Back to School Checklist for IT Managers

It's about that time for students and staff alike; time to go back to school! For students it's a time of dreading the end of summer and getting back into the groove of daily school activities. While for teachers and staff, it's a time of preparation and making sure you get off to the right foot heading into another new school year. K-12 IT Directors/Managers are no exception to this need for preparation and organization.

Now, I know I'm not speaking out of place when I say that managing IT for a K-12 school can be stressful at times. You are trusting your schools electronic devices in the hands of students ranging from the age of 6-18, and needless to say these aren't always the most coordinated and careful years of a student's life. So let's cut to the chase here, what should you be on the lookout for?

Take a look below at some items to keep your eye on as you head into the 2016-2017 school year:

• Accidental damage: This might seem to be a pretty vague form of damage, but is no doubt all too common. There is no mal-intent by the student, but unfortunately the all too familiar saying “accidents happen”, becomes your reality. As an example, let's say a student happens to knock a school issued laptop off their desk causing both internal and external damage to the device. You are faced with replacing or repairing the damaged laptop at a moment's notice without the physical or financial means to accomplish this. What a headache!

• Broken screen: A broken screen is without a doubt the most expensive damage for many electronic devices in the classroom. Whether its damage to a hand-held device like an iPad/tablet or more extensive damage to a laptop or MacBook, this damage is no doubt the bane to all IT Directors existence. There's no quick, easy fix and it will be taking a large chunk out of your IT budget.

• Liquid spills: It doesn't take someone with a dense imagination to picture all the ways liquid damage can go down in the classroom. Between lunches, students carrying water bottles, and any other endlessly possible liquid-based scenario; it only takes a split second for this unfortunate damage to take place. As you know, liquid damage can cause immediate and permanent damage to any electronic device.

• Theft: Although, you always try to give the benefit of the doubt to your students; there are no doubt, a couple of students who might fall too in love with the devices you provide them and attempt to claim them as their own. Most of the time, you should be able to figure out the source of the theft, but occasionally, you might have someone get away with the deed. If one of your students walks out with a MacBook, for instance, you're all of the sudden out roughly $1,000. What do you do then? Needless to say, your already tight budget has suddenly become completely exhausted at the need to purchase a new MacBook.

Want to eliminate the headache of dealing with damaged devices? At Worth Ave. Group we offer K12 School Group Insurance on any and all of your electronic devices. From Laptops to iPads to Cameras and more! Worth Ave. Group covers a wide range of devices for all the damages we listed above and more, including: fire & flood, earthquake & natural disaster, tornado & hurricane, mechanical failure, and manufacturer defect.

Visit the following URL, https://www.worthavegroup.com/education-policies/k-12-administrators, and receive a free quote on the electronic devices that apply to you and your school. All of us at Worth Ave. Group wish you a very happy and stress free first day of school!