Member Profile: DataBus Chats with Sue Gott

By Lisa Kopochinski, DataBus Editor

What are your responsibilities as the director of assessment and technology for Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District?

On the technology side of the job I serve the staff and students of the district by ensuring that my team keeps all of the existing technology in the classrooms, labs and offices humming along and by planning for the district’s future technology needs. The district’s talented tech team and I covered ed tech and IT matters, so we work together to enhance the basic tech infrastructure as well as provide  technical support and professional learning opportunities for the kindergarten through 12^th grade teachers in Yucaipa-Calimesa JUSD. Another key focus of mine is student data management. As the CALPADS coordinator for the district, I collaborate with data stewards from the school sites and various departments throughout the district to standardize the format of our student information system data, review and analyze snap shots of the data, and then continually work to correct anomalies so the data accurately represents the students’ demographics and course enrollment information.

I also serve as the district coordinator for standardized testing in the district. In that capacity, I train site level coordinators to manage the exams and I oversee the ordering, processing, quality reviews and dissemination of the results to parents/students, school board and school staff members. I am fortunate to have the assistance of a highly efficient testing technician who is my partner for all testing matters, so I can focus most of my time and effort on enhancing the use of technology within our schools and on the management of student data.

I consider myself fortunate to be the administrator who oversees technology, assessment and CALPADS, because they are all so intertwined when it comes to computer-based testing. Years ago, when the position was created, technology and assessment seemed to live in two separate worlds in education, but with Smarter Balanced testing heading our way in 2015, all of my responsibilities are aligning nicely so I can coordinate easily with the curriculum and instruction leaders to prepare for the implementation of Common Core Standards and the use computer-based testing in a focused, streamlined manner.

How long have you been in the computer industry?

I started teaching in this district in 1983 and I’ve been using technology in education since day one of my career. That was back when Apple was finishing up the final rounds of donating computers for classrooms across the nation and Yucaipa was getting their first Apple IIe systems. I began working as a district administrator around 2000. At that time, I served as the public information officer, grant writer and data analyst, and was given responsibilities tied to the data quality of our student information system. I officially moved into IT and ed tech leadership by 2006, when this district’s first technology department was formed and I was assigned as the director.

 What do you like most about the industry?

I have always loved being a part of K-12 public education, regardless of whether I’ve served as a classroom teacher or in a support role, such as the one I am in now, as a director.  I am invigorated every day by the opportunities and puzzles that are present in educational technology. I find it exciting and motivating to work in such a fast-paced field and to work with my tech team and peers to find solutions when difficult challenges pop up. Our job is to keep up with the changes that are occurring, serve as technology leaders, provide vision, support and training for staff and to manage technology in our districts so that students have the tools they need to graduate and be continuous learners.

When did you join CETPA and why?

I’ve found educational technology leaders to be among the most friendly and supportive group of people I’ve ever encountered. When I attended my first CETPA conference in Palm Springs, back in 1996, several members introduced themselves to me and invited me to their bi-monthly, informal peer meetings that they held at various locations in Southern California.

Communication and collaboration at those meetings helped me learn the breadth of my new job responsibilities and I found the attendees were all keen to assist each other in any way possible.   It felt like a wonderful group of skilled mentors guiding each other toward success. Over time, the group grew and, in 2011, we became the first official regional chapter of CETPA. I’m no longer one of the newbies in the room, but I still never fail to learn something new at our meetings that can be put to use right away back home in Yucaipa to enhance the services my team and I provide for our district’s employees and students.

What are your responsibilities as chair of the CETPA Inland Area Technology Group (CIATG)? What do you hope to accomplish?

Fortunately, this group almost runs itself, so the responsibilities of the chair are mostly to keep everyone informed and stay organized. I plan the logistics of the meetings and send out reminders to keep everyone informed. CIATG maintains a listserv, so communication to and among members is a breeze. There are over 50 active members in the group and many of them generously offer to host the meetings in their district’s facilities, so that part is simple, too. A few months before each meeting, I gather input regarding proposed presentations from the vendors who’ve offered to host the Lunch and Learn portion of the meeting and I organize that info into a brief ballot/survey that gets added as a part of the registration form that I send out to members. As members register, they indicate which presentation best fits their current needs and I work with the “winning” vendor to set up the catering and presentation details so that everything is ready for the meeting.

Another section of the registration form asks members for questions they want to ask during the round-table portion of our meeting.  I gather that input, sort it according to common topics, and those topics become the main agenda items for the meeting.

One of the things that I feel helps keep members coming back throughout the years to CIATG events is that we are a very collegial group and we genuinely care about the success of each member. Each of the chairs before me modeled that in their terms of leadership so my main goal is to keep that up. We also add kindness and a touch of humor in all that we do at our meetings, so it is an enjoyable way to spend a Friday together as we share information that will make our jobs easier when we return to them a few hours later. I think that combination can’t be beat.

Where does CETPA need to grow?

We’ve already started to expand our meetings to reach to higher education but I think we can enhance that even more. I would like to see IT and ET (ed tech) leaders from community colleges and universities finding value in our organization so we can collaborate with them, as well as our peers in Pre-K- 12 public and charter school agencies.

I love that there are so many regional groups forming up and down the state of California.   These groups provide a forum for educational technology professionals to meet and learn from each other all year long. The more of these we can add in the coming years, the more we can be of service to each and every CETPA member, regardless of where their school district is located.

What is the greatest challenge facing the industry and how can it be overcome?

The pace of change in technology is our greatest challenge. Close second and third runners up, in my opinion, are funding issues and the priority level that technology has in our schools.

The way I see it, the pace of change can’t really be “overcome,” but we can work to move to the use of the cloud for many applications so that the pace isn’t a challenge that works against us, but for us.

The limits of tight funding in public education in California combine with that pace of change and can take one’s breath away some days, but I see signs that school funding in our state is slowly starting to improve after years of troubles, so maybe we’ve overcome that issue just by living through it.

The use of technology is integrated throughout all grades and subjects of the Common Core State Standards so technology is now being viewed as essential rather than “elective” in our classrooms. With that, priorities are shifting to make room for ed tech enhancements such as additional professional learning opportunities for teachers and educational leaders on our campuses and budget allocations for improved infrastructure, devices, peripherals and instructional materials to help ensure that educators have the tools they need to teach.

What do you like to do in your limited spare time?

My family and I enjoy spending time together, especially where there is a beach or a Disney Park, so we head to Hawaii or Florida whenever we get the chance to get away and we aim for Anaheim or a local beach for day trips.

About the Author

Lisa Kopochinski has been the editor of DataBus magazine for more than 10 years. She can be reached at 916-481-0265 or at lisakop@sbcglobal.net.

Meet CETPA Director Aaron Barnett

By Lisa Kopochinski

What are your responsibilities as a CETPA director?

I’m currently serving as technology chair in my role as CETPA director. I am responsible for bringing all the technology to the annual conference. This includes the Internet, wireless access, and audio visual for all the sessions and conference facility. I am also responsible for putting together and bringing the Hands-On-Labs, Shootouts and Technology Playground to the Annual Conference. I am also involved with the membership team where we are working with the development and expansion of the CETPA regional groups.

What are your responsibilities as director, information systems/technology for the Moreno Valley Unified School District?

I have been the director of information systems/technology for the Moreno Valley Unified School District for 14 years where I have been responsible for the vision, implementation and the management of all technology and telecommunications systems. I believe that my role is to ensure we have effective use of educational technology that will help promote lifelong learning and foster academic excellence while preparing students for a collaborative global environment. My main goal is to increase student achievement and foster academic excellence through the use of technology.

How long have you been in the computer industry?

I have been in the computer industry for over 20 years.

What drew you to the industry and what do you like most about it?

I have always loved technology and gadgets. The main thing that drew me into the computer industry was my love for video games as a kid. I went to school to become a computer programmer with the goal of programming video games. As I was going through college, I was doing a lot of side work with telecommunications systems. I fell in love with building and securing networks and eventually ended up in the K12 environment. Through the years of deploying and implementing technology for my schools, I have gained a wealth of knowledge and genuine passion in bringing 21^st-century tools to educators and students.

When did you join CETPA and why? 

I was elected to the CETPA board in 2010. I wanted to serve on the CETPA board of directors and help steer the direction of educational technology in the California. I wanted to continue my growth as an educational leader and strive to become an important member of the CETPA team. In my role, I wanted to pledge my dedication to stay in the forefront of the exponentially growing world of technology and work closely with all CETPA members to help bring technology to all our schools. I believe that our role as educational leaders is more critical than ever in these challenging times where our schools are faced with economic difficulties and the implementation of the new Common Core State Standards.

What past roles have you held within CETPA?

I was responsible for helping form the first CETPA regional group CETPA Inland Area Technology Group (CIATG).  CIATG was the catalyst of the CETPA regional groups. Previously, CETPA members would only meet once a year at the CETPA annual conference.  The regional groups created a new avenue which allowed K20 Educational Technology Leaders to learn, collaborate and share with one another. The regional groups are becoming the grass-roots of CETPA. We now have eight regional groups. Steve Thornton was also a key contributor in the growing success of the CETPA regional groups. I am also an instructor in the CETPA CTO mentor program where I facilitate the Network Security Essentials class. I have also been a mentor in the program.

Where does CETPA need to grow?

CETPA needs to increase participation in higher education. We must grow our membership and increase our connection with junior colleges and Universities. Creating collaboration between all educational institutions is key in bringing technology to our students and helping us prepare them for college and career readiness. We have so much in common and a lot we can learn from each other. I would love to see an increase of CTO’s, network engineers, system administrators, and educational technology leaders from all K20 institutions sharing ideas and creating those vital connections.

What is the greatest challenge facing the industry and how can it be overcome?

I believe one of the greatest challenges in our industry is the lack of sufficient resources. California schools have suffered incredible economic difficulties during the state budget crisis. The lack of resources has made it difficult for us to meet the educational needs of our students and bring 21^st-century technology tools into our classrooms. I believe the economy is improving and we will see an increase of funding for schools. Common Core State Standards and Smarter Balanced are going to support a renewed focus on technology and will hopefully help bring the necessary resources to our schools.

What do you like to do in your limited spare time?

In my limited spare time, I love to spend time with my wife and nine-year-old daughter. My daughter and I love to play video games on the weekend. I am a member of Rotary International and the Optimist Club where I participate in a lot of community service activities. I also enjoy teaching where I am an adjunct professor for ITT Technical Institute and facilitate classes for the School of Information Technology in the cyber security program. Since I grew up in Europe, I am also an avid soccer fan where I love to watch or play the game. You will find me at every LA Galaxy home game.

About the Author

Lisa Kopochinski has been the editor of DataBus magazine for more than 10 years. She works closely with Steve Thornton, CETPA’s managing editor and President-Elect. She can be reached at 916-481-0265 or at lisakop@sbcglobal.net.

Meet CETPA Director Phil Scrivano

By Lisa Kopochinski

 

What are your responsibilities as a CETPA director? 

This year I am in charge of the CAP program and Sandbox. Next year I will be in charge of communications that are currently under Steve Thornton.

What are your responsibilities as chief instructional technology officer for Las Virgenes Unified School District?

My title is Chief Technology Officer. I am in charge of all technology in the district. Our EdTech team is made of the following positions: CTO, secretary, three media specialists, primary, secondary, data/instructional coach, data specialist-SIS, network systems administrator, five site technicians, network engineer and low-voltage engineer. 

How long have you been in the computer industry?

21 years encompassing 24 years in education.

What drew you to the industry and what do you like most about it?

I am a teacher at heart. Every decision I make is focused on what is best for teachers and students.

When did you join CETPA and why? 

CETPA Executive Director Andrea Bennett can give you the exact date. I think it was in 1996. Terrell Tucker told me I had to join, so I did! 

What past roles have you held within CETPA?

I have been a steady contributor to DataBus and I brought forward the idea of creating the CTO Mentor program to the CETPA board based on my work with FCMAT and the CBO Mentor program.

Where does CETPA need to grow?

We need to continue to increase support for our membership in areas such as professional development, networking with peers, and combining our collective purchasing power. I also see a need to advocate for technology infrastructure and delivery of technology services at the State level when funding decisions for Common Core are being made.

What is the greatest challenge facing the industry and how can it be overcome?

Before discussing challenges, I like to discuss the “why.” As technology professionals in education, we know that technology will play a major role in every students’ education. Connecting students and teachers in a collaborative project based curriculum is our mission.

One of the greatest challenges I see is the ability to increase staff in school districts as technology and curriculum are quickly becoming integrated and dependent. When CETPA started our customer was the business office. For many years we served first administrators and then teachers’ professional needs such as email and presentations systems. With BYOD and nationalized assessments going online, our customers have increased nearly 1,000 percent in a short time. For example, at LVUSD we have 1,200 certificated and classified employees. With the installation of enterprise Wi-Fi designed to handle four devices per student, our customer count has shot up in one year to almost 13,000 users. At stake today is the necessity of our technology departments to be reliable and user friendly 24/7/365. Can we provide this level of service with our current staffing?

The next biggest challenge is the increasing need for professional development for technology leaders, curriculum and instruction leaders, teachers, and students. Vendors have great solutions for us to purchase. Making informed decisions that benefit our learning environments while being acutely aware of our budget constraints requires us to keep informed about curriculum, the market, and all of our customers.

What do you like to do in your limited spare time?

For the past 25 years I would have answered this question with family activities. My youngest of four children recently turned 18 and is off to college. Now, I spend my spare time working with our CETPA board, crewing in sailboat races, and learning how to push the limits on my FZ1.

About the Author

Lisa Kopochinski has been the editor of DataBus magazine for more than 10 years. She works closely with Steve Thornton, CETPA’s managing editor and President-Elect. She can be reached at 916-481-0265 or at lisakop@sbcglobal.net.

 

 

 

Thinking Must Be Done At 30,000 Feet

By Rolland Kornblau

A wise chief technology officer once told me: “As a CTO, you no longer work.”  I didn’t understand. I have been working since the age of 15 when I was able to get my work permit in high school. Even before that I was a paperboy and mowed lawns. I know how to work, have an exceptional work ethic, and even take my work home with me evenings and weekends to my family’s chagrin. I really do not know how not to work.

As a “working” technology director of a K8 school district, I am still called upon to work on anything from a network port replacement to a router configuration. I am also tasked with the department schedule, paperwork and management. I suppose if I didn’t have a passion for technology, it would be a bit overwhelming. Having said that, my team and I tend to keep everything going quite well, but all of this is work. How do I not work?

Actually, I was focusing on the verb instead of the noun—work. What my mentor was trying to tell me was that the work he was referring to was physical work. Physical work is the act of personally doing things. Since there are only 24 hours in a day, we all have a finite amount of time to get things done. By doing the work ourselves, we are limited to the hours available. If, however, we manage the work, we can get more done. I will leave the management and leadership discussion to another article at this point, just suffice to say that we cannot do everything ourselves.

In order to manage a workload, one must think. It is difficult to think big picture when you are in the midst of working. If you have ever been stuck on a problem without being able to figure out a resolution, then you can relate. Then, by some circumstance of interruption or frustration, you walk away from the problem, the resolution magically appears. What happened there is that you quit working long enough to think. If we compare this action to flying in an airplane, the higher your elevation, the greater your scope of vision and the more of the picture you see. Working would be done at 5,000 feet, while thinking must be done at 30,000.

The hands on gives us the experience and perspective, but the thinking allows us to go beyond and analyze for a greater outcome. My revelation was not that a CTO no longer works, because in fact they often work harder. It was that a CTO no longer gets the chance for hands-on experiences as he must raise his perspective higher to be able to meet the challenges of leadership needed in the position. Once I completed the California Educational Technology Professionals Association CTO Mentor program, this information was validated. Not only does a CTO have to think more, but must be a visionary leader that is willing to embrace change using any and all resources available.  As a CCTO, I am tasked with leading my organization higher since I am now thinking at 30,000 feet.

About the Author:

Rolland Kornblau is the Director of Technology for the Whittier City School District in Whittier, California.  He has been in Educational Technology for over 15 years and holds an MPA.  He is a CCTO, ACSA and TechSETS Advisory Committee member.  A proud founding member of the Whittier Area Technology Leaders (WATL), he can be reached at rolland@whittiercity.net.