School IT infrastructure is the backbone of a school’s IT programming.
When most people think of school IT infrastructure, they picture Chromebook carts, SMART boards, projectors, or other pieces of classroom technology. What they don’t realize is that behind the scenes, tucked in a nondescript closet down the hallway, is the backbone of the school’s technology program.
Sure, switches, routers, and servers aren’t the flashiest pieces of educational technology, but without them, none of the school’s other technology investments—student devices, staff laptops, and wireless internet service—could function. In fact, as all too many school leaders know, failure of one or more of the school’s servers can wreak havoc on an otherwise typical school day. For example, if the wireless internet goes out, a teacher who’s built her entire lesson plan around an online instructional platform will have to pivot; staff will have difficulty printing from the school’s internet-connect copy machines, and principals will lack access to their school’s student information system.
For these reasons, partnering with a managed IT provider like CTS can ensure that your school’s IT infrastructure doesn’t undermine classroom instruction. Our team can help your school avoid the nightmare scenarios outlined above and instead use your school’s technology to improve student achievement with ongoing monitoring and support.
Servers, switches, and routers can support—or undermine—key school events.
In addition to supporting daily school operations, effective IT infrastructure can also ensure high-stakes school events go off without a hitch. Parent-teacher conferences, Back to School nights, and, increasingly, state testing days all rely on a stable wireless internet connection. For many school leaders, the idea of the school’s internet “going out” during one or more of these events is a worst-case scenario, the kind of thing they lay awake at night dreading.
In a school with regular internet service outages, teachers and administrators are constantly on edge: can I rely on the school’s WiFi to support the lesson plan I have in mind? Is it worth using the school’s online resources if the internet connection is unstable? These concerns can ultimately discourage teachers from using the school’s technology, undermining its potential instructional benefits.
CTS ensures your school IT infrastructure is ready to support your technology programming with ongoing maintenance and support.
Ensuring the effectiveness of your school’s IT infrastructure isn’t just a matter of buying the latest-and-greatest servers, routers, and switches. It’s also about continuous monitoring that gets ahead of potential hiccups. But with so many other to-dos on their plates, school administrators often lack the capacity to stay on top of their school IT infrastructure needs. By failing to keep track of which routers need replacing or which servers may soon be out of commission, school leaders can end up in a lurch even after making a significant financial investment.
Here’s where CTS comes in. Our goal is to take care of the school’s IT infrastructure so that you can focus on instruction. School leaders lack both the time and, often, expertise to proactively assess their school’s technology needs. By relieving school leaders of their technology burdens, CTS allows principals to spend less time in their offices and more time in classrooms supporting teachers.
For schools that participate in the E-rate program, CTS can help fulfill your school’s IT infrastructure needs.
Of course, IT infrastructure comes at a cost; here, too, CTS can help. We’ve worked with schools across the country to implement their E-rate bids in a timely, cost-effective manner. Participation in the program can save schools thousands of dollars each year, but only if their bids are executed properly. Installation delays, supply chain bottlenecks, and other unforeseen challenges can all increase the bid’s price tag and ultimately reduce the program’s benefits.
Schools that purchase their IT products at a discount can devote scarce financial resources to other instructional priorities. By collaborating with a managed IT firm like CTS, school leaders can confidently invest in a new classroom library, science curriculum set, or other instructional priority they would otherwise have to forego.
At CTS, we help schools use technology to accomplish their unique missions.
Our team has collaborated with more than 60 schools across the United States to improve their technology programming. Our team offers a full suite of services that can help you and your school leadership team make the most of your technology investments from critical school IT infrastructure to broader managed IT services, technical project support, and student data analysis. Effective school IT infrastructure is a non-negotiable, forming the backbone of your school’s broader educational technology program. By working with CTS, you can rest easy knowing your servers, routers, and switches will continue to support your school’s teachers and students. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help your school accomplish its unique mission.
