Zoom and Google Outages: How Schools Should Prepare for Tech Problems
The vast majority of U.S. schools are relying on technology platforms more than ever before.
That means schools have been particularly affected when big tech providers like Zoom and Google have experienced temporary outages. Zoom was down on the first day of school for thousands of students across the country last fall, and the possibility of another outage for a key tech-based service always looms on the horizon.
For the Joliet school district in Illinois, this school year started off on a rough note with the Zoom disruption, followed by a Google outage, as well as some local Comcast internet service problems, all of which disrupted students’ learning. “At that point in time, we didn’t have a plan B,” said John Armstrong, the district’s director of technology. “We hadn’t gotten that far.”
Gov. Kate Brown abruptly announced new rules for school reopenings on Wednesday afternoon, making former directives optional and allowing school districts to open if they follow safety precautions against the coronavirus.
In a letter to health and education agencies, the governor said the stateâs health metrics for returning to in-person instruction will become advisory rather than mandatory effective Jan. 1.
Local school districts will have more flexibility to manage through the coronavirus pandemic. Hailey Hoffman/The Astorian
âMoving forward, the decision to resume in-person instruction must be made locally, district by district school by school,â Brown said.
In an effort to tamp down the COVID-19 pandemic, most Oregon schools have been closed since mid-March and students have been learning remotely in their homes. Many parents and students had become increasingly frustrated with the situation and the calls for reopening schools