Job Responsibilities - Network Manager V ICT Co-Ordinator

[steele_uk]

Does anyone else have real issues knowing where the line is for responsibilites of the Netwotk and its use?

I am having problems knowing when i should be calling the shots and when the ICT Co-Ordiantor should be calling the shots.

Recently the ICT Co-Ordinator has argued that;-

1.)Students eating at PC's in classrooms is acceptable when there is a lunch time club.
2)That it is ok that they (ICT Co-Ordinator & other staff) have over 800MB of MP3's in their user area.
3) That all teaching staff should know about unfiltered access and be shown how to access it.

I could go on, this is just a brief outline of some of the issues i face daily.
At the moment i am Line managed by the ICT Co-Ordinator, but i am fighting with the Bursar (who is on my side) that this structure is dated and that my responsibility is to the whole school, and that my ten years of experience and training should not be comprimised, and my decisions over-ruled by someone has no skills in the running of a network.


Does anyone else have problems with these situations?

I am happy to stand up for myself, but what would be the point if i am over-ruled each time?

Thansk.

[plexer]

As far as I am concerned the ICT Co-ordinator should stick to teaching and leave all technical ict support issues to the netman.

It's unhealthy to eat at a pc and not nice to have clean their crumbs and greasy fingermarks off.

Get a oplicy in place for user folder areas including all staff and stick to it.

What are the mp3's is it illegal content if so just delete it or report him to however.

Ben

[GrumbleDook]

We do not have an ICT Co-ordinator here ... we have Me (Director of IT), Head of ICT/DT (purely curriculum ), Head of Cross-curricular ICT (effectively the second in ICT Department but works with other groups around the school including leading the ICT Users Group) and the Network Manager ...

It is all part of the devolved leadership of ICT as outlined by the SLICT course ...

If you need to answer to anyone other than directly to an Asst Head / Deputy / Head then it should be the Bursar / Business Manager (the CSBM from NCSL actually covers a fair bit about managing IT Related stuff ... sustainability, DPA, SLAs, etc) and not to the ICT Co-ordinator.

The role of IT in a school covers many areas now, not just the discrete subject and the chain of command should reflect this.

I am not saying that it does not work to have the Head of ICT / ICT Co-ordinator as the line manager of tech support ... but there are possible confilcts of interest. Given a choice between having the best kits for the ICT teachers or spreading it out over the school so it can be used effectively ... most ICT Co-ordinators would keep it in their department ... when it comes to prioritising work most ICT teachers would like to be top of the list (in fact most teachers would do the same ... it is just that the ICT Co-ordinator being your line manager gives the power to make it so!)

[Norphy]

1) Show them what happens when people eat around PCs, spill some Coke on a keyboard. That keyboard will have disintegrated within a couple of days

2) Quote them copyright law and/or claim that you're fast running out of space either on your backup tapes or on the file server. Point out that MP3s are generally not an educational resource and that the space can be used better for other things. In addition, there are other ways and means for staff to bring their music into school (MP3 player anyone?).

3) Not sure what to suggest for this one. Maybe build a case around saying that if all staff know about it, it would only be a matter of time before kids know about it too as it would only take one teacher to get impatient with the filters during a lesson to let slip about it.

[wesleyw]

1) Say you won't support any machine damaged through this type of misuse, go to the head and say this too.

2) Delete the MP3s anyone asks say the backup system doesn't backup any music files whatsoever and cannot be changed.

3) Say that no one in the school is allowed unfiltered access and change subject each time it comes up?

Okay I know that lot is a little harsh but what the hell.




Wes

[CyberNerd]

That all teaching staff should know about unfiltered access and be shown how to access it.

Filtering staff internet access is important to protect them. Our LA has a policy on what cannot be accessed in a school by staff and it is incorporated into our contracts (staff must follow county policy, or words to that effect). You are protecting their jobs, it would be unfortunate if one of the little darlings tricked them into downloading illegal images, etc.

[Disease]

I report directly to the Director of Business and Finance not the ICT Co-ordinator which is a good thing as the ICT Co-ordinator does not know how to turn on his pc.

[jcs808]

In my opinion, anyone who works in a school should not have a problem with their internet/email being filtered.

[Midget]

except the techy who is unable to download anything from microsoft.com etc

[webman]

In my opinion, anyone who works in a school should not have a problem with their internet/email being filtered.

Why do you say that? Have you taken into account the dubious websites that some staff visit that could introduce a virus or other nasties onto the network?

[Midget]

In my opinion, anyone who works in a school should not have a problem with their internet/email being filtered.

Why do you say that? Have you taken into account the dubious websites that some staff visit that could introduce a virus or other nasties onto the network?

uhhhhhhh...... i think you have the wrong end of the stick

[Lee_K_81]

In my opinion, anyone who works in a school should not have a problem with their internet/email being filtered.

Why do you say that? Have you taken into account the dubious websites that some staff visit that could introduce a virus or other nasties onto the network?

I think that was his point webman

I think in todays climate it is unrealistic for the ICT Co-ordinator to line manage NM's. Like others have said, personal priorities may take effect. However ICT co-ordinators shouldnt be taken out of the process altogether. They are the side of ICT that parents see, policies will need their backing whether we like it or not. I occasionally butt heads with our ICT co-ordinator about things, but i'm lucky in that we get on, so any disagreements are usually spoken about calmly and points explained. Try not to get too agressive with the ICT co-ordinator, but at the same point she needs to understand that schools are now businesses. You have responsibilities to other areas also.

[webman]

Ah, yes... I see now. Sorry, I'm ZZzzzzzzz... tired...

[localzuk]

Our ICT Co-ordinator organises all the curriculum side of things, leaving me to get on with the technical side of things. We both have input into decision making processes but she doesn't line manage me.

Overall, I would say that most decisions to do with ICT are made purely on my recommendations (I don't have the final say...). Some things, like us getting Dreamweaver, are passed without my input being taken into account (my rather vocal and anti-spending £2k on a piece of software that will be underused input that is).

Things like MP3's come down to my asking my line manager about it and then deleting them. Filtering is on at all times for all staff unless they have a specific need for a site to be unfiltered. Eating in computer rooms is not allowed. Period.

[Quackers]

You think that them having MP3's in there area is bad, i had to explain to the head teacher and rest of SMT why A) Limewire cannot run through the schools internet connection, and that B) Downloading music from it for school assemblys would be illegal unless they owned the CD, in which case limewire would not be needed in the first place, and thats the people at the top.