Tech Support in the Schools

Have you seen one of our tech support guys? We have two of them - Ron Usilton and Don Riser.

Something just whizzed by me in a blue blur. Perhaps that was Ron, or maybe it was Don. It’s hard to tell at that speed. Lately they seem to be needed everywhere. Yesterday. It’s little wonder, given the explosion of the use of technology in schools. I don’t know how they keep up.

A generation ago we were just beginning to get computer labs in the schools. After that we started distributing a few computers to each classroom. They weren’t all connected to the Internet in those days, most ran software installed in each one or on a local server.

And the staff? I remember it took a long time before we felt the staff was competent enough to issue computers to everyone. Now, we don’t hire a teacher without accepting that she will need a laptop computer. She needs it for communication. She needs it for the development of lessons and the research to go along with lesson prep. Teachers often teach lessons that call for projecting photos, videos, stories, charts and graphs found on the internet. Often, lessons are packaged in a colorful PowerPoint presentation.

As a matter of fact, the technology needed in the classroom as basic tools has exploded. Practically every classroom has an interactive white board, projector and printer. Half of those classrooms have what is called a document camera, which looks like a miniature overhead projector and can focus on any book, document or object and project that picture onto the white board. Back in the day they called that an opaque projector. It was as big as a Volkswagen and probably cost as much.

The other day I did a little search on the Internet to see what the business world considers an appropriate ratio of computers to tech support personnel. On the first site I quickly abandoned my search because the numbers I saw suggested we don’t have enough people to keep everything running. The first report I saw suggested one tech support person for every 50 computers.

Now Ron used to work in the private sector and he tells me that 1 tech person for every 200 computers was probably more likely.

Here in Lake Forest School District Ron and Don install and maintain computers at a ratio that exceeds 1000 to 1. In addition they take care of most of the installation and maintenance of hundreds of interactive white boards, projectors, document cameras, printers, servers and routers. They maintain and upgrade our wireless networks.

And, oh yes, Ron also serves as our web master for the district website as well as coach for those teachers maintaining the school websites. Obviously they’ve got their hands full. But, amazingly, they get the job done and they do it well. I wish we could afford a few more Rons and Dons.