January 2006 — Technology Funding
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The Unkindest Cut of All
Technology budgets are often the first to be reduced. The following eight questions will help you determine where to start trimming.
IT'S BUDGET TIME. (Already?) Yep, already. Your district is like all the others: faced with rising costs and dwindling income. Something has to go. But what?
As a district leader, you understand the need for current technology, but it’s getting harder and harder to defend it. Board members want to cut it, administrators are tired of hearing about problems, and technology directors are pleading for more help. Is your existing technology funding giving your district the best return on its investment and providing it with the best solutions?
In this, the 21st century, technology should not be perceived as negotiable, expendable, or unnecessary. As a director of technology, I lament even the suggestion that technology budgets can be trimmed. Yet, more often than not, they are the first to be cut, leaving frustrated teachers using older, instructional models, and old computers to collect dust. And even though “across-the-board cuts” sound logical and fair, the process eliminates priorities and suggests that all parts of the budget are created equal when, of course, they are not.
Most of us have technology plans with a clear course of action. But it’s also useful to know what questions you can ask to help you decide what to clip from the technology budget. Here are eight to start with. With next year’s initiatives in mind, I know that the answers will address my most important funding components, and may make the difference between receiving a return on my investment and throwing dollars into the money pit. They will also help me prioritize the areas for funding that can help sell the program to the powers that be.
1) Is your network information secure? (Program and budget connection: network security.) Spend your money here. The number of bullets to dodge is growing. Hackers are multiplying, students are more talented and curious, and networks are more complicated. Regardless of how small or large your district, the need to secure student and staff information is critical. Install hardware or software, or run a network analysis to make sure your data is safe.
2) Does your district software align with curriculum needs? (Program and budget connection: curriculum and software integration.) What percentage of your curriculum requires the engagement of students and technology? If the majority of your technology use involves research on the Internet, there is a lot of room for growth. This will impact both the software and staff development budget, but the payoff will be increased student learning.
