The Los Angeles school district’s plan to spend $1 billion equipping 650,000 students with iPads has been scaled back after getting off to a rocky start.

After the district gave iPads to an initial 25,000 students earlier this year, about 300 students were found to have skirted security filters to access social networking and other blocked sites.

Schools superintendent John Deasy, known for supporting education based on standardized testing and for pushing back on teachers’ wage increases, had cast the iPad initiative in terms of economic justice.

“This is a civil rights issue,” he said. “My goal is to provide youth in poverty with tools heretofore only rich kids had.”

The iPads were intended for students to use to take standardized tests, complete homework assignments, access curricula and play educational games.

But the school board voted in late November to scale the program back.

Students at 35 schools will receive iPads, in addition to those at 47 schools who have already gotten them. The district will reassess the program next year before distributing more tablets.

Parents and educators have blasted Deasy and the board for purchasing iPads at a time when the district is laying off teachers and cutting gym, art and music programs. The money for the iPads comes from bonds approved by voters to improve school buildings.

Pando, Nov. 29
Reuters, Nov. 13