EduTech Steering Committee
September 28, 2007
RIT Inn and Conference Center
Members Present:
Bruce Amey, Avon Terry MacNabb, Waterloo
Joan Cole, Elba Tom Manko, York
Maria Ehresman, Williamson Jim McNeil, WFL BOCES
Mike Glover, GV BOCES Camille Sorenson, EduTech
Bob Leiby, Red Jacket
Members Absent:
Joe Backer, Letchworth Joe Marinelli, WFL BOCES
Mike Crowley, GV BOCES
Guests:
Marla Iverson, EduTech Jeff Ginsberg, EduTech
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Camille Sorenson started the meeting by welcoming everyone and having the committee introduce themselves.
Reaffirmed to the committee who EduTech is and what we are doing. EduTech is strong and alive as it has ever been. We wrote more SAA in terms of numbers and dollars. Everyone rallied to deliver the 9+ million dollars in equipment this summer. EduTech was able to bring in an amazing group of college students to work with us this summer. Students were efficient, quick learners, which allowed us to get more accomplished this summer. Of the 47 districts within EduTech, 44 use a supported student system. Nearly all 47 of our districts use one of our finance systems. All but one district is using our IEP supported software. Our revenue is sound, district appears to be happy, offer a core service that is sound, and have an amazing staff. EduTech is here to problem solve whatever your needs are.
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Marla Iverson stated that in July of 2007 her position changed from Director to Assistant Superintendent for School Improvement. She is now responsible for student on-line courses and is enjoying the learning curve of trying to get caught up on what the courses are about. Currently searching for a replacement for Jeremiah Frink and are creating an e-Learning Director position to oversee strategic direction for eLearning. Also creating a position for working with Data Mentor.
The department will continue to look at pod casting and smartboards while continuing to offer training and technology instructional workshops.
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Williamson Connects: Maria Ehresman shared ways they use instructional technology and how they connect with the outside community using pod casting, blogging, and wikis. EduTech will assist Williamson with their Tech Fair coming up October 22nd from 6:30 to 8:30 pm showing the different ways they are using technology in the classroom. Maria thanked Camille and Marla for their support with this project.
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Tom Manko asked if we have done anything with Workforce Investment. Have we done any outreach to school to work organization? Hearing that students are lacking the soft skillset. This prompted a discussion on “Generation Me”, the youth, young adults of today and their communication, learning, and work styles.
Bob Leiby stated that students are finding a workforce that will fit how they are. The students are not changing to fit the workforce; the workforce is going to need to change. This also applies to EduTech, we need to move with the next generation.
Jim McNeil is seeing a lack of personal communication with students. Previous generations looked to be connected, the current generation is lost if they are disconnected. Trying to teach the students how to connect.
Mike Glover spoke to the confidence and promise of this generation.
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Email Archiving – Jeff Ginsberg
Handouts shared with the committee
In March the committee decided to approach email archiving on a regional level. Jeff Ginsberg and his staff researched the technology and met with vendors. Attorneys from Harris Beach attended a RIC directors meeting and everyone in the state heard the same thing, as it regards the legal policy side of what information must be saved.
The RIC directors were told that the emails that need to be archived would be ones that contain the same type of info required to save if on paper. Email messages are official records when they are obtained in the course of business. See page 9 of handout. Do not have to archive all emails. Page 11 of the handout shows the kind of items you don’t need to save. Legal interpretation to delete emails the date they are no longer needed.
Recommendation to the committee that we retain Harris Beach to help us through this process. Would also like to work with Harris Beach to put together a document on what needs to be saved regionally. The committee agreed.
Receive approximately 700,000 emails a day, of which 600,000 are spam. Of the 100,000, close to 50% is spam related.
The legal term is electronic communication: anything that could be in digital media storage.
Mike Glover asked what the other RIC’s are doing. WNY RIC has an electronic retention service. The other centers across the state are in the same position we are in. He complimented EduTech on the amount of work done in researching this.
Jeff broke the costs down between 1, 2, and 7 years. The 7 year plan is for 45 terabytes. Can identify personnel in district and identify folders to be archived.
Piloting the vendor.
This could be a core service or base service. The district could have server in district or use central EduTech hosted. Would need to pilot both types of post offices. Also pilot the various options; all emails, create legal folder in your mail for x number of personnel in district.
Bob Leiby suggested doing a department instead of district for the pilot. Also need the legal definitions of what would need to be saved. Bob also questioned if we had looked at a 3rd party host?
Piloting: Elba, Avon, York (2 Groupwise in district; 1 centrally located)
Camille will keep everyone updated as the process progresses.
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Miscellaneous:
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SED: Martha Musser has retired. Other personnel will step in to help guide RIC.
Budget: next two meetings – preview EduTech revenue is sound. Increases have been very conservative in the past, which has caused our safety factor to shrink. Could be looking at a 4% increase. Cannot continue to maintain the flat budget.
Student: Had School master and SASI – have added Powerschool, Infinite Campus, and would like to officially add School Tool. Committee agreed to the addition. We would like to propose eliminating SASI as an offering. Would like to work with the two schools that are currently on SASI to be using another system by 09-10. Committee agreed
Finger Printing: Avon raised the question that if there was an initiative for electronic scanning for finger printing and if it was made available regionally, would it be aidable?
Next Meeting
November 7th at Woodcliff
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