Disappointment over halt to laptop program

Staff, volunteers say project could have worked

by Jennifer Deitz Berry

Staff and volunteers who invested long hours to set up a laptop program at Jordan Middle School found their hopes dashed when district officials put on the brakes.

News that parents were asked to kick in $2,000 to purchase Apple iBook laptop computers for their sixth-grade children outraged some parents and attracted of flurry of media attention.

A pilot program begun last year and approved by the district was aimed to test whether or not learning is enhanced when students have greater access to computers and technology-based curriculum. But many parents and middle school staff questioned whether the program would divide students into "haves" -- those whose parents could afford to buy the computers -- and "have-nots," whose parents could not.

Among parents who responded to a questionnaire, 30 percent said they would not buy the computers. About 25 percent said they would, and 45 percent said they need more information.

On Friday, Interim Superintendent Robert Golton sent home a letter to parents officially announcing that the laptop program "on pause" as a result of the concerns.

The challenge of raising enough money to make the program accessible to all students is a major reason district officials balked. The plan for the Jordan laptop program originally included offering scholarships for families who couldn't afford the computers. But the district is trying to phase out school-based fund raising for major projects, so the scholarship money would have to be raised through districtwide efforts.

"In implementing this, we weren't just looking at the here and now, we were looking at the long-range program," said Cynthia Pino, associate superintendent of educational services. "What we have to be able to do is look at a technology program that will be at all three middle schools and that can be sustained over time."

Pino has been assigned to help create a committee called the "Middle School Technology Initiative Advisory Group" to examine the issues related to Jordan's program and discuss how best to proceed in setting up equitable technology programs at all three middle schools.

It was a disappointing turn of events for those at Jordan who had committed time and energy setting up the two-year pilot program. Last year, two classes participated in a 90-day program that gave each student use of their own laptop at no cost to their families. Students had access to network resources both at home and at school.

Teacher Kirsten Missett, who taught one of the pilot courses, said she was sorry to hear the program would be put on hold. "It was a powerful program that really helped kids in a lot of ways," she said. "Having computers in the classroom, it's like having a million books."

Missett said the computers helped students stay more organized and on top of homework, since they no longer needed binders for papers and assignments. They also used programs to create character webs, give presentations using PowerPoint and conduct research on the Internet.

"My personal opinion is that there would have been a way to solve the equity issue," Missett said. "Kids have always amazed me with their ability to share with one another and to figure out solutions to problems."

Jordan parent Barbara Mitchell helped start the laptop pilot program. She was particularly disappointed the district had waited so long to tell staff the program would be paused. She said teachers were "left out in the cold" after spending long hours over summer preparing technology-based curriculum. Golton said departed Superintendent Don Phillips put the program on hold in August before he left.

While Mitchell admitted parents' concerns about cost and equity were important, she felt many did not understand that this year the program was still meant to be a pilot project. She said project coordinators had planned to evaluate its success among a smaller group of students, before making a recommendation on whether or not it should be pursued districtwide.

New Jordan Principal Suzanne Solomon also sounded disappointed to see the laptop program put on hold.

"The teachers worked very hard, and so did the parents, in developing this program and they tried to give the parent community an opportunity for input every step of the way," she said. "My other strong feeling is that we need to encourage risk-taking in schools when people are willing to try new ideas, and we have to support them when we think they're educationally sound."

Solomon is convinced the laptop program is sound, and said she is eager to see it move ahead, if parents' concerns can be addressed.

-- E-mail Jennifer Berry at jberry@paweekly.com