On Schools’ computer system needs overhaul, consultant says

Posted on February 24 at 2:56 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

I could not agree more with Weeds and Imsmart2!

How much did these consultants get paid to do the same analysis and make the same recommendations that the last network manager made? Makes me question why Bunton really forced that guy out last Fall...to cover up his neglect and ignorance?

Bunton should be made accountable for his neglect of the network and poor decision-making!

It is evident that he has been less concerned with his job and responsibility to the district, children, teachers and parents than his pending retirement. It is sad that his lack of knowledge and reistance to change has put the district so far behind.

Technology is constantly changing. Who thought it would be a good idea to put someone with no tech expertise and no vision solely in charge of such a critical component of education? It is just irresponsible. I hope that with a new superintendant comes transparency and accountability.

On Virus exposes computer system in need of major upgrade

Posted on November 17 at 3:57 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Once again Bunton deflects: "Could we do more? Sure. But is that the problem behind this? No," Bunton said. "There's no way you could draw that direct correlation between the virus getting in and not having provided sufficient staff development. …

Yes, but could lack of staff development and qualified people have been part of what took so long for the fix? Could what made us venerable to this also be attributed to them and the prior management? Doug will continue to skirt the issue.

I suggest that someone evaluate the performance of every person in the IT dept. Are they performing at the level their job requires? From the experience I have had with many dept. members sent to address my computer problems, I think that many (particularly those show in inset photography) are not.

Can someone actually figure out if Bunton is and ever has been qualified to oversee the IT dept?

On School district IT head resigns after computer system meltdown

Posted on November 17 at 3:38 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Keirns inherited a network and dept. that was WAAAY behind the times, so how can he be blamed? This virus and issues associated with it are no reflection of Keirns, but rather years of neglect that Bunton and the entire staff have been party to and Lowell and Bunton not knowing how to keep up to speed with the demands of the district and technology!

Technology changed TREMENDOUSLY over the time Lowell was in the position and he did not stay up to speed. Bunton being even less technologically educated was not equipped to oversee the dept. let alone try to guide Lowell and the staff to get them up to speed. Also, what is Mr. Bunton best known for???? SAVING money. I hope that did not translate to the IT dept. missing upgrades and being unable to get new equipment, but I suspect it did. How is the new manager to get an entire network up to speed in such a short time?

Regardless of what you think of Keirns and his people skills, or lack there of, he is taking the fall for Lowell and Bunton and the IT Staff that is still in place because almost of them have been here for years. Someone should check and see if they have received training in new technologies under Lowell or more recently. Also, what was done with the IT budget over the past few years?

Isn't it interesting that the two new members of the dept.(and those proven to be the two most skilled, btw) are both gone, but all the people that have been in IT for years and provide the least amount of service to all of us district employees are still here? I sense that change is not welcome in our IT dept.

On Three weeks later, school computer problems continue

Posted on October 14 at 5:24 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

There is an entire department at fault here and, speaking from first-hand experience, some of the individuals that have been there for years and are STILL there are not competent to do their jobs. Why have these people not been removed long ago? There had to be things not getting done for some time for us to have gotten hit this hard.

Do we even know if the IT dept. is being given what they need to accomplish this task, or perhaps even the tools that were needed to prevent it?

I find it hard to believe the NEW department head was the one in charge of installing anti-virus and whatever other safeguards are involved to make sure that this does not happen. Certainly he should have been making sure these things were happening, but I think that there is more than one individual to blame here.

I am not sure what to think of Bunton considering he has been here much longer and overseen this department without firing the incompetent people I have had TRY to address my issues time and time again!

I think all comments that compare the Janesville School District to a "normal business" are naive. Try a bureaucracy! A few of the people I have worked with in the IT dept. would never have lasted in a corporate/business environment. I have actually had a better experience working with the new tech and IT head than I had in recent years. I thought the tide was turning...perhaps this major situation will cause it to!