Apple’s efforts to conquer the US education market has jsut received a huge boast.
According to a new report from the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Board of Education on Tuesday agreed to distribute iPads to 38 more campuses. In doing so, the board has adopted the proposal of schools Supt. John Deasy rather than following the advice of an oversight panel that had recommended purchasing less devices, the report said.
“Board members approved a $115-million proposal that removed entirely a cap on how many iPads the district could buy for standardized testing scheduled for the spring,” Howard Blume writes for the L.A Times. “But they insist the number will be well below the 67,500 tablets the district staff had recommended.”
“The whole point of this program is to revolutionize instruction,” Board member Monica Garcia said, “Low-income students don’t get access “to what is a part of all our worlds today…. I don’t understand how cutting back what’s good is good for kids.”
“The proposal, approved unanimously, expands the iPad effort, which began in the fall at 47 schools,” Howard Blume explains. “The laptop trial at high schools was launched out of concerns by board members that iPads might be the wrong device for older students.”
L.A. Unified is paying $768 per iPad, one of the highest prices among school districts because it selected a relatively expensive device and included curriculum in the cost. The plan, which includes network upgrades at schools, is expected to consume all the technology funds available through voter-approved school-construction bonds, the report said.