CITIZEN COLUMN: 'INFINITE CAMPUS" IS A FAILURE FOR ALL
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) will be reviewing with the governor in the next few weeks the new state-mandated student information system called Infinite Campus.
What KDE will likely not tell him is that they did not do their homework prior to forcing this change. KDE has failed students, educators and taxpayers.
They have displayed a total lack of concern regarding the needs of parents who are actively involved in their children’s education.
As a parent of two school-age children, the governor needs to understand…
n KDE failed parents and their concerns in accessing the new system. Parents who once were able to check their child’s grades online were told that they would have to wait in some cases six to eight months for access. KDE did not think that parents would mind that an important monitoring service would be taken away for almost a year.
n KDE failed the taxpayers. Infinite Campus will cost $5.5 MILLION yearly for licensing and maintenance, approximately $3 million more than the previous system called STI. According to KDE, the previous system provided all the necessary reports required by the state and federal governments.
The STI contract was up for review, and it was determined that instead of trying to upgrade the STI system they would throw out the “baby out with the bath water.”
n KDE failed school districts. KDE did not account for the effect this transition would have on our districts’ already tight budgets. Currently, the state has not allocated any funding for the yearly licensing and maintenance costs.
Our cash-strapped school districts are now responsible for paying the $5.5 million fee. Many school districts will have to cut teachers, aides, school services and/or raise funds to pay for the increased cost.
Even if KDE finds money somewhere to help pay for the system, taxpayers’ money could have been better spent.
n KDE failed many graduating seniors. In school districts that had trouble implementing Infinite Campus, students had difficulty in getting current transcripts for college scholarship and applications, resulting in missed opportunities.
n KDE failed our teachers. This very labor-intensive program did not provide adequate training. This has resulted in teacher frustration, parent stress and student aggravation.
n KDE failed the governor. The Kentucky Department of Education is the gate-keeper for the governor on this school issue. KDE is responsible to oversee the education services in our state. With this program, KDE has led the governor down a path of folly.
It is important we don’t allow another mistake like Infinite Campus by not having an informed governor. So when KDE presents to the governor all the good things about Infinite Campus, let the governor know that not all aspects of Infinite Campus are positive.
No one looked ahead two years ago. Don’t allow this negligence to be repeated.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The writer is a parent, past PTA president and resident of Catlettsburg, Ky.
Link: http://m.courierpress.com/news/2009/may/08/citizen-column-infinite-campus-failure-all/
