The school’s network is being expanded this summer. New Internet drops will be brought into several classrooms, the Library/Media Center, and even the office. The district official who arranges the work has scheduled it during my vacation time, saying I don’t need to be there. But I’m not comfortable with this decision. Should I ask him to reschedule the work during the two weeks right before school starts up so staff and I are available?
Go with your instincts! Although it may cause some disruption as you and your staff prepare for the opening of school, having the installation done when you’re there can save headaches and money in the long run. Ask the staff whose working space will be affected by the expansion to think now about where they want the new drops. Discuss staff requests with the network designer to make certain these requests can be accommodated and deal with any obvious problems immediately.
Even with this preplanning, don’t assume that last-minute changes won’t be made. If you’re not there to answer questions, decisions may be made about placement of drops that make sense to contractors, but not to teachers and office staff. Better to have this work done correctly the first time than to have to bring the contractor back to make corrections later!
Submitted by: Susan Brooks-Young
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