ACPE 2024 - Rock IT

As a brand new IT Director and SysAdmin in a tiny K-12 district, we found ourselves in a position many are all too familiar with. With zero documentation, a shoestring budget, and a team of 3, we were expected not only to maintain existing systems, but replace failing ones, improve cybersecurity, and keep our teachers happy.

Unencumbered by experience, aided by the flexibility a small institution affords, and with nowhere to go but up, we've had tremendous success embracing unconventional & and often counterintuitive solutions.

We touch upon:
- What makes K12 different
- The value of genuine communication
- When FOSS is good, bad, or not really free