New Technology Leader

Middletown schools hire technology leader
By John Bombatch

With an added emphasis on computer knowledge in the very near future, the Middletown Local School District has hired Dr. Robin Surland as its Director of Technology and Innovation.

Surland, who most recently served as the Director of Innovative Diploma Programs and Virtual Schools in Wichita, Kansas, was hired for the vacant position in July. She takes the
place of Gary Canterbury who retired from the position 14 months ago.

School Superintendent Greg Rasmussen said the upcoming state-mandated common core

standards, which have an added emphasis on computer technology, played a role in filling the
position this school year.

“When Gary retired, we chose not to fill the position at that time. We left it unfilled as we decided

 to wait and determine whether we felt that we needed to move in that direction. But after last
school year, we determined that in this 21st century age, we have to be very cognizant of the fact
that we have got to expand our operational technology and our instructional technology,”
Rasmussen said.

Surland will be paid $108,921 this year. She senses that Middletown is a place where she can

make a difference.

“It seems like a school district that’s ready to go places with their computer classes. I want to

help get the programs over the cusp, per se,” she said. “Already we’re to the point where we
have a solid network structure and we’re getting more technology into the teachers’ hands.”

She said her work in a large urban district in Wichita should work to her advantage in Middletown.

“Having worked across departments, I was able to see things that technology can help with, like

access to families at home and the impact that the technology can have in the classrooms. I’m
looking to working with the same educational issues here, with a smaller student population.
And I’m really looking forward to doing that,” she said.

Currently, Surland said she’s been working on improving the Middletown district’s websites.

She hopes to create various ways that teachers will be able to access student data in a quicker

“I’ll start out by choosing people within each building to be technology reps, where there will be

someone in the building who can help the rest of the teachers with what they need,” she said.

 

C'mon. Couldn't the schools have chosen a person with lesser credentials and along with it, less salary? Seems a bit overblown when considering the requirements and job responsibilities described in this article, doesn't it? Is this district so sophisticated that we have to hire this level of expertise to interact with the teachers as described? No other candidates available at lesser cost? Article didn't mention who was interviewed (if anyone else) and what their credentials might have been. Seem to be reaching for the top tier candidates when we have such a mediocre school district waiting for them. Kinda like bringing Michael Phelps to a YMCA swim meet isn't it?

Will the voters remember this when they ask you to support their levy?

With no disrespect toward Dr. Surland, or her qualifications, I can't help but wonder why anyone would think that better websites, better network infrastructure, or better technology in the hands of the teachers, is what we need right now to make better educated kids.

Irishner, I suggest you read the posts before making rather misguided responses. I have sat on three National Higher Education Foundation Boards in my 30 + year career; IBM, Oracle, and Cisco. In that period, I have personally reviewed and approved over $1 Bb in computer hardware and software grants to many fine colleges and universities. So, I say I can speak with some authority regarding technology in the realm of K-12, let alone higher education for med schools, MS programs in Computer Engineering, etc.

No, every school district in Ohio, does NOT need a + $100,000. equvialent of an associate in a firm, to build websites, do system backups, run a WAN/ LAN, or expose a terrifically gifted student to object oriented programming. As usual, its the world of redundancy. Savings in one area, leads to waste in another---hello shared Business Manager now at Butler Cty .5/,5 FTE in Monroe/ Middletown.

Some are waiting on Superman, others like you, think he was never needed, the public schools are performing stellar. That's stone-age thinking to me.
  

And for the record, I was saying I don't see how a better website, better network infrastructure, etc. will make for better educated kids. I guess being a neanderthal I will NEED you to explain that.

And "Techo teacher"? Will she be teaching a class?

P.S. This virtual school program from Wichita looks interesting.

Irisner:
"I read the post....How much should someone like the position in question make? I am just sick of all your mindless bitching. If it had been a 50K job, you still would have whined"

THE COMPLAINT IS ABOUT THE SALARY PAID FOR THIS JOB THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY TAKE A PhD TO DO. THE COMPLAINT IS THAT THIS POSITION IS OVER-PRICED (SIPERINTENDENT SALARY LEVEL IN SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS) AND WAS FILLED BY A PERSON WHO IS WAY OVERQUALIFIED. BOTTOM LINE...THE SCHOOLS PAID TOO MUCH FOR THIS PERSON WITH OUR TAX MONEY. THOUGHT MONEY WAS TIGHT IN THE DISTRICT??? NOT THE WAY THEY THROW IT AROUND SOMETIMES.

Irisner:
"ALL the Union discussion that has been debated on this site has been started by those that were wrong in the points they made."

EXPLAIN HOW WE WERE WRONG SO WE CAN RESPOND.

Irisner:

"I am sick of hearing of things like SB5, as that is just a subversive way of creating an underclasss to serve all you (it amazes me how you all will quickly support not honoring union contracts but if you mention dumping miss Judy, then all of sudden we can't because she has a CONTRACT) and i believe in honoring agreements"

YOUR STATEMENT COMES RIGHT OUT OF THE UNION TEXTBOOK. COMMENT WAS MADE MANY TIMES DURING THE DEBATE AND VOTING OF SB5. THE PRO SB5 PEOPLE, INCLUDING ME, LOOKED AT IT ANOTHER WAY INSTEAD OF "THE CREATION OF AN UNDERCLASS". IT WAS TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD IN NEGOTIATIONS AND TO RELIEF THE SITUATION WE ARE IN NOW WHERE THE UNIONS HAVE, OVER THE YEARS, WORKED UP TO AN UNREALISTIC ADVANTAGE IN CONTRACT TALKS AND HAVE GOTTEN WAAYYYY TOO GREEDY, EVEN IN ECONOMIC HARD TIMES.

Irisner:
"If the City negotiates poorly, then fire the idiots who got the bad contract"

IF I COULD, I'D GO DOWN TO CITY HALL TODAY AND FIRE THE WHOLE LOT OF THEM, STARTING WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND ALL THE DIRECTORS AND REPLACE THEM WITH COMPETENT PEOPLE. A COUNCIL MADE UP OF CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS ON THIS FORUM COULD DO THAT. THIS WOULD BE THE START TO IMPROVE THE CITY IMO.

Irisner:
"The problem is that you all WANT the underclass I spoke of. You are just too gutless to admit it!!!"

HELL IRISNER, WE ARE THE UNDERCLASS!!!! NONE OF US ARE HARDLY ELITISTS.

Irisner:
"You see, I am sane. I am also a conservative, but a sane conservative. I am someone who uses logic to decide issues, rather than personal gain like most of you"

PERSONAL GAIN????? WHAT "PERSONAL GAIN"? HOW ARE ANY OF US REAPING PERSONAL GAIN ON THIS? WE ALL WANT TO SEE THIS TOWN AND IT'S PEOPLE PROSPER. DO YOU THINK IT IS PROSPEROUS UNDER THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP?

Irisner:
"It is about right and wrong NOT about what I want"

EXACTLY!!!!! IT IS ABOUT RIGHT AND WRONG. THE CITY LEADERS THINK THEY ARE RIGHT. WE HERE ON THIS FORUM THINK THEY ARE WRONG. THE DATA SUPPLIED BY MS. MOON, MR. PRESTA, ACCLARO AND OTHERS DO NOT LIE. THE POSTS ARE SUPPORTED BY DATA FROM VARIOUS SOURCES. NOT DEBATABLE, YET, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO GET ON HERE (PROBABLY PLANTED BY THE CITY OR JUST GULLIBLE PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE EVERYTHING THE CITY SAYS- WHO KNOWS) WHO TRY THEIR BEST TO THROW FLAK AND CONFUSION ON THE ISSUES DISCUSSED. WE ALL WANT A NICE CITY TO LIVE IN. ONE WITH COMPETENCE IN IT'S OPERATION AND ONE WHO TRIES TO GOVERN FOR ALL PEOPLE. WE DON'T HAVE THAT IRISNER. IT WAS LIKE THAT 40 YEARS AGO. TIMES CHANGE. ELECTED/HIRED PEOPLE CHANGE. UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE SOME UNSCRUPULUS PEOPLE WITH NO MORAL FIBER RUNNING THINGS. THERE ARE ONLY A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE IN THIS CITY THAT WANT WHAT THE CITY LEADERS WANT. MOST WOULD LIKE THE CITY TO CHANGE DIRECTIONS, DEMONSTRATE COMPETENT LEADERSHIP AND SHOW SOME PROGRESS.

Irisner:

"I dare say that the issue here is really about who is an adult and who is not. I suggest that most of you are not adults and are just whiny, selfish little kids in old bodies"

AND THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE IRISNER. YOU LOOK AT US AS THE WHINY LITTLE KIDS WHO ARE NOT ADULTS BECAUSE WE HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE, SCRUTINIZE THEIR ACTIVITIES, QUESTION THEIR ABILITIES TO OPERATE THIS CITY IN A COMPETENT MANNER AND ARE NOT HAPPY WITH MOST OF THEIR WORK. I (WE), LOOK AT THE CITY LEADERS AND THEIR DECISIONS MADE ONLY FOR THEIR FRIENDS, THEIR INSISTENCE IN KEEPING CITY MATTERS AWAY FROM THE PEOPLE, THEIR TUNNEL FOCUSED AGENDA DETERIMINED BY THE MMF, WHO ARE CALLING THE SHOTS HERE, AND THEIR EXCLUSIONARY HABITS AS THE "SELFISH LITTLE KIDS IN OLD BODIES". THEY INSIST THAT IT BE THEIR WAY AND WANT NO FEEDBACK FROM ANYONE OUTSIDE THE INNER CIRCLE REALM. THEY ARE THE CHILDREN HERE BECAUSE THEY INSIST ON NOT SHARING THE SHOVEL AND PAIL IN THE SANDBOX.

Irisner:

"boy, the ME generation is certainly a bunch of disappointments by my standard"

IF YOU ARE REFERRING TO THE 60'S CROWD AS THE ME GENERATION I BELIEVE YOU ARE MISTAKEN. WE ARE THE BABY BOOMERS......THE GENERATION THAT QUESTIONED EVERYTHING THE GOVERNMENT DID, NOT TRUSTING ANYONE "OVER 30". REMEMBER? THE GENERATIONS AFTER US WERE PROGRESSIVELY WORSE IN THE "ME" DEPARTMENT. WE ARE JUST CONTINUING THAT DISTRUST AS WE REALLY HAVE A REASON IN THIS TOWN, BASED ON THEIR TRACK RECORD, TO DISTRUST ALL THAT THEY DO. THEY SCREW UP EVERYTHING THEY TOUCH AND, INCREDIBLY, THEY STILL INSIST THAT IT BE THEIR WAY. FOOLS NEVER LEARN.

Smartman wrote: I agree with lrisner. This blog is full of bitchers and whiners. Nobody does anything right and you all have all the answers. AS I HAVE SAID TIME AND TIME AGAIN....QUIT BITCHING AND GET INVOLVED IF YOU HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS. YOU ALL HAVE ALL THE EXCUSES IN THE WOLD AS TO NOT GET INVOLVED. FOR THE TIME YOU SPEND ON THIS BLOG YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN INVOLVED. THERE IS A NUMBER OF POSITIVES BEGINNING TO TAKE PLACE BUT OH WAIT......YOU ALL WEAR BLINDERS AND CONNOY SEE GOOD TTHINGS. JUST A BUNCE OF OLD BITCHERS AND WHINERS!

SO EVERYTHING THE CITY DOES IS OK WITH YOU AND IRISNER? IS THIS WHAT YOU ARE IMPLYING? SERIOUSLY? GIVEN THE CONDITION OF THIS TOWN, THE RAMPANT FAILURES SINCE THE 70'S, THE CURRENT STATE OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WITH REPEATED REMINDERS OF THE POOR TEST SCORES, AK, BLACK CLAWSON AND OTHERS LEAVING TOWN WITH COMPANIES COMING INTO TOWN AT A MUCH LESSER RATE. THE ROAD SITUATION, THE DECAYING INFRASTRUCTURE, THE REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS TO DATE THAT HAVE NOT EXACTLY BEEN EPIC IN THEIR OUTCOME, THE LOW INTEREST VERSUS THE PROJECTED INTEREST IN CINCY STATE COMING TO TOWN, THE ARTS COMMUNITY BEING THE "SAVIOR" OF THE DOWNTOWN......DESPITE ALL OF THIS, YOU ARE STILL DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH?

YOU ARE ALWAYS MENTIONING "GETTING INVOLVED".... KNOWING THAT CITY LEADERSHIP ONLY LETS IN "FRIENDS OF THE CITY" WITH THEIR "PRIVATE CLUB" MENTALITY, EXACTLY HOW ARE THE REGULAR CITIZENS SUPPOSE TO "GET INVOLVED"? PLEASE SHOW US FOLKS WHO ARE "OUT OF THE LOOP" HOW TO DO THIS WHEN THE RELUCTANCE IS ON THE PART OF THE CITY AS TO A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PEOPLE.

"POSITIVES BEGINNING TO TAKE PLACE"......AGAIN, WITH THE CITY TRACK RECORD OF FAILED INITIATIVES, EVEN YOU, THE STAUNCH DEFENDERS OF THE CITY", MUST BE GRITTING YOUR TEETH, WONDERING HOW ALL THIS WILL TURN OUT, GIVEN ALL THE PREVIOUS FAILURES.

WE "ALL WEAR BLINDERS" ?????? YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING. ON THE CONTRARY.....IT IS THE CITY SUPPORTERS WHO ARE IN DENIAL AS TO WHAT IS TRANSPIRING AROUND THEM. HOW BAD DOES IT HAVE TO GET BEFORE YOU FOLKS WILL ADMIT THAT IT IS "GETTING AS BAD AS IT COULD GET"? GOOD LORD PEOPLE, LOOK AROUND YOU AND SEE THE TRUTH. MERCY!

Spider who has the money these days to buy anything like art only thing that hasn't went up lately is my pay.

Iris: