During my time in the IT department at the VSB, I witnessed the challenges of providing and servicing a modern network of equipment and software for 109 schools.
Unfortunately, modern technology does not fall easily into one of the age-old accounting categories of fixed assets or supplies. Whereas fixed assets are expensive but designed to last for decades, and supplies are relatively cheap and designed to be used up in a short time, IT infrastructure is both expensive and destined to become obsolete within a few short years.
When software becomes outdated it must be upgraded or risk becoming incompatible with newer applications or targeted by malevolent attacks. Older hardware becomes too slow to run the newer software and must be upgraded as well, and the networks to which all of these computers are connected must be able to expand constantly to deal with a greater number of users, more data being transferred and the ever present risks of hackers and viruses.
We must ensure that the recent IT upgrade projects implemented at the schools will continue and that the funds are available to upgrade this equipment when it can no longer meet the needs of our students. This includes maintaining sufficient IT staff to install and maintain these systems.
Without a sustainable plan to continually improve and replace IT infrastructure, the spectre of students being forced to use outdated computer labs will constantly loom on the horizon.
In 2011, students are more and more likely to bring their own devices into the classroom and expect to be able to use them to facilitate their studies.
We must find ways to allow them to integrate these tools that they already use in their daily lives with the IT infrastructure provided by the School District.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
School Closures
In 2011, School District 39 has lost another 700 students, the equivalent of one elementary school.
As this pattern continues, more and more of our 109 schools are operating to support a fraction of their total capacity.
Measures to generate additional revenues from these schools are only masking the problem: the overhead of running an entire school is being put in place to educate a fraction of a school.
Inevitably, a school will need to be closed.
With 109 schools strategically located throughout the city, most schools are within walking distance of a neighbouring school.
Students, staff and programs can all be shifted to another school, and money saved by deferring the seismic upgrading project of a closed school can be used to upgrade a school that is actually full of children.
Of course there will be hardships and annoyances for the students, parents and staff of a closed school. It will mean a greater distance for some students to walk to their new school. Friends and teachers may end up at different schools. Change is an inevitable fact of life. When a student finishes Elementary School, they will have to leave their old school and move to a new Secondary School. When a family moves, the children have to move to a new school.
Students changing schools is a regular occurrence, and avoiding change should not be a reason to spend taxpayers money to keep open an underpopulated school.
As this pattern continues, more and more of our 109 schools are operating to support a fraction of their total capacity.
Measures to generate additional revenues from these schools are only masking the problem: the overhead of running an entire school is being put in place to educate a fraction of a school.
Inevitably, a school will need to be closed.
With 109 schools strategically located throughout the city, most schools are within walking distance of a neighbouring school.
Students, staff and programs can all be shifted to another school, and money saved by deferring the seismic upgrading project of a closed school can be used to upgrade a school that is actually full of children.
Of course there will be hardships and annoyances for the students, parents and staff of a closed school. It will mean a greater distance for some students to walk to their new school. Friends and teachers may end up at different schools. Change is an inevitable fact of life. When a student finishes Elementary School, they will have to leave their old school and move to a new Secondary School. When a family moves, the children have to move to a new school.
Students changing schools is a regular occurrence, and avoiding change should not be a reason to spend taxpayers money to keep open an underpopulated school.
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