Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Technology topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hyde Park tech director outlines AI training, library recovery and multi-factor rollout
Summary
Director of technology Rick Wert told the board the district is surveying teachers on generative AI use, expanding library and makerspace programs, managing 8,000+ devices and rolling out multifactor authentication for staff, while raising cybersecurity concerns.
Rick Wert, Hyde Park's director of technology, gave a multi-part update on Jan. 23 covering instructional technology, library circulation and cybersecurity safeguards.
Wert said the technology team is surveying teachers about generative AI to shape professional development and said the district must teach students to use AI tools ethically and responsibly. He said many teachers expressed worry not about how to use AI but about how to instruct students to use the tools without undermining learning; the district is planning training that emphasizes ethical classroom use and detection/assessment techniques.
Libraries and instructional tech
Wert reported that elementary and secondary library circulation is returning to pre-pandemic levels: about 59,000 elementary- and 68,000 secondary-item checkouts last year, and that ebooks via the district subscription (Sora) are increasing. He highlighted makerspaces and a high-school podcasting program and said librarians and tech integrators are co-teaching digital citizenship, keyboarding and research skills across grades.
Device and help-desk operations
Wert said the district manages roughly 8,000 devices and about 163 software titles, and that last year the help desk logged 24,606 tickets (many from parents); the help-desk team aims to build a self-help knowledge base and routing categories to reduce repetitive tickets. He said the district pays for a 1-gigabit internet connection with occasional short bursts above that level and is monitoring usage trends.
Cybersecurity and multifactor authentication
Wert described a district-wide multifactor authentication (MFA) rollout for staff using fobs and phone-based authenticators. He said many employees preferred physical fobs over phone-based codes and that the district expects to require MFA for all adults by spring break. Wert and board members discussed phishing and social-engineering risks and the need for staff training on MFA (for example, never sharing a one-time code).
Why it matters: Wert and board members framed these items as core to instructional quality, student safety and continuity of operations. Board members also stressed the constant nature of cyber threats and the district's need to keep user practices and network protections current.
Ending: next steps
Wert said the district will continue teacher training on generative AI and digital citizenship, expand self-help materials for the help desk (with an eventual chatbot), finish MFA distribution and inventory aging PA and camera systems to plan replacements. He noted the instructional technology team offers in-class co-teaching, and librarians will continue curriculum-aligned tech lessons.
