DataBus - Vol 40 No 4: June-July, 2000
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San Diego SIG: A Return to Topics and a Wealth of Expertise
On Friday, June 9, he last SIG of the year was held in the Joe Rindone Regional Technology Center at the San Diego County Office of Education. Twenty CEDPA members collaborated to work on a multitude of issues presented by those in attendance. The expertise of the group was evident as no issue was discussed without a wide variety of solutions offered. Many comments indicated that just one or two of the shared experiences made the entire day worth the trip. Attendees came from as far as Ventura, Calexico and San Bernardino and the request from all at the end was "we need more of these meetings." The attendees represented a range of job classifications in IT. Directors, analysts, assistant superintendents, managers and even a projects manager were able to reflect on issues from a variety of perspectives. County offices, schools and district offices were all represented. The complexity of the IT manager's role was evidenced by the topics discussed. Staffing issues topped the list and caused the longest discussion. Retaining personnel at competitive wages was of real concern. Emergent technologies like IP telephony and thin client were thoroughly dissected and good advice was tendered to organizations heading in these directions. Student information systems – legacy to distributed – received the usual attention and indications are that some new vendors in the market offer some interesting alternatives. Of special interest was the utilization of student systems to use web access for staff, parents and students. The teacher training topic produced some interesting solutions. One district collects a $10 check for everyone who signs up for a class and returns the check only if the person attends. This process has considerably cut down on nonattendance at inservices. Help desk, network monitoring and CSIS rounded out the list of issues. It appears that the "Return To The Attendee Driven Agenda" has proved successful. Next year CEDPA will again be offering six SIGs regionally located throughout the State. If you are interested in hosting a SIG, please contact Mike Caskey, or Warren Williams, . |
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