TP #11 Report Summary

Background:
Busy administrators and lay people (non-technically trained) usually prefer to read a 1-page summary of a technology report. If they have a special reason or interest, they may read the entire document. Your goal is to get them to read at least the 1-page summary. Our Thoughtful Problems have been designed to train you in the preparation of a logically-organized 1-page statement or explanation.

Topic:
Choose a technology topic that interests you. Imagine that your superintendent has requested a report from you on this topic. In 3-5 paragraphs write a clear explanatory report. The report may concern a proposal for a new project, a progress report on a problem like poor network bandwidth, or a status report on a project like a one-to-one computer implementation or technology staff development program. The emphasis in this Thoughtful Problem is the clarity, explanation and persuasion that may be necessary for the report to be effective. Keep in mind that the report may be given to each school board director or to newspaper and television reporters.

Response:
Sample (factious) Report Topic:
Technical Staff Request For Salary Increases
The superintendent of the district has been confronted by members of the technology staff (non-technology staff administrators) related to an increase of salary. To support their proposal the technology staff notes specific grievances and reasons for an increase in salary. Reasons for the salary increase range from the increase of complexity and number of technological items they support to local increases in cost of living.

The superintendent requests that members of the technology department submit well-researched formal requests noting grievances and data to support the increase in salary. The superintendent is clear to YOU (the technology director) that he/she does not have the time or knowledge to research the topic so he/she requests that you prepare a brief and impartial one-page fact-checking summary. The superintendent requests that you review the submitted reports and develop a researched based summary document (weeding out fact from fiction) before he gives any further review, comment or thought to the request.

Summary:
Staffing, staff responsibilities and the number of staff needed to support a technological infrastructure varies greatly between each individual company and organization. This idea is rightly so because all organizations has different needs, sizes, assets, levels of technology and over arching goals. What can be deduced from reviewing the overall trends in technological staffing as well as other organizations that are operate similarly to our school districts are generalizations of comparison.

As outlined by the technology staff request they feel that a raise in salary is best supported by 4 categories: 1) cost of living and history of raises 2) increased number of individual equipment supported 3) industry comparable salaries (business and other school districts) 4) increase of technological advancement to supported technologies (knowledge and skill).

Cost of living increases and history of raises
The cost of living in our local area has shown stead increase over the last 10 years. The local and federal government has increased their personnel’s salaries based on the cost of living increases by 1% each of the past 10 years. Last month the local teachers union successfully negotiated a 4% salary increase for teachers based on cost of living increases. The technology staff is non-unionized and has not received a documented cost of living salary increase since its development in 2000. The technology department did receive an increased hourly salary of 2 dollars and hour in 2002. A request was made for salary increases for technology staff during the 2004-05 school year; the request was voted on by the school board but was not passes with a vote of 3 in favor and 7 not.

Increased in the number of individual pieces of equipment supported
Since the last salary increase (2002) the number of pieces of equipment the technology staff is responsible for supporting has increased district wide. Accompanying the increase in technology there as been school board approval for the hiring of 6 new technology positions. For comparison in 2002 our school districts technology department supported 1,000 pieces of technology equipment including computers (desktop) and printers only. During the 2002 school year we employed 6 positions, responsible for supporting that infrastructure (166 pieces of equipment for each position) In 2007 we are currently supporting 2,500 computers (laptops and desktops) and printers by 12 positions (208 to 1).

Industry comparable salaries (business and other school districts)
As stated in the opening paragraph of this document all organizations are different. Further more there is no complete science to developing a salary scale or job responsibilities across the board. Comparing business industry salary standards to local school districts is ineffective. The best comparable baseline for our needs is other local school districts pay scales based on similar responsibilities. After review of 6 different local school districts structure, similar job responsibilities, and size the overall trend is that there is no comparable discrepancy between our school and others related to salary. Many of these schools support different needs and number of equipment pieces.

Increase of technological advancement to supported technologies (knowledge and skill).
As the number of pieces of technology has increased over the last 5 years so has the sophistication and the diversity of equipment. The skills and knowledge base a support technologist must employ has also diversified. On the other hand technology and the tools to support technology has also become more user and tech friendly. The technology staff is provided each year an average of 12 hours of technology training as well as the opportunity to take 6 credit hours of community college level classes each year (paid for by the school district). Note: The school does not award members of the technology department increased salary steps based on the completion of degree, credits achieved, or certifications as they due with the teaching staff.