Keep Eckstein‘s Computer Network Running — Please Donate to the Eckstein Annual Campaign Today!

Each of us depends upon computer technology, and it‘s especially critical at Eckstein Middle School. One of the Annual Campaign’s larger allocations (approximately $10,000) is for the technology program at Eckstein. That‘s really no surprise: Our 1,200+ students and 115 teachers, administrators and support staff depend on Eckstein‘s computer network to be in working order on a daily basis. Without your donation to the Annual Campaign, the technology program at Eckstein would not be able to function.

Although Eckstein has access to a part-time computer network analyst employed by the Seattle School District, his time is divided among many other schools, so his involvement at Eckstein is limited. Therefore, the Annual Campaign funds a part-time computer technician from the technical support service “U-Wired” to help with Eckstein’s technical needs. U-Wired is a group of university students in computer engineering courses who intern on campus and at local schools like Eckstein. Eckstein currently has one U-Wired technician who works about 20 hours per week.

The U-Wired technician does the majority of the hands-on, daily maintenance work necessary to keep the technical tools in the classrooms and labs running for the teachers and students. He manages student accounts, resets passwords, un-jams printers, analyzes hardware failures, repairs/replaces hardware, installs software, and recovers files. Students use approximately 300 PCs and Macs and administrators/teachers use an additional 100 computers, including desktops in the mini labs. Each administrator and teacher has a printer in their work area or classroom. It’s incredible that so many devices that are supported by only one 20-hour per week technician along with a part-time network analyst. Not surprising, not all requests for service or assistance arecompleted on a timely basis. Compare this to the information technology support normally found in a company with 400 employees!!

Two servers are located at Eckstein.

• The District provided one of the servers which hosts and stores teacher/admin work and applications. Schools must provide their own funding for additional services.
• In 2000, the Annual Campaign purchased a second server, called the FP server, which is used to store student academic work. The FP server is a critical server resource, allowing students to work on a document in one class, say Social Studies, then access the same document in another related class such as Language Arts, and also again in the Homework Center. By spring, the student server typically reaches its maximum storage capacity. Several years ago, the Annual Campaign purchased a replacement server which is expected to last another year or so. As this equipment ages, more and more support is needed to maintain it and support the students who use and rely upon it for their academic work.

Please help make sure that our students and teachers are supported with the technical help they need. Please send in your contribution to EAC today. Send your check payable to the “Alliance for Education—Eckstein” to the Eckstein Annual Campaign, Eckstein Middle School, 3003 N. E. 75th Street, Seattle, WA 98115. Or, donate online through the secure Alliance for Education website (https://www314.safesecureweb.com/alliance4ed/) using your Visa or Mastercard. Please indicate that your donation is for the Eckstein Annual Campaign in the An Individual School text box so that your donation will be properly credited to this fundraiser. Thank you!