Next “social justice” issue: An Uber driver for each student.
Via The College Fix:
In a move that will cost $20 million, students in third through twelfth grade in the Springfield Public Schools (Massachusetts) will be given their own laptop to use during the school day.
Superintendent Daniel Warwick tells MassLive that this is a “social justice” matter, an effort to bridge the so-called “digital divide” if you will:
“This is an urban environment where many of our students are in high poverty rate situations, and with this technology they should be able to compete with any other student. We are providing technology to bring them into the 21st century and make them college and career ready.”
Currently, the district will lease 20,000 laptops for four years and will be used only in schools, but Warwick noted students may be able to take them home in the future.[…]
Why is the district putting out the equivalent of $1,000 per computer when quite adequate devices can be found these days for less than two-thirds the cost? Even if the current contract includes replacements (but how many?) and tech support, some commenters at the article rightly point out that good Chromebooks can be purchased for the approximate cost of the per-year/per-computer lease Springfield is using.