District Technology Department’s Efforts Profiled in Online Microsoft Customer Story
The efforts of the Washington Township Public Schools Technology Department, under the leadership of Director of Information Technology Joe Konecki, recently were featured as a customer success story through the Microsoft webpage.
The article profiled how WTPS transitioned quickly and most effectively when the COVID-19 health crisis forced an abrupt pivot to online learning, because the District already had the technology in place to facilitate distance learning. In particular, the article noted how the District was able to stay connected through the seamless integration of Microsoft Surface devices and productivity applications like Office 365 and Teams. The article also lauded the District for “future-proofing” student learning.
“It is gratifying to see our District Technology staff recognized to this extent for their vision and implementation which allowed our District to successfully transition at a rapid pace,” Superintendent of Schools Joe Bollendorf said. “We have benefitted from working in a uniformed computing environment and also because our Technology staff was able to package software and push it out to our students’ and staff’s mobile devices through cloud-based deployment services. They put in a lot of work, and their collective efforts not only brought about positive changes in perspectives on new technology in our community, but also garnered much-deserved international attention, praise and proud distinction.”
“I am honored by Microsoft’s recognition of the great work we have done over many years as a District to help ensure all of our students have ubiquitous access to real-world technology tools and applications to support their learning while preparing them for life beyond Washington Township,” Konecki said. “Our ability to pivot so quickly is a direct result of the vision, support, and collaborative efforts spanning multiple years and across many teams such as Central Administration, the Board of Education, Curriculum - including our Technology Integration Specialists-, our Teachers, Support Staff, and Technology (IT).”
Members of the District’s IT staff who played a role in the distance-learning success include: Chris Barnes, Jason Buttacavoli, Cathy Coppola, Sean Erixon, Diane Garaguso, Joe Goffredo, Desmond Jones, George Lagos, Peter Lam, Jennifer Landrum, Debby McGrail, Mary McManus, Andrew Meeker, Reid Smith, Rob Smith, Jim Sturniolo, Theresa Thomas, Dave Williams, Michael Ziccardi, as well as recent retirees Cathy Boyle and Stan Szumowski.
To view the District’s Microsoft Success Story, please click here.
Washington Township Public Schools’ Director of Information Technology Joe Konecki poses with one of the District-issued laptops that were instrumental in the IT Department’s successful distance-learning initiative.