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"This is about pulling people together. And I think if I do anything well, I do that well. I pull people together well, because I love people and I believe in them so profoundly."
-- Dr. Jayne Sargent, Superintendent, Jackson Public Schools
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The Jackson Public Schools administrative team is committed to change. Having established their goals, they decided to re-invent themselves beginning with the phone system and the data network. Vendors were invited to create a "best-of-breed" phone system. A second proposal described the district's need for a network to carry voice, video, and data: an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) system. State of the art. Change was in the wind.
That's when the most painful part of the change process hit.
To be successful, teamwork in an open environment is essential. And JPS wasn't functioning as a team -- people were working independently, in an insular way.
Dr. Sargent brought them together.
"I had to say some harsh things. Not personal, but wake up calls. We needed to release their fears that folks were not going to support them. We had to understand that it's going to take us all, working together, understanding the strengths of what each brings to the table, and being willing to put it all out there. It starts with the realization that there's a problem and assessing what it is that needs to improve. Then you seek the tools and partnerships that can bring success."
Partners were brought in from outside the JPS family: The Mississippi Department of Education, the Public Education Forum of Mississippi (representing education and business leaders). Fences were mended; trust was built; new relationships were established. With trust came better communication and new ideas.
A full study of every building -- 56 schools and 8 administrative and support facilities -- was conducted. Parents and teachers were consulted: "What do you need? What do you want?" It took about a year to come up with a plan for a full solution: student assessment, voice, data, distance learning, security ... all carried on a public ATM backbone.
Now functioning as a well-oiled team, the group presented their findings to Dr. Sargent. And again they found trust. "I have not a clue about technology, but my head of technology does and our business partners do. They told me how we could accomplish our goals, how long it would take, and how much it would cost."
Together, the team tackled how to pay for everything they wanted. A full study of internal resources showed which funds could be reallocated or released. They applied for Universal Service Funds to pay for all eligible items and services.
With the Superintendent behind it, and with the School Board's approval, the project is underway. BellSouth installed the ATM links to every school. Hardware and software is being acquired. Solutions have been identified and planned for: individualized student testing and improvement planning software; master teacher accessibility; 21st century professional development; web-based parent-teacher communications tools; secured learning environments.
The change process is underway in Jackson Public Schools. School and district personnel are working as a team, and collaborating with the State Department of Education. Government, education, and business are pulling in the same direction.
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"It hasn't been easy. It's hard. Your aim has to be to serve your clients -- the children." - Dr. Jayne Sargent, Superintendent, Jackson Public Schools |
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