Rob Dickson is the Chief Information Officer for Wichita Public Schools (USD 259), the largest school district in Kansas, serving approximately 50,000 students across 94 schools and programs with nearly 10,000 employees.
A USAF veteran, Dickson was hired in 2019 to lead the district’s Department of Information Systems and Technology and has since driven bold, future-focused innovation at every level of the system.
Under his leadership, Wichita Public Schools launched Creative Minds, a K–6 micro school built inside the public system, where kindergartners learn alongside sixth graders through project-based learning. He also oversees the district’s Future Ready Centers, career-focused learning environments designed to look and feel like businesses, where students earn industry certifications in fields like advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity.
Dickson founded and oversees Education Imagine Academy, the district’s virtual school, which reached maximum capacity in its first year and earned Microsoft Showcase School distinction in its second. He also helped establish an esports programme across Wichita’s secondary schools in partnership with Wichita State University.
A recognised leader in educational technology, Dickson’s accolades include the 2021 Kansas City CIO of the Year (ORBIE Award), 2022 National ORBIE Finalist, 2017 ISTE Administrator Award, 2016 CDE Top 30, and 2014 NSBA 20 to Watch. He is a sought-after speaker and consultant, advising districts nationwide on strategic technology vision, AI adoption, and systems-level innovation.
Dickson believes that adaptability is the highest form of intelligence and that schools must prepare students not for certainty, but for curiosity in the face of constant change.
