TECH: Who does what?

[MHollifiel@AOL.COM]

LM_NETTERS:

I had a disconcerting conversation with a friend of mine (top level district
administrator) concerning technology and tech support.

Our situation is this:  We're a small district with progressive ideas, at
least up front.  I have 109 computers, mostly Macs, on my site alone.  There
are 17 schools in this district.  We have one 1 Electronics Technician
who is in the maintenance department.  (He doesn't know DOS commands, I
just found out the hard way.)  In the Administration Office we have
1 Instructional Technology Specialist who is also Media Supervisor.
This person oversees all tech planning, is net administrator at the
district office, advises the users of everything from fiberoptics to
circulation systems, and generally projects and keeps the tech vision
focused.  She does alot of inservice in addition to tech support.   THIS IS
ALL OF OUR TECH SUPPORT STAFF!!!

We have three high schools with a Mac lab, IBM lab and keyboarding lab in
each.  All three middle schools have classroom minilabs on an Ethernet LAN,
 a keyboarding IBM lab, and a Voc Ed Tech 21 Lab.  The elementary schools and
the tech high school also have varied computer and related technological
equipment.  There's much more coming if our technology plan is approved by
the state.  These funds may <not> be spent for personnel.  (I have heard that
we don't have funds to hire more tech support for so long I put the Rolaids
by the phone.)

Back to the conversation:  When I voiced my concern over the lack of tech
support (The guys up top know that I work Saturdays and/or Sundays and carry
heart medication from the stress of keeping up with the LAN alone.), this
very nice man said that the district office should be concerning itself with
hardware support and that software problems should all be handled primarily
on site. And, shouldn't the Instructional Technology Specialist help handle
much of this software side?

 I like this guy and he is really understanding almost always, but how should
I have responded to this?  Is it really that simple, hardware or
software?  I never had our old electronics tech come in that he didn't ask
for the disks when he set to work!  Also, in the sane world can these two
positions be expected to reasonably handle all this technology, even if the
ITS had
<nothing else to do> which is certainly not the case?  I am doing a lot on
site to solve my own problems, more than most; however, there are lots of
things I'm just not capable of doing!!  And my days run out of hours, and my
weeks run out of days . . . .

Please respond to me directly if you have insights into or analogies relevant
to this.  I think we've got a major educating job to do and this one's not
with the kids.  Send teaching tools, if you got 'em!

Shamed to send my sig,
Mhollifiel@aol.com

PS
I ran this by my trusted LM_NET friend, Pat, before posting.  She suggested
the following:

 I think you should send the e mail and say you  will post a hit. Ask people
if they are willing to be quoted by name or e  mail address, because I am
sure you will get some horror stories and a  great deal of interest. People
might be more willing to be open if their comments weren't attributed. :-)

If there is sufficient response, I will post a HIT and will summarize if
necessary.  Also, will sign contributions as you sign them.

Still shamed-
Mhollifiel@aol.com