Voices of teachers heard as tech levy goes to final vote

As voters make their final decision on the Kalispell Public Schools technology levy request this week, I visited some of our teachers in different subject areas and asked where they most needed an investment if the technology levy passed. Here are a few of the responses:

“From my personal perspective, the digital projector in my room is on its last legs; a failing cooling fan leads to shorter bulb life (new bulb $300). It’s heavily used and is an indispensable link to other technologies (computer, Smart Board, DVD videos, etc.). Loss of this tool would seriously degrade the teaching environment.

“Printers are another area of need. The printer in our Social Studies office is broken and the one in the SSRC is a hand-me-down.” Teacher, FHS

“To the untrained eye agriculture looks the same today as it did 40 years ago. Upon closer observation the details reveal a highly technical and advanced industry charged with doubling food production by 2050. Technology holds the key to accomplishing this task as available land for food production declines from approximately 1 acre/person worldwide to less than 1/2 acre/person. Therefore, agriculture is garnering attention from the Silicon Valley as the next tech boom.

“The hand-me-down server at the Vo-Ag Center currently operates with hard drives patched together from wherever we can find them.  We have had several server drives fail this school year and there are not any more for this model to be purchased or found.  Wireless capabilities need updating and portable devices are discards which were donated by Applied Materials several years ago.” Teacher, Vo-Ag

“I think the first things to replace would be aging teacher workstations (most six years old) and updated equipment for students. I’d like to see more devices in student hands with a network to support them.  Interactive technology has become the backbone for many teachers in KPS, but updates for technology (i.e. smart boards and projectors) have been a struggle to maintain. Updated smart boards and projectors are vital. We have boards and projectors that aren’t working to standard.” Teacher, Edgerton  

Technology will continue to play a vital role in the education of this and other communities’ children for years to come. The technology industry was recently identified as the top choice for new jobs in a recent U.S. News report. We can either choose to keep up, or play catch-up over the next decade.

Mike Kofford, of Kalispell, is the outreach coordinator for the school district