School rejects free computers because they are Macs!
A teacher put in for a grant to get $43,000 worth of Macs and won. He can't have them becuase his school district only wants to provide technical support for PCs.
So f*cked up.
I know there are other financial considerations but it just sounds unbelievable that they can't hire one person who knows PCs and Macs.
http://www.macdailynews.com/comments.php?id=P1211_0_1_0
So f*cked up.
I know there are other financial considerations but it just sounds unbelievable that they can't hire one person who knows PCs and Macs.
http://www.macdailynews.com/comments.php?id=P1211_0_1_0
Comments
Originally posted by Robby
A teacher put in for a grant to get $43,000 worth of Macs and won. He can't have them becuase his school district only wants to provide technical support for PCs.
So f*cked up.
I know there are other financial considerations but it just sounds unbelievable that they can't hire one person who knows PCs and Macs.
http://www.macdailynews.com/comments.php?id=P1211_0_1_0
Another classic example of intelligence being cut off at the knees...
Re technical support..tell them that Macs come with "Free" technical support 24 hours a day..especially so for " education sector " sheesh !
Another school I know of had a lab entirely donated and a teacher and principal who conspired to keep it running without ANY board approval. They took the computers (ancient) that were in the lab and distributed them through the classes, hooked up the new machines some of their own wiring iwhere the offical lab used to be, and have been playing cat and mouse with the board ever since.
Note to Apple, this is the situation into which you are selling computers for education. We cannot afford to buy 799USD CRT based machines, some schools have resorted to rogue lab installations just to get passable decent machines, and EVERYTHING gets recycled. I've seen more ancient Apple laser printers than powermacs in the schools I've been in, and 14/15" monitors too, hint hint.
<sigh> when can we get a Voucher system so I can send my Son to a decent school when the time comes. I have to give a vote of no confidence for Public Schools. This article makes me embarrased to be a Washingtonian
Sad to say, most educators now look upon US education as the way NOT to go...
And more often than not they ask themselves ..
How did the richest country in the world get to have such a poor education system?
Originally posted by Matsu
Just one more thing. I know a young a teacher who managed to get a FREE lab for his school (about a dozen computers), a mix of new, used and donated computers, and since he knew enough to keep them running on his own, even offered to administer them for the school. The principal/super nearly had a heart attack, NO WAY, rather than be rewarded, he was chastized for overstepping a gazillion channels.
Another school I know of had a lab entirely donated and a teacher and principal who conspired to keep it running without ANY board approval. They took the computers (ancient) that were in the lab and distributed them through the classes, hooked up the new machines some of their own wiring iwhere the offical lab used to be, and have been playing cat and mouse with the board ever since.
Note to Apple, this is the situation into which you are selling computers for education. We cannot afford to buy 799USD CRT based machines, some schools have resorted to rogue lab installations just to get passable decent machines, and EVERYTHING gets recycled. I've seen more ancient Apple laser printers than powermacs in the schools I've been in, and 14/15" monitors too, hint hint.
price is far from the big issue, in fact, price isnt much of an issue at all.
It's the theory that kids should "work on what they will use in the work-place" that is killing Apple in education.
Originally posted by aquafire
How did the richest country in the world get to have such a poor education system?
Actually, I hear the schools in Luxembourg are pretty good.
Originally posted by hmurchison
Ok the article is a little off. Tukwila is not upper class but it's not poor. At any rate though it's pretty silly to claim to be an educator yet offer a monolithic view of computing.
<sigh> when can we get a Voucher system so I can send my Son to a decent school when the time comes. I have to give a vote of no confidence for Public Schools. This article makes me embarrased to be a Washingtonian
You think it's bad in Washington?
Originally posted by Matsu
NO, price is a huge issue, I've seen equipment that would make you cry and scratch your head as to it's age, it's so damned old and buggy. The "windows workplace" issue is another one, but it's forced more by an IT level more interested in their own convenience, and windows licensing practice
Isn't that the point of this discussion. These computers would be FREE...as in "Free Beer". There is NO freakin' excuse for this. I'd like to think my child will experience different points of views on just about everything. You can't be "well rounded" looking only one facet. I advocate schools "adding" platforms rather than reducing them.
I can see that with my child I will have to "deprogram" alot of their crap. I don't agree with their mentality
The nec plus ultra of idiocy.
In matters of budget, curiculum (haha...did I spell that right?), programs, staffing, supplies, etc., NOTHING works the way it should. Money is in perpetual short supply, yet the money they DO have is wasted and pissed away on the goofiest, most meaningless stuff.
And administrator/upper management salaries, of course.
Just like the government. I worked in that for nearly 7 years and I'll never do it again. All the incentives are to waste, fritter away resources (so you get more next year...hopefully). You aren't rewarded for "thinking different", trying to save money and resources or coming up with better, more efficient ways of doing things.
You're expected to be a quiet, complacent cog-in-the-wheel and just go with the flow and accept all the rampant stupidity, waste and inefficiency you're surrounded with every day.
Screw that. Life's too short!
I'll never work for The Man again. Ever.
IT should not be making computer purchasing decisions. They don't decide what textbooks the schools use, so why should they decide what computers?
What if we let the guy who cleans the cages at the circus pick the animals? We'd have a lot fewer elephants, wouldn't we?
Originally posted by tonton
Allll the way up...
Add to that one of the laziest, most impatient generations ever growing up. I fear for our workforce in the next ten years... its going to be scary.
if its in your area & you are technically capable
thats one way to get your os adopted in a school
people do that for linux & bsd & it does it adopted
to a certain extent.
Originally posted by kneelbeforezod
Actually, I hear the schools in Luxembourg are pretty good.
...good one