“It doesn’t seem like there was much planning that went into this strategy,” said Renee Hobbs, director of the Harrington School of Communication and Media at the University of Rhode Island. “That’s where the debacle began.”
Hello, that is what we have been telling the Region 1 Board of months now! And still, the wanna be journalist John Mauer at the last meeting asked for the iPads to be put back in (without any plan!).
The status quo is no longer acceptable
Kids will be kids. A FIRST Robotics Team I am involved with was recently given 6 MilSpec Tablets for use from their lead sponsor. My son-in-law was demonstrating to me how the team can utilize them during competitions. He found games installed, by the students, in violation of team policies. He also found that the security was being probed, for possible internet use. Fortunately, the MilSpec Security Software was more than the high school students could breach.
Even though it is about the LA Unified School District, the concerns raised are valid here, as well. What concerned me the most was the parent that was a member of the committee that recommended buying the iPads. Apparently, none of the issues were discussed before the purchase. ESL may not be as important here, but it is necessary. How can a student use the iPad at home, if the unit is only allowed access to the HVRHS WiFi? I see the same scenario occurring here. The committee that approved the purchase did not meet in public. There are no minutes we can review. What was discussed? Can we find out? Yes, this sounds like second guessing, but, my trust in the administration of Regional School District 1, as well as Housatonic Valley Regional High School, has been called into question over the last few years.