November/December 2025

What Technology Can’t Replace: The Human Side of Engagement

By Patrick Mogge

In my 2022 column, “Engaging with the Community: A Time to Reflect and Reconnect,” I wrote in the Journal that boards of educa­tion were navigating a new era of community engagement shaped by heightened advocacy, shifting expectations, and the growing influence of social media. I sug­gested that boards could use tools such as SWOT and PESTLE anal­yses to understand their environ­ment, clarify roles, and anticipate what might lie ahead.

Three years later, many of those dynamics remain, but they have also deepened. Advocacy net­works and public discourse have become more sophisticated, with higher expectations for transpar­ency, and new technologies have expanded both the opportunities and challenges of engagement. What was once “a time to reflect and reconnect” has evolved into a time to listen, partner, and build authentic relationships that sustain trust and collaboration.

Beyond Communication: Building Relationships
In my earlier column, I highlight­ed the multiple roles that teachers, administrators, board members, and the board as an entity all play in communication. That framework still holds, but in 2025, it is often less about who speaks and more about whether people feel heard.

In one example, a board hosts small-group conversations with par­ents, students, and staff before major policy decisions. Participants may not always agree with the out­come, but they consistently report that their perspectives shaped the discussion. In another, the board organizes community listening tours and public presentations in neighborhood libraries, commu­nity centers, and with business partners before finalizing its stra­tegic plan, drawing voices that may rarely attend formal meetings. These efforts demonstrate that the strength of board engagement lies not in the frequency of commu­nication but in building authentic relationships. When boards engage consistently and genuinely, even in challenging conversations, they create reservoirs of goodwill that sustain trust and collaboration through times of controversy.

New Tools, New Approaches
In 2022, social media emerged as a disruptive force. In 2025, artificial intelligence is the accelerant. AI now powers real-time translation, provides automatic summaries of lengthy board materials, and gener­ates closed captioning that improves accessibility. Livestreaming plat­forms have matured, allowing fami­lies to watch meetings on their own schedules with better sound and visual clarity.

At the same time, many districts are using video storytelling to high­light student voices and community partnerships. A short clip of students describing how a new program helps them prepare for college or careers can make complex initiatives more relatable and meaningful for fami­lies and the community.

These tools allow boards and school districts to connect with broader audiences, but they also invite important reflection: Which platforms best support the mission? How can engagement stay focused on student success? Technology works best when it enhances con­nection, not when it replaces it. A well-produced livestream can inform the public, but a board mem­ber’s simple conversation with fam­ilies in a school cafeteria can build lasting trust.

From Stakeholders to Partners
In my 2022 column, I wrote about the importance of engaging multiple constituencies, including parents, students, staff, alumni, and community partners, and aligning communication strategies to each. While that framework endures, many boards are expand­ing it, shifting from participation to shared purpose in how they partner with their communities. Boards and school districts today are building networks rather than isolat­ed relationships. They bring together employers, higher education, local government, and nonprofit organi­zations around common goals such as workforce readiness, civic engage­ment, and student well-being.

These collaborations are about co-ownership, sharing responsi­bility for outcomes that extend beyond the classroom.

When boards embrace a broader view of partnership, they build both trust and shared capacity. Engage­ment shifts from responding to stake­holders to cultivating a community ecosystem where everyone plays a part in supporting student success.

Continuing the Conversation
One of the six Foundational Principles of Effective Governance in Illinois is that the board of education “connects with the com­munity.” That principle guided the reflections I shared in 2022, and it remains just as important in 2025. Boards build trust when they lis­ten deeply, partner broadly, and engage authentically with their communities.

The question remains not whether boards will engage with their communities, but how.

Technology offers new ways to share information and broaden access, yet the most meaningful connections still happen face to face — in schools, community spaces, and local events where conversations can unfold natu­rally. Boards that combine these in-person relationships with thoughtful use of digital tools will be best positioned to sustain trust and collaboration.

Ultimately, the way boards choose to engage will shape how they are perceived. Communities are far more likely to see their boards as trusted partners when that engagement feels personal, consistent, and grounded in genu­ine connection.
 

Patrick Mogge is a communications and community engagement professional who holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago as well as a master’s degree in school business management from Northern Illinois University. He is also licensed to teach and serve as a Chief School Business Official in Illinois. Mogge’s previous column for the Journal, “Engaging with the Community: A Time to Reflect and Reconnect”, is available via iasb.com/Journal.