Breakout Session Preview: Performance Analysis & Benchmarking
March 31st, 2010Shelley
The name sort of says it all. This session is about using data to make informed decisions. Sure, you probably already know that SmartFindExpress has tons of data, but what do you do with it? Enter Rita Reid-Smith and Mike Mrstik. They’ll show you the benefits of using targeted data to make informed HR decisions. Plus, they’ll provide you with specific examples (aka case studies) of districts that have used data to make real changes to absence management.
Rita and Mike promise you’ll leave the session with action items to take home and use right in your own district! It’s going to be a great session with plenty of discussion time too.
Our Canadian clients think of Rita Reid-Smith as an eSchool Solutions rock star. She’s been working with clients in Ontario for almost two years and made her Solutions Summit debut last year in Long Beach. This year, Rita will also facilitate the Creating a Job Description for System Administrators Small Group Discussion.
Mike Mrstik started his career at eSchool Solutions as a member of the Client Services team a little more than two years ago. Currently, he works with Shared Direct Response Team clients. This is his first SmartFindExpress Solutions Summit, but probably not his last. Mike will be spending most of his time in the Solutions Spot, so be sure to stop by and say hello!
Fun Stuff, Local Traditions (and a little advice)
March 30th, 2010Shelley
More breakout session previews to come, but thought I’d take a break and share some suggestions for having fun while in the Crescent City. There’s a great search feature in the travel section of the New York Times. Simply search New Orleans, Louisiana. You’ll find all kinds of articles, plus links to hotels, restaurants and attractions.
My search found this wonderful article, 36 Hours in New Orleans. Although, originally published in December 2007, its got great suggestions for things to do while you’re in town. This brings to me to an important point. When making plans in New Orleans, always verify the information you have is accurate. Nearly five years after Hurricane Katrina, the city sometimes struggles to keep it together. Some businesses have not resumed normal hours of operation – even after all this time.
Also, consider trying some local New Orleans traditions!
- Lucky Dogs – Lucky Dog wagons have been a French Quarter staple since 1945.
- Sno-Balls – There’s always a line at Hansen’s Sno-Bliz, where the Sno-Balls (NOT snow cones) come in 150 flavors. The most famous is still the Nectar with Cream. Hansen’s is only open from early April through October. Grand opening this year? April 6. Perfect timing.
- Muffuletta – Olive salad, Mortadella sausage, Cappicola ham, Emmentaler cheese, Genoa salami, provolone cheese and round Italian bread. In 1910, the owner of Central Grocery (see Shelley’s Picks) combined all the ingredients so his patrons wouldn’t have to buy them separately.
Tomorrow, it’s back to breakout session previews. In the meantime, Laissez les bon temps rouler y’all!
Breakout Session Preview: Troubleshooting with the Knowledge Base
March 29th, 2010Shelley
Time to get your knowledge on! Barbara Smith and Tom Smith (no relation) are joining forces to bring you an interesting new session – Troubleshooting with the Knowledge Base. eSchool Solutions has recently formed its own Knowledge Base (KB) team. What is it and why was it formed? Attend this session to find out!
All will be explained as Barbara and Tom provide an overview – and benefits – of a knowledge base. Plus, they’ll show you a sneak peek of the eSchool Solutions KB. The second half of the session will be discussion-based; a chance for you to tell us what information should be included to make the KB a real benefit to you – and all of our clients.
If you don’t know Tom Smith, you should. As the VP of Client Focus, Tom is the advocate for our clients. He also manages Client Services and has worked diligently to create a team that can provide both proactive and reactive assistance to clients. Always a regular at the Solutions Summit – and back by popular demand – Tom is Master of Ceremonies at this year’s event!
Barbara Smith is our technical writer (aka documentation expert) and is the eSchool Solutions Knowledge Base project lead. Barbara has been on the eSchool Solutions team for more than five years; you might remember her from the 2006 SmartFindExpress Solutions Summit in San Francisco.
Laissez les bon temps rouler y’all!
Breakout Session Preview: Tools to Support Substitute Training & Development
March 26th, 2010Shelley
In this group discussion, facilitated by John May, participants will explore the tools and technology available for managing the training and development of substitute employees. The big question? What activities are your substitutes currently engaged in and how do you manage (keep track of) these activities? Can you easily identify who completed what activity and when? Many districts are doing this manually – taking up valuable time and resources. There’s an easier way.
John will show you how a few eSchool Solutions clients are managing substitute activities, plus you’ll learn what other participants are doing to identify and track substitute training and development.
John May has been a valuable eSchool Solutions team member for more than five years. Many of you know him from past conferences and for his work on the SmartFindExpress Advisory Council. In addition to several other responsibilities, John manages ERO – our automated professional development software. We’re keeping John busy this year; he’s also assisting in the Integration Services breakout session.
Breakout Session Preview: Jazzing Up Announcements with HTML
March 24th, 2010Shelley
Today, Karen Aho was nice enough to give me a sneak preview of Jazzing Up Announcements with HTML. In this brand new breakout session – designed by Karen – you’ll learn how simple HTML code can pack a wallop to the announcements section in SmartFindExpress. She’ll highlight some basic HTML principals and demonstrate a few simple concepts for creating better looking announcements.
Part of the session will be reserved for group discussion time. Karen said that as she was preparing her presentation, she noticed districts don’t share the same information (i.e. share the same announcements). She believes it will be helpful for participants to learn what information is being shared – and why.
A little background on my friend Karen Aho. Technically, she’s our senior business analyst, although, I (lovingly) call her our SmartFindExpress know-it-all. Karen has been a member of the eSchool Solutions team for more than 10 years and is a Solutions Summit veteran. In a nutshell, she’s totally awesome! Make sure you spend some time with Karen at the conference. When she’s not presenting she’ll be in the Solutions Spot answering questions.
Laissez les bon temps rouler y’all!
Solutions Summit Team Keeps Growing
March 15th, 2010Shelley
We just can’t keep eSchool Solutions team members from participating in this year’s SmartFindExpress Solutions Summit. What can I say? They love any opportunity to spend time with you! Since my post – Announcing the Solutions Summit Team! – we’ve added four lucky employees to the existing team, plus one very special guest!
- Rob Wheeler, Senior Software Engineer (and past Solutions Summit rock star); Rob is making a special appearance to unveil something so cool, so exciting that only he can do it justice!
- Billy Baggerly, National Account Manager
- Hans Mills, National Account Manager
- Stacy Gibbons, National Account Manager
Plus, Caroline McKenna from Ideas will be on hand to introduce TeacherStudio, our exciting new product that allows teachers to see, hear and collaborate with their peers in action. There’s more to come regarding TeacherStudio, so make sure you stay linked to our blog. In the meantime, Laissez les bon temps rouler y’all!
March Madness: Countdown to Solutions Summit
March 12th, 2010Shelley
Only 26 more days until the annual SmartFindExpress Solutions Summit! Needless to say, the entire eSchool Solutions team is putting in extra hours to make sure we’re ready by April 8. Here’s a sneak preview of what you can expect to see at the conference:
- SmartFindExpress 1.5
- Preview of SmartFindExpress 2.0 (really cool stuff)
- SmartFindExpress beyond 2.0 (super cool stuff)
- A peek at TeacherStudio, a great new product that allows teachers to see, hear and collaborate with exemplary educators in action
Not to mention:
- A couple of really exciting top secret announcements (super secret, super exciting)
- A chance to win one of four Flip video cameras
- A chance to win one of two $50 American Express gift cards (for Troubleshooting the Knowledge Base attendees)
- A Mardi Gras themed welcome reception on April 7
Whew! There’s a lot of excitement brewing here at eSchool Solutions. We can’t wait to show you all the really fun things we’ve been working on since the last time we saw you. Need more reasons to attend? Stay tuned. (Or check out my earlier post, Top 10 Reasons to Attend the 2010 Solutions Summit.) In the meantime, Laissez les bon temps rouler y’all!
