The January 2026 virtual meeting of the Southside Virginia Regional Technology Consortium (SVRTC) brought together educational technology leaders from across the region for a session that balanced real-world challenges, forward-thinking planning, and critical updates on data privacy, professional development, and upcoming events. Representatives from 14 SVRTC school divisions were in attendance, including: Cumberland County Public Schools, Mecklenburg County Public Schools, Franklin City Public Schools, Amelia County Public Schools, Dinwiddie County Public Schools, Halifax County Public Schools, Nottoway County Public Schools, Brunswick County Public Schools, Petersburg City Public Schools, Sussex County Public Schools, Charlotte County Public Schools, Henry County Public Schools, Prince Edward County Public Schools, and Hopewell City Public Schools. Staff from Longwood University’s ITTIP also attended, including Kyle Kayhart, Dr. Paula Leach, and Elizabeth Kirk. The meeting featured a presentation by Ramah Hawley from The Education Cooperative (TEC).
A highlight of the meeting was a presentation from Ramah Hawley of the Education Cooperative (TEC), who spoke about student data privacy. Despite initial technical difficulties preventing her from displaying slides, Ramah walked members through the comprehensive privacy services TEC offers to school districts. Founded in Massachusetts in 1968, TEC began addressing student data privacy in 2017 after parent concerns at a school board meeting prompted the organization to take a more proactive approach. Ramah credited Steve Smith with helping them establish FERPA-compliant frameworks and detailed how TEC began offering data privacy agreement (DPA) services to districts for a $1-per-student fee.
Since then, TEC’s program has grown to support over 2,000 districts across 16 states. Their model simplifies compliance through a shared legal structure that includes Exhibit Gs tailored to each state’s data privacy laws. In Virginia, the program now serves 17 school divisions, including Dinwiddie County. Timothy Ampy shared that since joining the initiative, Dinwiddie has increased its number of DPAs from zero to 33, calling the system efficient and easy to implement.
Ramah also introduced the Auto Exhibit E Creator, a tool that streamlines the creation of DPAs by automatically incorporating district information and digital signatures. She addressed growing concerns about AI tools in education and clarified that under FERPA, vendors are prohibited from using student data to train their AI models. Notably, TEC is actively working with OpenAI on privacy terms for its teacher-specific products, and a forthcoming version of the National Data Privacy Agreement will include a dedicated AI exhibit to assist districts in evaluating vendor data practices.
Timothy Ampy of Dinwiddie County Public Schools took a moment to highlight his division’s positive experience working with The Education Cooperative (TEC). Since partnering with TEC, Dinwiddie has gone from having no data privacy agreements in place to establishing 33—an achievement Timothy credited to the seamless and highly efficient support TEC provides. He emphasized that the process has significantly reduced the pressure and workload on district staff, making it easier to ensure compliance while saving valuable time. The service, he noted, has been a game-changer for managing student data privacy in an increasingly complex digital landscape.
Dr. Paula Leach followed with several updates from ITTIP. She welcomed Elizabeth Kirk as the new STEM Instructional Technology Specialist, citing her extensive experience and enthusiasm for the role. Paula also noted the progress of the ACSE grant, which focuses on integrating data science and AI into secondary classrooms, and encouraged Gear Up schools to explore summer STEM camp opportunities for rising 8th graders by contacting local coordinators
Kyle Kayhart provided updates on the upcoming STEM Learning Summit, scheduled for February, which had already attracted 53 registrants. The registration deadline was set for February 7. The featured facilitator, Eric Curts, was noted as a draw for many participants, and members were reminded to complete his AI survey if registered. Paula introduced Angie Seay as the new administrative assistant, succeeding Barbara Scott.
Kyle also encouraged members to reach out with ideas for future professional development topics or presenters, underscoring the consortium’s ongoing commitment to responsive and member-driven programming. He mentioned continued discussions with Attronica and reaffirmed plans for the SVRTC banquet, scheduled for March 24, including an upcoming email with information on award nominations and registration. All nominations are due by February 20, and members are encouraged to reach out to Kyle Kayhart with any questions or concerns.
The next SVRTC meeting will take place on February 18, 2026.