If you are slated to be issued a new Dell laptop, yes, you are expected to exchange even a recently issued HP replacement laptop. Staff, regardless of the HP ProBook they might have been issued, and even if recently issued a replacement HP laptop, are to exchange that laptop for our newest Dell laptop model, if identified to receive a new one. Standardizing our deployed fleet in this fashion is being done for support and maintenance purposes.
Files on current staff laptops will be securely erased after the laptops are returned to the technology department. If you are interested in saving any of the files that are on your current laptop, please follow the directions here. If you need assistance, please submit a tech ticket.
The technology department can only suggest staff consider asking their principal directly if additional time might be set aside for this purpose during their next staff meeting.
No. At this time all older HP laptops will be exchanged. Standardizing our deployed fleet by role is being done for support and maintenance purposes.
A limited number of external CD/DVD optical drives will be issued to each building via the media center/front office for check out. Staff will need to work with the front office / media specialist in regards to access and their check out policy.
Yes, all special teachers and media specialists are being issued a new laptop and are expected to exchange their former equipment in the issuance process.
While all laptops will have certain software pre-installed including browsers (eg Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge) and LibreOffice, where applicable, by building level (elementary, middle, high), other software, whether licensed by the district or simply relevant to that level, has been pre-installed. As an example, the elementary laptops are pre-installed with the latest versions of licensed Smart Notebook (v18), licensed Mirroring360, and the software for their model document camera (Hovercam).
The technology department respectfully requests everyone’s cooperation as the logistics of device issuance and exchange involving over 1200 staffers is a daunting undertaking. Staff should be ready to exchange their current equipment for a new laptop on the day their building is scheduled. If they are not ready or are absent on their scheduled day, they are not able to turn in their device at another location and there is no makeup day per se for any building. During a limited time window, in April, after our department has completed scheduled issuance for all cohorts across the district, we will be in a position to circle back to those who, for various reasons, missed the exchange when it was initially scheduled for them. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation to minimize the time that needs to be spent on deployment.
Yes. You will receive a new power cord for the new laptop.
While nearly everyone was issued a bag, a few declined, usually because they preferred to use a bag they already had. Other staff have shared that their issued bag has since been lost or can’t be found. In all cases, we will still exchange the current laptop with a new laptop, even if a bag isn’t returned with the current laptop. However, as a department, we are hopeful that those that were issued laptop bags and still have them will locate and return them, in large measure because the bags represents a real expense the district incurred and if they are still viable, we’d like to continue to have them used (for example, while we will have on hand modest Amazon basic bags, we didn’t purchase enough for everyone, and expect that at least some of the bags that are returned are in good shape and can be issued out again with a new laptop).
For the exchange to take place, we need the power adapter of the device you were issued to be returned, whether it is working or not. Please do alert department staff if the power adapter is not working.
There is no opt-out for the new laptops. Standardizing our deployed fleet is being done for support and maintenance purposes.
No. Laptops will not be available for purchase.
No, you will not be charged for a broken laptop bag. We will still exchange the current laptop with a new laptop, even if a bag is returned broken or isn’t even returned with the current laptop. To preserve limited district funds, our department is hopeful that those that were issued laptop bags and still have them will make an effort to locate and return them, because the bags represents a real expense the district incurred and if they are still viable, we’d like to continue to have them used (for example, while we will have on hand modest Amazon basic bags, we didn’t purchase enough for everyone, and expect that at least some of the bags that are returned are in good shape and can be issued out again with a new laptop or Chromebook).
Please submit a service ticket for assistance with the re-installation of overage purchased software. Please be sure to include documentation of the overage purchase so that we can help with the retrieval of licensing information.
Depending on your role (ie nurses), our department might work with you to install additional safeguards such as BitLocker to further protect the data on the laptops. As a reminder, please keep your laptop safe at all times and implement features such as invoking password protection within a short time of inactivity or when the screen is closed to reduce the risk of student information being accessed or stolen.