Planning and sustainability ideas for leadership

Classroom of the past

Classroom of the present

Core functions of district technology
• Learning
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• Curriculum
Assessment
Graduation
• District operations
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• Payroll
Transportation
EMIS (Analytics)
• Safety and Security
• Physical
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Personnel
Information

Common Technology Concerns
• Affordability
• Network capacity
• Reliability
• Digital equity
• Cloud services
• Safety and Security
• Management and support

Effective technology budgeting
• Should be specific and aligned to technology plan
• Should be transparent and built with input from district stakeholders
• Take advantage of consortium pricing offered by your area
• Technology standardization
• Maximize E-Rate funding
• Establish other funding sources
(E-Rate ?)
• Leasing options with fixed yearly costs
• The cost of doing nothing
(penny-wise and pound-foolish)

Practice sustainability and life cycle replacement
• Understand product support:
• End of Sale (EOS)
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End of Life (EOL)
End of Service Life (EOSL)
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• Periodic upgrades are more affordable
Stop supporting obsolete technology
(Especially phone and security systems)
• Planned replacement
• User device (3 years)
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Wireless (5 Years)
Network infrastructure (5 to 7 years)
Telephony and Surveillance (?)
• Cloud technologies when applicable
• Bandwidth (Have enough)

Effective decision making
• Use technology committees
• Technology Staff
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Principles
Teachers
• Develop plan and budget
• Technology (and software)purchases are in line with the plan and budget
• Equitable for district stakeholders
• Promotes adoption of new technology
• Very successful when implemented properly

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Technology staff continuity and
“upstream” support
• Technology staff and/or vendor turnover
• Who has the “keys to the kingdom”?
• Cross training amongst technology staff
• Documented procedures and/or instructions
• Who is your “upstream” support for technology?
• External “for profit” vendors (SLA’s)
• Managed services and support
• Ask questions

Effective technology plan
• Defines organization’s technology strategy and goals
• Establishes budget and guidelines for purchasing
• Ensures technology systems are:
• Capable, Affordable, Equitable
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Enhance organizational safety and security
Reasonably supported and managed
Cloud based (when appropriate)
• Designate positions of the technology committee
• “He who fails to plan is planning to fail” ~ Sir Winston Churchill

Technology Concerns in review
• Affordability - What is the total cost of ownership?
• Network capacity - Can our existing infrastructure support it?
• Reliability - How reliable is this technology?
• Digital equity – Will the technology benefit digital learning?
• Cloud services – What are the advantages and disadvantages?
• Safety and Security – Is our technology capable of securing facilities and/or information, while enhancing personnel safety?
• Management and support: How long is the technology supported? Who will support and manage it? Who will support them?

Questions?
THANK YOU!