Stepping Up to the Plate: How Educational Services Organizations Are Helping Schools Reopen

District administrators are turning to educational services organizations to help them rise to the challenge of reopening amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

UNESCO estimates that 60% of the world’s student population has been impacted by school closures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the U.S. specifically, that percentage is likely much higher, as millions of schools across the country closed their doors this past spring and immersed themselves into the world of remote learning. 

But with summer almost behind us and the pandemic showing few signs of slowing down, diverging stakeholder opinions about how best to reopen schools are coming to the fore. Yet despite their differences in opinion, administrators, teachers, and parents have the same goal: to keep students safe while fostering their development. To help them quickly achieve this goal, an increasing number of member districts are now turning to their educational services organization (ESO) for support. 

How ESOs Help Schools Reopen

For ESOs, preparation for a new school year is traditionally marked with budget meetings, curriculum mapping, bus driver training, cloud implementation initiatives, and beyond. While these services are, for the most part, still essential, many districts are now asking ESOs to step up to the plate with more comprehensive support. To answer this call and efficiently meet the needs of their member organizations, ESOs must be prepared to: 

• Assist with Remote Technology Management: Many schools across the country are once again turning to remote solutions to help facilitate student learning, whether full time or in a hybrid capacity. School administrators need an ESO who can help them manage their entire software and hardware inventory, from vendor assessment to implementation and beyond. As part of this process, ESOs will need to work closely with their members to ensure all students have access to a laptop or tablet and a reliable internet connection. Only with the right solutions in place can remote classes launch smoothly and successfully. 

• Ensure Tech Literacy: To ensure remote curriculums remain engaging and informative, students and educators must understand how to take full advantage of new remote learning tools. ESOs that are prepared to conduct robust end-user training help empower their member organizations to use remote solutions effectively and trouble-shoot issues in real-time. 

• Manage Stakeholder Questions and Concerns: Every new initiative requires ongoing management and support. Unanticipated issues are bound to arise as educators, students, and parents learn how to access login credentials, conduct software updates, and more. District administrators need their ESOs to help them find a way to stay on top of stakeholder questions that arise and provide a sense of assurance in times of uncertainty. 

• Assist With Contact Tracing: For schools that plan to reopen in some capacity, contact tracing is a must. Many districts are turning to ESOs to help them navigate this unchartered territory and deploy innovative new technology, like Bluetooth beacons. These devices leverage AI-based location positioning systems and geofencing to segment large environments and pinpoint a person’s real-time location and location history. They also help administrators enforce social distancing policies by alerting them the moment unsafe distancing or large gatherings occur. 

Help Your Members Reopen with Confidence 

ESOs across the country are feeling the crunch. Tasked with meeting the demands of their member organizations on such a tight timeline, they find themselves unsure of how best to proceed. 

Epiphany offers an extensive suite of remote K-12 support services that ESOs can adopt and deploy at speed. End-to-end device management, 24/7 help desk support, and comprehensive end-user training are all within our wheelhouse. ESOs that partner with Epiphany are empowered to resell our services to their members, demonstrating the depth and breadth of their experience during this time of crisis. 

Find out today how Epiphany can help equip your team with the skills and resources they need to ensure your members have a safe, successful school year.