Patrick Peterson wrote: > Michael is (gasp!) right.
Schapiro wrote: > I agree with Kathy, Patrick and Mike. Gee, having so many people agreeing with me is making me kinda queasy, so I guess I'll have to push the envelope a little; or in the case of the school board candidates push the issue towards the edge of their zone of proximal development. Please recall that I'd stated that, "that computers do little to enhance the fundamentals of education." "Fundamentals" is key here. You don't need computers to provide students with a basic quality education, but you do need computers to teach students about computers. Since many jobs require computer skills for optimal performance, I believe that secondary students should be offered computer classes in their junior and senior years. > Michael Atherton wrote: > > > This information is already outdated, you don't need a van and you > > don't need a cord; you just need notebook computers. If elected > > you might want to consider instituting a computer notebook > > checkout or lease program. > > > wizardmarks wrote: > > We have already investigated that, but the library > management is opposed to it. Being promoted to management ruined my life. Prior to my promotion I had been blissfully ignorant: I had believed that things run the way they do because that's the way it is, but as a manager I soon found out that when things run badly, it's generally because of poor management. Unfortunately, now I know that it's almost always possible to make things better if you can find the right manager. So, if the library management is too shortsighted, then dump them. We tend to forget that historically access to books was restricted to the wealthy. I could probably wax romantically about how American public libraries provided literary access to the poor, but I believe that history would show that it truly the middle class. To those would argue that there's no point in letting people check out notebook computers, I ask you what's the point of letting people check out books? Why can't they just read them in the library? If we really want to reduce the great computer divide, then we should increase access to computers for the poor and libraries are the best means of doing so. Dennis Schapiro wrote: > Over the next year the district is poised to cut another $20+ million > from the budget. No one is wailing yet, but I guarantee pain and anger. > Good people are going to lose jobs and their confidence in committing to > a life of public service. Parents are going to look outside the city > school system. Lots of elements to the scenario. > I wrote some time ago that voters were going to have to chose between the schools and the NRP. I think that this decision is even clearer now. The legislature has shifted a large portion of the funding of the public schools onto local governments. We know that there the MPS are now severely under funded and dollars that you give to NRP are going to have to come out of the schools' budget. Michael Atherton Prospect Park _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
