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Preparing for Your Replacement

By David Huckleberry
Technology Director, Attica Consolidated School Corporation

There are not many people who think of this topic on a regular basis. However, we have all heard horror stories of the impact of failing to think in these terms. Being a technology director in public education should come with an inherent need to consider the next person in line.

The technology solutions in a school corporation are vast. They can be found in dark closets, rooftops, cafeterias, media centers, classrooms, athletic facilities and even school buses. The thought of being without those solutions can make school administrators cringe. Given the critical status of those solutions, it should become a guiding principle of every technology director to consider what would happen if they were no longer there, either tragically or by choice. Who in your organization could manage your systems? How simple would it be for someone new to step in?

Financial situations make it necessary for schools to seek out the lowest cost solutions. “Cost” can be defined as anything given up to attain something. If you were suddenly gone, what would a school have to give up to manage your job? If you do have someone capable stepping in, the time they spend away from their regular job is a “cost.” If you have to bring in an outside resource, obviously the time it will take for them to assess your situation will have a “cost.”

Beyond cost, the next consideration should be manageability and ease of understanding. Many technology professionals consistently seek out “bleeding edge” solutions. They pride themselves on being ahead of the curve, using emerging technologies and unproven solutions. While that shows great technical knowledge and open-minded thinking, it is only effective while they are the ones in the position of maintaining the solutions. There are hundreds of new tech directors with unbelievable stories of the “mess they inherited.” When making decisions to implement unproven solutions, it is important to then consider how easily your replacement could handle the job. While that may go against the norm of making yourself “irreplaceable,” it is what is best for public education, and we owe it to the system to never hamper the education process.

The next time a technology decision-maker in public education is faced with a choice of solutions, they should keep those thoughts in mind. Ask some questions: Is this solution the lowest total cost? Can I pull in a new IT person and teach them to manage it easily? Can I adequately document the solution to get someone by in my absence? Is this solution really what is best for my schools? Your replacement will thank you for asking these questions because rarely do we ever get to pick “who” or “when” that replacement will come. Be ready for that change. We owe it to the students.

Disclaimer: The Corporation for Educational Technology (Buddy) has no agenda other than the interests of K-12 educators. Technology product reviews render no financial incentive to our organization.

This article appeared in the ETC...and More! volume 1, number 9 newsletter and is published by the Buddy Project (Corporation for Educational Technology), in collaboration with the Hoosier Educational Computer Coordinators (HECC), Indiana Computer Educators (ICE), the Indiana Department of Education, and Promoting Achievement through Technology and INstruction for all Students (PATINS).