Region One Report has learned from many parents at the end of the school year that NO TRANSCRIPTS will be available for graduating students or their parents for at least a month….it seems their is a problem that has to be worked out. This system, operating at many schools with success, seems to be problematic for Housatonic, and for the region right now. Even after a year of school, its obvious big problems remain. We have heard other horror stories, but, until confirmed, will not post about them for now. But parents and students have come forward to contact us and explain their transcript problems. Once again, it’s not the program that has faults, it obviously is the implementation. And that is what worries us about the iPads, not the technology, the administrative implementation, it seems as there is no solid plan for teachers or students. Will the same happen with iPads that has happened with Powerschool?
Wow. Don’t colleges require final transcripts be sent to them to verify graduation status? Does this mean some students could get denied entrance to college? I would hate to think of how many lawsuits could result from not sending final transcripts on time, and the eventual burden for taxpayers. Whose idea was it to switch to this system? Who was responsible for making it work correctly?
PowerSchool’s failure can be attributed to a lack of foresight and planning. Many teachers suggested a more gradual transition to the software. They were scoffed at to a one.
There has been just as little preparation for the iPads. No faculty PD to speak of. No discussion about how they are to be used in instruction or assessment. Most teachers want the best technology for their students. But they also want to be sure that kids are going to be successful, and that requires planning. For reasons no one can really understand, the administration seems to prefer doing things quickly over doing them purposefully.
That’s a bad approach when there are tens of thousands of dollars on the line.
Most teachers do not want it, more paper work and less teaching of the students.
BTW, training was watching a video tape!
A poorly produced video at that, which the faculty watched five months before it began actually using the site. That’s like yelling at your dog for peeing on the rug…last year.
These comments confirm, I believe, what many have known for months to be the case. Nothing from either the high school principal or RSSC administration seems to be thoroughly or thoughtfully done with the students in mind. Those who have spoken out at meetings, written letters to the editor etc. regarding these concerns and others have been summarily dismissed by the Region #1 Board and the All Boards Committee. The inappropriate influence that the RSSC administration has over the majority members of the high school board and the chairmen of the local boards is troubling. It’s as if they are unable to reason and think for themselves. It’s time that these people take an objective look at what’s going on, rather than follow blindly whatever they are told by these persons. Whether the budget goes down today or not these issues will still exist and by not addressing them the climate at all the schools and the goals of the district’s overall education will continue to be in jeopardy.
Patricia Allyn Mechare