Education Departments - IT section misfits

I write this blog with a lot of personal experience (and it is a follow up to a previous post on Slow moving systems), I was once in a senior position within an Education Department IT Services unit and saw first hand the issues that are faced. It is interesting as a teacher that I was able to get into such a position at a relatively young age without having to go through the bureaucratic condition that befall many in these departments. I do have to say that this was my undoing - although I was good at the job I had to do, I had to go outside the prescribed government structures to get things done in a timely and efficiency manner (for me). This did not mean I committed anything criminal, I was just very strategic and worked the system to its fullest, which is another story.

From my experiences and observations the following became evident - this comes from work in and with a number of Australian government educational systems:

• Within these departments there are lots of good people with great ideas and strategies to help schools, the problem is they are at a level where they cannot make a meaningful difference, they do not have the right connections higher up the organisation or they do not have the support of their managers to help foster ideas and developments.
• Many in these IT departments are managed by people that have little experience outside government systems and only know how to work within red tape and bureaucracy, stifling change and innovation. Nearly all have no idea of the real tools that students and teachers are using to enhance education.
• Many technical staff members in these departments have very large egos and do not like to admit being wrong or making a mistake (see my post on this). Many technical staff do not know how to relate to teachers nor are interested in bridging this divide, many do not know what real customer service is, some do not have a clue about what the core business of education departments are and that is to provide education to students and so by providing the best possible service to schools and teachers. There are some techs that do a Stirling job - but they are generally far and few between and if smart get out of these environments.
• The senior management within IT departments tend to be only concerned with a few things - making sure their bosses are not upset, covering their arses and trying to develop a budget for the big things and cutting the items that are generally making a difference.

The following link to an article by Martin Levins is really what got me going on this subject and just highlights the idiocy of those that manage and work in some of our Educational IT Service Departments. 

Come on guys - start getting with the program and stop being a barrier for innovative students and teachers to jump over.