The size of the Anchorage School District demands a large Information Technology team to accomplish its mission with minimal disruption or downtime. During the District’s closure and response plan, all 40 team members were vital to ensuring a smooth and successful transition to virtual classes – all while continuing staff and teacher tech support.
After District staff were set up for remote work, Chromebook distribution was the next big hurdle. The team physically sanitized and inventoried over 10,000 devices across 100 sites in the span of three weeks to ensure schools were ready for distribution in the spring.
The spring role-out was no small feat, but it was dwarfed by the speed and efficiency of the fall distribution. An additional 11,000 devices were distributed over eight days – doubling the goal of 5,000.
Field Services Supervisor Calvin Ross said of the effort, “This team performed a herculean act on behalf of our students and staff members. The team worked six days a week with over 10-hour days, two weeks straight.”
The work done by IT Field Services is like a constant drumbeat. The employees and their work fly under the radar, out of the spotlight. It is a team who work tirelessly to advance the District mantra of “Educating All Students for Success in Life.”
This was recognized in many letters from staff.
One special education teacher wrote, “It has only recently occurred to me that in the many years I have interacted with the IT Team, they have never shared their own achievements. They seek no fanfare – only the opportunity to serve, teach, and recognize the success of others around them.”
A secondary teacher echoed that sentiment, saying “In this time of crisis and uncertainty, it is important to recognize the amazing teamwork that is going on behind the scenes to keep Anchorage School District staff and students moving forward win the learning process.”
The Administration invites the Board to join in recognizing the IT Field Services team as Denali Award winners for the example of excellence they set for the entire Anchorage School District community.
