Fairfield Public Schools

School/District Logo
Industry
PreK–12
Enrollment
10000
Region
Northeast

Fairfield Public Schools

School/District Logo
Industry
PreK–12
Enrollment
10000
Region
Northeast
Profile
Profile

The Transition to Cloud-Based Learning

Fairfield Public Schools, located in Fairfield, Connecticut, serves over 10,000 students across 18 campuses. As the district transitioned to digital learning and cloud-based applications, they sought to provide seamless access to resources for both teachers and students. The goal was to support flexibility and personalization in teaching while embracing modern technology.

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Challenge
Challenge

Breaking Free from VPN Limitations

During their shift to digital and cloud-based tools, Fairfield Public Schools faced several challenges. Teachers and students struggled to access necessary resources efficiently and on their preferred devices without being locked into a rigid system. Resource awareness was another hurdle, as educators spent time searching for solutions the district already had in place. This approach was inefficient and unreliable, posing issues for security and classroom productivity. Additionally, the district’s reliance on VPN connections made accessing files cumbersome and limited availability for students and teachers alike.  

Solution
Solution

One Click, Unlimited Possibilities

ClassLink provided Fairfield Public Schools with the tools needed to overcome these challenges. LaunchPad streamlined access, giving every user in the district a single location to access resources with just one click. Teachers could adapt at their own pace while benefiting from an easy, centralized system. The district also adopted ClassLink’s OneRoster standard, enabling faster, more accurate delivery of class rosters and improving integration with learning tools. With ClassLink, Fairfield transitioned away from VPNs, providing secure, round-the-clock access to files and applications.

According to Nancy Byrnes, Director of Technology, “ClassLink supported our transition to cloud resources while allowing our teachers to maintain their approach to access and management.” As a result, teachers saved valuable time, gained confidence in using digital resources, and personalized their teaching methods. Students engaged with technology like never before, enabling a more innovative and effective learning environment.

Nancy Byrnes
Director of Technology at Fairfield Public Schools
School Logo

Fairfield Public Schools

Connecticut
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Fairfield Public Schools Uses ClassLink to Manage Transition and Build Digital Resource Awareness

The Challenge

Fairfield Public Schools recognized that their teachers and students were poised for a series of transitions including adopting new, digital learning resources and embracing the cloud. These transitions were exciting, but also revealed a number of issues along the way. One of these was the difficulty in allowing teachers and students to access what they needed, on the devices they preferred, without prescribing a specific path.

The desire for flexibility, however, also revealed that making everyone aware of all that was available was going to be a bigger challenge. According to Nancy Byrnes, Director of Technology, “Teachers spend valuable time looking for solutions when we already have products that serve them, and from a security and efficiency perspective, it’s not reliable.”

Choosing ClassLink

Fairfield identified in ClassLink a platform that would enable access to every user in the school system, in addition to playing a vital role in the transition from on-premise services to cloud-based applications. This was especially relevant for access to files, since the district needed to get away from the difficulties of VPN connections and provide students with 24/7/365 access.  

Fairfield was also excited about ClassLink’s embrace of OneRoster, the open data standard that is helping school districts facilitate the delivery of class rosters with greater speed, accuracy, and efficacy.

The Outcome

Simply stated, the challenges that teachers and students historically faced were no longer an issue. By being able to present resources in a simple, consumable format and making access as simple as a single click, teachers not only save time in the classroom, they have great confidence in using the resources available to them. Students are able to engage with technology in a way never before seen in the district.

“It’s just been a metamorphosis for us as opposed to a big bang. And in the end, it has been an entirely transformative process. Teachers are just so thrilled.”

Nancy Byrnes
Fairfield Public Schools