ONE STEP BACK: “I don’t believe we can afford a device for every student,” said Ramon Cortines, Superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District. Instead, LAUSD will work to provide computers for students only when needed for testing and some instruction, according to the LA Times. Cortines argues that the $1 billion budget initially reserved for tech purchases needs to be balanced with other improvements, including “brick and mortar and other critical facility needs that must be met.”
Cortines’ statement is a major reversal from his predecessor’s infamous $1.3 billion iPad initiative. When former Superintendent John Deasy resigned in October 2014, 82-year-old Cortines came out of retirement to take on the role. Cortines plans to put together a task force to come up with a plan for how to use the 120,000 iPads and 18,000 laptops already purchased by the district, which serves over 650,000 students.
