In general, science and medicine are the best weapons to battle a pandemic, but in education the most powerful tool is technology.
The Marysville Board of Education was updated on Thursday night about improvements made within the technology department which have allowed the district to stay nimble in adjusting to virus-related changes.
Director of Technology Tom Powers said that when he took his position in 2017 the department made a commitment to be prepared for changes rather than simply responding to challenges. In short, the district needed to be proactive rather than reactive in regard to technology hurdles.
After completing the 1-to-1 laptop initiative for all students the district set out to improve the wireless infrastructure, increased digital curriculum offerings from four providers to 40, and beefed up online security measures, Powers said. The additional laptops also forced improvements to be made to servers, the fiber infrastructure and backup power systems.
This allowed the district to be prepared, in terms of hardware and software, for remote learning when the virus hit. But while the computers were ready to go, the know-how was lacking.
Powers said the technology team quickly had to set up technical support procedures for students, staff and families who were being forced to rely more heavily on laptops. This fall, during the first nine days the help desk service was in place, the number of individuals assisted stretched into four digits.
“Helping 1,000 people in nine days is absolutely astounding to me,” board member Dick Smith said.
Powers said the technology department also had to identify gaps in the remote learning plan, such as homes without sufficient Wi-Fi access to run the computers. The district purchased 100 mobile hotspots and added outdoor wireless access points at all buildings and the football stadium to help meet needs, he said.
With 5,200 laptops in student and staff hands, the district also knew that repair work could be costly and time consuming. The district has set up an insurance program to protect families from the costs of broken laptops and set up an in-house repair shop that allows such things as screen or keyboard repairs to be handled in a quick and cost-efficient manner, Powers said.
Board member Brian Luke asked if the number of repairs being performed, estimated at nearly 1,500 procedures, meant that the computers were not being cared for properly. Superintendent Diane Allen said that many of the services are minor repairs, such as keys dislodging from keyboards.
Smith saw the number of repairs in a positive light.
“Things (laptops) are getting used and I like that,” he said.
But with all of the preparation and assistance with technology, the cloud of the virus still hangs over families in the district, made evident by the letters read for public participation during the meeting. The six pieces of correspondence each addressed a particular impact of the virus.
Resident John Kern said he did not like the new dashboard system found on the district website for tracking the impact of the virus on the district. He said the scoring system seems to have been created to justify an intention to move to full remote learning.
Kern said parents were told virus related decisions would be made on a school-by-school basis but the new dashboard includes criteria that apply to the district as a whole.
“I completely disagree with this scoring system, as it does not take into account the negative impact on students with forced remote learning,” Kern wrote. “You can close one school if it has an issue, and leave the other ones open.”
Kern said the dashboard makes it appear that full remote learning is necessary right now.
“You do not value the impact of in person learning enough,” Kern wrote. “Take the opportunity to help each student as much as possible.”
The other five letters came from family members of athletes of the varsity boys basketball team, urging the district to move forward with the season even if the OCC votes to extend a moratorium on games.
Lisa Barlow urged the board to allow the teams to continue to practice in the hopes that the season can be saved at some point. Heather Taylor agreed, pointing out that athletes in the fall were allowed to compete and winter athletes have been abiding by all protocols they have been given.
“This Senior class has already lost out on so much, and maybe even more, but by continuing to follow a planned protocol we can give these seniors one last chance,” Taylor wrote.
Thom and Amy Christian said they have a son and daughter who lost seasons in the spring and they asked the board to do everything possible to save the winter competitions.
“We urge you to allow our kids the chance to play the sports they love, while attempting to give them the childhood experiences that they deserve,” the letter read.