[K12OSN] Schoolmaster / schoolmaster.com

Fri Feb 17 18:04:40 UTC 2006

Sharon,

That's what we are trying to avoid, modularizing our database. You can
have a module for lunch, discipline and health and so on but they are
just that: independent modules. Modules are independent, and sometimes
communicate properly with the rest of the database. Modules are meant to
be standalone or combined to form a database (like MMS,
www.cri-mms.com). The problem with this is that they don't always
communicate with each other properly and we aren't about to go back to a
module type database. 

PowerSchool, for example, acts as a contiguous whole and not as
individual modules attempting to act as a whole. This allows us to trust
our input and output data versus our current modular based SIS which
data sometimes gets lost in transition from one module to another.

Again, Centre might meet the needs of some school districts, but I am
not about to bet all of my money on them nor am I fully willing to put
all of our district SIS data on one yet. Perhaps in the future as they
mature more.

-Paul

On Fri, 2006-02-17 at 12:55 -0500, Sharon Betts wrote:
> I have moved from the district that was implementing Centre.  However,
> they also used a discipline module, a food services module, a module to
> track student obligations etc.  Just a thought that Centre has been on a
> rapid development curve and remains very cost effective (as opposed to the
> $80,000 plus that PowerSchool quoted  -- without training).
> Sharon
> 
> vangundypw at sau14.k12.nh.us on Friday, February 17, 2006 at 12:39 PM -0500
> wrote:
> >Sharon,
> >
> >I agree that size makes is a factor, but isn't the focus. It really
> >depends on what features your district demand from an SIS and are those
> >features offered. You may have two school districts with 2500 students
> >but District A may use their SIS more exhaustively than District B. 
> >
> >An example, we really need features to keep track of discipline. That
> >features doesn't exist in Centre. With PowerSchool we can track
> >discipline by day, time, and location. So we can pull up all students
> >that during 9am-11am on February 17th were truant. It will give us all
> >the students that meet these conditions. Centre and SchoolTool can't do
> >that. That is a feature we need to have because that's what our district
> >uses to track discipline. Other school districts might not.
> >
> >Again, the above was an example but the focus should be on what are the
> >needs of your district and not necessarily the size.
> >
> >-Paul
> >
> >
> >
> >On Fri, 2006-02-17 at 12:30 -0500, Sharon Betts wrote:
> >> I would like to know the size of your district(s).  There are several in
> >> Maine using Centre (2500 students approximately) and I believe it is
> >> working very well.
> >> Sharon
> >> 
> >> vangundypw at sau14.k12.nh.us on Friday, February 17, 2006 at 12:27 PM
> >-0500
> >> wrote:
> >> >Mike,
> >> >
> >> >I guess it really depends on how exhaustive you use your student
> >> >information systems. I know that we looked at several different SIS
> >> >databases like Centre, SchoolTool, MMS, iPass, and PowerSchool. This is
> >> >my thought on Open Source SIS databases to date: Primitive. At an
> >> >elementary school level you can probably get away without a lot of the
> >> >features that more robust and commercial SIS databases like PowerSchool
> >> >offer but at the high school and district levels, we can't live without
> >> >options that we get with commercial SIS databases. We indeed did go
> >with
> >> >PowerSchool as it is extremely robust, web based, and always up to date
> >> >with our state reporting forms. Not to mention many other options and
> >> >customer support. These are the things that Centre and SchoolTool lack.
> >> >I am all for implementing Linux and open source applicationd in
> >> >educational institutions (which I have), but in my humble opinion, it's
> >> >not worth relying on an open source SIS database for my district
> >yet....
> >> >
> >> >-Paul
> >> >
> >> >On Fri, 2006-02-17 at 12:05 -0500, Mike Heins wrote:
> >> >> Hi,
> >> >> 
> >> >> With the success of our K12ltsp labs, and the fact that all remaining
> >> >> computer systems problems seem to be Windows/related, we are in the
> >> >> market for a Linux-based school information system (to replace Hunter
> >> >> Schoolminder, etc.).
> >> >> 
> >> >> My cooperating teacher ran across Schoolmaster, which apparently can
> >> >> run its custom DB (Faircomp) on Linux, but still runs all code on
> >> >> Windows clients.
> >> >> 
> >> >> I surveyed the options last year and didn't see anything real good
> >> >> that was web or Linux based. 
> >> >> 
> >> >> So I have three questions:
> >> >> 
> >> >>     1) Are there any satisfied or dissatisfied Schoolmaster
> >> >>        users out there?
> >> >> 
> >> >>     2) Have any options opened up (or become stronger) in the
> >> >>        past year for school information systems?
> >> >> 
> >> >>     3) How close is the Shuttleworth school system from being
> >> >>        useful for grades and report cards?
> >> >> 
> >> >> Best,
> >> >
> >> >_______________________________________________
> >> >K12OSN mailing list
> >> >K12OSN at redhat.com
> >> >https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/k12osn
> >> >For more info see <http://www.k12os.org>
> >> 
> >> 
> >> 
> >> Educational Technology Coordinator MSAD#52
> >> 59 Cobb Rd  Turner, ME 04282
> >> 207-225-4565               sbetts at msad52.org
> >> 
> >> Information contained in this message is privileged and confidential. 
> >If
> >> you are not the intended recipient, you may not disclose, use, or copy,
> >> this message.  If you have received this message in error, please delete
> >> this e-mail plus any attachments and immediately notify the sender.
> >> 
> >> 
> >> 
> >
> 
> 
> 
> Educational Technology Coordinator MSAD#52
> 59 Cobb Rd  Turner, ME 04282
> 207-225-4565               sbetts at msad52.org
> 
> Information contained in this message is privileged and confidential.  If
> you are not the intended recipient, you may not disclose, use, or copy,
> this message.  If you have received this message in error, please delete
> this e-mail plus any attachments and immediately notify the sender.
> 
> 
> 