LArepresents: Emperor has no clothes? iPad giveaway to cost LAUSD $1Billion

'By the time we know whether the brave new technology helps, the computer industry will be much wealthier and the schools much poorer. And if it doesn't help, teachers will be blamed and the "reformers"  will call for more technology.' — Professor Stephen Krashen

LArepresents is an activist group that has created a whole series of videos in defense of public education. One of their latest videos and corresponding caption is causing quite a still in LAUSD.

Emperor has no clothes? iPad giveaway to cost LAUSD $1Billion

FISCAL IRRESPONSIBILITY AT LAUSD:

1. The cost is estimated to be $1 Billion in first 4 years alone (ipads, infrastructure, etc.)
2. LAUSD only has $7 Billion in bonds left, but needs many times that for facility improvements. How has the iPad giveaway become such a top priority?
3. iPads are obsolete after 3 years, but bond money has to be repaid for 25-30years, what a poor use of so much bond money!
4. Apple will only replace up to 5% of broken, lost, stolen iPads, with 3 year warranty. But at a pilot program in the UK, breakage rate was 50% in just 1st year! Learn more here: http://ow.ly/mQCwd
5. So is this just a ploy for superintendent John Deasy to get on the cover the nation's newspapers, at the expense of taxpayers and our children?
6. Kids can get beaten up on the way to school for having just $5-10. How can we endanger kids by requiring them to take home a $678 device?
7. Isn't LAUSD liable for any bullying or other inappropriate usage of the device?
8. What happens after the 3 year warranty when iPads are no longer replaced? For example in a classroom with only 20 iPads for 30 kids...who gets to take one home, and who doesn't?
9. Phase 1 (47 schools) which was approved in June 2013 is supposed to be a "Pilot Program". Students get iPads when school starts (August 13). But how can a Pilot Program last only 1 month before LAUSD Board votes on Phase 2 in September, which if approved iPads will be given to half of all LAUSD schools? What is this a joke? You can't possibly get any meaningful data/analysis to make such a huge decision in such a short turnaround. The Pilot Program, or Phase 1, should last at least 1 full school year.
10. Remember LAUSD's last colossal IT failure? It was the BTS payroll scandal. Read more: http://ow.ly/mRPSF

LAUSD Board Members, voters are watching you! Phase 1 was approved without dissent. Phase 2 (approximately half LAUSD schools) is coming up this Fall 2013. Phase 3 (remaining schools) in early 2014.

VIDEO INDEX
1st public speaker: 1:09
2nd public speaker: 4:27
Mr. Vladovic: 8:05
Mr. Zimmer: 17:20
Ms. Lamotte: 29:31
Mr. Zimmer: 32:44
Ms. Galatzan: 35:24
Ms. Garcia: 40:04
Ms. Lamotte: 42:45
Ms. Garcia: 44:24
Michelle King, Deputy Sup't: 45:07
Mr. Vladovic: 46:19
Board Votes: 47:35