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So incredibly angry at work
Topic Started: Apr 29 2008, 12:54 PM (591 Views)
dolmansaxlil
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HOLY CARP!!!
Last year, my principal and I had a conversation about the school website, and I drew up a proposal for creating a new site that would be easily updated by teachers and thus, more useful to parents. My principal loved the idea. We called the IT department, and asked if they had the technical requirements on our servers in order to handle a content management system. They did not. So we asked if we could go with an external hosting company. The person we spoke to said we could. So we got our own webhost, and I volunteered to build the site. Some of you may remember me spending about a week last summer getting it up and running.

We were officially told we had to take it down today because we're not allowed to use an external host. We have to move back to the board servers. We have to use FrontPage or DreamWeaver to update the site.

In short, it'll go back to being a static page that teachers can't update.

I'm so incredibly angry. First, because we asked for permission and it was granted. Apparently, we didn't ask the right people - but then shouldn't the person in IT have forwarded our request TO the right people? Secondly, I spent a week of my time, plus time over this school year, getting the site up and running and keeping it updated. Third, I've gotten a lot of compliments from parents on how great it is to have an updated site that is actually useful to them. Fourth, I've had other principals approach me to ask if I'd do their site because they think it's so great. And finally, I was asked by school board personel to HELP the person who got hired to redesign the board website because what I was doing was being held up as a model of what a website can and should do.

I'm just frothing at the mouth mad.

I emailed my principal, who forwarded me the order, and very calmly stated my reasons for being so disappointed.

I have a feeling a request will come that I manage the website next year using the antiquated system they want us to use, and my response is going to be to tell them they can piss off. Nicer than that, obviously.
"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

My Flickr Photostream


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Red Rice
HOLY CARP!!!
The mediocrity of bureaucracy strikes again!

Sorry dol. :(
Civilisation, I vaguely realized then - and subsequent observation has confirmed the view - could not progress that way. It must have a greater guiding principle to survive. To treat it as a carcase off which each man tears as much as he can for himself, is to stand convicted a brute, fit for nothing better than a jungle existence, which is a death-struggle, leading nowhither. I did not believe that was the human destiny, for Man individually was sane and reasonable, only collectively a fool.

I hope the gunner of that Hun two-seater shot him clean, bullet to heart, and that his plane, on fire, fell like a meteor through the sky he loved. Since he had to end, I hope he ended so. But, oh, the waste! The loss!

- Cecil Lewis
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RosemaryTwo
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HOLY CARP!!!
Maybe enough people, other than yourself, will be upset and demand that the district return to the interactive system.

"Perhaps the thing to do is just to let stupid run its course." Aqua
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The 89th Key
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Dol - I can empathize with your situation and am very annoyed that it happened to you. It seems like you made all the right decisions to get it up and running and while I can understand why they do not want an external server, I'm perplexed why they don't have the capacity to host your version of the site on their servers. Surely they can buy any needed server upgrades to improve the website - an improvement that it seems was widely praised!
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Free Rider
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Fulla-Carp
Dol
Bummer! What a cluster-fvck! I would be pissed, too. My best friend, Rob, is an outstanding English teacher back in VT. He has similar stories about the HS newpaper he's in charge of. Some administrators of public schools ahould be put out to pasture.

Still I want pics of you frothing at the mouth mad.
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kluurs
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Fulla-Carp
Can you use Google Calendar or some such free site to accomplish what the folks there can't do? Is the objection that it's on someone else's site, that confidential material is there or that money is being spent inappropriately?

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apple
one of the angels
"Fourth, I've had other principals approach me to ask if I'd do their site because they think it's so great."

you are better than bureaucracy. perhaps there is a career in schoolwebs for you.

i don't like my schoolwebsite particularly and neither do the teachers.

sorry you are frustrated tho.
it behooves me to behold
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dolmansaxlil
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HOLY CARP!!!
kluurs
Apr 29 2008, 05:30 PM
Can you use Google Calendar or some such free site to accomplish what the folks there can't do? Is the objection that it's on someone else's site, that confidential material is there or that money is being spent inappropriately?

Their gripe is that it's hosted off-board.

There is nothing on our site that is confidential.

They have not said what their specific concern is, other than that we have broken the rules. Rumour (pretty good source) has it that they're worried that it could be hacked because since it's not on their server, they can't police it. Of course, since most parents didn't even KNOW we had a website until this year, and most board staff never looked at them (some school sites haven't been updated in 2-3 years) I'm not sure how they think they were policing their old sites all that much to begin with. :P

Interestingly, I went to a workshop not that long ago where they talked about we need to train kids for the future, and get on board with new technology and ideas because the kids are ahead of us. Hmm...wonder why that is?
"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

My Flickr Photostream


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sue
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HOLY CARP!!!
That really sucks. Your old school website sounds like the ones here. Hardly any teachers bother with it, 2-3 year old stuff on some pages. Really frustrating, when it could be such a useful tool, esp. for keeping parents clued in without getting in anyone's way.
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Rainman
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Fulla-Carp
Dol, just my guess, but perhaps you stepped on someone's toes by making your district's IT dept. look second-rate.

There are many things you could do to make your case. But why not first get some support for the quality of what you have done from central administration? If those at the wheels of power see what you have done and how good the site is, they may take the initiative to cause things to happen. Not sure about the system in Canada, but do you have a Superintendent of your district that you could contact (after contacting the director of IT and asking him/her if having the Superintendent view the site would be a good idea i.e., veiled threat that you will go down swinging. . .)?
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dolmansaxlil
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HOLY CARP!!!
Unfortunately, I have to step back and take this one. My principal is the one who is getting heat for doing it (after all, I had his blessing), so I have to respect that and let it go.

Doesn't mean I'm not pissed off. And it doesn't mean I won't find a way to circumvent it for my own classroom. I already have a plan in mind so I can still have my site without breaking any of the rules (technically).
"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

My Flickr Photostream


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Orlando Gibbons
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Junior Carp
How about petitioning the parents and community to support funding to invest in upgrading the school's servers to accommodate the new content?
http://www.threerollsandapretzel.blogspot.com
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dolmansaxlil
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HOLY CARP!!!
We're not just talking about a school - we're talking about a large school board of about 65 to 70 schools, covering a huge geographic area.
"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

My Flickr Photostream


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Orlando Gibbons
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Junior Carp
Oh.

Shouldn't that mean that there is more money (larger demographic to appeal to) potentially available for large scale overhaul of the board's hardware? Maybe it's a good opportunity!
http://www.threerollsandapretzel.blogspot.com
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Piano*Dad
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Bull-Carp
Just out of curiosity, why can't teachers edit their own content in Dreamweaver on the old site? Dreamweaver isn't rocket science to learn.


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Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
Let it go, Dol. You've run afoul of turf issues and can only hurt yourself here. It happens to everyone at some time. Is it more important that you be able to teach or that you have the website?

If you want to improve things, focus on working within the district rules.
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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dolmansaxlil
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HOLY CARP!!!
Mik,
It's not just that we have the website - there's actually good reason for the site. It improved parent communication GREATLY, which is part of what I need to do to teach. It also increased homework completion, because our homework board is posted daily. Again, this is a good thing for kids.

And just for the record, we did ask permission - and it was granted. Unforunately, I wasn't privy to the fact that the person who gave said permission shouldn't have. I didn't believe we were working outside of board rules.

The solution I have for next year is within the rules...it's a technicality, really, but it's within the rules.
"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

My Flickr Photostream


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Orlando Gibbons
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Junior Carp
Please tell me if I'm being naive, but isn't the best solution to appeal to people to support this important innovation in such a way that works within the rules and also improves the fundamental structure of an entire school board? A petition for funds from the people who will benefit is fair, democratic and non-confrontational.
http://www.threerollsandapretzel.blogspot.com
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dolmansaxlil
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HOLY CARP!!!
I'm already on the hit list at work because of this. Far too many people in the board know that I'm the one who "broke the rules". So I can have no part of any effort. In fact, the IT guy who is dealing with it won't even speak to me directly. He calls the principal, who has no idea what he's talking about when it comes to this, then the principal comes to me and tries to explain, and then I explain, and we go back and forth.

I do know that our program consultant is working on them...he's having as much success as I've had.
"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

My Flickr Photostream


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Orlando Gibbons
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Junior Carp
That's like something out of Kafka!
http://www.threerollsandapretzel.blogspot.com
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Jolly
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Geaux Tigers!
Mikhailoh
Apr 29 2008, 07:34 PM
Let it go, Dol. You've run afoul of turf issues and can only hurt yourself here. It happens to everyone at some time. Is it more important that you be able to teach or that you have the website?

If you want to improve things, focus on working within the district rules.

:yes:
The main obstacle to a stable and just world order is the United States.- George Soros
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Daniel
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HOLY CARP!!!
dolmansaxlil
Apr 29 2008, 01:38 PM
Interestingly, I went to a workshop not that long ago where they talked about we need to train kids for the future, and get on board with new technology and ideas because the kids are ahead of us. Hmm...wonder why that is?

Ouch. Sorry.
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JoeB
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Senior Carp
Sounds like you have run into Mordac, The Preventer of Information Services.
http://www.dilbert.com/mashups/search/?Cha...chline&x=18&y=5

The real issue is you made the IT guy look like an idiot and it's payback time. The fact that he (they) is (are) idiot(s) is irrelevant.
"There are many ingredients in the stew of annoyance." - Bucky Katt
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Piano*Dad
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Bull-Carp
JoeB
Apr 30 2008, 01:27 AM

The real issue is you made the IT guy look like an idiot and it's payback time. The fact that he (they) is (are) idiot(s) is irrelevant.

To quote Jolly:



:yes:
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Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
Piano*Dad
Apr 30 2008, 07:08 AM
JoeB
Apr 30 2008, 01:27 AM

The real issue is you made the IT guy look like an idiot and it's payback time.  The fact that he (they) is (are) idiot(s) is irrelevant.

To quote Jolly:



:yes:

Yep. Been there many times. I finally learned that you have to find a way to make the other people heroes. THEN you will get the backing you need.
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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