The Insider’s Scoop: What Vendors Get Wrong About Selling to K–12 Schools
Drawing from her experience as superintendent, CAO, consultant, and advisor to both schools and service providers, Yocheved reveals why most EdTech and vendor pitches fall flat. She outlines what decision-makers really care about, how budget cycles actually work, and the difference between a vendor and a long-term partner. Includes examples from her work advising nonprofits and EdTech startups.
Bio
If you say, “Jump,” I’ll ask, “Why?” Let’s challenge the status quo.
Yocheved Belsky is the founder and CEO of Clear Square Group, an organization focused on providing educational consulting for institutions, schools, and organizations. When clients requested helpfully utilizing pandemic-related EANS funding for school services, Yocheved launched M²Learning to help non-public schools and their students succeed despite the pandemic.
Yocheved has over 20 years of experience in the educational services industry as a charter school superintendent, service provider, key consultant, and K-12 educator. As a nonpublic school educator and charter school superintendent, Yocheved spearheaded one of the earliest online school programs in the country. In her work as a third-party service provider and educational consultant, she has created many government-funded educational programs and brought them to the market for different school models.
Yocheved is passionate about making sure all students receive the services they need to succeed in school. Through managing conflicting stakeholders, assessing educational needs, securing funding, and driving compliance measures, Yocheved and the M²Learning team provide an all-encompassing approach to help students succeed.
Topics
- Why most vendor pitches fail before they begin
- What school leaders want but rarely say
- Understanding budget cycles and purchasing windows
- Translating product features into student outcomes
- How vendors can become true partners
- Mistakes EdTech founders consistently make
Guiding Questions
- What’s the number one mistake vendors make when approaching a school leader?
- How can vendors better understand the priorities of CAOs and superintendents?
- What should vendors know about budget cycles that they usually don’t?
- How can an EdTech company translate features into real instructional value?
- What separates a “vendor” from a trusted partner in K–12?
- What’s an example of a vendor shift you coached that changed their outcomes?