Image Source: http://k-12.pisd.edu/computers@home/images/c@h_logo.jpg
For some reason, I completely missed the fact that Texas school districts–and open charter schools–can send computers declared as surplus equipment home with students to keep. Wow! Mark Gabehart (CTO for Abilene ISD) pointed this out and shared a link to Jim Hirsch (Plano ISD CTO) district’s materials:
Computers@Home was designed to help increase academic achievement by providing a home computer system to students who do not have access to that technology. It is a district-wide program that has had successful results for the students and their families.
The web site that Plano ISD–kudos to them!!–has set up for this program is chock-full of useful documents, as well as success stories. Here’s the education code that allows it:
As provided by this subchapter, a school district or open-enrollment charter school may transfer to a student enrolled in the district or school:
(1) any data processing equipment donated to the district or school, including equipment donated by:
(A) a private donor; or
(B) a state eleemosynary institution or a state agency under Section 2175.126, Government Code;
(2) any equipment purchased by the district or school, to the extent consistent with Section 32.105; and (3) any surplus or salvage equipment owned by the district or school.
(b) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may accept:
(1) donations of data processing equipment for transfer under this subchapter; and
(2) any gifts, grants, or donations of money or services to purchase, refurbish, or repair data processing equipment under this subchapter.Sec. 32.103. ELIGIBILITY; PREFERENCE. (a) A student is eligible to receive data processing equipment under this subchapter only if the student does not otherwise have home access to data processing equipment, as determined by the student’s school district or open-enrollment charter school.
(b) In transferring data processing equipment to students, a school district or open-enrollment charter school shall give preference to educationally disadvantaged students.
Pretty nifty!
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Miguel, I tried to get a superintendent to do this very thing about 8 years ago, in another school district. We had had a bunch of nearing-obsolete machines gathering dust in a corner, and I wanted to get them into the hands of some of our less fortunate kids to at least become familiar with keyboarding, how to use Word, etc… I was denied the request because “we might not get them back” and because of the “liability” involved. Pretty lame reasons, but I’m glad that this idea is working on a much larger scale.
Miguel, I tried to get a superintendent to do this very thing about 8 years ago, in another school district. We had had a bunch of nearing-obsolete machines gathering dust in a corner, and I wanted to get them into the hands of some of our less fortunate kids to at least become familiar with keyboarding, how to use Word, etc… I was denied the request because “we might not get them back” and because of the “liability” involved. Pretty lame reasons, but I’m glad that this idea is working on a much larger scale.