Community Briefs Community Briefs (September 02, 2005)

MV-Whisman names tech director

The Mountain View-Whisman School District has taken another step toward its goal of becoming technologically up-to-date with the appointment of a director of technology.

Jon Aker will be the first to occupy the newly created position, made possible by last July's joint powers authority agreement with the city which brings $400,000 annually to the district for the next 15 years. Educators vowed to use the funds to better utilize technology in the schools, and chose Aker to oversee creation of a high-tech infrastructure.

According to Superintendent Maurice Ghysels, Aker's role includes "getting the technological tools into the teachers' and students' hands to accelerate teaching and learning." His job begins on Sept. 19.

Aker comes to Mountain View from the Campbell Union School District, where he worked as the network coordinator manager, building and maintaining network equipment and servers. Ghysels, who also previously worked at the Campbell district, said Aker did a good job in his former position and will do so again at MV-Whisman. -- Katie Vaughn

City under Coro microscope

Twelve post-graduate students plan to spend next week trying to figure what it is that makes Mountain View tick. The Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs has chosen Mountain View for the group's annual "logic study."

The study, scheduled to begin next week, is a high-speed look from an outsider's perspective on "the logic of Mountain View." The fellows will be working out of a conference room on the third floor of City Hall. They will present their findings in a report Sept. 9 at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council chambers

Mayor Matt Neely was a Coro fellow in 2001, working on a logic study of Palo Alto. He first ran for office a year later. -- Jon Wiener

E-mail a friend a link to this story.