| School districts are forever trying to trim the | | | | to appeal to a larger audience. While volunteers |
| budget of useless fat. Teacher salaries are frozen. | | | | may be great at scanning in documents and |
| Music and arts programs get cut. Paper reams | | | | newsletters to put on your site, very often your |
| are rationed like bread in pre-Soviet Russia. One | | | | audience is not taken into consideration. |
| line item that is often cut--but shouldn't be--is | | | | As if this wasn't enough, a good Web site |
| school technology and the school or district Web | | | | requires knowledge of layout philosophy, public |
| site. | | | | relations, branding, proofing, and editing. Your |
| When looking to tighten the budget purse straps, | | | | volunteers may be good at one or two of these |
| many administrators feel that creating and | | | | tasks, but are they experts in every area? |
| maintaining the school Web site would be a | | | | Good Web sites require constant maintenance. |
| perfect project for the computer classes. Perhaps | | | | For the sake of argument, let's say someone at |
| a knowledgeable computer teacher could do it on | | | | your school or district does create a fabulous |
| his or her prep time. Or the job makes the to-do | | | | Web site. It's beautiful. Easy to read. Easy to |
| list of the district IT department. While delegating | | | | navigate. Now the question is, does that person |
| an in-house employee to the project may seem | | | | have the time to keep your Web site current? In |
| like an immediate savings, there are many hidden | | | | order for a Web site to continue to be effective, |
| costs that can end up costing your district more | | | | it must be updated regularly. Information at school |
| than you imagined. | | | | gets old quickly; meeting dates pass, school |
| Time away from mission critical tasks. Placing the | | | | fundraisers end, new events have been added to |
| responsibility of the district's Web site onto | | | | the school calendar. Principals retire, teachers |
| employees keeps them away from the jobs they | | | | transfer, clubs are canceled, new sports find |
| were originally hired to do. An effective school | | | | coaches. Many times that volunteer who so |
| Web site takes time to build, write, and do layout, | | | | graciously got your Web site up and running |
| which are only a few of the actions necessary | | | | doesn't have time to continue weekly |
| for the site to be functional. For teachers who | | | | maintenance on your site, especially if the work |
| may be delegated this responsibility, it means time | | | | he or she is performing is pro bono. If parents log |
| away from lesson planning and preparation, and | | | | on to your school or district Web site a few |
| time away from their class. Teachers are hired to | | | | times and see the same old information, they will |
| teach our students, a time-consuming | | | | quit using your Web site as a resource. They will |
| responsibility in itself. Likewise, IT directors have | | | | start calling the school to get the information they |
| more important things to do for a district. Making | | | | need which is now a double whammy--it wastes |
| sure the computer systems are operating | | | | school and district personnel's time, and now that |
| properly and software is running efficiently, | | | | great Web site some person volunteered to |
| installing programs and firewalls to keep students | | | | create, is no longer being used by the public. |
| in safe places on the internet, and handling | | | | Delegating to overworked staff = trouble. Those |
| technology emergencies are just some of the | | | | who have worked inside any school system will |
| daily responsibilities. Many of these tasks must be | | | | tell you, most people are overworked and |
| performed on each school site which require | | | | underpaid. You hear people speak of public schools |
| extensive travel time. Let's be honest, when | | | | as a "noble profession." There are many |
| overworked teachers and IT directors get | | | | requirements and not a lot of recognition, |
| saddled with the school or district Web site, it's | | | | monetary or otherwise. Many times the goals of |
| going to be placed at the bottom of the to-do list. | | | | an administration are not understood by the |
| Many times it will never even make the radar. | | | | faculty and staff, which are viewed as more |
| Computer experts are not necessarily Web | | | | requirements, more forms to fill out, more hoops |
| design experts. There's a lot that goes into | | | | to jump through, and no time in which to do |
| creating a fabulous Web site. It's not just about | | | | them. |
| knowing how to get it live on the internet. While | | | | Delegating a sizable project--such as a Web |
| many people within your school or district may be | | | | site--to an already overworked (and probably |
| computer experts, chances are good they do not | | | | underpaid) employee is likely to lead to employee |
| have all the skill sets required to do the job | | | | discontent. Maintaining a positive work |
| effectively. Find a company that employs experts | | | | environment for teachers and staff is key to |
| in each area of design. Graphic designers should | | | | having a highly performing school, and when |
| create sites that are not just pleasing to look at, | | | | employees feel used, the entire dynamics of the |
| but help the user find things easily on the site. | | | | school environment suffers. If an unhappy |
| The placement of graphics, sidebars, images, and | | | | employee is now responsible for the school or |
| other text effects on a Web site is actually a | | | | district Web site, it's a pretty good bet that |
| science. Balancing visual elements so they help the | | | | employee won't devote his or her personal best |
| user find information rather than distracting them, | | | | to the project, leading to a less-than-effective |
| is something designers should do flawlessly. | | | | Web site. Or the task may sit at the bottom of |
| In addition to design, the content of a Web site it | | | | that person's to-do list, and the site never gets |
| one of the most important things to invest in. It's | | | | off the ground. |
| not simply about putting information onto your | | | | Taking these factors into consideration, it's easy |
| site; if parents and the community can't access or | | | | to see that while it may appear to save your |
| understand the information, your school or district | | | | school or district money upfront, having your site |
| site is useless. Find content writers that make | | | | created in-house has unforeseen costs. If your |
| sure the information on your Web site is not only | | | | school or district really wants to make their Web |
| informative, but is also conversational in tone and | | | | site a priority, hiring School Webmasters is the |
| easy to read. Pare down wordy information so | | | | easiest and best solution. We already have the |
| that it includes just what the public needs to | | | | experts. We already have the time. It's what we |
| know. Take the "education-ese" out, and rewrite it | | | | do. It's all we do. |