Resources are always an issue wherever I work. Maybe I could find somewhere where that is not the case, but so far I have not been able to be that lucky. There was a battle this week over some resources. A person actually cried. Normally, I make people cry, but this time I was just a by-stander. I don’t make people cry on purpose, I am just very honest, and adhere to policy.
Here is the situation:
Your school has a 1-to-1 program. It does not matter if it is school provided or BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). As part of that program all families and students have been promised that the school will maintain 20 laptops for students who have a laptop out for repair.
Teachers are contractually promised a laptop. Administrators and all other staff are not contractually promised a laptop. However, when spare laptops are available they can be issued one if they need to be mobile and do not have one of their own.
It is Friday, or Thursday if you are in the Middle East. At 2:30 PM you get 3 emails.
- A student emails to say their laptop just shutdown and will not start, and they would like to check-out a spare for the weekend.
- A teacher has a tech requested posted saying their laptop is not starting and they need a laptop for the weekend to do grading.
- A school counselor emails asking for a laptop for the next two weeks. They need to do multiple parent presentations. The first on Monday morning (or Sunday if you are in the Middle East).
Upon getting these three emails, a quick search of the inventory reveals some shocking news.
- One student laptop is left for check out.
- Spare laptops for staff are all gone. 10 are out for repair, and none will be back for two weeks.
There is only one laptop. Who gets it?
Tony DePrato
Technology in the Classroom 