By Steven M. Baule, CIO Advisor
Sometimes, as the year winds to an end, it is important sit back and reflect on all of the excellent work that was done over the course of the previous school year. As many of us are working in districts struggling with funding, bullying, NCLB, or other issues, I think it is wise to take a step back at the end of the year are review all of the positive things that were done for children by the IT staff over the past year. I have seen some department leaders simply tally the numbers as a way to review the past year:
• 5317 help desk tickets processed
• 179 new laptops distributed
• 143 old computers donated to charity
• 523 web pages updated
• 132 server patches and updates installed
• 43 new software programs installed on 852 computers
• 4315 feet of wiring installed
• 1024 hours of professional development delivered
• 106 tweets sent to 253 followers
• 3 IT staff members renewed or updated 16 certifications
Others take a more goals oriented approach:
The IT department ~
➢ updated all of the district’s computers to O/S 114.3
➢ deployed tablets to all of the middle school students as part of the district’s new 1:1 initiative
➢ helped support the CCSS implementation by training all of the teachers on the Bongo LMS system
In either case, or maybe using a combination of the two, a school CIO should develop some type of end-of-year report for the superintendent, cabinet, and/or the Board and make sure they are fully aware of the contributions of the IT department to both the strategic initiatives and the day-to-day operations of the district. Where possible, it might be worth asking to make the report as a formal presentation to the Board so the IT department’s efforts can be more formally reviewed and the Board would have the opportunity to ask questions about the role of the IT Department in the operations of the district.
This time of year is a good time to take some time to both reflect on and share accomplishments of your team. Take advantage of the opportunity.
Steven M. Baule is superintendent of North Boone CUSD 200 in Poplar Grove, IL. He has written several books on aspects of library and technology management and planning. Follow North Boone on Twitter @NBCUSD200.
