Date: Fri 07-Aug-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

schools-technology-laptops

Full Text:

Council Goes Along With School Technology Plans

BY STEVE BIGHAM

The Legislative Council has decided that it is not going to second-guess the

Board of Education -- at least on the issue of technology.

The council voted unanimously Wednesday to approve the school board's request

for a $925,000 municipal lease for technology.

Its approval came after several questions were raised in recent weeks about

how some of that money was to be used. A decision to spend more than $67,000

on laptop computers for teachers at Head O' Meadow School drew comments and

criticisms from some who suggested that the expense was excessive and the need

for laptops, as opposed to less expensive desktop computers, had not been

adequately explained.

One council member, commenting two weeks ago, said, "Every dramatic change in

technology does not mean we have to give everybody a take-home."

But in the end, it was a non-issue for the council, according to its chairman,

Pierre Rochman.

"The Legislative Council has no line-item veto authority on how the Board of

Education spends its money," he said Thursday morning. "We may not necessarily

agree with how they spend these technology funds, but it's not our business."

It is the business of the Board of Education, and it discussed the issue at

length Monday night. School board chairman Amy Dent explained that the laptops

would not be used solely by the teachers.

"We are buying laptops for the classrooms with the opportunity for teachers to

take them home. If we don't buy laptops, we still have to buy computers for

the classrooms," she explained.

Superintendent of Schools John R. Reed said classroom teachers do the majority

of their work at home, such as reviewing new software. He said desktop

computers in the classroom are used about four hours a day. If teachers can

take home a laptop and increase that usage to six hours, there is no

difference in the per hour cost between the two types of computers.

"You need to talk about usage, not initial cost," he said. "We're looking for

versatility. Technology is a terribly complicated venture that will change the

way we do business radically. Over 60 percent of our teachers have computers

at home, but there are compatibility issues. This is really complex stuff."

School officials say their challenge is to increase productivity in teachers.

Assistant Superintendent of Schools Robert Kuklis asserted that "technology

will be dead in this district" if teachers have to go home and try to do

classroom work on their own computers, which may not be compatible with the

computers at school.

Dr Reed pointed out the ever-growing need to integrate technology. "Does

anyone think that students won't soon be handing in work on computer disks?

But teachers have computers at home that are two, three, four years old. We

are not supplying laptops for teachers. They are for the classrooms. But if

the teachers want to take them home, they can."

Head O' Meadow School is the first school in the system to have the laptops in

the classroom.

School Business Director John Torok said theft of laptop computers has not

been a problem up to this point. Dr Reed mentioned that the district insurance

has a $10,000 deductible.

During this past budget season, school officials agreed to lease $800,000

worth of technology equipment (over two years) instead of purchasing the

equipment. The council was seeking to cut costs and, at the time, the leasing

plan was judged to be the best way to save the town some money. However, the

lease purchase will now cost $925,000, with the additional $125,000 being

tacked on for interest and other fees.