PERMISSION SLIP: Not all parents, or voters, think technology should be the first priority in local schools. Pioneer Press reports that in the Twin Cities area, due to limited state funding, districts are looking to technology tax levies for support--with mixed success. Many parents are skeptical of focusing on new technologies, and would rather spend taxpayer money on more conventional ways to improve schools, like professional development.
“We can’t buy tissues for teachers’ classrooms, but we are buying iPads? Teachers are the trained professionals. That’s the tool we need to be putting more money into,” explained Camille Feng, a local parent in St. Paul.
As a temporary solution, local districts are turning towards a bring-your-own-device model, rather than providing each student with tech tools in the classroom. But educators hope they’ll be able to raise the necessary funding soon, whether from state legislature or local tax levies. As Jay Haugen, Farmington superintendent and board member of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, said, “People are doing whatever it takes because it has gotten to the point where you’re left behind if you haven’t addressed this.”