What are the most important things you want to convey to future technology directors?
What was hardest for you to understand?
Maybe that will be hardest to make clear to a reader.
What should be covered in depth and what should not be covered in depth?
What knowledge would most help you in a Technology Director position?
Response:
As a technology director in a school district, there are many limitations on how the business of budgeting, funding and purchasing takes place. My strongest recommendation to anyone entering the role of a technology director is to seek help when walking down an unknown path. There are numerous people in your organization, or others that are able to help you. Experience has taught me that a good director will ask for help when needed and not try to figure it out, especially whn it comes to district finances. I have found that the business office or even tech directors of other neighboring districts can be a tremendous help.
Personally, I have had experience with these topics prior to this class. When I first started working on our technology budget, I found the purchasing process was difficult. WHen dealing with technology, many purchases are over the bid limit of $10,000. What I found was I did not have a good understanding of PEPPM and COSTARS. I found that once I had a thourough understanding if these contracts, life became much easier. COSTARS has now become my best friend. Almost every purchase I make is now through a COSTARS vendor. I have the ability to vendor shop and get a better price while not needing to worry about going to bid. I do still always get three competiung bids on alomost everything I purchase.
I think the entire budget -> funding -> and purchasing process needs to be covered in detail. No director wants to find himself breaking regulations when dealing with taxpayer money. School Districts are audited frequently and technology purchases are always looked at. I wouldn't want to end up worrying that I did something wrong.
Having a thorough knowledge of this process BEFORE beginning to work on budgets would have been ideal. The majority of our class will have the benefit of knowing more about this process before needing it than I did.
2 comments:
Your experience is our class’s wealth. Technology director has to face to many types of issues including technology use, finances, training and administrative computing. So I can imagine that each one in this position might have his/her own working style. Maybe he is a technology specialist; he could bring an advanced technology vision and plan to the school/district. Maybe he has strong administration background; he could win many competitive grants or funding for the school/district. Maybe he was an excellent instructor; he would especially contribute to school/district’s stuff training….
So, a technology director needs to ask help from his unknown or not-sure things. The only thing all technology directors will need is communication and collaboration ability.
Once again your perspective added immense insight to this post. In my response I didn’t even think about the repercussions for a director who fails to follow the mandated procedures- even if it is due to ignorance. I agree funding & budgeting are not responsibilities to take lightly and we should go into depth explaining each. In our chapters we should make sure to address the fact that not all organizations/schools run the same and that it is always a good idea to do research, find those outlets for help and seek them (there is no reason to reinvent the wheel).
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