K-20 Network Technical Support

State funding supports K-12 schools on the K-20 network through highly skilled technical staff in Regional Institutional Technical Units (RITU). The RITUs are based in each ESD and cover the two main components of K-20 network operations — data and video transmission. At the school and district level, staff in the Institutional Technical Units (ITU) are the point-of-contact for administrators and educators.

RITUs Are Frontline Units
On the data side of the house, RITUs work with districts to resolve connectivity issues. On the video side of the house, RITUs work at the local level to solve videoconference problems.

RITU staff deliver direct technical support for the network and represent their ESDs on a working group that directs the technical, procedural, policy and fiscal components of the network’s K-12 sector. These lightly staffed, highly capable units deliver fast and effective trouble-shooting on a large scale: in 2010, RITU staff resolved over 1,000 trouble tickets at the local level, which solved connectivity and technical problems for school districts across Washington.

Confluence — Professional learning Network for Technical Staff
K-20 support staff connect with each other on an online forum called Confluence. This interactive wiki acts as a crossroads for discussion, the work-through of new ideas, a place to post the activities of the K-20 working groups and an online space where technical staff can centralize policy and important documentation. It’s easy to share and participate here — the chat forums are open and accessible, the wiki format simple to learn quickly.