History of Information Technology at the Francis Parker Charter School during its first decade

1. Information Technology at the
f h l h
Francis W. Parker Charter
Francis W Parker Charter
Essential School
1997 ‐ 2009
By Harry Jacobson,
Technology Coordinator from 1997 to 2009
Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School
Francis W Parker Charter Essential School
Devens, Massachusetts

2. Francis Parker Charter School
& Regional Teachers Center
• 1995‐6: First year, 110 students, 23 faculty/staff.
1995 6: First year, 110 students, 23 faculty/staff.
• 2000: First graduating class, 350 students, 65
faculty/staff
y/
• 2000: Parker moves to 49 Antietam Street.
• 2005: Teacher Center moves to 27 Antietam Street.
2005: Teacher Center moves to 27 Antietam Street.
• 2007: 377 students, 75 faculty/staff
• March 2008: New building addition operational
March 2008: New building addition operational,
Teacher Center returns to 49 Antietam Street.

3. Year 2000: move to 49 Antietam Street
Year 2000: move to 49 Antietam Street
• “If you build it they will come,” and rising awareness
• Devens Development expands telecom feed from 6
Devens Development expands telecom feed from 6
phone lines in disrepair to 100 pair ‐ T1 line.
• Comcast installs digital cable TV line
• Voice and data share new cabling infrastructure.
• 4 quadrant LAN, collapsed backbone over fiber.
• Core & edge switches Cisco vs Hewlett Packard
Core & edge switches: Cisco vs. Hewlett‐Packard.
• NetGear unmanaged hubs/switches where needed.
• Server tasks go from one to three servers
Server tasks go from one to three servers.
• Deployment workstation.
• First NT workstations.
• Roaming teachers means 90%+ classroom utilization

4. Workstation infrastructure
Workstation infrastructure
• Standard Parker desktop on all computers.
• Populations of standard hardware
l f d dh d
– Common problems, common solutions
– Faster turnaround
• Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition
• Ghost imaging
– Fast deployment and updates
Fast deployment and updates
– Diagnostic tool: Configuration or hardware
problem?

5. Parker’s Standard Desktop

6. 2008: Building addition
• Building committee formed 2006
– RFQ posted Spring 2007
– tech spec change requests during construction.
• Design paradigm: Addition of “limb” to existing data
network
• Phone and data continue sharing cable infrastructure
• State‐of‐art collapsed backbone switch
• Network Access Control device
• Expand existing Mitel SX‐200 PBX
– Copper (vs. VoIP): less expensive, simpler, robust.
• New PA and clocks

8. Requirements for deployment of
technology to new addition
• Minimal disturbance to school operations
Mi i l di t b t h l ti
• Rapid deployment
• Working phones & PA, inspection, occupancy
• Computer clusters re organized Sept. 2007
Computer clusters re‐organized Sept. 2007
• Phase I – deploy additions to network
infrastructure
• Phase II – deploy new computers

9. Technology targets
Technology targets
• Migrate video: analog TV to digital network
Migrate video: analog TV to digital network
• Extend useful life of old technology
• Deploy Symantec products
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– Endpoint Protection
– Network Access Control
• Deploy Network Access Control device

10. Harry Jacobson: other tasks
• Chair:
– Faculty committee for standard desktop
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– Internet safety committee, presentations
– CIPA committee, made presentations
CIPA committee, made presentations
• Teach and oversee:
– class in computer operations and maintenance
class in computer operations and maintenance
– Student Helpdesk
• A h / di
Author/editor:
– Technology Plan, updates, e‐rate
• Member of Building committee

11. Thank you for your interest.
harry.jacobson@gmail.com
cell 978 697 6738
cell 978‐697‐6738
home 978‐456‐9070