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"Out of frustration come dreams. Jackson Schools was frustrated. We were not performing the way we should. No one said our school district was the place they wanted to be."
-- Dr. Jayne Sargent, Superintendent, Jackson Public Schools
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Those are harsh words. But to make a change, first the realities have to be confronted. And Jackson
Public Schools faces some harsh realities:
- 68.5% of the students are from economically disadvantaged households; 25% live in poverty; 10% have
parents who are illiterate or ill-educated.
- 76.8% of the students are eligible for free and reduced cost school meals.
- The dropout rate is twice the Mississippi average: 12.3 % of Jackson's high school students drop out.
To be fair, it must be said that these are social problems faced by most large inner-city schools. As
the largest school district in Mississippi (6.5 % of the state's public school population attends JPS),
and one of the largest in the nation -- 140th -- change will not come easily.
The JPS administrators know they can't change the social fabric of their community overnight. What they
can change are the tools and technologies used to meet their end goals of better education and a safe
place to learn. So they examined the tools and processes they were using to conduct the business of
education. Their findings were:
- There was not a common set of productivity tools (word processing, spread sheets, e-mail, voice mail)
to allow regular record keeping and correspondence or the sharing of lesson plans, records, and teaching
tools.
- There was only 1 computer for every 6 teachers and students (combined). There were not enough to be
effective for teaching, learning, or administrative tasks.
- There was very little electronic networking to allow teachers, administrators, parents, and governmental
officials to share data and communications.
- Manual record keeping of attendance, lunch, and other records caused delays and errors and slowed down
payments tied to those records.
- Parents, teachers, administrators, and community members found it difficult to communicate with each
other due to an overloaded phone system and lack of voice mail; teachers had to compete for a phone during
free periods or after school.
- Parents could not access a central source for homework assignments, school events, and master calendars.
- Distance learning was available in only a few locations, so course offerings and access to master
teachers were limited.
- There was limited video security monitoring of school hallways, entrances, and classrooms.
In short: Jackson Public Schools was trying to Build Tomorrow Today using yesterday's technology.
Teachers and administrators needed technological tools to do their jobs more efficiently -- tools that
any business person takes for granted: voice mail, a networked computer with the appropriate software,
video conferencing capabilities, and video surveillance of school facilities.
Lacking the right tools not only hindered work -- it sent a powerful message. Such shortages said,
"Schools are inferior workplaces and children are less important than clients in the 'real' business
world."
As students and educational professionals were striving to overcome inherited economic, social, and
educational disadvantages, they were additionally hindered by technological disadvantages.
Out of depressing statistics, the Jackson administrators found hope and opportunity. They would use
technology to make the quantum leap to the future. Give teachers and administrators 21st century tools
for teaching, learning, and working. Those tools will make them more productive, and acknowledge the
importance of the "business" of education. Tomorrow's tools will be used to Build Tomorrow Today.
Out of frustration came dreams.
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