Miss-Delectable
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
- Messages
- 17,160
- Reaction score
- 7
VSDB waiting for computers | The News Leader | newsleader.com
As students and teachers at the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind close out the first week of school, they look forward to the day when the school will be fully equipped with computers again.
Although it could be months before they see that.
They have finally untangled themselves after eight years from the state's computer agency and its restrictions — such as not being able to run some software necessary for teaching students with vision and auditory impairments.
But the school had to give back most of the computers it had been renting from the agency. And it can't yet buy enough to replace them all.
"We have very limited computers on campus," said Nancy Armstrong, school superintendent.
The school has 60 computers for about 150 students. With the exception of computers used by teachers in the blind department, those 60 have been consolidated into labs on the campus. Desktop computers used by teachers have been returned to Northrop Grumman, the corporate partner of the Virginia Information Technologies Agency, the state agency that oversaw VSDB's computer and server use.
Until the end of July VSDB had to submit to VITA regulations, and prices, because the school is classified as a state agency.
Over the years as a VITA client, that the school's annual technology bill ballooned to $350,000.
To try to rein in that cost, the school eliminated 75 percent of computers and servers. It wanted to balance its $10.3 million budget without cutting teachers and staff.
School officials argued that the instructional side of VSDB should not fall under VITA, while the administrative side should remain under its jurisdiction.
Samuel Nixon, head of VITA, granted this request in July.
Now the school is in the process of phasing out the old computers and purchasing new ones. It's a cost that can only be incurred in stages, Armstrong said.
The school will soon order laptops and Armstrong hopes to have all computers replaced by Thanksgiving, although she thinks it will be closer to Christmas.
"It has made teaching a challenge," she said.
As students and teachers at the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind close out the first week of school, they look forward to the day when the school will be fully equipped with computers again.
Although it could be months before they see that.
They have finally untangled themselves after eight years from the state's computer agency and its restrictions — such as not being able to run some software necessary for teaching students with vision and auditory impairments.
But the school had to give back most of the computers it had been renting from the agency. And it can't yet buy enough to replace them all.
"We have very limited computers on campus," said Nancy Armstrong, school superintendent.
The school has 60 computers for about 150 students. With the exception of computers used by teachers in the blind department, those 60 have been consolidated into labs on the campus. Desktop computers used by teachers have been returned to Northrop Grumman, the corporate partner of the Virginia Information Technologies Agency, the state agency that oversaw VSDB's computer and server use.
Until the end of July VSDB had to submit to VITA regulations, and prices, because the school is classified as a state agency.
Over the years as a VITA client, that the school's annual technology bill ballooned to $350,000.
To try to rein in that cost, the school eliminated 75 percent of computers and servers. It wanted to balance its $10.3 million budget without cutting teachers and staff.
School officials argued that the instructional side of VSDB should not fall under VITA, while the administrative side should remain under its jurisdiction.
Samuel Nixon, head of VITA, granted this request in July.
Now the school is in the process of phasing out the old computers and purchasing new ones. It's a cost that can only be incurred in stages, Armstrong said.
The school will soon order laptops and Armstrong hopes to have all computers replaced by Thanksgiving, although she thinks it will be closer to Christmas.
"It has made teaching a challenge," she said.