CONSULTING AND TRANSFORMATION SERVICES
Kincaid IT partners with clients to develop a shared understanding of current practices and assist in creating a vision for future technology planning. Our leadership team has successfully supported districts with the deployment of large-scale technology solutions that had immediate impacts on student learning and the instructional practice. We understand the technology transformation process in educational institutions and the challenges it presents. Our goal is to help clients overcome these challenges and maximize efficiency.
We can help your team navigate through a full one-to-one device deployment, including the recommended professional development stages for all staff. Additionally, we have experience in supporting districts as they prepare for blended or fully online virtual learning environments.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Kincaid IT offers online professional development opportunities that focus on the latest instructional technology to keep educators up-to-date with the latest innovations.
Our team has years of experience supporting teachers both first-hand in their classrooms as well as completely online. Sudden changes in the educational delivery model have caused a rapid shift towards technology-dependent teaching strategies, which is where our experience lies. By providing support though this shift, we hope to help meet each student’s needs while assisting educators to learn and adapt along the way.
- Virtual professional development courses offered for groups or individuals. (These courses provide the option of earning continuing education credits through a four-year public university.)
- Semester or yearly collaboration-based training, support, or webinars with timely topics.
- Online orientation for your new teachers to provide full understanding of specific technology initiatives, skills, and preparation to begin their new contract successfully.
- One-to-one device rollouts as well as training for students and parents.
- Customized professional development to fit the needs of individual school districts.
TECHNICAL SERVICES
Our team has years of experience in education and understands the unique needs in the various environments. Our technical services cover data integration to and from student information systems, finance and human resource software systems, instructional software applications, and more. This understanding – along with our experience developing and managing applications to support a Chromebook and G Suite for Education one-to-one implementation – make us uniquely qualified to work with districts ready to become more efficient.
We leverage our experience to move clients’ initiatives forward. Quality technical services are a direct pathway to an effective teaching and learning process.
- G Suite for Education managed sync, including technical setup and onboarding process
- Migration to Gmail
- Data integration between existing systems and G Suite for Education (GCDS, and GSPS)
- Chromebook management (Examples: kiosk settings, state testing settings, specific OU creation for specialized district needs)
- Domain audits in accordance with best practices
- Customized support for technical issues
- Device acquisition and management
- Inventory management and help desk software
ABOUT US
Education Is Our Passion
Kincaid Information Technology specializes in assisting educators with their technological challenges through consulting, technical services, and professional development. We combine our love for technology with our passion for education to create more efficient learning environments.
A Trusted Partner
Our team has a plethora of combined industry knowledge and experience. Additionally, we have the proper resources and connections available to implement the right solution for you and your budget. We strive to make our process as simple and efficient as possible in order to provide educators with easy-to-implement solutions.
Division of The Kincaid Group
Kincaid Information Technology is a division of The Kincaid Group, a group of family-owned businesses headquartered in the Kansas City area and sprouting throughout the Midwest and beyond. Beginning in the student transportation business in 1974, the group has since grown, now specializing in security/technology, transportation, and development services.
The Kincaid Group and its divisions pride themselves on Four Core Values: Family, Safety, Service, and Respect.
Amy Gates
Amy Gates
Chief Innovation Officer
Career educator Dr. Amy Gates has more than 30 years’ experience serving schools and students, most recently acting as Executive Director of Technology for an 18,000+ student district in the Kansas City metropolitan area. A CETL (Certified Educational Technology Leader), Dr. Gates has helped lead both within her school district and the larger technology community, serving as a Board Member for the Google for Education Customer Advisory Board and as an adjunct instructor for Northcentral University. Her accomplishments include: leading infrastructure upgrades in preparation for transitioning the district to a K-12 one-to-one integration utilizing Google and G Suite for Education; facilitating the deployment of and training for Chromebook implementation for both students and staff as part of the 1:1 initiative; overseeing the development and integration of multiple internal applications to increase operating effectiveness and efficiency; leading many multi-million dollar technology projects in district; and supervising the instructional technology team responsible for teacher and administrator professional development for technology integration in the classroom. A lifelong learner with a passion for making a difference, Dr. Gates looks forward to expanding her opportunities for influencing technology utilization and application by supporting K-12 educators.
Nova Southeastern University, 2006
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) Educational Leadership
Webster University, 1992
Masters of Education with emphasis in Educational Technology
Truman State University, 1988
Bachelor of Science Early Childhood and Elementary Education
Julie Jensen
Julie Jensen
Learning and Innovation Manager
Dr. Julie Jensen is a recent retiree after serving 28 years in public education, ending her career as an Instructional Technology Specialist for the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District. As a responsive educator, Dr. Jensen has been able to roll with the quick changes in instructional technology to maintain her passion for authentic educational programs that prepare students for success. Early in her career, Julie was a participant in the eMINTS grant (enhancing Missouri’s Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies) which was a job-embedded professional development to help schools meet the demands of digital age teaching and learning with an emphasis on Differentiated Instruction. In 2004, Dr. Jensen left the classroom to become an Instructional Technology Specialist. As part of the small team, led by Dr. Amy Gates, they began the first steps to eventually offer full semester online learning courses for LSR-7 students in 2007. Over the years, Dr. Jensen and the ITS team played a valuable role in the evolution of blended and online learning which led to the successful deployment of eLearning for K-12 students during the 2020 pandemic. The ITS team of four members supported over 2,000 district educators and 18,000 students with deploying online instruction during this spontaneous transformation in education. Looking forward to the future, Dr. Jensen is motivated to support K-12 educators by creating robust learning platforms as well as offer support with the instructional challenges that naturally come with this digital shift.
Baker University, 2015 Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) Educational Leadership
University of Central Missouri, 2001 Masters of Science Curriculum and Instruction
Northwest Missouri State University, 1990 Bachelor of Science Early Childhood and Elementary Education
Rusty Richards
Rusty Richards
Senior Director Applications and Services
Rusty Richards has spent close to two decades working in web and application development and management, programming, network analysis and computer support. With extensive experience in education and business, he has the IT knowledge, K-12 expertise and leadership skills needed to support districts as they launch technology solutions that positively impact students and staff. Rusty’s valuable experiences at both the Lee’s Summit School District and the Shawnee Mission School District provided him with opportunities to develop and manage websites and additional applications such as ColdFusion, MySQL, Blackboard and PHP. He most recently spent nine years working closely with educators, administrators and other instructional technology experts at the Lee’s Summit School District, one of the largest in Missouri. Within the district’s innovative and recognized Technology Department, Rusty managed Google for G Suite Education and assisted the district in a successful transition to one-to-one K-12 devices. He is committed to supporting educators and schools through program development and management as well as computer hardware and software support. An experienced problem-solver and team builder, Rusty will partner with your staff members to innovate, develop and implement your goals for students and employees.
DeVry University, Bachelor of Science Web Development
