Posted on 11/27/2005 8:24:57 AM PST by ncountylee
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- An Orange County school district's request that parents buy their children expensive laptop computers is raising a furor among parents and activists.
They say the pricey obligation is segregating the children into haves and have-nots, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Nearly 2,000 of the Fullerton School District's 13,000 elementary and middle-school students carry laptops between class and home as part of a year-old pilot program that expanded this year to four of the district's 20 schools.
The American Civil Liberties Union is considering filing a lawsuit against the school district, arguing that it is violating the state's constitutional guarantee to provide a free education, and is creating a two-tiered learning environment.
The Fullerton district contracted with Apple to purchase the laptops, software and insurance. Parents can pay the nearly $1,500 tab at once, or over three years with monthly installments of about $50. Financial aid and loaner laptops are available to families with demonstrable needs, the newspaper said.
Orange County and Fullerton are affluent areas.
The ACLU will file suit to make sure that all students continue to receive a crappy education.
Why can't they increase property taxes to cover the tab? That's what every other school district does.
California Proposition 353.... shall the state government provide,free of charge,a new laptop to all students whose household has a gross income of less than.....
My God, I can almost agree with the ACLU on this one.
Free? I doubt the property owners feel that way.
Hey, it's possible! Something about broken clocks and all:)
I'm in Virginia. All our students in our county school system are issued Dell laptops in the 9th grade. All teachers are also issued laptops. All books are gradually being phased out by CD's or online course materials. It's supposedly more cost efficient due to the cost of books/materials. Of course, I'm not sure the cost of techs to support/repair the laptops is figured in.
You can get a great laptop today for about $800, and by Christmas $599 and $699 laptops will be the norm.
We already had the $399 Black Friday laptops, and Dell is running two $100 rebates on their $599 laptop.
Parents have been buying band instruments that way for years.
Califonia Prop 13. Prop tax values are locked in.
Apparently you've never heard of Prop 13.
They can't.
"...I'm sorry teacher, but the dog ate my laptop
Check the average home prices, my nephew lives in Fullerton the homes in his area go for $500thou.
A free lap-top for all. And you can pick one up in your neighborhood pawn shop real cheap a week later.
The laptops are so expensive because they're from Apple.
This technology frees up teachers to spout their political views in class.
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