by Cynthia Liu Dear President Obama, You must read Professor Diane Ravitch’s latest book, Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools. You won’t like it. No one likes reading about their failures. And that’s exactly WHY you should read it. Your legacy is at stake. You […]
Archives for September 2013
About those LAUSD iPads…
Another reader of K12NN writes in to say: “If you think that LAUSD is paying too much for the iPads, then what are the alternatives? Many would think that a Surface Pro (the Surface RT has too little horsepower) would be the way to go. But now Micro$oft would pay $200 to any iPad switcher: […]
Four Key Questions All Parents Should Ask About Tablet Use in LAUSD Classrooms
Dear Los Angeles Unified School Board Members: I’m a private citizen who cares about Public Education. I question the District’s decision to equip every student and teacher with an i-Pad, presumably for pedagogical purposes. These devices are appealing in many ways. I have one. But they don’t replace full-function computers, applications and networking software. I […]
Open Letter to LAUSD Board Members Regarding iPad Purchases
The following letter was sent to the LAUSD Board (emails below) and has been shared with K12NN. The author’s concerns are undoubtedly shared by many but s/he prefers not to self-promote as well as protect her/his privacy. Accordingly, the author’s name is not included. –Ed. marguerite.lamotte@lausd.net | (213) 241-6382 mónica.garcia@lausd.net | (213) 241-6180 tamar.galatzan@lausd.net | […]
Apple Sells iPads to LAUSD — Something Does Not Compute
I’m writing this on my MacBook Pro, and I really appreciate that irony and privilege. But it doesn’t change what I’m about to say. When the Los Angeles Unified School District’s School Board decided at its mid-June 2013 meeting to purchase iPads for every child in the district, I was aghast. It wasn’t only the […]
LAUSD's iPad Deal: iPaid Too Much?
To the LAUSD Inspector General, the LAUSD Bond Oversight Committee, and LAUSD School Board, Scour the iPad project before $1 billion goes down the drain! LAUSD’s $1 billion project to buy iPads for students has only begun its roll-out. $30 million into the project, it already shows signs of missteps and even possible improprieties. Using 30-year […]
Michelle Rhee Comes to Los Angeles; The City Shrugs
UPDATED: A student in attendance at the “Town Hall” wasn’t buying what Rhee was selling either. Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst group is holding a “Teacher Town Hall” meeting in Los Angeles on September 5, 2013, as part of a multi-city tour. I can’t fathom why anyone would be excited. As a Californian (since 1990), as an […]