In late May 2025, IXL Learning announced its first international acquisition: the purchase of MyTutor, a U.K.-based one-on-one academic support provider. This strategic move underscores a broader industry trend toward blending powerful data analytics with personalized instruction, especially in K–12 education. As learning ecosystems become increasingly global and students demand...
Streamlining HRIS and Google Workspace Integration: A Case Study from Ingenium Schools
At Ingenium Schools, we aimed to bridge the gap between HR systems and the tools that our staff rely on daily. The challenge was clear: integrate our HRIS with Google Workspace in a way that saves time, reduces errors, and improves the overall experience for new hires and HR teams...
Leveraging PowerSchool Data for Real-Time Visualization: How I Help Charter Schools Get Insights Quickly
As a seasoned IT and Operations consultant in the charter school space, I specialize in helping organizations unlock the power of their data. One of the tools I frequently work with is PowerSchool, a powerful student information system used by many K-12 schools. My expertise lies in helping schools efficiently...
A Halloween Thriller: Dodgers’ Game 5 Comeback and the Win Probability Rollercoaster
There I was, decked out in Star Trek Lower Decks costume at a Yelp Halloween party, watching Game 5 of the World Series on a massive LEDTV at Funburger in Valencia. It was a classic LA night – costumes everywhere, drinks flowing, and a crowd of Dodgers fans all clinging...
Finding Meaning And Joy in Your Work: Lessons from the High Seas and the Virgin Brand
Sometimes, it takes just one person to bring a group of strangers together. On my Virgin Voyages cruise, that person was our server at GunBae. Her warmth and joy were infectious, turning a quiet dinner into an evening of connection, laughter, and shared stories. It was a reminder that, no...
Understanding Variation in a System: A Fact of Life
In the world of IT and operations, variation isn’t just a theory—it’s a reality. From traffic patterns in Los Angeles to service level agreements in an IT department, variation in systems is a fact of life. Understanding and managing this variation is essential for ensuring smooth operations, whether you’re dealing...
Meaningful Task Request Framework (MTRF): A Better Way to Get Things Done
One of the most common challenges in any data team—or really, any team—is the quality of task requests. When requests lack clarity, urgency, or context, they lead to misalignment, delays, and frustration. Teams across various industries, from marketing to finance to IT, often receive vague requests such as: "Can you...
Task Processing Process
Using Trello + Cronofy PowerUp to build an amazing personal task management system Alright, here's your simple guide to build this a pretty snazzy task management system for your personal work or home tasks that'll leave you (your boss or your wife) speechless looking at how many tasks you've completed....
Google Sheets Formulas: 3 Formulas That Will Change Your Life (Teacher Edition)
It’s time again for 3 Google Sheets Formulas that will change your life. If you are a spreadsheet noob, make sure you hop over to How Do You Use Google Sheet Formulas to get a primer on this awesome functionality. Ok, enough of the pleasantries. Let’s get to the good...
Love it or hate it, you need an Inbox: 3 ways we use inboxes that waste time and 1 framework to optimize your inbox use
In today’s digital world, inboxes—whether email or task-related—have become an essential part of our daily lives. While they help keep us organized, inboxes can also be overwhelming and often lead to productivity drains. A few months ago, I was decluttering my iPhone, deleting unused apps, and I stumbled across the...