“Superior Court Judge S. Lark Ingram ordered an immediate halt to a groundbreaking laptop computer program Friday because school leaders did not tell Cobb County voters what they wanted to do with a voter-approved special sales tax,” Kristina Torres reports for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Ingram said the ruling had nothing to do with the merits of the program. But, she said, ‘fair notice of such use was not given to the public when the referendum for [the sales tax] was held.'”
The deal was originally structured to “eventually distribute 63,000 Apple iBook laptops to all teachers and all students in grades six through 12. About $25 million of the sales tax money was to be used for the program’s first phase, which the school board approved in April,” Torres reports. “Ingram agreed with Barnes’ argument. As a result of the ruling, the only way school officials could pay for the program would be to use their general fund. The school board will meet at 7:30 p.m. Monday to talk about the decision. It is likely any decision to appeal would be made then.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: FUBAR.
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Lawsuit to halt Cobb County’s 63,000 Apple iBooks for education plan goes to court today – July 08, 2005
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Lawsuit filed to stop Cobb County’s Apple iBook program – June 01, 2005
Cobb County school board approves Apple Mac plan; could eventually distribute 63,000 iBooks – April 29, 2005
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Cobb Commission chief urges delay in Apple iBook program, says issue has become too emotional – April 20, 2005
No conflict of interest in ongoing Cobb County Apple iBook saga – April 19, 2005
More controversy in Atlanta-area school district’s plan to buy Apple iBooks – April 16, 2005
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Report: 90 percent of emails opposed to Georgia’s Apple iBook program – February 10, 2005
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Georgia school district to propose 63,000 Macs for students and teachers – February 07, 2005
wow…this sure is getting ugly…
Cobb school board terminates laptop deal with Apple
Investigation found school system ‘deceived’ the public
By KRISTINA TORRES
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/15/05
The Cobb County School Board moved to terminate its contract with Apple Computer late Sunday based on an investigation that found that the school system “deceived” the public in choosing the company to supply it with thousands of laptops.
The board requested the investigation a month ago, after a witness testified, in a lawsuit to stop the program, that the bidding process was tainted. The board also requested a separate investigation by Cobb District Attorney Pat Head, which is ongoing, and which parties acknowledge might lead to criminal charges.
Sunday’s decision came after the board received the report from Kessler International, a company that specializeds in corpporate investigations.
Kessler’s findings included:
• Apple got the contract even though it appears the company did not initially make the final cut of companies to be considered.
• Central Office staff “refused to tell the truth” to Kessler’s investigators. “The responses by the personnel conveyed misleading information in certain aspects and false information in others,” the report stated. “Those responsible clearly wanted to create a false impression of the results of the negotiation to justify thier decision.”
• There were “discrepancies” in record-keeping to tie the deal together.
On July 28, a judge ordered an immediate halt to the laptop program, because the school system did not give voters “fair notice” about how they would pay for it.
Judge S. Lark Ingram’s said she stopped the program not on its merit, but because of how Cobb wanted to pay for it: money from a special 1 percent sales tax voters approved in 2003. Coming after the lawsuit halted plans to distribute the laptops to students, Sunday’s agreement by board members stops plans to provide Cobb’s more that 7,100 teachers with the laptops.
So are plans that likely would have put the laptops in school systemwide, even if students could not take them home as envisioned under the original plan.
The move, approved unanimously Sunday, will likely give critics ammunition in their call for Superintendent Joseph Redden to resign. Redden wanted to provide students with take home laptops, prompting his staff to consider Apple and three other competetitors for the job. Redden, who did not attend the retreat, could not be reached for comment.
As always every connived reason is good to stop kids getting the better equipment. If it were Dell all would have just glazed over putting in the balance the “compatibility” “advantage” as a 10 ton gorilla. Same old crap once again. Waite a few months and get DULLS or whatever virus infected beige boxes, who cares anymore.
Bye Bye education in America.
Sly