Cleveland Public Schools is a small K-12 district with around 600 students, nestled in a quiet town. Tavish Satrom, the technology director, joined the district in 2018 after running his own computer repair and network setup business. His arrival marked the beginning of a transformation in how the district managed its technology systems, an effort that became more pressing as the school’s processes were bogged down by outdated, manual systems.
When Tavish started, Cleveland Public Schools tasked a staff member with manually creating user accounts for both students and teachers, a time-consuming and inefficient process. The staff member would create accounts in Google Console and Active Directory, but these systems were not synced, resulting in students being unable to log into their accounts. The district also dealt with severe security risks, including students using the same passwords for years. On top of that, the district was using a small, unsupported provisioning system that worked for some applications but couldn’t provide the necessary single sign-on (SSO) integration for the growing number of apps the district relied on.
Cleveland’s ClassLink implementation brought immediate results. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) was rolled out quickly, ensuring that even the youngest students could securely access their accounts through image selection. Older students could use a pin, which maintained their ability to use two step verification without using a cell phone. With LaunchPad, all applications were organized in one central location, making it easy for students and staff to access their tools with a single sign-on. ClassLink’s Roster Server seamlessly integrated with the district’s student information system, Infinite Campus, automating the rostering process and ensuring that student data was accurate and up to date. With the ability to customize data sharing through DataGuard, Tavish could control what information was shared with third-party applications, ensuring privacy and security.
ClassLink helped Cleveland Public Schools shift from maintaining outdated systems to improving their overall technology infrastructure. By automating account provisioning and rostering, ClassLink freed up valuable time, allowing Tavish to focus on strategic improvements. Teachers no longer create Google Classrooms or roster students and guardians manually. The district also strengthened security by raising password requirements and provisioning sub-accounts for substitute teachers automatically.
We’re doing things automatically now. Everything is happening as soon as the sync is done. Since we’re not having to spend time manually doing things, we’re saving money.
