Frankie J. Jackson

Frankie Jackson serves as Project Director for CoSN’s Cybersecurity Readiness for Education (CCRE), where she leads local, state, and national initiatives that help school systems strengthen cybersecurity readiness through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework, tailored specifically for K-12 education.

Previously, as Project Director for the Cybersecurity Coalition for Education (CC4E), Frankie led the development and evolution of the Certified Cybersecurity Rubric Evaluation (CCRE) Framework, the CCRE certification program, and the CCRE Sidekick—an AI-enabled readiness tool designed to help education leaders assess, prioritize, and improve cybersecurity maturity across their organizations. She collaborated with education leaders, state agencies, nonprofit organizations, and industry partners to establish the framework and rubric as a practical roadmap for advancing cybersecurity readiness throughout the K-12 ecosystem.

A former K-12 Chief Technology Officer and Assistant Superintendent with more than 25 years of leadership experience, Frankie served one of the nation’s largest public-school districts, leading more than 150 technology professionals in support of over 120,000 students across 100+ campuses. She directed all facets of educational technology while leading a $1.2 billion district technology transformation and helping build one of the country’s largest nationally recognized K-12 technology infrastructures.

Frankie is an active leader within CoSN, serving on the Policy Committee, Cybersecurity Committee, Advisory Board for Driving K-12 Innovation, and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Council. She also serves as a facilitator for CoSN’s IT Project Management for School System Leaders course and as a subject matter expert in Value of Investment (VOI), Return on Investment (ROI), and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for educational technology investment and procurement initiatives. She also co-authored CoSN’s policy work with UNESCO exploring Total Cost of Ownership for Artificial Intelligence in education systems, helping education leaders better understand the full lifecycle costs of AI adoption.

In addition to her work with CoSN, Frankie previously served as the Director of Strategic Initiatives for Texas Education Technology Leaders (TETL), CoSN’s Texas chapter. She also supports the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) and the Texas Association of School Business Officials (TASBO) as a subject matter expert, mentor, and chair of the Information Technology certification programs.

Frankie’s work is grounded in operational excellence, organizational leadership, and continuous improvement. Her professional expertise spans the Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework, CoSN’s Certified Education Technology Leader (CETL) program, ITIL service management, APQC process improvement, cybersecurity governance, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Practitioner certification. She is also a John Maxwell Certified Coach, Speaker, and Mentor.

A national speaker, co-author of The Savvy EdTech Leader (www.savvyedtechleader.com), and trusted strategic advisor, Frankie is passionate about helping education leaders transform cybersecurity from a compliance exercise into a culture of continuous readiness and continuous improvement—one that protects learning, builds organizational resilience, and prepares school systems to confidently navigate an increasingly complex digital future.