I would like to introduce you to a wonderful technological advance of the century – err, make that last century. Introducing: the computer. You see, on every first day of school, children come home with the same paperwork that needs to be filled out by their parents. Usually parents are writing down the same information on the forms as they did last year. If there is more than one child attending school, the work involved in filling out paperwork is multiplied. Now, writing down the information is not itself hard at all, but it is a time consuming and tedious process. This is especially true when multiple forms want the same information.

I’ve been to your offices at the schools. I see computers in there. I can only assume that every year, the forms are returned with each child and hand entered into your “system.” Is the information not saved at the end of the school year? It seems that everything is purged when school is out of session only to be re-populated come next August? Though it seems that some information is kept as class lists are created and they know which grades they go to. With the onset of the twenty-first century, I would like to suggest that the district embrace technology and streamline its processes in the realm of student records.

Suggestions that may be helpful:

• Update, not Re-enter: Record the information and keep it in the system via a well-structured relational database. Every year for returning students, send a hardcopy home with the student’s information on it. The form would ask to update the information if it’s not accurate (i.e. address/phone changes, new doctors, etc). There really shouldn’t be any need to record the same information every year, just the data that changes. Then the records could be updated when the form is returned. When the child leaves the school district or graduates, make the record available to the next district or the family in some way.
• Cross-Reference: Some forms that are given at the beginning of the year ask for the same information. Heck, some forms that are given throughout the year (i.e. field trips, extracurricular activities) ask for information that was supplied already. Why do we need to reiterate? Just look at the main record with this data instead or placing it in multiple places where it could be subject to inconsistency or outdatedness.
• Accessibility: Go a step further and make the forms available online to cut back on the time needed for staff to update the system manually and allow for easier/faster submission of forms with common information. Security of childrens’ privacy is probably one hot button for people but seriously, we trust other information over the Internet (banks, insurance, credit) so this is hardly anything different. Security can be implemented that should satisfy the toughest critics. Traditional paper forms should also be available for those without Internet access or choose to submit paperwork the old fashioned way.
• Homework too: While we’re on the subject of using the Internet, allow for some homework to be submittable over the Internet. It could just be via e-mail but also consider using a workflow system. The student submits the homework and the parent certifies the homework (verifying that it’s not plagiarized or someone else’s work). The homework is sent to the teacher for review/grading. Optionally a grade could be available for viewing online. Even an online progress report could be dynamically generated so students can see how they are doing without waiting for interims to be passed out. This would also allow parents to be more informed of what their child is doing in class. I realize that younger children (ages K to 5th) probably have work that isn’t submittable in this fashion. I think that’s fine.

The above suggestions may seem insane and I can understand it may not be feasible at first glance. We use technology in a lot of areas in our lives so why can’t we leverage it for our schools in some way? Let’s save some trees, clutter, and potential headaches from parents. I know it’s not realistic to expect too much change in how our schools are run. An overhaul in the record system shouldn’t be taken lightly and would cost a bunch to implement, but we can’t expect to keep using the same record keeping procedures forever. If I have a misguided view on the current process, please, someone enlighten me. I do realize I have an outsider perspective on how school recordkeeping works, but from where I’m standing it doesn’t seem very optimal.

• Crayons, 16-count, regular size: Not a big demand at first, but the stores have this gem costing a little over $2.00 while the 24-count box was only 22¢. Why in the world am I going to pay more for less colors? Not going to happen. If they really want to have a problem with it, I’m just going to remove 8 colors and change the number on the box with a Sharpie™.
• 200-count packs of loose leaf paper: I could not for the life of me find packs of 200-count filler paper. The store only had 150-count which I figured should just be as dandy. If they need more paper, I’ll go get some more. Actually, I just searched Office Depot’s site and found that they have 200-count packs… for twice the price of 150-count. Ha! No, thank you.
• P.O.U.C.’s: “You mean the pencils of unusual colors? I don’t think they exist,” was my reply to the search of the elusive red pencils. Not red colored pencils, but red leaded pencils. I think they have the kids self-grade their work sometimes. Or it could be for editing a paper. Or not… he’s only in the third grade. Are they making 8 year olds write essays yet? Anyway, the P.O.U.C.’s were eventually found at Walmart.
• Standard/Metric 12″ ruler: What? I think they mean an English/Metric ruler. Of course a 12″ metric ruler would be funnier.
• Pencils, sharpened: That’s fine and dandy, I suppose. Don’t they have pencil sharpeners in schools anymore? I remember way back when we had to sharpen our pencils using the big sharpeners by the door that could take some skin off your finger if you weren’t careful. That’s fun there. I need to find an electric pencil sharpener. Sharpening all of those pencils by hand is a pain and calluses are not fun.
• Dry-erase Markers: I really doubt the kids are actually using these themselves. This really sounds like a teacher supply which really should be bought by the teacher/school. The costs are getting the teacher down? Doesn’t the state of Ohio reimburse teachers for supplies they had to buy?
• Folders: Folders with pockets. Folders with pockets and prongs. Plastic folders with pockets and prongs. In six different colors. Red, yellow, blue, green, purple, and orange. That orange one is the tricky one. Thought I had found them but they didn’t have prongs. Almost had to make another Princess Bride reference.
• Teacher/Time specific supplies: Some supplies are only needed if my kindergartner is in a certain class or goes during the morning/afternoon. And we usually can’t find that out until a few days before school starts. Found out today what class Abi will be in but… her class says there’s 23 children. The other class says there are 13. I have a sneaking suspicion that some kids will be moved to balance out the classes. If that’s the case, we may have bought the wrong supplies…

Just a minor rant. Maybe it’s just us but it just irritates me that they don’t consider the parents when making the supply lists. I don’t think I need to run out to 4 different stores to find things. Plus they really should find out what stores are carrying in the sense of quantities (see paper & crayon bullets above). Well, they go back on Wednesday and should have everything by then. Wednesday? Why start in the middle of the week? Le sigh…