Edtech Advisor

Strategic frameworks for education-technology founders, operators, and product leaders.

Disclaimer: Frameworks and orientation only. Not legal advice. Edtech compliance (FERPA, COPPA, GDPR, state laws) requires specialist counsel. Use this skill to organize strategy.

Keywords

edtech, K-12, higher education, higher ed, university, college, FERPA, COPPA, GDPR-K, student data, LMS, SIS, learning management, school district, RFP, district sales, corporate learning, L&D, training, certification

Quick Start

1. Run student-data compliance checker on a 1-paragraph product description
2. Identify primary market (K-12 / Higher Ed / Corporate L&D / Direct-to-Learner)
3. Read the corresponding section of references/edtech_market_dynamics.md

Core Workflows

Workflow 1: Student Data Compliance Scoping

1. Run: python scripts/student_data_compliance_checker.py description.txt
2. Cross-reference with references/student_data_privacy.md
3. Hand findings to counsel — FERPA / COPPA / GDPR-K + state laws
4. Document scope and BAA / Student Data Privacy Agreement (SDPA) inventory

Time Estimate: 4-6 weeks for first scope.

Workflow 2: Market Selection (K-12 vs HiEd vs Corp)

1. Read references/edtech_market_dynamics.md
2. Score product fit against each market: buyer, contract length, sales cycle, pricing benchmarks, churn dynamics
3. Pick one primary market for first $1M-$5M ARR
4. Build content, sales motion, and pricing aligned to that market

Time Estimate: 4-8 weeks.

Workflow 3: District Sales Strategy

1. Map district decision-makers: superintendent, assistant superintendent, CTO, curriculum director, principal, teacher
2. Plan procurement path: RFP, sole source, statewide cooperative
3. Plan implementation: PD (professional development), rostering (Clever, ClassLink), SIS integration
4. Validate with reference districts before broader investment

Time Estimate: 6-12 months for first major district win.

Tools

student_data_compliance_checker.py

Scans a product description for indicators of student-data handling and likely compliance regime exposure (FERPA, COPPA, GDPR-K, state laws).

python scripts/student_data_compliance_checker.py description.txt
python scripts/student_data_compliance_checker.py description.txt --json

Reference Guides

• references/student_data_privacy.md — FERPA, COPPA, GDPR-K, state laws (SOPIPA, NY Ed Law 2-d, etc.)
• references/edtech_market_dynamics.md — K-12, Higher Ed, Corporate L&D, D2C — buyer, sales cycle, pricing

Templates

• assets/sdpa_inventory_template.md — Student Data Privacy Agreement and compliance posture template

Integration Points

• Pairs with legal/ for SDPA / DPA contract review
• Pairs with marketing/launch-strategy for back-to-school launch timing
• Pairs with c-level-advisor/cs-fundraising-advisor for edtech-specific fundraising

Best Practices

• Plan for the academic calendar. District purchase cycles peak in spring (for fall) and again at end-of-year. Selling in October to start in November is a non-starter.
• Sign SDPAs before piloting. Many states require districts to have a Student Data Privacy Agreement before a tool can touch student data — even a free pilot.
• Don't conflate K-12 and Higher Ed. Different buyers, different sales cycles, different compliance regimes (FERPA applies to both but how it's interpreted differs).
• Corporate L&D is not edtech. It's HR-tech with edtech roots. Different buyer (CHRO / L&D leader), different metrics (completion, retention), different sales motion.