In partnership with CoSN, eSchool Information is highlighting the modern and devoted work of IT leaders in class districts throughout the nation.
This month, the highlight is on Don Wolff, Chief Know-how Officer in Oregon’s Portland Public Faculties.
1. What’s your greatest IT problem at the moment?
The apparent problem is cybersecurity; that could be a beast of a problem we’re all battling. Tangential to cybersecurity is the deployment of purposes, together with the procurement course of, which incorporates making certain distributors are defending the information contained within the purposes, in addition to supporting interoperability requirements to make the deployment and rostering seamless, safe, and usable.
2. What undertaking, initiative, or accomplishment are you most happy with?
Presently, I’m most happy with our funding in cloud-based options. We have now had our ERP within the cloud for over 5 years and we proceed to leverage the experience, ease of enlargement/contraction, and modern applied sciences to help the vital work that takes place in our lecture rooms.
3. What are your prime 3 priorities over the subsequent few years?
At the start will probably be a Enterprise Modernization effort, which is able to focus on a refresh of our 20-year-old ERP system. Having the ability to modernize our enterprise practices will help efficiencies in general operations, whereas supporting our efforts to retain workers, in addition to present significant insights and reporting to the strategic priorities and applications being delivered within the district. Together with this will probably be a deep dive into creating and refreshing of an information governance mannequin to help this work. And as at all times, we will probably be specializing in elevating our cybersecurity profile to guard our college students and workers as a lot as we’re capable of within the face of aggressive assaults on public Ok-12 establishments.
4. Know-how evolves at such a excessive charge—what are among the faculty IT improvements you see coming down the pipeline, and that are you most excited for?
I’m very excited in regards to the promise of AI to assist automate redundant and repetitive processes round help, deployment, and knowledge evaluation. When deployed correctly and with adequate safeguards, AI has the potential to streamline operations and make extra human assets obtainable to give attention to two vital areas: supporting the humanistic processes required for an efficient instructing and studying atmosphere, and instantly enhancing scholar schooling.
5. What recommendation would you give to different faculty IT leaders and college IT groups?
One of the best factor we will do, for these whose jobs are targeted on expertise, is to give attention to the folks! Schooling is a social endeavor that requires that the main target is on the folks we help, educate, work with, and lead. In all issues be sort!
For extra information on IT management and innovation, go to eSN’s IT Management web page.
