Eaton RESA 2013-2014 Semi-Annual Board Goals Report July-December
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Board Goals
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Goal
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Ensure a productive staff that focuses on operational philosophy and culture. Create a positive work culture. Ensure operational philosopy drives district decisions.
Build capacity to support and encourage employee growth. Create and improve systems for employees’ growth and development.
Continue to build relationships with stakeholders.
Enhance communication of Eaton RESA programs and services. Strengthen county area school board association. Increase staff involvement in all facets of the community. Continue to build and sustain relationships with funding agencies.
Continue to develop collaborative programs and services.
Identify opportunities for local collaboration. Identify opportunities for regional collaboration. Identify opportunities for state collaboration. Continue to build Eaton RESA infrastructure necessary to support Multi-tiered System of Supports. CELEBRATIONS OF SUCCESS • Holiday Parties for and by Staff • Island City Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
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PHILOSOPHY • Quality Relationships • Customer Focus • Educational Excellence • Fiscal Integrity
Superintendent’s Office On August 29th, we started the school year off with Lance Satterhwaite of Humanergy. He was a fantastic keynote speaker whose topic was “The Sweet Spot of Collaboration”. Lance had the audience do some group exercises to recognize the pitfalls of being overly collaborative or underly collaborative. Then he reviewed the essential mindsets and behaviors for effective teamwork and collaboration. Mr. Satterthwaite completed his presentation at 11:00 am when we took time to enjoy the potluck lunch prepared by the Eaton RESA employees. They certainly know how to cook and there was more than enough food. As an organization, we spent the afternoon reviewing the new processes and procedures developed by the Administrators during their recent Administrative Retreat. It was an event packed day which resulted in several comments that it was the best opening day in the history of Eaton RESA. Lifting the spirits of the staff and giving encouragement for the challenges of the upcoming year. Soon after, Dr. Beardsley began working with Daktronics and John Boy Electric to get our new electronic sign ordered and installed. The trees were cleared and the equipment was ordered, now if the weather cooperates, we will have the new sign in place by Spring 2014. We are also happy to report that the first six months of the custodial/maintenance contract with Auxilio has been successful. In October, Dr. Beardsley held meetings with Auxilio to review roles, tasks, and levels of responsibilities. These meetings produced a process for requesting work orders, tracking work requests through completion, and communicating the process to administrators and staff.
PARTNERS
Beardsley also met with the new charter school leaders to welcome • Administrative Council • Board of Education them to their roles and provide • Charlotte Can Do Leadership support when requested. Group Eaton RESA is participating • Eaton County Court Systems in more local and statewide • Eaton County Sheriff’s Department initiatives. Since last May, Dr. • EIEA and ESPA Unions Beardsley has been an active • Local School Districts member in the Charlotte Can-Do • MAISA Legislative Leadership Pillar. The current Committee project involves creating and • MASA Region 6 • MSBO, NEOLA, MPSP providing a leadership training • United Way series for service and industry in Eaton County. In addition, Dr. Beardsley presented at Eaton Rapids Rotary in October and had more presentations of our Annual Report in November and December. Extending beyond our county, Dr. Beardsley continues to co-chair the Michigan Public Schools Partnership, a statewide coalition of the entire education community that promotes the positives of public education in Michigan. Finally, Dr. Beardsley has been an active participant in the MAISA and MASA Legislative Committees, the MASA Council, and Region 6 superintendents groups. The Superintendent’s Office continues to inform stakeholders of legislation impacting public education. The Common Core Resolution was a hot topic recently and Dr. Beardsley sent a letter to Senator Rick Jones in support of this initiative. To finish out the fall projects, the October 2, 2013 pupil count was successfully submitted to CEPI for Meadowview, Early On, the Great Start Readiness Program, as well as for Oneida.
Dr. Beardsley also scheduled several meetings with Johnson Controls to determine why the internal climate was not consistent. After Johnson Controls reset our heating/cooling system to factory and industry standards, the building has been running at a much more consistent and comfortable temperature. We will continue to work with Johnson Controls to learn how to better use the system that is in place.
Throughout the district, we continue to focus on extending the work initiated during the Administrative Retreat to create and implement systematic and systemic systems and processes that are developed collaboratively, communicated widely, and implemented with fidelity. An organization that has consistency provides a level of stability for employees, and with all the external pressures, stability is vital to maintaining a positive attitude.
Dr. Beardsley has been purposeful about strengthening relationships with our charter schools. The leaders of these schools are now invited to attend all superintendent level meetings and are provided with agendas and meeting notes. Dr.
The new Digital Marketing Team developed a Communications Plan that includes the process for requesting assistance on media projects. Brenda Young, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent, oversees the Digital Marketing Interns with final approval from Dr. Beardsley on all projects. Completed projects include: the 2012–13 Semi-Annual Report, the Annual Report Digital Magazine, website updates, social media updates (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest) and press releases. We had a great response to our new newsletter, “The Loop.”
SERVICES • Board Briefs to Staff, Local Boards, and Public • Liaison to Local Districts • Nomination for Recognition • Negotiations • Promotes Eaton RESA
Dr. Christine Beardsley Superintendent
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Business Office Over the first few months of the 2013–14 school year, the Business Office worked hard preparing for the 2012–13 financial audit. Bryant Langdon joined the team as an intern and began handling the accounts payables. A major change for the Department was the conversion to the new financial software package called SMART. Wayne RESA developed this program and has provided excellent training and support throughout this process. We were very pleased at the ease of uploading and downloading reports and files in response to State reporting requirements. A new webpage was developed for Purchasing & Reimbursements. This page provides procedures for using the new pre- and post-conference forms. We can also find how to receive reimbursements for mileage and petty cash. These new forms and processes were a collaborative effort from the Administrative Council Retreat. An overview of these new processes was provided on August 29th at the opening day festivities. The webpage also holds directions for the SMART software. As the 2013 calendar year came to a close, the Business Office began the process of working on a budget update, presenting their work to the Board and making formal appointments with each department to go over the budget. We continued to work on finishing the conversion from SDS to SMART and thank everyone for their patience during the transition period.
PARTNERS • Board of Education • District Staff • Local School Districts • MEA • MESSA • MSBO • CMSBO • Set Seg • Unions • United Way
SERVICES • Budgeting • Cash Management • Conference Room Setups • Custodial Services • Facilities Maintenance • Financial Reporting • Grant Management • Invoicing • Mail Distribution • Oneida Services • Payables • Purchasing • Receptionist
Teresa Davis, CFO
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Human Resources The Human Resources (HR) Department filled their department vacancies with Rachel Stambaugh, HR/Finance Specialist who also operates the front reception desk. In addition, Gena Myles has been hired as the District Accountant (Payroll). With the team in place, the Department has put new processes in place such as: • Instituting an electronic welcome packet and a follow-up procedure for new hires • Instituting a “decision tree” for processing time sheets and travel reimbursements, which is currently in the draft stage. The team also completed an internal fingerprint audit, updated the Staff Handbook (with the help of Brenda Young), and they started working on auditing all electronic and hard copy personnel files in an effort to go paperless. On October 28th and November 14th, Randi Bowers-Payne co-facilitated the certified unit’s new Mentor Training sessions to train our staff in the process developed to ensure a quality mentor/mentee program. Participation in this program is a requirement for any certified staff member who would like to become a mentor or who desires to fulfill this requirement in the new wage advancement process. Randi worked collaboratively with the mentor committee to establish this training program. Other Department improvements include: • Participating in department interviews to create a uniform approach to interviewing • Establishing monthly meetings with ESPA Leadership to build relationships and increase communication • Learning and implementing new SMART finance/HR software Through Professional Development opportunities, the Department has updated their knowledge on: • Retirement & Benefits • Technology in HR • Payroll Law
As an outcome of our Administrative Retreat in August, HR implemented a support staff evaluation tool that parallels the rubric models that are used for teachers and administrators. After the draft template was created, Randi Bowers-Payne and Dr. Beardsley held meetings with the support staff union leadership to explain the rubric and incorporate changes requested by the support staff. We will be implementing the tool via STAGES software. The support union has agreed to roll out this tool in a joint presentation with support staff leaders and HR. Wrapping up the calendar year, we implemented forms for preauthorization of overtime, as well as completed an interview guide/packet for administrative heads to help with the hiring process. To help with staff transitions, HR has also implemented an additional new hire form that indicates there will be a charge if he or she leaves Eaton RESA and does not return the communication and/or technology devices they were assigned during their employment at Eaton RESA.
SERVICES • Contracts • COBRA • FMCA • Health Benefits • Payroll • Negotiations • Fingerprinting
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Great Start Eaton Great Start began their school year with many accomplishments. Eaton Great Start and Potterville Schools have partnered to introduce an “inclusive” classroom, where students from the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) will learn alongside Early Childhood Special Education students. The program is doing so well that other schools are looking at replicating the model. Additionally, due to increased grant funds, Eaton Great Start has been able to increase to 11 classrooms as well as increase student slots from 166 spaces to 304.
SERVICES • Preschool Roundup • Toddler Time in the Parks • Home-Based Support • Autism Support Group • Welcome Baby Bag Project • Connecting Kids Project
In September, Eaton Great Start held open house days for parents to visit the programs and learn about services. On September 14th, the local chapter of the Recovery Network held a 5k “Run for Recovery” in Charlotte, where Eaton Great Start had a booth with information about the program. Additionally in September, Eaton Great Start recieved a $1,400 grant from Firstbook to purchase books for the program. Thanksgiving Projects October’s big event was the Barnes & Noble book fair. Eaton Great Start partnered with the retailer to earn money for Great Start, and many Eaton RESA members showed up to volunteer for the in-person event. Not to be outshadowed, the Great Start Collaborative also completed their 2013–14 action agenda in the month of October. As part of a holiday online voting contest, the Gives Project, Great Start was rewarded money for their Toddler Time program. The Give Project’s Andrea Ness nominated the program, writing a lovely article about just how important the Toddler Time program is for the young children of Eaton County. Thanks to her article and the votes of Eaton RESA supporters, Great Start was awarded $750. This will help to fund the volunteer program, which would be unfunded if it weren’t for donations and small grants.
PARTNERS
Toddler Time
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• Barry-Eaton District Health Department • Community Mental Health • Department of Human Services • Early On • Family Court • Great Start Readiness Preschools • Housing Services of Eaton County • Local School Districts • MSU Extension • Parents as Teachers • Siren/Eaton Shelter • United Way
General Education The General Education Department is moving forward with their TIE Academy program, having enlisted the help of the Digital Marketing Department to create marketing and course materials, as well as redesign their website for the program launch in 2014. The program focuses on training teachers on how to integrate technology into their classrooms, as well as offering courses on topics liked flipped learning. Progress on creating TIE Academy is moving along nicely. A big part of the work we do in General Education deals with the preparation and offering of professional development. Starting in August, the fall professional development moved forward in full swing. There were 72 professional development trainings offered in the Fall of 2013 with a total of 1,170 participants. The highest number of participants was in August with October being a close second. The highest attended training is by far the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) Trainings with 351 attendees.
SERVICES • Co-teaching with Assistive and Instructional Technology • DIBELS Institute • Literacy Teaching and Learning Supports • Mathematic Teaching and Learning Supports • Mentoring Program • MiBLSi Resources • MTSS and supports • Professional Development • School Improvement • TIE Academy
At the end of December, General Education finalized their spring professional development and created the corresponding course catalog. There is a wide variety of Course offerings, including a workshop with Dr. Anita Archer, a national public speaker and author.
PARTNERS • AdvancED/ASSIST • Apple Computer • Capital Area Science and Mathematics Center • Local ISDs and Districts • McGraw Hill • MiBLSi • Pearson • Regional, State and National Associations • Riverside Publishing • Technology Readiness Infrastructure Grant (TRIG)
Reading Street Teacher Trainings, 192
Technology Programs, 143
New Teacher Academy, 49 Health Programs, 205 (PAL) Trainings, 122
Multi-Tiered Support Systems (MTSS) Trainings, 108
Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) Trainings, 351
Fall 2013 Summary of Professional Development Programs and Participants
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Prevention Program Services PARTNERS • Eaton Behavioral Health • Eaton Counseling Center • Eaton County Human Services Collaborative Council • Eaton County Substance Abuse Advisory Group • GM Union Local 602 Employee Department • Michigan Fitness Foundation • Michigan Primary Care Association • Suicide Prevention of Eaton County • Vittoz Computer Consulting
Prevention Services submitted a new grant application in November, the MI-APPP (Michigan Adolescent Pregnancy & Parenting Program). The grant application was submitted to the Michigan Department of Community Health and will be a four year grant with $185,000 per year. Micki Fuhrman and Gary Owen held “Real World Communication Skills” workshops for four Career Preparation Center classrooms, reaching a total of 80 students. Waverly Community Schools joined our Probation Program for substance abuse violations at school. In lieu of police action, they get referred into this diversion option where they complete training and, if successful, the police report never moves forward. This is a great opportunity to get help for these students rather than sending them home until their suspension time is up. Excitingly, the Signs for Suicide program had great implementation in 2013. Waverly put 450 7th and 8th graders through the program.
During the month of August, the Crisis Prevention Institute held a de-escalation training during the Paraprofessional Institutes at Grand Ledge and the Eaton RESA Packard Facility. This program is a free, team-based training offered through Prevention Services where participants learn to diffuse situations that could lead to harm. Prevention Program Services continues to be fully grant funded, retaining all of their eligible grants for the 2013–14 school year. Additionally, several programs started up in September. The Peer Assistance Leadership (PAL) program trained over 150 middle school students. Another new project, Youth Photovoice, started its display at Eaton RESA in September. The program is described as “a process by which youth capture and record their life experiences and community through photography and stories.” The photos that the students took over the summer were on display at the Eaton RESA Packard office through November. November once again brought the National Smokeout Day. Prevention Program Services offered care packages to help individuals quit smoking, as well as hosted a lunch for Eaton RESA staff members interested in learning about quitting smoking. Additionally, 2,000 stickers were placed on cups at the local Biggby Coffee location, informing the community of resources available to help stop smoking.
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SERVICES • Bullying and Violence Prevention • Choices Program • Eaton County Mental Health Resource Guide • Parent Education Classes • Peer Assistance and Leadership (PAL) • Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition • Truancy Intervention Program • Yearly Parent Education Directory
Special Education The Special Education Department has been hard at work with numerous collaborative teaching projects. We have created a new monthly training program for Related Service staff. Early On and K–12 have teamed up to create a speech and psychologist collaboration team. Last year’s team-up with Ingham ISD has brought four Capital Region Autism Network (CRAN) professional development trainings to Eaton RESA so far this year, with more in the works. In October, the Special Education Department completed the county Guidelines for Extended School Year Services. The Eaton Transition Center recieved a $975 grant from Walmart; the funds provide kitchen supplies for the daily living program which teaches students cooking skills. In the past, teachers often donated cooking supplies. Perhaps the biggest grant development for Special Education came in November. They received a $60,000 Innovative Project Proposal grant from the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons. This grant will be distributed over the course of three years and will help four of our Meadowview students with pre-employability skills using voice technology. In addition to the technology, the grant also includes an educational component for the teacher: a two to three week Vision Specialist Training at the University of Mississippi, as well as the cost of providing a substitute teacher during this time. This is the first grant of its kind in the state of Michigan, so we are very proud of this great opportunity. We continued working on updating the special education guidelines, as well as making sure county-wide discipline guidelines follow the same due process in each district. Kelly Hager spent the fall striving to make Meadowview the absolute best. She worked within the classrooms, completing evaluations and getting ideas from staff and parents about how to make classrooms better. Meadowview also continues to work on their policy and procedures, as well as helping the local schools navigate the process of placing students in Meadowview programs.
PARTNERS • ASD Group • Local Businesses • Local School Districts • PAC • Peckham Industries
SERVICES • Creative Pulp • GECKO • Handicapped Riding Program • Related Services for Students • Wraparound and Strong Families/Safe Children Jessica Clothier spent her fall making sure that Early On was running smoothly, changing policy procedures and processes from the ground up. She has focused her energy on primary service models, and working collaboratively with surrounding schools. Early On also reported being much more active in the CRAN program, doing some heavy recruiting of participants. Eaton RESA provided 95% of the CRAN participants, which funnels grant money back to our programs. Our Related Services staff did a great job of working together in 2013. Ryan Harp reported that Maple Valley staff have been very receptive to Individual Education Plan (IEP) basic training. The speech team maintained very high caseloads, but worked smarter instead of harder. They got together with local directors to solve local district problems. They created Google apps instead of purchasing programs, saving money and tailoring apps to their specific needs. By holding their first consultant meeting at the end of 2013, Related Services staff felt very invested in and important to Eaton RESA. In December, we contracted with Dave Schoemer and Maureen Ziegler of START (State Autism Resources & Training) to work with all Related Services staff on a Centralized Evaluation Team process for students who are suspected of having an autism spectrum disorder. The training was extremely timely as questions surrounding Michigan’s newly implemented Autism Insurance Benefit have surfaced as staff encounter outside diagnoses from parents who are inquiring about special education eligibility. Plans are now underway for a committee to develop a county process for using a Centralized Evaluation Team. Also in December, Transition Coordinator Staci Anderson met with all of the county high school transition coordinators to share resources regarding suggested transition activities for high school students. Staci also provided updated information about our work with the GECKO (Giving Eaton County Kids Opportunities) program, and our partnerships with Peckham Industries and Michigan Rehabilitative Services.
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Career and Technical Education In August, Career and Technical Education (CTE) welcomed 500 students into 16 different occupational programs at five locations across Eaton County. The first two months of the 2013–14 school year had CTE staff busy assessing their students’ reading & writing levels with the purpose of determining developmental courses in order to obtain minimum levels and earn college credit. October was full for the CTE Department. October 13–18, CTE held “bring a parent to school” week, where parents and guardians could visit their students during their CTE courses to see what their children were learning and how the program worked. Meanwhile, CTE Associate Superintendent Ralph Hansen traveled to San Antonio Texas for the National Career Preparation Network Conference October 14–16. He presented on educational partners and how CTE is represented in Eaton County. We continue to work with our local schools in reviewing local CTE program standards. These standards not only encompass the occupational skills of the respective program areas, but also include literacy and computational skills, employability skills, and information technology skills. Assistant Superintendent for CTE pro tem Sue Gardner continues to meet with the local CTE teachers, support staff and administrators to provide technical review for their respective program areas.
SERVICES • Coordinators on-site at local districts • Six Career Preparation Programs: • Arts and Communications • Business, Management, Marketing, and Technology • Engineering/ Manufacturing/Industrial Technology • Health Sciences • Human Services • Natural Resources and Agrisciences
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PARTNERS • Burcham Hills Retirement Community • Eaton County Sheriff’s Department • Farm Bureau • LCC • Local Districts • MDE Office of CTE • MSU Child Development Lab • Olivet College • Principals • Potter Park • TechSmith
Morgan McGuirt, Grand Ledge Fashion Design student volunteering at Younkers Community Days
The Department coordinated bringing a little over 1,200 sophomores and juniors to Visitation Day, December 17th. All 10th and 11th grade Eaton County students who were interested in visiting a program were encouraged to attend. Eaton RESA student service coordinators working at local schools will present a Program DVD to students which is supplemented with a PowerPoint presentation that describes our programs and opportunities for students. Staff created posters and flyers explaining CTE programs which are displayed at local schools. We continue to receive excellent support from our local schools for this activity. The Department continues to meet with Lansing Community College as we work through required college occupational assessment levels needed for our students to earn college credit. All students have taken the required assessment tests, scores have been tabulated and we are working to establish proven interventions for students who do not meet required reading and writing levels. On December 10th and 11th, 1,230 students (200 more from last year) visited LCC to look at the program options. Parent-teacher conferences brought 150 parents to the CTE center as well.
Capital Area Michigan Works! JOB SEEKER SERVICES • Applications and Referrals • Career and Labor Market Information • Job Search Assistance COMMUNITY • Job Search Resources • On-Site Partners PARTNERS • Pure Michigan Talent Connect • Asset Independence Coalition • Resume Development • Eaton County Public Schools • Eaton County United Way • Human Service Collaborative • Michigan Rehabilitation Services • State of Michigan Veterans’ Services September brought transitions and new programs for Eaton Capital Area Michigan Works! (CAMW!). Eaton RESA once again sucessfully submitted request for proposals for all programs and maintained their contracts in Eaton County. They then started transitioning the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) program from Potterville Schools into the LCC West campus, making the program available to all Eaton RESA districts. This expanded JAG’s access from 100 students to over 500 students. The current program grew from 20 students to an estimated 30 enrolled students once the transition was completed. Also new, CAMW! is now approved to submit applications for the Skills Trade Training Fund (STTF). Employers can apply for grants to provide workforce training. Additionally, new trainings are being funded from the National Emergency Grant (NEG) to help companies train new hires or current employees. Regarding our JAG program, four Potterville students traveled to Washington, DC in late November for the JAG National Student Leadership Academy (NSLA). The students participated in leadership workshops where they met hundreds of JAG students nationwide. The group also participated in a dance, talent show, business attire luncheons where governors and JAG alumni were guest speakers and tours of DC. They visited the Capitol, WWII Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Lincoln Monument, MLK Monument, the White House, the Pentagon, the Pentagon Memorial, the Pentagon City Mall, the National Zoo and the Arlington Cemetery. The students visited Arlington Cemetery on the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination. The students also experienced riding the subway and became aware of the struggles of some of the homeless citizens in downtown DC. Over 700 students and staff attended the NSLA making it the largest attendance ever. One of the students, Kyrsten Lamb, attended the NSLA last school year, making this her second year attending. She competed in the JAG poster competition this year. Although she did not place, she felt very good about competing and was happy to have met many new talented young people.
The CAMW! director has been working with Eaton County employers to apply for Skilled Trade Training Funds that were released by the State on October 1, 2013 in an effort to assist employers in obtaining the skilled workforce they need to compete. The first grant application for The Woodbridge Group was accepted. They were awarded $21,615 to train their workforce in FANUC Robotics, Programmable Logic Control, and Internal Auditing. Starting in November, CAMW! began offering GED and High School completion instruction to our Partnership Accountability Training and Hope (PATH) clients. These clients are referred by the Department of Human Services. CAMW! provides employability skills training and supportive services to assist their participants in obtaining gainful employment leading to self sufficiency. The GED and High School completion instruction is being provided to clients in conjunction with Potterville Public Schools. In December, CAMW! held their annual dinner, a celebration that brought together work-first development, community partners, and education to celebrate the success of the programs. CAMW! nominated Meridian Magnesium Products of America for Employer of the Year, and they won the award. At the end of December, CAMW! staff extended their thanks to the Business Office for undertaking the conversion to the SMART system, which will provide more accurate data, helping our grant funding.
EMPLOYER SERVICES EMPLOYER PARTNERS • American Metal Roofs • Beacon Sales • Centennial Acres • CNI Plastics • Eaton Rapids Medical Center • Liquid Web • Meijer Distribution Warehouse • Spartan Motors • WOW Cable
• Employer of the Day and Hiring Events • Pre-screened applicants • Pure Michigan Talent Connect • Recruitment Assistance • Training
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Technology The Technology Supervisor, Will Cornwell, began the fall by attending staff meetings throughout Eaton RESA as well as hosting a helpdesk demonstration during the 2013–14 opening day sessions to educate staff on how to get help with technology issues by utilizing the helpdesk. Two additional categories were added to the helpdesk system that allow anyone to enter tickets for maintenance and digital marketing requests. The expertise of the Technology Department at Eaton RESA was requested by several local districts. In particular, Eaton Rapids Public School is working on implementing a bond and continues to request a county-wide technology perspective in ensuring their technology solutions aligned with their district needs at the bond committee meetings. While assisting the districts in their specific needs, the Technology Department also coordinated a 2GB Internet bandwidth upgrade for the Eaton County WAN through the eRate program. All local districts signed a 3-year contract renewal for Internet bandwidth which is eligible for reimbursement using eRate funds, due to timely application submission of the Technology Department. The implementation of the 2GB Internet bandwidth was completed in August of 2013. Technology is an ever-growing field, and trainings for Google Apps and various cloud technology solutions continue to occur within department meetings. This helps staff utilize the technology that is available for them to improve their educational delivery. To stay up to date on the latest technologies, the Department attends annual conferences and monthly meetings such as the Michigan Association for Educational Data Systems (MAEDS) in October and monthly Michigan School Business Officials (MSBO) Technology Director meetings. Sessions at these conferences serve to provide knowledge and best practices using the latest technology solutions in education. This information is communicated to local districts through various means including the monthly Technology Vision Planning (TVP) meeting.
PARTNERS • Clear Rate • Dell • Foxbright • Google • GoDaddy • Gracon • Logicalis • The State of Michigan • Verizon Wireless • Wayne RESA • Zayo
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SERVICES • Assist with Computer Questions • Email Support • IT Help Desk • Meeting IT Setup • Network Accounts/Access • Premises Security Systems • Repair Programming Errors • Telephone Support
The Technology Department continues to coordinate the use of WAN services for local schools. Most recently Grand Ledge Public Schools was connected to the e2020 video server at Ingham ISD. By using the Eaton County WAN to preserve bandwidth, Eaton County Schools can operate as fast as possible. Over the month of November, Technology completed several projects. They completed the request for proposal (RFP) bid process for network copiers that led to a new contract being signed with American Office Solutions (AOS), lowering annual printing costs and improving printing capacity. Additionally, Technology assisted Eaton County school districts with entering device data into the MTRAx tool. This meant that their district would be eligible to participate in the second year of the 22.i Technology Readiness Grant. The next step was assisting districts with submitting their formal agreements for the 22.i Technology Readiness Grant, making them eligible to receive 22.i incentive money. December of 2013 closed out with the much anticipated installation of the new printers. These printers will standardize workflow (same codes, same cost, same screens and buttons, etc.) and allow for Eaton RESA to eventually go paperless by simply adding a printer to scan to the Google Drive. The Technology Department has transitioned away from managing the servers. Servers are now in a cloud and Potterville has contracted someone to make sure the servers are up and running. To keep the servers operational, Potterville also had a power generator installed. All of these transitions were paid for by Potterville’s technology bond, and they now have the option of selling some of their unused network space.