Greenbush K12 Tech Blog

If your school district uses Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Entra, an important authentication change is coming. Microsoft is moving users away from SMS text messages and voice calls for multi-factor authentication and toward passkeys. Beginning September 1, 2026 , Microsoft will automatically enable passkeys for users currently enabled for SMS or voice authentication and may begin prompting them to register one. Then, on February 1, 2027 , Microsoft-provided SMS and voice authentication will be retired. For K–12 IT teams, now is a good time to understand the change and start preparing users. What Is a Passkey? A passkey is a more secure and often easier way to sign in. Instead of entering a password and then waiting for a text message with a code, users verify their identity using a trusted device. Depending on how your district configures authentication, that could include: Face ID or Touch ID A computer PIN or biometric login Microsoft Authenticator A physical security key A passkey st...

One misconception in K–12 technology is the belief that once something is installed, configured, or deploye d… it’s done . A switch is installed , a Chromebook fleet is rolled out , a security setting is turned on , and the assumption becomes: “Great — that’s taken care of.” But in reality, there is no such thing as set it and forget it in K–12 IT. Not for devices. Not for security. Not for cloud platforms. And definitely not for user access. Tools like Google Workspace, Microsoft Entra, and Endpoint Manager (Intune) evolve constantly, introducing new features, deprecating old ones, adjusting defaults, updating policies, and changing interfaces. A setting that was “perfect” last month might behave differently today. Technology Is Not a Project — It’s a Living System Behind the scenes, IT teams are constantly working to keep the district safe, stable, and ready for instruction. Most people only see the end result: the Wi-Fi works, devices log in, apps load, and everything looks ...