by Guest Author
ER2 has been working with charter schools across the country for over 10 years now, and it’s always rewarding when we read the vision or mission statements of the partners we do business with. We’ve come to realize that they are in lock step with our own, which perhaps is no coincidence. Georgia Charter Schools Association “advocates for the development of high quality public charter schools and networks that improve opportunities for Georgia students.”
Likewise, ER2, which has been providing new and refurbished technology to companies, schools, and other organizations, also states its mission to “provide opportunities for individuals to continuously improve.” We believe that we are given unique gifts and talents to serve our communities, and have a particularly special place in our hearts for charter schools as they continue to grow and thrive, providing students with every opportunity to compete, excel and find success beyond high school.
Crossing Gaps
Our Interest in working with charter schools is one born of fulfilling a need for technology, to be sure. However, it’s what that technology means that really matters. We’re all aware of the damage that the technology gap can do for students, especially in vulnerable communities. A laptop becomes that key to continuous learning, staying connected, staying competitive with their peers, and eventually finding employment and furthering their education.
In addition, our culture and vision is possibly more important than our product. While we understand that we are not the only company to sell technology, we are committed to empowering the unique approach of each charter school that we work with and the students they serve. To a person, we stand out by our integrity, servanthood, and desire to help our partners succeed.
Seeing the Top
While the “what” is important – providing quality enterprise-grade devices to students, teachers and staff – the “why” stands out. We can build custom computer packages based on a school’s needs – but it’s been the relationships we’ve built that keep us focused on the real goal. A few examples of our impact:
During 2020, it quickly became evident that the business model of providing refurbished technology that performed as well as new for as much as half the cost was about to become unprecedented in demand. Our relationship with Great Hearts, which existed prior to the pandemic, meant they could rely on our partnership to provide them with an “emergency” order for more than 4,000 devices. Couple this with services to the schools like warranty protection up to 3 years per device, deployment, IT asset disposal and procurement in a market that seemed to suddenly be stretched, and we were grateful we could provide solutions to keep students and teachers connected, learning, and thriving.
Bruce Thomas, Senior Systems at Great Hearts, commented that it wasn’t too surprising, as “ER2 always comes through.” For their 24 campuses and 25,000-plus enrollment, we were happy to get them to the summit.
Closer to home, our partnership with International Community School in DeKalb County, GA, is fairly fresh, but the impact has been positive. Their IT Director commented, “ER2 was able to provide a competitive quote, outstanding service, and took care of my needs in 2023. This year, they have begun helping with the planning for this school year’s hardware procurement. Price isn’t the most important—the relationship is—and I only want to work with ER2.”
The Right Equipment, the Right Guide
We’ve come to know the specific challenges charter schools in particular face, as most do not have an IT department or even an onsite lead to manage the inventory. ER2 has services that allow teachers to teach, staff members to administrate a school’s function, while maintaining the devices that end up in students’ hands, even those that might get broken.
ILT Schools, which reached out to ER2 in 2020, had approximately 22,000 broken devices and needed repair rather than find revenue to replace them. These were assessed, repaired, and delivered back to the schools in four weeks. Our Accidental Damage Protection (ADP) program has meant that broken devices won’t mean an interruption in learning, as ready devices are there to replace the damaged ones. The damaged units come to ER2 to replace and return without waiting time.
As Kevin Hansen, their IT Director, summed up, “ER2 came in giving us back time and efficiency while saving us money.”
For schools that are onboarding, or even those that are well established, the relationship begins with a conversation. As the years have passed, we’ve developed an ear for the pain points schools have and try to avoid, and it’s become our goal to have the answer, whether it’s financing options, working with state contracts, addressing timelines, fulfilling special requirements for devices, or all of the above.
ER2 also can provide new equipment through our premier partnerships with Dell, Lenovo, HP and other brands, often at pricing that is lower than going direct to the manufacturers. Full lifecycle services mean that schools can purchase, deploy, inventory, repair, and replace aging tech in one relationship, and within budgets that are tight.
For whatever decisions (and there are hundreds, especially for onboarding charters) you need to make, make sure you find a PARTNER, and not just a VENDOR. Here’s why:
We are honored and excited to be a part of Georgia Charter Schools Association, and meet many of you at the upcoming conference. Our history of serving schools has led us to the knowledge that we can align with your mission to develop quality public charter schools and networks that improve opportunities for Georgia students.
Guest Author
