Teaching teachers technology.

• Author: Kerven, Anne
• Position: Tim McClung of the Go.edu consultancy firm - Company Profile

Tim McClung got a first-hand hook at the big tech companies and their goings-on several years ago, when he served as a member of Adams County District School Board No. 50.

"It was fashionable to partner with school districts, but not always to the districts' advantage," he said. While the big companies were "pushing products," the schools needed a service that would operate from the districts' perspective.

"That was the germ of the plan" for Go.edu, the Denver-based consulting company McClung founded in 1992.

Go.edu assesses school or district computer systems - or the lack of them. If needed, McClung supplies the systems, Internet access, training and technical support. Because Go.edu is a "Microsoft solution provider and an authorized education reseller," McClung can get school discounts on hardware and software. Microsoft Office, for example, might cost about $60 per station, compared to about $400 each for corporate use.

Go.edu also does tech support from remote locations for subscribers. That can range from troubleshooting with a teacher to monitoring student use. At times, McClung supplies programs to help schools block access to certain Internet sites, although, "You're getting into First Amendment issues there."

Costs vary depending on a district's or school's needs.

"If a school wants just a day, and we work with staff or investigate (needs), that might be $850," McClung said. "Or we've had an outsourcing contract with District 50 for years, where we provide people full time. That comes to $350,000 a year. The most expensive is by the hour. I call it pay by the drink. It costs a lot more that way."

While Go.edu trains administration and teachers, it's still a company that provides tech solutions...