Using iPads @ configurator in school with school AND personal iTunes accounts

Question

Hi all,
My kids school has introduced a managed ipad program which includes most parents purchasing the iPads but still having them managed by the school.
As we own these devices the kids take them home every day
iPads are ipad 3 and above
The school has setup configurator for mass deployments/ updates etc. and have the one iTunes account for all using vpp
With the initial deployment we were able to install our own personal apps using our own personal iTunes account to install and update ourselves.
There was no expectation that the school would manage these personally acquired accounts.
In the last week the school has removed the App Store front the iPads effectively removing any ability we have to install our own personal apps.
I have spoken with them and their stance is that it is too hard to manage updates because occasionally the iPads come back to the school logged in with the personal iTunes account
Can anyone out there please share any experience/solution that they may have which will allow the iPads to be managed through configurator whilst still allowing us to install our personal apps?
The school have said they will return our rights if a solution can be found.
I am very surprised that this is not possible and seek the assistance of the community.
I am based in Australia
Thanks in advance

Answer 1

Hi Rob,
If the school is using Apple Configurator and have set the iPads to "Supervised" mode, it will prevent anyone from using their personal computers and iTunes to install apps or copy other data to/from the iPads to the personal computer. If the school has restricted the App Store on the iPad with a configuration profile, then they've made it impossible for you as a parent to install apps. (I'm surprised they did this being that these are personally owned iPads!)
In our school district, we are set up with a "Layered Ownership" model that allow us to buy and install apps that were purchased by the district, as well as allow the kids to do the same with their own personal Apple IDs. We don't have the App Store locked down on the iPads. The kids or parents can log in to the App Store on the iPads and install whatever they want. Even if they are logged in with their own personal Apple ID, we can still install apps that we as a district purchase using an MDM.
All of the app updates that we do for the apps that we have purchased are done though an MDM (mobile device management) server. There are many MDMs out there and perhaps your kid's school district could look in to using an MDM to manage their app distribution. There are a few different ways that MDMs have to distribute apps so your kid's school would want to talk to an MDM provider to see how they can help in your situation. We've been using an MDM in our school district for a year now and its been working great.
Here's a list of MDMs that you could send to your kid's school:
http://www.enterpriseios.com/wiki/Comparison_MDM_Providers
Hope this helps. Good luck to you!
~Joe