Anonymous
Post 04/16/2020 10:42     Subject: FCPS School board mtg at 10:00 Thurs...live stream
Anonymous wrote:So 50% of the teachers could have used the last 3-4 weeks to set up Google classroom sites. They had time. But, I guess they thought BB would work, so they didn't move down the path of using Google classrooms.


The teachers are posting assignments on google classroom.

This is not a teacher issue.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2020 10:42     Subject: FCPS School board mtg at 10:00 Thurs...live stream
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:BB guy is saying that tests were done when the software was first installed and that they've had this load before (back to school week) with no trouble so they "didn't not anticipate issues with load this week."

He's an absolute idiot.


IT person here. From waht I saw, the issue is not on BB's side. THey have plenty of capacity. It's the login side (used for more than just BB, also other services). That part uses FCPS servers and they couldn't handle the load.


BB should have anticipated that.


Yep. They're the technology savvy vendor. The client is not tech savvy (often very bad at tech). It's the vendor who figures this stuff out.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2020 10:42     Subject: FCPS School board mtg at 10:00 Thurs...live stream
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:BB guy is saying that tests were done when the software was first installed and that they've had this load before (back to school week) with no trouble so they "didn't not anticipate issues with load this week."

He's an absolute idiot.


IT person here. From waht I saw, the issue is not on BB's side. THey have plenty of capacity. It's the login side (used for more than just BB, also other services). That part uses FCPS servers and they couldn't handle the load.


189,000 students + 16,000 teachers. My husband does IT for the government and called it when he saw it!


My husband works for the government as well. They had the same problem last week or maybe the week before (what day even is it?). Their entire system went down for several days due to capacity.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2020 10:39     Subject: FCPS School board mtg at 10:00 Thurs...live stream
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:BB guy is saying that tests were done when the software was first installed and that they've had this load before (back to school week) with no trouble so they "didn't not anticipate issues with load this week."

He's an absolute idiot.


IT person here. From waht I saw, the issue is not on BB's side. THey have plenty of capacity. It's the login side (used for more than just BB, also other services). That part uses FCPS servers and they couldn't handle the load.


189,000 students + 16,000 teachers. My husband does IT for the government and called it when he saw it!
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2020 10:39     Subject: Re:FCPS School board mtg at 10:00 Thurs...live stream
What I am not getting, just how did they not know to test it pretty widely first?

Anderson is asking some good questions.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2020 10:38     Subject: FCPS School board mtg at 10:00 Thurs...live stream
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Grovel, BB guy, grovel more.


Yes.

It's a Fairfax based company so it's unlikely that they're going to lose FCPS as a client but they might get a pretty unfavorable contract when it's renewed.


Contract isn't being renewed. It costs a fortune, very few schools use it, and there are better programs. As of earlier this year, FCPS was moving to Schoolology in 2022 (?) but that has to be approved by the board who were hesitant. They won't be now.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2020 10:38     Subject: FCPS School board mtg at 10:00 Thurs...live stream
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:BB guy is saying that tests were done when the software was first installed and that they've had this load before (back to school week) with no trouble so they "didn't not anticipate issues with load this week."

He's an absolute idiot.


IT person here. From waht I saw, the issue is not on BB's side. THey have plenty of capacity. It's the login side (used for more than just BB, also other services). That part uses FCPS servers and they couldn't handle the load.


BB should have anticipated that.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2020 10:38     Subject: FCPS School board mtg at 10:00 Thurs...live stream
Anonymous wrote:This is all for show folks. Don't feel vindicated yet.

They probably rehearsed this blame game off camera to make the Board members look relatable ("parents are frustrated just like me"), Brabrand to be "surprised" ("well, I tried"), and Blackboard to be the scapegoat ("yeah, our software guys were laughing the whole time when you stupid cheap-os declined to pay for upgraded security features, but hey, we just raked in $X million from your ill-wriiten contract which is great considering we at least still have jobs").


+1 (your summary did make me laugh by the way it was written! funny!)
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2020 10:36     Subject: FCPS School board mtg at 10:00 Thurs...live stream
Anonymous wrote:Grovel, BB guy, grovel more.


Yes.

It's a Fairfax based company so it's unlikely that they're going to lose FCPS as a client but they might get a pretty unfavorable contract when it's renewed.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2020 10:36     Subject: Re:FCPS School board mtg at 10:00 Thurs...live stream
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why can we just do Online Classes like colleges do????

Lots of teachers are ready to do this but FCPS insist on these "live" classes


They aren't easier for teachers, as college teachers will tell you.

And my elementary school kids aren't in college or ready for that. Maybe yours are but mine aren't.



True. So how about let Elementary schools use BB and Middle and High school to do "online School". We can't just have everyone on the same platform!
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2020 10:35     Subject: FCPS School board mtg at 10:00 Thurs...live stream
Anonymous wrote:BB guy is saying that tests were done when the software was first installed and that they've had this load before (back to school week) with no trouble so they "didn't not anticipate issues with load this week."

He's an absolute idiot.


IT person here. From waht I saw, the issue is not on BB's side. THey have plenty of capacity. It's the login side (used for more than just BB, also other services). That part uses FCPS servers and they couldn't handle the load.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2020 10:34     Subject: FCPS School board mtg at 10:00 Thurs...live stream
Grovel, BB guy, grovel more.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2020 10:34     Subject: Re:FCPS School board mtg at 10:00 Thurs...live stream
In response to the question "why did we not test this system" their answer is "we had no indication that these problems are occur." Really? What rock are the gatehouse staff living under?
Blackboard in response said, "we looked at previous data and predicted that there will be no issue with load." Does Blackboard know that there's a pandemic?

Heads needs to roll. The faster Blackboard goes out of business, the better.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2020 10:33     Subject: FCPS School board mtg at 10:00 Thurs...live stream
BB guy is saying that tests were done when the software was first installed and that they've had this load before (back to school week) with no trouble so they "didn't not anticipate issues with load this week."

He's an absolute idiot.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2020 10:32     Subject: FCPS School board mtg at 10:00 Thurs...live stream
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So 50% of the teachers could have used the last 3-4 weeks to set up Google classroom sites. They had time. But, I guess they thought BB would work, so they didn't move down the path of using Google classrooms.


My kids schools (elementary and secondary) used Google Classroom the last 3-4 weeks. Just like they did during school time.

Not every teacher, not every school did though.


If/When it works, Collaborate is fine.