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Episode 17, triage IT problems in schools.

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IT systems fail. All IT professionals and all IT users know this. In schools, it's no different.

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As an IT professional working in schools, you will have to manage malfunctioning computers,

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networks, and services. The reality for those of us who work in schools is that our to-do list

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is often too long to allow immediate attention and resolution to all failed systems. We're always

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underserved and we often cannot afford to have an on-site technician on every campus where we'd

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like to have one. Further adding to the reality of managing IT is that not all failed systems can

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or even should be fixed. In many organizations, we try to avoid catastrophic failure of systems

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by replacing user and network devices before they become obsolete. In schools, we often find

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teachers are reluctant to abandon old systems that provide useful and familiar instructional

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applications and we find the budgets often do not allow replacement on a schedule that would

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satisfy the folks in the IT suite. Triaging is a term we use to decide what gets fixed,

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what gets bumped to the top of the list, and what is not repaired. When being interviewed for any

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IT position in the school, you can expect to be asked how you prioritize what gets fixed.

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Even if you're not asked about it in an interview, those who have thought through their priorities

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tend to make better decisions about prioritizing what to fix and they're in a better position to

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explain their decisions when they're asked to. Before I tell you the factors I use when making

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decisions about triaging IT problems in schools, let me tell you who your best friends are as an

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IT professional in a school. The best thing you can do is find these people and develop good

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relationships with them. You need to go find the complainers. These are the folks that nag you

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whenever something isn't right, but these are also the people who give you the best feedback on the

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functionality of systems. They raise concerns immediately as opposed to others who try to

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manage with less than optimal technology and they tend to be the individuals who use the systems the

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most and for the most purposes. The IT professional who can satisfy this group will generally be

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perceived as responsive and effective. But of course you must be able to differentiate the

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helpful complainers from most just complain about everything. There are some people who complain

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whenever anything minor happens with technology and will insist on the intention of a technician

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whenever it does. You know when I'm feeling snarky I like to say these are the same people

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who call the librarian when the book is open to the wrong page. So IT professionals must develop

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skills at triaging calls for support. We must decide what gets immediate attention and what

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waits until later. Unfortunately there are no rules that guarantee we make the correct decisions

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in every case. Many factors affect our decisions and a situation that was given high priority one

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day may be given lower priority another. Of course the first two criteria are relatively easy. Safety

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and legality. It's unfortunate that IT can be used to create unsafe situations. So if you see

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threats, bullying or other potential unsafe situations and your expertise is needed to document,

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investigate or remove those threats then they need to be given highest priority and immediately.

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Likewise situations that might be associated with legal liability must be given high priority as well.

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When dealing with issues of safety or legal issues no IT professional should be working without school

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administrators participating in all decision making. Ideally they will be present when any work is done

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and they will both direct the IT professional and receive frequent and detailed updates on what is

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happening. We also give high priority to our financial data or the financial records or the

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systems that we use in order to manage that. Once we're sure that everyone is safe, legal and getting

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paid then we can turn our attention to other triage decisions. Perhaps the most important

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consideration is the number of users who are affected. One standard criterion for prioritizing

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troubleshooting in all organizations is fix the problem that will get the most users back up and

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the shortest amount of time. Of course this rule of thumb applies in schools as well. Teachers often

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arrange for their students to have special one-time opportunities. Before COVID field trips and guest

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speakers were common examples of one-time events. As video conferencing platforms gained popularity

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in the years before COVID these events have become increasingly technology based. Because these

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events cannot easily be rescheduled and because they represent very valuable opportunities for

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students they should be given highest priority so that students can enjoy the educational benefits.

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Because schools are hierarchical organizations certain stakeholders can be understood to be of

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higher priority. It seems reasonable that school administrators should be given the highest priority

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as they are the most politically empowered individuals in the school. It's difficult to

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justify this decision however. Whenever I'm faced with prioritizing and one of the problems has

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direct impact on students then that's the one that goes to the top of my priority list. It should

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be noted not all who are in leadership positions or teaching positions agree with my priorities.

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In several interviews for technology leadership positions I have made it clear that students

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and reteachers receive priority when I triage problems. I always look at the individuals who

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are administrators on the search committee when I answer that question. I can tell when they don't

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agree. Those expressions are also my cue that I should be brief with my answers through the end

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of the interview and be on my way. If the school leaders don't agree that students should be given

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the highest priority I probably don't want to work at that school. Now I understand that not

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everyone is as fortunate as I have been. I have been able to build my career in schools where the

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leaders agree that students do come first but you might not want to stick your career on that.

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Beginnings and ends are also important. School schedules are periodic. At all transitions

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between school years, marking periods, there's some information tasks that must be given higher

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priority. For example, ensuring class rosters are accurate, attendance can be recorded, and grades

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can be recorded are among the tasks that must be reliably and quickly accomplished at certain times

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of the year. Because these are scheduled well in advance, many IT professionals will take steps to

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minimize scheduling of other high-demand events that coincide with the beginnings and endings of

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school years or marking periods. Only school IT professionals have ever experienced the type of

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pressure that comes when you enter a classroom to fix the computer and a projector for a classroom

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of elementary school students who are waiting the start of the long-promised movie. Once you have

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experienced that, you will understand how to triage malfunctioning IT in schools.