Hi Joshua, thank you for taking the time to speak with us. We're eager to explore your experiences leading Philomath School District through its digital transformation journey.
1. Could you paint a picture of the current digital landscape in schools? How has it evolved over the past few years?
The COVID-19 pandemic made remote work and learning an absolute must, leading to a significant influx of funding that enabled schools to quickly adopt tools like Chromebooks. While most schools have returned to in-person learning, they now face new challenges. A major issue is growing tech debt—many schools lack the funds to replace aging Chromebooks or the network infrastructure to adequately support the vast number of on-site devices.
Cybersecurity remains a pressing issue, with limited funding forcing many schools to act only after a serious breach. Meanwhile, parents are increasingly vocal about their children’s safety, privacy, and well-being, demanding that schools take stronger protective measures.
"We have more useful tools for education at our disposal than ever before."
Despite these challenges, there are also significant advancements: Never before have so many technological tools been accessible to education. Many schools can now equip every student with a fully functional computer, alleviating financial pressure on families and ensuring greater access to learning resources.
2. In your experience, what are the most significant hurdles schools face when implementing new digital tools and technologies?
The most obvious is cybersecurity. Schools are prime targets for data theft due to the tremendous amount of sensitive, legally protected information they manage. Safeguarding this data—especially children's private details—is not a trivial task. It requires secure data transfers between Student Information System (SIS) to numerous other systems (ideally only the minimum amount of data needed for the system to function). Vendors must be thoroughly vetted to ensure they maintain student privacy. But even trustworthy companies sometimes fail to meet their own security standards.
Perhaps the most significant hurdle overall is financial. School budgets are shrinking, and most, if not all of the covid-era funding programs are gone. Grants and other available funding programs often come with complex requirements and limited availability, and even when schools secure these funds, they may have to maintain the systems at their own expense in the future. From within a technology department, getting approval for important purchases can be difficult as financial administrators have to juggle the cost of technology with other priorities.
In addition to financial and technical challenges, user acceptance of new technologies plays a crucial role. Many users approach change with skepticism, and mandatory measures like multi-factor authentication can noticeably complicate workflows. Even seemingly minor changes, such as transitioning from Canvas to Moodle, can significantly disrupt teachers' daily routines. Clear communication and comprehensive training are essential to smoothing the transition and fostering a positive adoption experience.
"Our district is unique in that we self-host and maintain far more systems than most school districts, leveraging the flexibility and innovation of Linux and open-source software."
Another challenge, closely tied to cybersecurity, is finding reliable providers and partners. While free and open-source software offers numerous solutions, there are instances where such tools either don’t exist or fail to meet specific requirements. In these cases, we rely on purchased products, often bundled with support contracts. However, during economic downturns, many organizations cut customer-facing roles like customer service, support teams, and quality assurance. This often leaves us without timely assistance when it’s most needed—a frustrating and, unfortunately, all-too-common experience.
3. Can you share the challenges Philomath School District faced during digitalization and how they were addressed?
Financially, the budgets of Philomath School District have tightened, much like everyone else’s. Turning to open-source software has been a game-changer. For instance, when news broke that VMWare was being acquired by Broadcom, we anticipated steep price hikes and proactively switched to ProxMox. While other districts faced cost increases of 2–10 times, we managed to reduce expenses. Similarly, when our Tegile NAS began failing, and a replacement was quoted at nearly $150,000, we partnered with DakTek to build a nearly identical machine for just $17,000. By implementing TrueNAS Scale, we’ve kept the system running seamlessly for almost two years.
Cybersecurity has also been a major focus, especially with over a dozen nearby districts compromised in recent years. When our insurance provider mandated two-factor authentication (2FA) for staff email accounts, we acted early. We researched options, consulted neighboring districts, and chose Google’s built-in MFA system for its simplicity. To ensure a smooth rollout, we engaged stakeholders early—presenting to the school board, meeting with union leaders to address privacy concerns, and sending regular emails explaining the importance of MFA.
When staff are hesitant about changes, we pilot new systems with volunteers to build support organically. For instance, we’re currently transitioning staff from Windows laptops to Chromebooks. A few tech-savvy staff volunteered to test them, and we ensured they could perform all their usual tasks—like using document cameras, editing PDFs, and working with MS Office. Their positive feedback has sparked widespread interest, with many now eager to switch. Creating an air of exclusivity during the testing phase has been a subtle but effective strategy to encourage acceptance.
Finally, we prioritize flexibility to accommodate our teachers' unique needs and preferences. Educators are free to choose the tools that work best for them—after proper vetting, of course. Whether it’s a new Learning Management System (LMS), testing app, or educational resource, we ensure it’s trustworthy, roster it, and enable SSO where possible. This approach allows teachers to use tools they feel comfortable with, leading to greater satisfaction and more effective integration of technology in the classroom.
4. Speaking of open source, what made Zammad the right choice for Philomath School District, and how does it align with your needs and goals?
Getting approval from higher-ups for new software can be challenging, especially when existing solutions technically work, even if poorly. Zammad’s open-source nature was key—it allowed us to compile and run it for free, testing it alongside our current system without risk or cost beyond labor.
"The open source nature of Zammad gave us an unlimited testing period, making it easy to demonstrate its value and secure approval for official support later. "
The fact that Zammad runs on Linux and uses known, well-documented open-source technologies was another big plus. Security maintenance is far easier without proprietary, opaque code in the mix. The knowledge base was a huge selling point for us as well.
Having a knowledge base with the granularity to share with the public, only with logged in users, or only with admin has incredible potential.
LDAP integration made account provisioning effortless, and since our users are already logged into Chrome, Zammad’s integration with Google SSO allows for one-click login. This not only streamlines the user experience but also automatically protects our helpdesk with MFA.
The core workflows, objects, and triggers allow for such an incredible amount of customization that we can literally tailor Zammad to function exactly the way we want it to, and the documentation for these features is accessible and well-written—not hidden behind a paywall or support contract.
Finally, the user interface is so simple and easy to navigate. As a neurodivergent person, I really appreciate how naturally it flows. I don’t have to strain to remember where options are buried under confusing menus; everything is exactly where it feels like it should be.
5. We’d love to hear a concrete example of how Zammad has transformed a particular workflow or process. Can you take us through a before-and-after scenario?
In the past, if we were lucky enough to receive a ticket in our old SolarWinds helpdesk—rather than an email or phone call—our agents would begin investigating the issue. For recurring problems, they would first search Google Drive and our Windows share for relevant documentation. If that proved fruitless, they would attempt to navigate the outdated ticketing system in hopes of finding previous solutions. Failing that, they would comb through their email inboxes for references to past conversations. All too often, these efforts came up empty, forcing the team to start from scratch to resolve the issue.
"Now, with Zammad, everyone puts in tickets because of how incredibly easy it is."
Since introducing Zammad, the volume of calls and emails has dropped significantly. When enquiries do come in via phone or email, we direct them to the helpdesk if they can’t be resolved immediately or require documentation. For recurring issues, our agents now begin by consulting the knowledge base. If no suitable article exists, they analyze and resolve the problem, then document the solution in a detailed guide with screenshots. The next time the issue arises, it can be resolved quickly by simply linking to the relevant article.
6. Looking ahead, how do you see the role of software in education evolving, and what should schools and technology providers prioritize to advance digitalization?
It’s hard to predict exactly where the future of technology in education will lead. If current trends persist, technology will continue to integrate more deeply into all aspects of education, with cybersecurity becoming even more critical. A prime example is artificial intelligence (AI): we’re only at the beginning of its development, and its long-term role in education remains uncertain.
The EdTech sector is brimming with innovative solutions, and even older systems are increasingly enhanced with AI features. However, it’s still unclear which approaches will stand the test of time. At the same time, the Broadcom case highlights the risks of becoming overly reliant on a single ecosystem. Schools should always explore alternatives and maintain contingency plans. Well-known providers like Cisco may be prominent, but that doesn’t necessarily make them the best choice.
"Technology providers need to act responsibly during economic challenges."
Schools rely on vendors because we don’t have the resources to manage everything ourselves. When companies make drastic cuts during economic downturns—such as reducing support staff—it significantly hinders schools’ ability to operate effectively and demonstrates a lack of long-term vision. While such measures may offer short-term financial relief, they ultimately erode trust and damage relationships.
To ensure the sustainable advancement of digitalization, both schools and providers must remain adaptable, prioritize reliable solutions and embrace evolving circumstances.
7. What three pieces of advice would you give to school administrators who are just starting their digital transformation?
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Embrace unconventional solutions. In education, unlike other industries, we have tremendous freedom to be creative in selecting and implementing solutions. This flexibility is a significant advantage—make the most of it.
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Always consider the end user's perspective. Your primary goal is to equip teachers with the tools and infrastructure they need to perform their jobs effectively. Prioritize solutions that not only address issues but also enhance security and streamline the user experience.
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Transparent communication is critical. If there’s no budget for new computers, be upfront about it. If a server is down due to a Windows update, explain the situation. And if you’ve switched your helpdesk to Zammad, share that information too. People are generally more understanding and supportive when they’re kept informed about changes and the reasons behind them.