One-to-One Podcast DATA PRIVACY & CYBERSECURITY

Tech Directors Need Mentors, Too

K-12 IT teams are often isolated. Peer-led mentorship can break that norm. We hear from a current and a former mentee to learn about school tech leadership's steep learning curve and how mentorship helps lift the quiet weight of their role.

Justin Morgan

IT Strategy Manager, Learning Technology Center18 Feb 2026

Video Episode

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Episode Notes

It’s one of education’s quiet ironies: the people responsible for keeping everyone connected are often the most isolated. K-12 IT directors and tech teams regularly feel that isolation. Can peer-led mentorship help break that norm?

This month, the LTC’s Justin Morgan joins us to share his journey from first-year tech director to seasoned mentor—and now leader of the LTC’s Technology Leader Mentorship program. Along the way, we’ll explore mentorship’s unique benefits for IT directors and tech teams, especially when it comes to navigating the day-to-day pressures of their role.

Justin is also joined by two current IT directors—one a recent program graduate and the other an active participant—for an honest look at the steep learning curve of school tech leadership. Together, they unpack the realities behind the title: the late-night network outages, the high-stakes policy decisions, and the quiet weight of being the go-to problem solver for all things tech.

Interview Guests

Justin Morgan | IT Strategy Manager, Learning Technology Center

Ryan Alruwaily | Technology Director, Salt Fork CUSD 512

Suzanne Specha | Technology Director, Taylorville CUSD 3

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