DeKalb Announces Wireless Plan That Appears to Be Behind Schedule

In an email to the entire district, here is an update on Technology:  (GTCO-ATL comments are in bold)

The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) has undertaken a fast-paced technology plan to make 123 schools and centers wireless by the end of November.  With a total price tag of $4.5 million, the project is funded through the Special Purpose Local Options Sales Tax (SPLOST).

Is this all of them, some of them, half of them?  We thought the goal was 100%.  Is that still the goal or has it changed?  If parents are concerned about the potential effects of round-the-clock exposure to RF radiation while their children are at school, will there be a list of schools that intend to be kept "wired" instead of "wireless?"

How are we supposed to know if this is a good or a bad number since most people do not know anything more than what is going on in the schools in their immediate area?  And that is only if they have a child attending that school.  The Technology Department stated at a School Board public meeting that they were putting a website together that would let parents and the community know the roll-out schedule for the technology conversion.  Did they do this?  Is there a list?  a schedule?  Why is it so hard to get basic information??

Currently, 14 schools and centers are completed, with an average of one access point per two classrooms.  

They have been working on this project since at least January and they have only completed 14???  Doesn't sound like we are on track to reach 123 before November at a rate of about 3 schools per month.  And, by the way, what is a "center?"  Is that a vocational school?  How many of those do we have?  What does this announcement even mean??  What is an access point?  A router shared between two classrooms?  Is this a good ratio?  Is it in line with the other schools in the district that SACS said we were behind?  What are we providing?  Simple access to the Internet?  Access to the school system's secure network?  How will children be accessing the Internet?  Who is monitoring the security of their data or what sites they are seeing?)   

The completed schools are Cedar Grove High, Chamblee Middle, Clarkston High, Coralwood Diagnostic (we placed a priority on a school that will be torn down and rebuilt?  OR was this one just getting an addition?  (We placed priority on making a pre-school / kindergarten school over our high schools?), International Student Center, Kittredge Magnet School, Lithonia High, Lithonia Middle, Margaret Harris Comprehensive School, Miller Grove High, Peachtree Middle, Redan Middle, Tucker Middle and Warren Technical School. The cost for the 14 so far is $487,556.  

(Just a few months ago, there was talk that Tucker Middle needed to be demolished, so why would we be putting in infrastructure here and putting it at the top of the priority list?  Does anyone ever remember hearing anything about a Clarkston High? Is there a Lithonia High and Lithonia Middle?  Are these new names for existing schools? What is the International Student Center, is that the International Community School, previously Medlock, or do we have a new entity in DeKalb called a community center that is providing education??)

“We are pleased with the results so far of our aggressive technology plan,” said Chief Information Officer Gary Brantley. “With their vote in support of SPLOST, the citizens of DeKalb County made a sound investment in their children’s schools. Through this program, our students will learn in 21 st century environments that reflect their changing needs.”

An update of all SPLOST technology projects can be found here . In addition to providing wireless access for all classrooms, DCSD is using SPLOST funding to update hardware, provide 21 st century classroom technology including interactive white boards, upgrade technology infrastructure, distribute digital content and upgrade telecommunications infrastructure.

Are we using the old acronym DCSD again?  Does it matter?  (District vs. System)  Does anyone know if teachers are using their interactive white boards?  Does anyone recall ever hearing the plan that we would now be "distributing digital content" as a mission of SPLOST?  Does this mean we are going to be evolving into virtual classrooms or are we distributing our coursework elsewhere?  Or will we be receiving classroom content from an unknown, unannounced content provider that the board has not voted on or agreed to finance?

Don't you wish they would quit reminding us about the "sound support of voters" when the SPLOST vote took place at a time when we had very low voter turnout and misinformation being spread about the SPLOST being necessary for the removal of the board and the reduction in number of board members?  

AND, during a time of HIGHer voter turnout GTCO-ATL and others in the county who were in favor of stopping cell towers from being built on school grounds were relieved to receive the exact same 62 % on the NO vote for the cell tower referendum, but no one has told us a thing about the outcome.  

Hmmm... makes one wonder why we bothered with that referendum at all, doesn't it??  Oh yeah, THAT'S RIGHT ... we didn't!!  We wanted a total ban and the STATE morphed it into something else.  Then when it still went in our favor, they just disregarded it entirely.  Nice, huh?

First the state said we should reduce our board from 9 to 7 or 5 for better results.  Now, with the sudden contagious push to form cities and then push other areas to become cities, too, they are telling us that we need to have a representative who knows us and lives within 2 miles of our homes so we can have someone closer to "wring their necks" when they don't do what we tell them to do???  Isn't this exactly what we were doing to the school board and SACS has now removed them for it?  

Why is the state advocating for a city system to be set up by which they will govern over us in the same, irrational, unproductive manner by which the school board was removed for doing?  Why are Republicans, who did not even challenge the Democrats on the ballot for many of the county commissioner seats or the office  of the CEO, now pushing for more government in a time when residents are being taxed at a rate higher than anywhere in the state, and likely among the highest in the nation?

Why are we more concerned with technology than we are about the problems that exist here between human beings?  If we cannot communicate clearly with each other or treat each other fairly regardless of race, why are we bringing more and more people here from other countries and leaving them with virtually nothing?  How can the children we bring here learn and grow in the spirit of realizing the American Dream if we haven't figured out how anyone is expected to do that without access to a free, basic quality education?