Former Cobb commissioner sues to halt laptop program

[Debau2005]

This article states that 4 high schools will be pilot sites. Does anyone know what 4 high schools those are? I am curious as to what the socio-economic makeup of those schools are, I am sure I will not be surprised by the answer!!

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/cobb/0605/01laptops.html

[MsTryska]

1. Could you explian to me

why people would be upset with this type of program?

[Debau2005]

2. Questions for the School Board

Part of the issue surrounds the cost of the deal made with Apple. After the board passed this deal, it was found that Dell had made a much better bid, however some members of the board did not bring this information forward. There have been some in this county that have followed this that are curious as to the contact between Apple and the higher ranking members of the board.

I also question which schools will be the first to receive laptops? In this racist, homophobic county, I doubt that the inner city, or schools with the highest minorities will be the first in line. I will apologize if they are first, however I have lived here a long time and sincerely doubt that the school board will make such a grand statement!

[MsTryska]

3. I live in Cobb too....

Smynings to be exact.

but i'm single with no kids, so i have only a vague notion of the goings on of the school board - ask me about the latest zoning, and new land development and i'm your girl tho.



So it's a matter of money, eh? That is curious that Apple would have offerred a lower bid and they chose to go with the larger one.


I couldn't for the life of me understand why new technology would be a big deal. but i see there's more to it than that.

[Debau2005]

4. Congrats! Your tax dollars are funding this...

I do have to apologize as I said I would!...I just looked up the schools and the numbers. I am still shocked and surprised though...

The schools chosen are Campbell, Harrison, Lassiter, and Peeblebrook.

The breakdowns are:
Campbell - 31% white, 45% black, 17% hispanic, and 7% other
Harrison - 91% white, 5% black, 1% hispanic, and 2% other
Lassiter - 87% white, 5% black, 3% hispanic, and 5% other
Peeblebrook - 18% white, 69% black, 11% hispanic, and 3% other

I still wonder what are students like I was, going to do? The original purpose of this is to spend less on text books, the books will be online accessed through wireless in the schools. I need a physical piece of paper to read, reading on a screen gives me a headache after a while! I have heard from teachers that they are concerned about the network in the schools as well. Seems the wireless is not the highest of quality or speed.

I still believe this was a waste of money, and can't wait to see what happens when a laptop is stolen, lost or dropped! I work in an IT field, so I am not against advancing technology, but I deal with grown men in sales on a daily basis who can't keep up with their laptops or manage to blow up programs, etc. What are a bunch of teens going to do?

I like you Smynings comment! haha Well said.

[MsTryska]

5. Wel that is a pleasant surprise....

nice to see an even split.

i'm int he IT field too, and i understand your issues - the same things have been going through my head.


I'm not entirely sure why the kids need laptops? why not jsut desktops?

Why should textbooks be forsaken for reaidng on a screen?


I'd feel more ocmfortable with textbooks going home than laptops.

And do the kids get to take the laptops home?

well alrighty i went to the Cobb COutny schools ite and read the brief description.

it's not exactly instillign confidence. I would prefer desktops that are not moved, and rather than all these laptops floating around, why not make a huge I-book style library avaialbe to teachers and they can assign reading from various chapters of various books as they see fit?

of course that still kills treas to print out the chapters, but it would save on textbook costs.

I can see the benefits of giving teachers the laptops, especially if you give them a projector as well.

I don't want to be the tech in charge of that program. Altho it would be kinda cool, i guess. Less of a commute for me.

[Debau2005]

6. Haha

I had not thought of that. I wonder when they'll start hiring IT people. Their network is going to need some overhauling and they will need security and antivirus experts to make sure that some kid does not hack into the system or spread the latest virus around.

Just think how much more game playing the kids are going to get now that they will each have a laptop at their desk.

My understanding is that each child will have to be some how be given authority to take it home once they have proven that they are responsible enough. I am not sure I would want the responsibility of telling Little Jimmy that he can't take his home yet. And certainly would not want then responsibility of having to secure them in the school.

I have not heard if they are the kids to keep once the graduate or if they belong to the school or county.

I read more into the lawsuit and it has more to do with the way the special tax law was written. The guy proposing the lawsuit states he voted for the special tax in 2003 but did not vote for every kid to have a laptop. It was a tax for capital improvements.

Also I learned from someone here at work, that not all schools are included, Marietta City is a separate distric and not part of this plan. So the parents of Marietta City students pay the tax put get no benefit.

[MsTryska]

7. If i were in charge....

the first thing i'd do is put soem sort of lojack device on every last one.

My network would be as secure as possible, i would use one of those annoying appliance firewall and lock every damn thing down, no chat, no forums, no games, no downloads, non, nyet, nein.


I'd be an IT nazi.

[Hippo_Tron]

8. Have a teacher bring a big box in on the day of the final exam

And have the teacher instruct the students to bring in all of their papers in, to be recycled.

[MsTryska]

9. ya know....that's a brilliant idea!

it would teach them two lessons at once!

[DaDeacon]

10. I too live in Cobb and love the idea!!!

I work in IT as well and would like to say that this brave move by cobb is a great one! The level of the avg computer user is really low not due to lack of smarts but rather time in front of a working unit. By giving kids a day to day useable computer you really do them a long term favor. The fear that the kids will break them is a little worring but trust me when I say that every parrent work half a damn will make sure there kid's "free laptop" makes it back at the end of the year! The Apple part of the deal is also a good move. They last! and can take a good beating and becouse they are apples the OS can be very ristictive with less chance of being hacked. This will be the kind of move more and more school will move to over the next ten or so years look for it!