[seul-edu] Re: Open Source Financial Management and HR Software for School Districts

[Douglas Loss <dloss@suscom.net>]

On Thu, 01 Mar 2001, Dave Davis wrote:

> Mr. Loss;
> 
> RDA Systems recently (01/2001) licensed its MicroBUDGET-GUI
> and Xpert
> software under the open source model.  Our web address is
> www.rdasys.com.
> 
> RDA has been providing software for school districts since
> 1980 and
> currently has around 250 districts in 20 states from ME to AZ
> using our
> products.  In addition, in 1989 RDA was awarded a contract to
> provide
> financial management and hr software to LEA's in VA by the
> VADOE.
> Currently we are in the 5th contract extension with the VADOE.
> 
> RDA is interested in supporting open source software for
> school
> districts and would like your input on how we might
> participate with
> SEUL/EDU to this end.
> 
> Looking forward to hearing from you.
> 
> Dave Davis
> President
> 
> 
I've completely quoted your message because I've copied it to
the seul-edu mailing list.  I'm happy to hear from you!  When
you say "interested in supporting open source software for
school districts," how do you intend that?  Do you mean
specifically the open source software that you've developed, or
all open source software that might be useful to schools?  I
haven't had a chance to look at your website yet, but I think
having some sort of data interchange format that is widely used
between open source software could be useful.  One of our
subscribers, Bruno Vernier (a teacher from British Columbia),
has been following the IMS and SIF efforts at developing such
formats, and has done a good bit of work on wuch a format of his
own (EduML).  Bruno, could you give you thoughts here too?

I hope the members of the seul-edu mailing list will have smoe
useful and interesting ideas on how we might be able to work
with RDA to foster the use of Linux and open source applications
in the schools.  Let's hear from you, folks!

-- 
Doug Loss           The art of medicine consists of amusing the
dloss@suscom.net    patient while nature cures the disease.
(570) 326-3987             Voltaire