From "Catch Up" to Cutting Edge: The Power of Standardized Infrastructure

Robert Fishtrom, Director of Information Technology, Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District

When I first stepped into the role of Director of IT at Mountain View Los Altos (MVLA) High School District, I was met with a paradox. We are situated in the heart of Silicon Valley, where innovation is a fundamental expectation. Yet, our infrastructure was crumbling. Classrooms were a "mishmash" of devices that caused "undue stress" for teachers and students alike.

The district did not establish any technology standards. This led teachers to take matters into their own hands and do what was needed to deliver instruction. Teachers would often install their own display technologies (such as an Apple TV) and their own audio systems (often speakers duct-taped or mounted unsafely), leading to a fragmented environment where moving to a different classroom meant learning an entirely new setup. Our IT staff was playing a "perpetual game of catch-up" and “whack a mole” with an aging, brittle infrastructure. To move forward, we had to stop treating technology as a collection of individual gadgets and start treating it as a unified, standardized ecosystem.

The Backend: Building a Robust Foundation

Infrastructure planning must begin where the users can’t see. Before we could modernize our classrooms, we had to address an inconsistent network and server infrastructure. MVLA’s network switchgear was at the end of life; internet traffic was not routed correctly; staff and students accessed the network using pre-shared keys; and our servers were running Windows Server 2003! Wiring across the district was a mix of single-mode and multi-mode fiber. The bottom line: there was no rhyme, reason, or consistency!

We revamped the entire network - from wiring (single-mode fiber from our core to all MDFs and IDFs, with Cat-6 and Cat-6a cabling from the IDFs to classrooms, offices, and other areas) to upgrading our core switches (Cisco Catalyst 9500s) and edge switching (Cisco Meraki MS390s). We also implemented HP Aruba Clearpass for network identity management and security. (No more pre-shared keys!)

We migrated to a hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) using Nutanix, which consolidated our storage, compute, and network resources into a single system. By implementing a 3-2-1 architecture—three copies of data replicated across two on-premises instances and one cloud instance—we gained the redundancy necessary to protect against ransomware and system failures. The result? Administrative time for our virtual infrastructure dropped from 15 hours a week to just 15 minutes.

The Classroom: A Blueprint for Equity

With a stable backend, we turned to the "Classroom Standard." Our goal was to create an equitable environment where every teacher and student had access to the same high-quality tools. We utilized the unique downtime provided by the pandemic to overhaul 230 classrooms with a standardized "blueprint":

● Interactive Displays: We standardized on Epson BrightLink® interactive laser displays. They offer large (up to 110-inch), bright images that are visible even in well-lit rooms, and unlike flat panels, they allow teachers to keep their whiteboards when not in use.

● Universal Connectivity: Every room features a docking station monitor. Whether a teacher chooses a MacBook or a Dell laptop, they simply plug in and the technology "just works".

● Integrated Audio and Projection: We integrated Lightspeed Topcat audio systems with Vivi wireless projection. Teachers can wear a mic to ensure every student hears them clearly, or wirelessly share student work from any device (BYOD, Chromebook, or iPad).

This consistency has been a "game-changer" for part-time and rotating teachers who no longer need a "Plan B" for technology.

Three Lessons for Strategic Planning

Modernization is about more than just buying new gear; it’s a shift in philosophy. As you plan your own standards, keep these principles in mind:

1. Value over Sticker Price: Don’t just look at the initial cost. Consider the total cost of ownership (TCO), including maintenance, power consumption, and staff support time.

2. Seek Partners, Not Vendors: A vendor sells a product; a partner invests in your long-term success. We chose tools like Epson, Cisco, Vivi, Lightspeed, and Nutanix because they aligned with our goals for reliability and scalability.

3. Scalability through Flexibility: Build systems that can grow. By using modular designs and wireless tools like Vivi, we can easily add new users or integrate future technologies without a "rip-and-replace" scenario.

Investing in standardized education technology is ultimately an investment in the future. By removing the "undue stress" of unreliable tools, we allow our educators to focus on what they do best: teaching, while providing an infrastructure that our IT team can manage consistently and thoroughly.

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