With the help of top-of-the-line Surface devices and related technology from Microsoft, we’re bringing up a whole new generation of leaders from the Tolleson community.
- Mindy Westover: Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Tolleson Union High School District
You hear the word “pride” a lot at Tolleson Union High School District — pride that inspires and unites a district to help its young succeed.
The historic district encompasses more than 100 square miles serving Tolleson and surrounding Maricopa County cities. It aspires to level the playing field for its culturally diverse families, many of whom lack the resources to provide devices at home. Initiating its one-to-one device deployment to students and teachers checked a critical goal of providing Tolleson Union High School District with the technology it needs for the future. Students are now thriving with Surface Laptop Go, and teachers have a productivity-enhancing tool in Surface Laptop 4.
CLOSING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
Walking the halls in any of the seven high schools in her district, Mindy Westover, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction at Tolleson Union High School District, sees promise. “Our kids are absolutely brilliant, and we have a very high bar for them,” she says. She cites many success stories, such as the current mayor of Tolleson—a proud Tolleson High School graduate. Many former students return to the district as teachers.
Devices are out of reach for a lot of Tolleson families. Many of their children will be the first-ever high school graduates in the family, and without a one-to-one device program in the district, breaking that pattern and opening the path to a college education was a struggle.
Previously, the district had a limited device supply. “It doesn’t matter how amazingly brilliant you are if you don’t have the right tools,” says Westover. “Can you imagine filling out college and financial aid applications or typing an academic paper on your cellphone? Our students have had to do that. Providing them technology helped remove a significant barrier to their success.”
IDENTIFYING THE IDEAL DEVICE
COVID-19 only worsened the situation because so many students suddenly had to attend school virtually from afar. In an 80 percent Hispanic district, many students needed to support extended family members who were struggling to cope with the disease in Mexico. A small number of others, including residents of Asia and Africa, returned home to wait out the pandemic with their families. For Antonio Aguirre, director of information technology at Tolleson Union High School District, it capped a time of perpetual struggle to give students the advantages he feels they deserve. “We had old technology and no way as an organization to manage devices remotely,” he recalls.
Funding came through for the one-to-one program’s return to in-person learning in September 2021. Aguirre and Garrett Godoy, network and project manager at Tolleson Union High School District, invited Dell and Microsoft to submit device proposals. The 4,000 Dell devices that were delivered for the first phase of distribution were time-consuming to deploy. “Unboxing the Dell devices and finishing the preparatory work took three to four weeks even though they’d been pre-imaged,” says Aguirre.
Tolleson’s districtwide IT team reconsidered its device choice. “We concluded that Surface offered a better family of devices,” says Aguirre. “The new Surface Laptop Go was a no-brainer, for example, because it has no moving parts and is less likely to fail.” Godoy lists the other requirements that Surface devices easily met: simple, fast boot times and crisp audio and video conferencing to ensure smooth Microsoft Teams–based class sessions — vital for remote learning. “Surface Laptop Go devices run flawlessly, and they’re perfect for Teams, which is an integral part of our learning environment,” he says. “They meet all of our needs, and they’re easily managed with Intune. They add the greatest possible value to our district’s IT investment.”
And deploying the 7,200 Surface Laptop Go devices was a breeze. “We just handed the box to the student,” says Godoy. “My department’s labor went down drastically, ensuring tremendous budget savings. That means a lot for a team of just 18 people who support more than 14,000 students and teachers.”
MAKING UP GROUND WITH AN EASY-TO-USE DEVICE THAT MAXIMIZES VALUE
Tolleson Union High School District offers an extensive career and technical education (CTE) program that provides training on sophisticated applications like Adobe Creative Suite. Aguirre’s team no longer needs to build custom devices for specific software. “Surface Laptop Go plays very well with leading-edge software like Adobe,” he says. “The integrated camera works great with applications like Teams, and the 8 gigabytes of RAM and solid-state drive support CTE education very well. Now, a single device satisfies our students’ every need — even those who are preparing for technology-intensive careers.”
Substantial battery power keeps the school day on track. In the past, other devices with batteries that topped up at a mere four to six hours left students scrambling and stressed during exams or standardized testing. It also created nightmares for principals and administrators like Westover. “Teachers had to plan their days around devices that would give out by afternoon, and we had to set up testing around dying batteries,” she says. “The facilities engineer was very concerned about the extension cords that students brought in, and we were actually starting to plan structural changes to our district’s buildings just to keep devices charged.” That expensive workaround is no longer on the table. “Surface devices have amazing battery life,” declares Westover. “After a night’s charge, Surface Laptop Go will last for at least 12 to 13 hours, and Surface Laptop 4 is good to go for 17 hours or more. I certainly appreciate that long battery life when attending conferences or traveling around the district.”
As an added touch, Tolleson’s Surface Laptop Go devices bear the school’s emblem. “Our students deserve the best,” says Aguirre. “Having their school logo etched on their Surface devices brings them a sense of pride.”
KEEPING TEACHERS FOCUSED ON WHAT THEY DO BEST
The district bought about 700 Surface Laptop 4 devices for teachers. The move marked a turning point for teachers who had been frustrated by painfully slow updates on their previous Lenovo devices, which they found difficult to use. “Teachers need to focus on their students, not their devices,” explains Aguirre. “They need the right tool to do their best work, and we nailed that with Surface Laptop 4. Teacher morale has increased, and calls to our help desk are down.” He’s pleased by the ease with which teachers can access so many new options, such as projecting wirelessly to a smart TV or projector. “The devices remove technical barriers to teaching,” he adds.
ENJOYING ONGOING MICROSOFT SUPPORT
Tolleson’s famous pride underscores the district’s device win. “It’s an awesome feeling that we selected the best devices for our students and teachers,” says Aguirre. “We also have a state-of-the-art infrastructure to manage those devices thanks to our close relationship with Microsoft.” For Godoy, finding the best devices for the district is only the beginning — ongoing support from Microsoft is key to maximizing the district’s long-term technology plan. “Our relationship with Microsoft didn’t end with our purchase of Surface devices,” he says. “We’re still having conversations about technological possibilities and ongoing support.”
Westover agrees wholeheartedly. “Not only did Microsoft help our educators and our students, but it helped our community as a whole,” she concludes. “With the help of top-of-the-line Surface devices and related technology from Microsoft, we’re bringing up a whole new generation of leaders from the Tolleson community.”
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