Stop Chasing Shiny Tech: Invest in Teachers if You Actually Want to Improve Education
We’re not going to fix education with more technology.
That may sound counterintuitive in a world obsessed with disruption, but after months of conversations with venture capitalists, funders, and education-focused organizations, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: we’re putting too much emphasis on what looks innovative, and not enough on what’s actually effective.
There’s no shortage of talk about “solutions” to advance education. But far too often, the focus lands on shiny new tools, platforms, and apps—things that photograph well on pitch decks, but often fall flat in classrooms.
What continues to get overlooked? The people doing the actual work in education: teachers.
Last month, we had the opportunity to pitch our idea for a teacher accelerator at the Garden Stage of Change Now. We were excited to share a model that puts educators at the center of innovation—one that supports teachers in designing and testing solutions based on their day-to-day experience. And while the idea received positive reactions in theory, we ran into the same obstacle we’ve faced before: funding.
It’s not that people dislike the idea of supporting teacher leadership. In fact, most respond enthusiastically. But when it comes to where the money goes, the investment tends to favor tech products that promise scale, speed, and a financial return. Models that invest directly in teachers? They’re often considered “nice to have,” but not viable—because they don’t fit the traditional mold of what’s considered fundable.
But here’s the question I keep coming back to:
Why should a tool have more value than a teacher?
As educators, and as the research consistently shows, we know the single most important in-school factor influencing a student’s success is the quality of the teacher in the classroom. Not a digital dashboard. Not a learning algorithm. A real human being who builds relationships, understands context, adapts in real time, and creates the kind of belonging and purpose that no technology can replicate.
Sure, there are forms of instruction—like rote practice or basic content review—that can be done online. But real learning isn’t just about absorbing information. It’s about meaning, connection, identity, curiosity, and confidence. It’s about helping students feel seen and heard, and helping them understand the world around them. That work can’t be automated—and it’s why teachers remain the most valuable resource in education.
Yet year after year, we continue to underfund, overburden, and undervalue teachers. We say we care about student outcomes, but we don’t meaningfully invest in the people most capable of improving what happens in the classroom. We talk about innovation, but we ignore the potential of teachers as innovators themselves.
Let’s reframe what innovation in education actually means. It doesn’t have to mean new tech. Sometimes, it means trusting teachers to lead. It means giving them time and space to test ideas, collaborate, and build community partnerships. It means supporting their growth not just through PD hours, but through leadership pathways and flexible funding that lets them pilot change from within.
Teachers are already doing more with less. They’ve been adapting, experimenting, and leading through uncertainty for years. But they shouldn’t have to do it alone—and they shouldn’t have to fight so hard for the resources to do it well.
Imagine what it would look like if we funded teacher-led initiatives with the same urgency and enthusiasm we give to the latest edtech startup. Imagine what’s possible if we build a pipeline for teacher innovators to grow their ideas, share what works, and influence systems from the ground up. It’s not just possible—it’s necessary.
Are we serious about improving education, or are we just investing in the next shiny thing?
The money is out there. What’s less clear is whether we’re willing to spend it differently. Are we truly committed to impact, or just enamored with the appearance of innovation?
If we want real change, we need to stop viewing teachers as end-users of someone else’s product and start seeing them as the changemakers they are. We need to treat them like professionals—not just with appreciation weeks and inspirational quotes, but with funding, autonomy, and seats at the decision-making table.
It shouldn’t be this hard to get support to the people who make education possible. It shouldn’t be this radical to suggest that investing in teachers is one of the smartest, most effective things we can do to improve learning outcomes.
But until we shift the narrative—from tech as savior to teachers as leaders—we’re going to keep missing the mark.
We won’t fix education with more technology. But we might just move it forward by betting on the people who’ve been here all along.