A source in Kitsap, Washington, writes, “I read the articles about the Grand Rapids (MI) Schools trying to go to PC only, and I couldn’t help but relate to the problems in Grand Rapids. The South Kitsap (WA) School District, where I live and where my wife teaches, is going through the same horror. I hope sincerely you could investigate what I have to say.
“The school board here is allowing one person to do all recommendations for technology for the entire district. The job she has allows her, and only her, to make decisions as to how the flow of technology hits our school system. She then recommends to the school board what course to follow, which they follow – believing unbiased research has been done. She formed a committee to vote on which computer platform would be the district standard. Interestingly enough, Macintosh users were not significantly represented. Furthermore, many teachers were unaware that a decision on standardization was even being considered, until the final decision was handed down. Thus, the committee voted that PCs would be the standard, but that exceptions could be made.
“In practice, Macintoshes have been all but outlawed in the school district. A majority of teachers here have Macs at home and use the existing Macs at the school all the time. The district won’t put any money toward any new Macs unless you “have a really good reason.” Having all of your schoolwork on a Mac, all of your research and grade books on a Mac, having nothing but Mac peripherals and printers, and having Macs at home for most of the teachers of a department, are not good enough reasons. The district has told us that they would no longer support our need for a Macintosh computer in the district. They would like us to pick a PC for the use of the department. You see, there’s plenty of money to be spent on computers here, just not Macs! I believe this is borderline illegal!
“Anyway, sorry for my ramblings, but I’m a bit flustered about all of this and would very much like something to be done. Can you help in any way? We are dying here of PC infiltration. Their reasoning is unfounded. “It costs too much to have more than one platform in the district,” and, “Macs don’t have as much software,” have been two of their excuses.
“Who needs 12,000 types of word processors anyway?
“Our district is the largest district and has the largest high school north of California and west of Idaho. All of this has been brought to fruition by one person whom the school district appointed as Director of Curriculum, Assessment and Learning Technology, otherwise known as the “ruler of technology” for the district.
“If you wish to voice your opinions or tell the appropriate people what you think of their plans for the South Kitsap School District, you can get all of their email addresses from this site: <http://www.skitsap.wednet.edu/directory.html>
“After all, its all done with taxpayer money, and it’s all a matter of public record here – Just wear waders!”
See our follow up article from January 21, 1998.
Comments
Please, this is not a call to spam or flame the Director of Curriculum, Assessment and Learning Technology, board of education members, or anyone else involved in this decision.
Dan Knight, publisher, MacInSchool
This article was edited to protect its author.
Keywords: #backwardmigration #southkitsapschools
Short link: http://goo.gl/BF4wfY
