Support Squad

Designated Educational Service Center staff make up the Support Squad. Each Ohio ESC Superintendent was invited to identify this individual in December 2020. These individuals use their knowledge and expertise to collectively pull together technology, content, and instruction as well as vendor information that supports remote, hybrid, and blended learning.

In addition to Ohio ESCs the RemotEDx Support Squad includes regionally deployed Concierge Team members. These Concierge Team members are assigned to regions of the state and are housed within ESCs. The Concierge Team members are the connective tissue devoted to serving as a conduit for information flow. The Concierge Team members connect with each ESCs designated Support Squad member and support the online Help ticketing system located within the RemotEDx Support Squad webpages. Concierge members are tasked with identifying and mitigating needs raised by practitioners in the field and connecting them to the appropriate solutions and/or providers. Concierge members focus on procuring high-quality professional learning experiences and content as well as student supports to support remote, hybrid, and blended learning across the state. The work done by ESCs through the Support Squad initiative can leverage relationships and funds to mitigate need.

Concierge Team representatives are working in one of four regions of the state:

• Northwest Region out of Mercer County ESC: Karen Rose
• Northeast Region out of Western Reserve ESC: Ken Bernacki
• Southwest Region out of Hamilton County ESC: Bill Myles & Teresa Clevidence
• Southeast Region out of East Central Ohio ESC: Sarah Shreiner

You can find your region in the map below.

To learn more about your Concierge Team representative, click the representative's picture in the panel along the right side of this page. To contact your Concierge Team representative, use the button in the panel along the right side of this page.

The Concierge Team representatives will serve to deploy high-quality, transformative professional learning through coaching, access to and training on proven programs, instructional materials and applications through existing and novel ESC supports. These existing teams of ESC personnel have proven the effectiveness of collaboration through the creation of state-wide professional learning opportunities as well as coordinated a comprehensive collaborative effort to generate content, curate and align resources, and develop decision-making tools culminating in the ReframingEducation.org platform. The Concierge Team representatives will work to collaboratively identify needs, provide matching services, and navigate Ohio educational agencies and vendor relationships, while keeping the Regional or Local ESC contacts up-to-date on the work.

The Concierge Team representatives focus their attention and efforts on identifying regional and state needs in personalized remote, hybrid, and blended learning. They focus on building relationships and efficient information sharing across the state, through the OESCA Network and the RemotEDx Coordinating Council. They serve as advocates for enhanced remote, hybrid, and blended learning and a conduit between agencies, organizations, and companies in addressing professional stakeholder needs, resource allocation, and resource development in personalized remote, hybrid, and blended learning. The goal is to have established and sustained representation across the state in remote, hybrid, and blended learning to support the evolution of education unique to each region far into the future.

Any Ohio ESC or Ohio school district may consult the Concierge Team regardless of organizational membership or affiliation. Concierge Team services are part of the state-funded RemotEDx initiative. On behalf of an ESC or Ohio school district, a Concierge Team representative will identify regional and state needs in personalized remote, hybrid, and blended learning, call attention to these needs, and advocate for the mitigation of the needs.

Consulting the Concierge Team is free of charge to Ohio ESCs and schools. Recommendations may result in fee-based services, and costs are unique to the solution. One of the goals of the RemotEDx work is collective bargaining and leveraging existing statewide resources and contracts to improve equity. There may be a regional ESC trainer, grant funds, or RemotEDx funds available to offset costs. To learn more, contact your Concierge Team representative.

Use this link to submit a support request. You will receive an email response from a Concierge Team representative within 2 business days.

The Concierge Team, the Connectivity Champions, and the Exchange are three of the collaborating components of the RemotEDx initiative.

Concierge Team representatives work directly with Educational Service Centers and Ohio school districts to identify regional professional service and instructional needs associated with personalized remote, hybrid, and blended learning. This work is spearheaded by the Educational Service Centers, serving as the Support Squad for Ohio districts, and Concierge Team. Contact the Concierge Team here.

Connectivity Champions work with caregivers, parents, and students to identify solutions to individual internet connectivity challenges. This work is spearheaded by the Connectivity Champions who are positioned throughout the state and working collaboratively through Ohio's ITCs. This work is powered by The Management Council. Learn more about the Connectivity Champions here.

The Exchange is the one-stop-shop for Ohio’s educators and parents to explore all of the resources, tools, supports, and services available through RemotEDx. The Exchange showcases high-quality, remote education tools and platforms, standards-aligned instructional materials and curricula, use-case scenarios and exemplars, and professional learning supports for remote, hybrid, and blended learning environments. This work is spearheaded by INFOhio.

To learn more, see the About RemotEDx page.

This checklist is meant to inform understanding, selection, and offerings of a professional learning resource specific to remote, blended, and hybrid learning for Ohio educators. The Concierge members will use this checklist to review potential resources to further inform the Program Cabinet decision-making process.