Page 5 - The Edge - Winter 2016

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

BY JEREMY CALLES

Let’s Get Smarter with Your Amazing Smart Phone

I want you to think of your Smart Phone, Clash of Clans app, would be lled with so many apps. I mean, you can literally nd
Net ix, Smart TV or just a at screen TV in gener al. What do they an app that does anything. Look at how they have evolved over the
have in common with each other, and more importantly why am past 5 to 10 years. Now step into my mind for a minute and see my
I bringing it up? vision. Careful! ere is a lot of fast moving tra c and I wouldn’t
Well, we know that at some point we made it through the day want you to get hurt.
just ne without any of this technology, but at some point we were You’re at the podium presenting your budget and a Governing
introduced and it was love at rst sight. In some cases, it wasn’t Board member asks, “How does our transportation spending
healthy and maybe you lost an entire weekend watching every compare to our transportation revenue?” You whip out your super
episode of “Lost” or “Breaking Bad.” smart phone (assumed name for the next generation), ick the
It took a little time, but you found a way to integrate this screen and a report is displayed on the monitor that shows them
technology into your life. You no longer call your best friend, who the transportation revenue calculation and transportation expenses
talks way too long, and ask for directions to that restaurant that broken down by category. “Well how does that compare to other
you both enjoyed a few months back. Now you click on your districts?” You click a couple buttons and that data is graphed
Smart Phone and Google or Siri against the state, the Auditor General’s Peer Groups, and your
give you turn-by-turn instructions, own custom peer group list.
complete with traffic updates Imagine that the answer to any question you could possibly
and an estimated time of arrival. be asked about your data, or similar data in other districts, is
Technology has enhanced our lives, sitting in your pocket. What would you do for the ability to
created e ciencies, and frankly has look like a genius in front of your Board, co-workers, parents
just gotten way too cool. So what’s and community, all by making a few clicks? What would you
next? pay? Hold that thought.
AASBO is expanding our Now imagine that all of that nancial data is tied to academic
mobile app, so tell Angry Birds and outcomes. A thermometer is nice, it tells you the temperature,
Candy Crush to make some room. but a forecaster lets you know the weather ahead of time and
Audrey is all over social media is even more valuable. So imagine when you have an app that
so tweet, like, comment and will allow you to look at di erent investment scenarios
share, because we are out and see how that will impact the academic performance
there. However, I want to of your students.
talk to you about the New e Smart Phone is a tool, and the limitations on what
Data Collection Project. apps can do is purely dependent on the imagination of the
Remember when Smart people who are designing them. AASBO has just picked
Phones rst came out? up a new tool and formed a team that has imagination
People said, “You and talent. You can be there in the beginning and watch it
have to get a smart grow into this amazing tool that we can’t live without by
phone!” If you joining the Data Collection Project.
were like me then e price is shockingly low,
your response was, so join today and who
“Calm down, this knows – this may lead to
flip phone calls the invention of “Smart
people just fine.” Bills” being passed at
You had no idea the Legislature.
how these phones

5