[school-discuss] Approaching administration: ammunition needed

["Alan E. Davis" <lngndvs@xxxxxxxxx>]

My school principal is planning to spend 15K for "Rediker" school
administration software.  I am appalled: we do not have microscopes
for our science department!

I am a GNU/Linux user.  Although I can maintain my personal GNU/Linux
systems, I am reluctant to attempt anything at the school level.
There are people at the school who are interested in using, for
example, Open Office, and some interest in GNU/Linux except not enough
interest to sit down and learn the system.  I have been using
GNU/Linux for at least 12 years; but I am not expert enough to go to
the school administration and say, "XYZ free software can do this and
this and this."  Everything I do with GNU/Linux, I am over my head.

I need armament---information to present to tech people and to the
administration that can convince them that it's not worth it to spend
15K, when a system exists that is being used, and is good enough for
our needs, that is Free or Open Source.  We hae a M$ shop, bascially,
so firmly entrenched (even with awareness of Free Software) that Free
Software is not taken seriously.

Any responses and links I will use to print materials out, to present
to our adminstration.  "Rediker" is used at other schools, so I think
that it will be most useful to look at systems that can do what
Rediker can do, competently.

Thank you,

Alan Davis
Kagman High School
Saipan, N. Mariana Islands

--
Alan Davis, Kagman High School, Saipan  lngndvs@xxxxxxxxx     1-670-256-2043

I consider that the golden rule requires that if I like a program I
must share it with other people who like it.
                                         --------Richard Stallman