From time to time, I am asked how IT supports BVSD with innovative, equitable, and secure technology that enables our learning and business environments. IT has five core focus areas that work together to form the framework to support the business of education at BVSD: Customer Service 2020, Secure our Digital Environment, Cloud First, Equity and Access, and Employee Engagement.
Customer Service 2020 - This is a focus to fundamentally change how we provide IT services to BVSD teachers, principals, administrators, students, and parents. It is the shift from hardware support to software support, recognizing the use of digital tools is expanding. Under this effort, we will explore the expansion of our customer base to include parents and students. The transition and expansion of our support will be a multi-year effort that will require continuous training of the IT staff.
Secure our Digital Environment - One can’t read the headlines today without seeing a new data breach happen. Be it Target, Home Depot, or the latest Marriott breach, no organization is immune to actions of those with bad intent and the capabilities to carry out attacks. The Board of Education has invested in modern firewalls and human resources to measure and mitigate security vulnerabilities. This year a required data privacy course was completed by BVSD employees and next year we plan to share a digital safety awareness campaign to help educate us all on our individual role in combating cyber attacks. We should not compromise security for convenience.
Equity and Access - Ensuring that every student has an equal opportunity to learn is the foundation of this strategy. The 1:Web program includes a way for students, regardless of the ability to pay, to have a device for learning. The ConnectME (My Education) pilot has connected ~40 students via free internet to their home. Both of these programs help ensure that all students, regardless of socioeconomic status, are connected and have a digital device to enhance their learning experience.
Employee Success - Ensuring our IT employees have the support, tools, and training to be effective is important for meeting our customer’s needs. We strive to create an environment where employees can pursue their passions and build connections with their customers and peers. A supportive community is critical to creating a culture where our employees can drive innovation to move the organization forward.
IT is here to partner with you and bring creative, supported, and secure technology to the business of education. With these five guiding beliefs, we are positioned to provide the most effective services to our customers. Over the next few months, as BVSD updates the strategic plan, IT will also be working to adapt and deliver evolving technology solutions needed to take us successfully into the future.
Andrew
Customer Service 2020 - This is a focus to fundamentally change how we provide IT services to BVSD teachers, principals, administrators, students, and parents. It is the shift from hardware support to software support, recognizing the use of digital tools is expanding. Under this effort, we will explore the expansion of our customer base to include parents and students. The transition and expansion of our support will be a multi-year effort that will require continuous training of the IT staff.
Secure our Digital Environment - One can’t read the headlines today without seeing a new data breach happen. Be it Target, Home Depot, or the latest Marriott breach, no organization is immune to actions of those with bad intent and the capabilities to carry out attacks. The Board of Education has invested in modern firewalls and human resources to measure and mitigate security vulnerabilities. This year a required data privacy course was completed by BVSD employees and next year we plan to share a digital safety awareness campaign to help educate us all on our individual role in combating cyber attacks. We should not compromise security for convenience.
Cloud First - This is our guiding principle for choosing new software. It is largely based on the premise that device-specific software is simply going away in favor of the anywhere, anytime, any device web access software we see today. Just a few years ago we were installing copies of Word, Photoshop, and Outlook on over 10,000 PCs. Those days are largely behind us as software is less likely to be installed directly but delivered through the cloud to your web browser be it on a PC, Mac, Linux, or Chrome device simplifying the user experience.
Equity and Access - Ensuring that every student has an equal opportunity to learn is the foundation of this strategy. The 1:Web program includes a way for students, regardless of the ability to pay, to have a device for learning. The ConnectME (My Education) pilot has connected ~40 students via free internet to their home. Both of these programs help ensure that all students, regardless of socioeconomic status, are connected and have a digital device to enhance their learning experience.
Employee Success - Ensuring our IT employees have the support, tools, and training to be effective is important for meeting our customer’s needs. We strive to create an environment where employees can pursue their passions and build connections with their customers and peers. A supportive community is critical to creating a culture where our employees can drive innovation to move the organization forward.
IT is here to partner with you and bring creative, supported, and secure technology to the business of education. With these five guiding beliefs, we are positioned to provide the most effective services to our customers. Over the next few months, as BVSD updates the strategic plan, IT will also be working to adapt and deliver evolving technology solutions needed to take us successfully into the future.
Andrew
