Databus Issue: 2003 3 07/15/2003
Member Profile
Lisa Kopochinski DataBus EditorConnecting With Like-Minded Individuals Drew John Perry to CETPA
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For new CETPA member John Perry, director of information technology at Emery Unified School District, the main reason he joined the association a year ago was for the opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals.
“I feel that it is very important for schools and districts to connect with one another,” he stresses. “California's education system is facing some of its greatest challenges today and I think it’s critical that we stay connected and assist each other.”
Crediting CETPA with bringing ed tech professionals together, he believes an IT department’s most valuable resource is its brainpower. “CETPA allows us to brainstorm as a community, not just a department.”
This brainstorming helps Perry immensely in his position at Emery USD where he oversees the integration of technology and curriculum, the professional development to support it and the evolution of the infrastructure it’s built on.
“I think the role of technology in an educational environment should be to better the learning process without burdening it,” he explains. “In other words, a successful implementation is only as such when it works to make the lives of teachers and students easier by allowing them to focus on the lesson at hand and not the technology underneath. It also opens the doors for opportunities that may have otherwise been unavailable due to lack of funding or improper facilities.”
While he has only been with the Emery USD for a year, his past experience includes providing technical advice and implementation support for educational and non-profit organizations. He’s worked with many schools designing reliable and affordable technology infrastructures that he says are manageable within the resources of the organization.
“One important fact that I have learned in this profession, over the past 10 years, is that technology is capable of anything, but capability won’t last without being manageable.”
Love of computers dates way back
Perry’s passion for computers dates back to 1981 when his father brought home his first personal computer.
“[It was the] Heath Kit H-89,” he recalls. “I was hooked. My father was always a big influence in developing my ‘geek skills’.”
It’s these geek skills that have made Perry so satisfied in his choice of careers.
“Working in this industry has become very important to me. My job is more than just a means of living; it's also a means of giving. While state and federal politics play their games, the educational system needs people on the ground that will get the job done on very limited resources. After realizing how many educational needs weren't being met, I came into the industry to see what I could do. This is the only industry I've ever worked in where people are more concerned with the community than the money. The daily sacrifices made by teachers and administrators for the betterment of the school and children are a constant reminder of what we should all aspire to.”
Having said that, he views the biggest challenge in education technology today is keeping pace with the industry at large.
“It takes very strategic planning and intuitive insight to keep up with the changes in technology without overstepping what is both practical and manageable,” he says.
This is where CETPA helps, he adds. “I believe that CETPA members would benefit from an online discussion forum that is Web-based. It would be a place where ed tech professionals could ask the CETPA community questions about computer problems, best practices and product recommendations.”
He’s also a strong believer in members following CETPA President Mike Caskey’s lead in writing legislative representatives to block the E-rate Termination Act.
“For many schools and districts, E-Rate funding makes it possible to provide telephone and Internet connections to the classroom. Removing this subsidy, without providing alternate funding, would be devastating to many of California's most underserved classrooms,” he explains.
When not busy with technology, this single native of Mission Viejo (who relocated to Oakland in 2000) loves the great outdoors, especially camping and backpacking.
“After years of scrutinizing over bits of computer code in the back of a server closet, I have developed a profound appreciation for getting out into nature,” he smiles.
