LAUSD Continues with Embattled iPads, SIS Efforts

NEVER ONE TO BACK DOWN: As edublogger Audrey Watters called attention to this week, the Los Angeles Unified School District doesn’t appear to be stalling their iPad rollout or fixes to a botched SIS (Student Information System); in fact, the district is spending even more money. According to SPCR, recently-appointed Supt. Ramon Cortines is planning to spend $22 million in bond money to buy 20,000 more iPads, at a price of $552 per iPad, in order to support inevitable standardized testing come spring.

But that’s not all. Last Thursday, the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Bond Oversight Committee approved to allocate $12.1 million in funds towards repairing the district’s student information system, which a contract audit report (published on November 17) identified as “grossly inadequate” in its development and handling. Will these extra funds lead to better learning in LAUSD, or merely become a case of “mo’ money, mo’ problems”?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Earlier, this post incorrectly reported that the 20,000 iPads come preloaded with Pearson software. The iPads will not come preloaded, and that piece of information has since been removed.