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Got a small budget, but need to spruce up your school district’s technology? James Tagliareni, the chief technology officer of Moore County Schools in Carthage, N.C., shares his tips on how to revamp your tech infrastructure.
1. Get support. It’s critical to have the support of the superintendent, but you also need to meet with principals and teachers. Learn what their needs are and develop a plan to meet those needs.
2. Assess the IT situation. Take inventory of the district’s technology to determine the scope of your project.
3. Standardize. Develop new IT standards for the district, such as minimum computer requirements.
4. Review IT staff. Assess your staff to determine whether they have the necessary training and expertise. If not, get them training or make staffing changes.
5. Create new procedures for IT staff. If no uniform policies are in place, you must develop them. For example, if no policy exists for requesting and handling help desk support, create one.
6. Prioritize projects. When you’re on a limited budget, focus on improving the hardware and software infrastructure first. Take a phased approach, and give yourself several years to complete projects.
7. Invest in teacher training programs. Don’t just teach teachers how to use technology. Train them to incorporate the technology into the curriculum.
8. Shop for deals. Find savings by reviewing existing IT maintenance contracts and doing comparison shopping when you buy new technology. Review outsourced IT work to determine whether you can do the work in-house for less money.
9. Assist schools in securing grants. Many tech companies donate money or technology for school projects.
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