Saturday, March 24, 2012

Oddly timed technology plan

Tuesday's agenda calls for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board to approve a technology plan for 2012-14.  I was perplexed by the timing: The board is about to hire a new superintendent.  The guy in charge of technology,  Chief Information Officer Scott Muri,  is about to leave for a new job in Fulton County, Ga.  Why lock into a two-year plan now?

The answer,  says Muri,  is a state deadine.  All districts are required to file such plans with the Department of Public Instruction in April,  so the board must vote now.

Updated: The 42-page plan is online now.  It doesn't lay out specific spending,  but gives an overview of the district's plans to create a  "bring your own technology"  environment,  shift from paper to digital texts and provide the training to help educators and students get comfortable in a world where learning is  customized and takes place around the clock.

"Access to personal teaching and learning devices will expand," the report says. "Personal learning devices will enhance student and staff access to digital resources. A comprehensive professional development plan will be enacted to support the infusion of technology within the learning environment.

"The 'classroom' will expand beyond bricks and mortar. Technology will link students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools with professors at universities and colleges from Chapel Hill to China. Online learning will enable students to study advanced Chinese or a second year of physics. Digital tools will link students with teachers who challenge them to soar and provide them with the differentiated support that they need."

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Typical CMS nonsense. Jump in before you know how deep it si, if there is infact water to jump into and oh yah, forgot that I don't know if you know how to swim mentality.

Anonymous said...

Ready, fire, aim

Anonymous said...

Muri is right on this one. There is a requirement from the state to have a filed technology plan. In CMS's case, the timing just sucks!

More Muri Math to Come! said...

Not to worry friends. It does not matter what the plan says. CMS is very crafty at saying one thing then interpreting their words later any way they want. In any case you can bet CMS will claim it is the best tech plan yet! It will be judged the very best by CMS's own.

Planted stories will use crafted metrics attracting glowing national attention from a distance. Muri's new employer will have to follow his suggestions blindly due to the political capital generated.

CMS students? Not sure about them but be sure to get your checkbooks ready.

With a capital plan and tech plan both developed prior to the new Super being ordained and with Hugh and Muri leaving who can the public hold accountable?

Wiley Coyote said...

The board is about to hire a new superintendent. The guy in charge of technology, Chief Information Officer Scott Muri, is about to leave for a new job in Fulton County, Ga. Why lock into a two-year plan now?

Why try to extend Bright Beginnings another three years?

Kicking the can down the road.

A new super comes in and doesn't have to deal with teachnology for two years or listen to people like me bitcch about wasting $10 million per year on a black hole program.

One other poster said it best:

Ready, fire aim!

...and these bright people are supposed to be educating our kids.

Approve the technology plan, just don't fund it.

Anonymous said...

Someone must ask the state for an extention. Approving at this point is ridiculous. It affects all grades, pk-12.

Anonymous said...

The CMS the plan is to always change plans. Close schools because CMS planned not to receive funding. CMS received funding so the plan then became open hundreds of trailer classrooms that should have been scrapped.

Lease out taxpayer renovated Midwood H.S. Then plan to spend millions renovating schools for educrats that were not renovated for the purpose of teaching the community’s children.

Decide to convert CMS to IPads to save millions on text books then plan to stick parents with the tech bill.

Plan to save bus transportation money by having students stay in school longer. Do not consider the impact on families or community.

Plan to get the County to pay for a pay increase for people on the state payroll. Divert attention away from the millions wasted on students tests to evaluate teacher performance.

Defund middle school athletics, then go forward with millions to install away side bleachers at the Alexander Graham M.S. gym.

The question is will Ann stop the foolishness or is she entrenched and destined to perpetuate it?

We need an educrat accountability agent more than an agent of change.

Anonymous said...

Muri quit a few weeks ago why are we qouting him? Why is he still involved in anyway with my kids and CMS? Once you go you go its not a hangout kind of job Scott. Hugh when he handed in that resignation take shakes his hand then walk him out. Its done every day in America business. Grow a pair you idiots. It sucks the timing of the departure , but he is fully aware of what we are going to find with his prints on them pretty soon. We over paid a executive (Muri) in this case and have a bunch of false data 4 years later.

Anonymous said...

Eliminate Project Lift and Bright Beginnings! Neither one has shown the improvement is worth the cost!

Anonymous said...

Exit -- Dr. Muri.

Enter -- Dr. Gorman, selling us his new digital technology from News Corp.

Anonymous said...

You have to approve the technology plan before we can read it. Oh, thats Obamacare and Pelosi.

Sounds familiar doesnt it. When will they learn...CMS is not spending their money, they are spending OUR money.

Anonymous said...

Say hello to 'Race to the Top' monies. We can call all this 'race to the top', 'world class city', 'nclb', whatever we want.... none of it will help any of us if parents don't step up to the play and DO THE WORK!

Anonymous said...

A first year teacher now with a family of 4 four years later is almost living in poverty and can qualify for FRL for the children. Yes, that is the way to attract the brightest and best. Stress the 21st global competative skills,but do nothing to increase the standard of living of these teachers

Hypocrites

Cheap windows 7 said...

School is temple of knowledge. You share such nice school technology plan. Its very useful information with us.

Anonymous said...

Ann is the same ass the old boss......