Imagine an organization where no good deed goes without a “thank you”.
Sound implausible? That’s the environment in which I work - a K-8 school district. The transition from a lifelong career in corporate marketing to Systems Manager at a school district has been remarkable. A rescued file, “found” missing email or patched up computer elicits a “you’re wonderful” or “thanks so much” - a sharp contrast to the “what have you done for me today” attitude in business life.
Teachers, administrators and students rely on me to keep things running on 1,100 Macintosh and Windows desktops and servers in eight buildings. I repair and upgrade these machines, resurrect lost files and install software as needed. These functions require real listening skills because when data is lost the sobs on the other end of the phone are sometimes difficult to understand. When a successful resurrection is complete, the screams of delight can also be deafening. I’ve made everyone’s life easier by administering most computers remotely - saves time and gas - and users get to watch what’s happening (spooky to them, productive for me).
I also administer our email system and track software licensing, as well as manage the student database - time-consuming tasks to say the least. Misdirected emails sent to postmaster often reveal things I wish I didn’t know. Software licensing demands diplomatic skills when we ask that wine collection tracking and rating software be removed from a district laptop. The student database is creaky and needs tending on a regular basis. Now that the state has increased its requirements for data in response to the No Child Left Behind, I’m pushing the limits on just how many fields will fit on a page - some say 534 fields is too many; I say ‘get glasses’.
My biggest challenge is to make educational software work as advertised in a consistent manner. Often a teacher or administrator will purchase a package, install it and it will not work as intended. The many hours spent trying to debug a testing or drawing program to get it to function correctly is oftentimes frustrating. In some cases I just have to admit defeat and inform the person they will need to pick some other software. This can start the cycle again however. It’s for this reason I try to position myself as a consultant so I can advise, recommend and test prior to a commitment to purchase. This seems to work well as I’ve now given a “seal of approval” and now I’m on the hook to make it work - people like that hook thing.
For anyone interested in pursuing a similar career my words of wisdom are “expect the unexpected”. Users try to do the impossible on their computers and, strangely enough, they sometimes succeed. Tasks which I’ve always been taught are not possible, or recommended are often pursued with amazing diligence and vigor by students and teachers alike. The phone call that begins with “you’ll never believe what I (she, he) just did” is the tip-off that someone has uncovered a little-known ability of a computer to absorb liquids or move multiple copies of files into cyberspace never to be seen again.
In sum, I enjoy my position as a Systems Manager at a school district. Every day I provide solutions to people who really want assistance and are not shy about saying “thank you for helping me”. The transition for me has been challenging because I tapped expertise I occasionally used to help a friend or neighbor with a failed computer into a second career. I’m happy to say that I’ve come to welcome this environment and find myself still capable of learning new things and that is a reward in itself.
Mark Handley is the Systems Manager at Kildeer Countryside School District 96 in Buffalo Grove, Illinois.
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