, communication doesn’t stop in August. It simply changes.
Instead of asking, “Can I have 30 minutes of your time?”
The conversation becomes:
“Your Chromebook quote expires Friday. Prices are increasing next week, and I wanted to make sure you knew before that happened.”
Or simply (and better yet):
“Yes, how can we help?” When we’re contacted by our district leaders with a last minute need.
Those conversations aren’t interruptions; they’re partnerships.
Why We Chose a Different Path
Several years ago, we made what many people considered an unconventional decision.
We eliminated sales commissions.
It wasn’t because selling is bad. It was because we believed our schools deserved consultants—not salespeople. Quotas don’t fit district timelines, budgets don’t adjust because of “one-time promotions” and families don’t get fed when a consultant’s income relies solely on a decision that is out of their hands.
Our team isn’t rewarded for convincing someone to buy something they don’t need or pressuring them for the PO before the quarter ends. They’re rewarded for building long-term relationships, giving honest advice, and helping districts make decisions they’ll still feel good about years later.
Sometimes that means recommending a solution. Sometimes it means recommending a more affordable solution. And sometimes it means telling a district they shouldn’t buy anything yet.
That’s a much easier conversation to have when your paycheck isn’t tied to closing the deal. The result is that our conversations look different. We’re watching industry trends, learning from industry leaders, and sharing best practices. We’re partnering with the products we resell to fully understand their market, their purpose, and their benefits so we can find the best solution for the district, not just sell the product with the best margin. We aren’t trying to squeeze one more meeting onto someone’s calendar, we’re trying to understand where a district is headed so we can be ready when they need us.
The Best K-12 Technology Partnerships Go Both Ways
Bring us in early.
You don’t need to have every detail figured out before reaching out. In fact, we’d rather hear about a project while it’s still just an idea.
Early conversations give us time to:
- Explore multiple options
- Watch pricing trends
- Identify funding opportunities
- Plan around manufacturer lead times
- Avoid last-minute surprises
Even if the purchase is months away, we can help you build a better timeline and often can get you a better price if we’re the first to bring your opportunity to the product you’ll be purchasing.
Tell us when plans change.
Projects get delayed. Budgets shift. Board approvals take longer than expected. Priorities change. That’s completely normal. If a project moves from August to October, just let us know. A quick update helps everyone.
Help us avoid making every project a miracle.
Our team loves solving difficult problems. Finding inventory no one else can locate. Helping districts meet impossible deadlines. Building creative funding strategies—for example, funding your new purchase with the sale of your retired inventory!
Those moments are exciting.
But when every project begins at the last possible moment, every request becomes a rush order, every budget requires last-minute reductions, and every delivery has to happen tomorrow, even the best partnerships become harder.
The earlier we’re involved, the more value we can provide. Not because we’re trying to sell sooner. Because we’re trying to help better.
Debunking The Myth
The myth is not that school technology leaders are incredibly busy. The myth is that K-12 technology partnerships need to pause during this time.
The answer isn’t for trusted partners to disappear for three months. The answer is for every interaction to provide value. Do NOT cold call during this time (we never do…). Do NOT send unsolicited calendar invites. Do NOT send auto-generated, impersonal messages that clearly are AI generated and a waste of everyone’s time.
DO follow up when there’s a pricing deadline. DO respond quickly when a district asks for information. DO respect boundaries and responses from districts around timelines and needs. DO trust the process, the relationship, and the partnership.
I love back to school time because we’ll once again have the opportunity to help hundreds of school districts solve problems, stretch budgets, navigate change, and ultimately create better learning environments for students.
To every technology leader reading this: Thank you for everything you do to support your students, staff, and communities. We’re grateful for the opportunity to partner with you.
Macara Aloi is Vice President of Solutions at Secured Tech, where she leads a team supporting more than 450 school districts nationwide. Her work centers on helping districts build secure, sustainable, and cost-effective device lifecycle programs that strengthen access, reliability, and long-term outcomes.
With roots in the nonprofit sector and hands-on experience in operations, Macara is known for bringing both empathy and practicality to complex K–12 technology challenges. When she’s not supporting districts, she enjoys spending time with her four kids at their various sporting events and theatre involvement.
