[K12OSN] Schoolmaster / schoolmaster.com
Paul VanGundy
vangundypw at sau14.k12.nh.us
Fri Feb 17 18:31:03 UTC 2006
Sharon,
I will agree to disagree. :) I do agree on one thing, every district
needs to make their own decision...
-Paul
On Fri, 2006-02-17 at 13:26 -0500, Sharon Betts wrote:
> I am not convinced -- we had all you mention and it was about 1/4 of your
> $24,000 per year not counting the initial cost to get the functionality
> and state reports. Upgrades are all part of the maintenance agreement.
> Again, Centre is a contiguous whole database and you paid a flat fee each
> year which covered all new releases of the database, state reporting
> updates and any new add-ons that we requested (not that were automatically
> integrated even if we didn't need them).
>
> However, every district needs to make their own decision --
> Sharon
>
> vangundypw at sau14.k12.nh.us on Friday, February 17, 2006 at 1:22 PM -0500
> wrote:
> >Sharon,
> >
> >When we pay our $24,000 to PowerSchool (which includes everything...even
> >training..not a bad price actually) we get EVERYTHING from Lunch
> >tracking, billing, calendaring, grade books, professional quality report
> >cards, student ID generator/creator, parent and student access,
> >discipline, tons of reporting utilities, automatic state report updates,
> >special education portion, easy importing and exporting of data, and
> >many many more things...and all of that comes with the yearly price we
> >pay for support. When a new version or addition to PowerSchool is
> >released we automatically get it. Centre has SOME of those features, not
> >many of them. Also, take a look here:
> >
> >https://store.glenn-abbey.com/
> >
> >Seems you still have to pay for State Reporting portions, per-incident
> >support, Student Billing/Food Service Tracking and so on...and those
> >aren't cheap prices either. What happens if a new version or update
> >comes out of those modules? More $$$$.....So if you really want to USE
> >your Centre SIS you are forced to go out and purchase additional modules
> >or add on programs. Again, PowerSchool is a contiguous whole database.
> >We pay a flat fee each year which covers all new releases of the
> >PowerSchool database, all state reporting updates, any new add-ons that
> >PowerSchool will create to extend its' database and so on.
> >
> >Again, Centre might be for some districts. But not all.
> >
> >-Paul
> >
> >
> >On Fri, 2006-02-17 at 13:09 -0500, Sharon Betts wrote:
> >> Paul,
> >> They did not stand alone -- they are completely integrated into one
> >> database (MySQL) -- there is no transfer of data. But, you should look
> >> for yourself unless you are completely sold on PowerSchool and have the
> >> finances available. I am not a salesperson for Centre -- just a
> >proponent
> >> of OpenSource that meets the needs of a district and trying to clarify
> >> your reasoning in my mind.
> >> 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.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> 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.
>
>
>
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