FCPS IT chief steps down

Luftglass

Maribeth Luftglass has stepped down from her job as head of IT at Fairfax County Public Schools, following the school system’s disastrous experience with distance learning, several news outlets report.

Luftglass had been assistant superintendent of information and technology since 1999. Chief Operating Officer Marty Smith will take over the IT department on an interim basis.

Distance learning was initially supposed to start April 14, but school was canceled for the rest of the week as a result of numerous technical problems.

The Blackboard 24-7 system hadn’t been updated, leading to a lack of capacity, as a result, many students couldn’t log in. And because of insufficient security, some students used the system for inappropriate language and behavior.

Related story: FCPS to drop Blackboard Learn 24-7

Superintendent Scott Brabrand promised the system would work when distance learning resumed April 21, but the glitches continued.

Brabrand announced that evening that FCPS would drop Blackboard 24-7 as a tool for face-to-face instruction. FCPS hired a law firm to determine how distance learning went wrong, and Brabrand established a technology advisory council to come up with recommendations for distance learning going forward.

Related story: FCPS apologizes for distance learning failure