Some decisions defy logic and at the same time illustrate that those in-charge are not in-charge of as much as they may think.
Case in point: Los Angeles public school officials began to implement a $1bb program to arm every student with an iPAD. A primary use of an iPAD is accessing the web, social media and general content of all sorts both positive and not so.
It is easy to imagine the “What if?” discussions that took place at the district executive level and board meetings. As a result, school district officials decided it was necessary to embed security code in these iPADS to prevent students from surfing the web at will. They really did.
It took less than a week for the initial group of 300 students to breach the security coding and gain access that social media and all other web content. “Before long, students were on the Internet, sending tweets, socializing on Facebook and streaming music through Pandora, students told the newspaper,” according to the AP article.
I respect the impossible job of running a public school district. The politics of the positions are overwhelming. Parents are difficult, kids are difficult. From friends at the top of school districts I know that it frequently seems that you simply can’t please anyone. That does not justify being so far behind the times that you presume power of position grants control.
With all due respect, however, how could anyone think they could prevent a smart high schooler from getting around whatever district techies can develop.
The ability to understand and accept reality is a component of maturity and probably more valid an indicator than age. I’m the Outsider and that’s what I think.
