Posted on 06/14/2010 10:26:57 AM PDT by reaganaut1
BEVERLY’S NEW high school, set to open in November, should be the envy of its counterparts in other towns. With the school’s emphasis on technology, students will be able to work together more easily, including through video conferencing, and learn how to use advanced computer programs.
Unfortunately, Beverly is also obliging parents to pay extra for this tech-utopia — a requirement that violates the spirit of public education. Not only must every student have a laptop computer, but it must be a specific, expensive type: a MacBook with a price tag of $900. And since the school system couldn’t find a donor to cover the cost, students and their families will be on the hook.
Those who participate in the reduced-cost or free lunch program will have access to reduced-cost or free machines, according to Superintendent James Hayes Jr. Yet for plenty of families whose incomes fall above this line, $900 is still an onerous amount. And families who have already invested in computers will have to buy another one to satisfy the school’s edict.
The whole point of public education is that it provides free schooling at public expense. It’s one thing for schools to charge modest fees for voluntary extracurricular activities that require additional equipment. But that’s not what Beverly is doing. Instead, it is effectively levying a $900 tax on its high school students simply for the privilege of attending
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
If computers are to be paid for by the parents of students, the parents of those students should own those computers outright. Why no just require students to bring their own computers?
if they weren’t subsidizing those ‘reduced cost or free’ units for people on free lunch, how much would that $900 laptop actually cost, and can it be bought outside the school at teh lower cost?
outrageous
Wow! Will they come equipped with webcams so school can spy on students at home.......
I really doubt that this will stand up in the courts. I’d certainly challenge it if I were a parent there.
Better yet, HOMESCHOOL!
Oh, I get it...Applestimulus!!!!
stupid teachers can’t handle non conformity.
900 for ANY child computer is 100% absurd and a waste of money. (is this another one of those pervert teacher web cam deals?)
I wonder how much per computer the school gets? And it isn’t zero.
I bought my son a Linux Netbook for $180. It does everything he needs it to do.
“free schooling at public expense”
Can someone explain this concept to me?
Is this the same concept of providing me free health care at great expense to me?
Macs are expensive, that laptop probably goes for $1200 plus tax outside the school discounts.
The Apple MacBook is a good computer and they are smart to use this. However. I guess parents will have to cut back on giving kids money for 100 dollar sneakers, video games, movies, etc. Parents have more money than believed. I am so sick of this poor me mentality. Buy the computer or leave the school.
Oh before I get yelled at or asked would you buy them. If I chose this school (because I liked the home I live), yes I would. I would have to buy 4 of them...let’s see 3,600 dollars for four of them. Well guess what that is way cheaper than the Catholic School education that is for sure.
My thoughts exactly. If you can buy and reformat an old IBM Thinkpad, install some hardware and have that perfectly capable to sustain study at Tufts, Babson or Boston University, why should Beverly High School be any different? I don’t understand the specificity of the requirement and perhaps one of our resident geeks can justify it.
Why the specificity?
Maybe 10 years ago. But if you haven’t noticed, there are very real economic problems in this country. There are a lot less kids getting the expensive toys.
And BTW, I wonder how much money there would be per student if we were not educating a couple million illegals free of charge? Maybe just enough to defray the cost of some computers?
The specificity is probably due to the rebate the school gets when the parents buy the computer.
This is not a 900 dollar per laptop society. It is a 300 dollar per laptop society. Get with the program.
Easier for tech support, no applications conflicts across many different platforms, and the school is probably getting a substantial discount from Appple (Apple has been huge in the educational environment, K-12, forever).
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