“Cobb County schools Superintendent Joseph Redden announced his resignation Tuesday evening, ending months of controversy over a groundbreaking technology program that became a litmus test on his leadership,” Kristina Torres and Mary McDonald report for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“‘We’ve got a divided board, we’re spending far too much time (on this),’ Redden, a retired Air Force general who came to Cobb in Nov. 2000, told a reporter. His last day is Wendesday. ‘For the good of the district, this helps us move forward. No individual is more important than the organization.’ In a statement released to the school system’s staff, he said, ‘Clearly, the best interest of the district lies in moving forward to serve the children of Cobb County, and I don’t believe that under current circumstances we are able to do so effectively.’ Redden told staff he hoped they would be able to focus on student achievement without ‘the added distractions that have consumed our energy of late,’ a reference to scrutiny of his role in awarding a multi-million dollar contract to Apple Computer,” Torres and McDonald report.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: So, are the people that ginned this whole thing up finally happy?
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Cobb County Schools Superintendent blasts Apple iBook audit findings – August 16, 2005
Investigation finds Cobb School Board ‘deceived’ the public, Apple iBook deal terminated – August 15, 2005
Cobb County school board pulls plug on 63,000 Apple iBooks plan – August 02, 2005
Judge shuts down 63,000 Apple iBooks for Cobb County students – July 29, 2005
One Cobb County Apple iBook audit expected to finish soon – July 27, 2005
Inquiry into Cobb County Apple iBook bids requested – July 14, 2005
Cobb County iBook saga: allegations that school leaders pressured employees to pick Apple – July 11, 2005
Lawsuit to halt Cobb County’s 63,000 Apple iBooks for education plan goes to court today – July 08, 2005
Cobb County’s Apple iBooks in schools saga continues with lawsuit – June 04, 2005
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
Henrico school board dumps Apple Macs, picks Dells with Windows – April 29, 2005
Cobb County school officials intend to move forward with Apple iBook program – April 21, 2005
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
Cobb County Georgia approves first phase of plan that could equip schools with 63,000 Apple iBooks – April 15, 2005
Atlanta-area school district on verge of deal for 31,000 Apple iBooks – April 12, 2005
Cobb teachers voice concerns over using Macs for proposed laptop program – March 29, 2005
Cobb County Georgia meeting discusses plan to equip schools with 63,000 Apple iBooks – February 24, 2005
Report: 90 percent of emails opposed to Georgia’s Apple iBook program – February 10, 2005
65,000 Apple iBooks for Georgia schools one of the largest school laptop programs in the country – February 10, 2005
Georgia school district to propose 63,000 Macs for students and teachers – February 07, 2005
What a crock.
One a few people, and one in particular, don’t like the way the money was spent and they use the letter of the law rather than its spirit — and they find a judge who will enforce the letter of the law rather than its spirit — and who get’s hurt? The children. They don’t have any computers. Not Macs. Not HPs. Not IBMs. Not Gateways. Not even Dells. Nothing.
Good going, idiots.
Welcome to the wonderful world of local politics.
“f*ck the kids, I want to keep my money”, Local tax payers.
This story is pathetic. Never in my lifetime have I seen such a frightening tendency in so many people to rabidly oppose anything they don’t agree with or understand. Some people, clearly, are threatened by virtually anything even slightly outside the mainstream.
I wouldn’t be all that surprised if, sooner or later, some moron declares that using a Mac is like being a Communist… positively un-American! Perish the thought.
Sounds like they lost a good man. Hope they don’t get some idiot to replace him – like some doofus sheep who will say “We should buy Dells, no one will contest that, everybody buys Dells”
Brando,
Please do keep your money. We will gladly take care of your work, so you don’t need to train your children.
When we open our new local shops in the US you can clean our floors.
Sincerely,
India Institute of Technology
Class of 2027
I don’t recall my district asking me if I wanted to use Dell?
to the simpletons whose comments are without a factual basis.
this “good man” was given the boot based on the results of an investigative team he and the boaard hired.
Folks, it’s Cobb County, Georgia. The area that elected Newt Gingrich. The school system that wanted to put evolution “warining labels” in biology books. They’re red-state idiots.
Typical politician spend unnecessary money on a useless project with no results, then when it starts to heat up resign so it will not effect his record. I still think all the school board should be arrested and prosecuted for sighting riot and stealing from the tax payers. Any laptop should be worth $50 in parts if it did not work. There is not a one of them that should be allowed to participate in the education of a child. Dumb in and dumb out.
I love the Mac as much as anyone, but this is ridiculous… From all the whining around here, you’d think it was impossible to provide a quality education without a computer at every desk! Who cares whether the laptops are from Apple or Dell when the kids are going to be mind-numbingly ignorant when they graduate anyway? No amount of money dumped into the bottomless pit of technology is going to save the wretched public school system in this country…
-ap
Morgan=Terrorist!
MacGoog,
You are confusing this situation with Henrico County!
Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM.
Hey, ap, are you putting forth the utterly shocking notion that we need actual flesh-n-blood TEACHERS who are competent and able to get ideas and a love for learning across to their young students? How oddly refreshing…
Morgan=Terrorist!
LOL, Christoff, I can only assume you’re being sarcastic, if not you’re no better than Pat Robertson, a prime example of the education system if there ever was.
MacGoog, it was Henrico county with the 50 dollar laptops. Cobb tried to buy Apple and people screamed.
You know this saga and the other one in Hendrick county really go to show we need some sort of IQ test to qualify these people for office.
If you put cr*p in charge, it just makes everyone in that county cr*p.
Then they elect cr*p and the cycle repeats itself.
For example just watch this video to see how really bad it can get.
http://www.bpninc.com/evideo/video_mac_hi.mov
Now you know why Johnny, Jane, LaQwan and LaShonda cannot:
Read
Write
Spell
Calculate
Nothing in the US is more captive to the worst sort of politics than public education.
The schools leader had been charged by his board with the mission of moving his district toward greatness in education. He did. The board learned it couldn’t handle moving forward with greatness. The board yielded to a bully, let the bully wreak havoc. The entire board should resign out of self-respect now. Duty calls for such.
The former governor’s clique has shown how much of a loser they can be now. He can rot in hell alongside his newspaper crony. Here’s an irony: the teachers of the state managed to can the errant governor during the last election. His chances of a re-election now? Zip, nada, a big zero. He has demonstrated how he, too, can’t handle greatness.
The iPod generation is best known for being royally screwed over. Here in Cobb County we have the screwing all bundled up in superstition, ignorance and prejudice. We’re anti-education. If you want your children to learn, live anywhere else.
I wonder how Redden’s leadership style that was obviously effective in the Air Force translated to local politics. He goes from an environment where everyone under him jumps to attention and is at his beck and call to one where respect isn’t automatically granted based upon rank.
It would have been interesting to see it in action.
This is actually the case, at least in Texas. I am a teacher, and I have mandates on technologu education. The mandates want all children using computers in all subjects — almost on a daily basis if you read the curriculum and mandates. I have ONE computer in my classroom. We have two labs, one is down the vast majority of the time, and the other has about 25% of computers down most of the time.
Now, I believe that both Windows and Macs have a place in the educational system. I believe that there should be labs using both machines. Students need exposure to both platforms. That way they are ready for whatever they will use after high school. Those that go to art institutes must know the Mac platform.
Now, form an IT standpoint. Our labs would not be down so much if they were Macs. I don’t think there is an argument there. I think that our one lab that is always down should be replaced with Macs while leaving the other lab as Windows. That would give students exposre to both platforms. However, my district has a NO MAC policy. We cannot by Macs with district funds. This is because the current head of technology has no Mac experience and, quite frankly, is afraid of them.
A local school to us just used grant money to buy iBooks for every student in the school. That is exactly what I would do. These laptops will run for far longer than their Windows counterparts. Besides, when the students take them home and get on the Internet, the iBooks won’t get viruses, etc.
MDN Magic Word “almost” — Cobb County ALMOST had a good thing going.
I started commenting here, but decided to blog about it instead. Entry will be up later this morning.
my take
MacConvert – I’m sure glad you’re not teaching my kids. Your spelling is horrible and your syntax is even worse. Take some extended education now.
Knowing a specific platform is false requirement for higher education. One can do art, math, physical sciences on any platform. What about UNIX and Linux?
What happened to learning? We’re stuck in training kids to use computers, not teaching them to learn their subject matter. The computer is a tool, the means to learning the content, not the content itself.
I bet the baby boomer knew their core subjects better using pencils and paper then kids do now with computers. Look at all of the coutries with out the computer resources in schools that score markedly better than the US on core subjects.
I don’t think our lagging has much to do with technology being lacking….
teach – if you noticed mac converts “spelling errors” were mere typos. Something anyone can do while in a hurry. Let’s see the u is right next to the y, very easy mistake and letters flipped, also very easy to do. My god it’s just a board! Get over yourself.
“We cannot by Macs with district funds. This is because the current head of technology has no Mac experience and, quite frankly, is afraid of them.”
Nail, your head has been hit.
zupchuk –
Aye. I remember when I used to do art, math, and physical sciences all on the same platform. I believe it was called a desk. It had tools called pencils, pens, and paper, and you could take the tools out and put them away at will.
They came with a logging feature that tracked who else had used your particular terminal, as well as their favorite band and sometimes they came with a local phone number you could call for “a good time.”
When they crashed, the support guy brought you another one, and it had identical functionality to the previous one. You just had to install your pencils, pens, and paper.
They *did* have an annoying tendency to spread viruses, but that hasn’t changed much over the years. But you can’t say they weren’t user-friendly.
Unless you were obese.
zupchuck said: “What happened to learning? We’re stuck in training kids to use computers, not teaching them to learn their subject matter. The computer is a tool, the means to learning the content, not the content itself.”
The intent of education has morphed almost entirely in the last several decades. It’s less about learning and knowledge and understanding, and more about cranking out suitable consumers and work drones.
Even the extended education ads on television (which I haven’t watched in ages) promote “a better job” as the ultimate goal. Kids are urged to finish school and go to college so that they can get “a better job.”
“a retired Air Force general”. Funny, for sure!
Bob:
Mere typos, something that happens when you’re in a hurry.
Let’s see the u is right next to the y, very easy mistake and letters flipped, also very easy to do.
Congratulations, you have the ability to read minds and figure out the mistakes. Sometimes it’s not so easy. So what happens when someone types the sentence, I found the rapist.
Oops I really meant I found a therapist. Are people going to figure out that an a is missing and there’s an extra space?
Unacceptable from a teacher. Teachers teach. Teachers don’t teach excuses, teachers teach correctness. So many errors in a “teachers” simple grammar are unexcusable even in a meaningless board. If the teacher from Texas is truly a teacher and doesn’t take the time to proof his/her own copy, those children got problems. Teachers set examples which kids follow. Don’t state that you’re a teacher and then butcher the English language in your argument. If kids have to live with zero tolerance in almost everything they do in school, then teachers have to set examples as well.
Teach, ..those children GOT problems…? Those children may HAVE problems, but you GOT caught by your own argument.
That said, English teachers are supposed to know the ins and outs of grammar, while Math and Science teachers are permitted some leeway.
If the teacher is pushing computers in his/her classroom, I’d be willing to wager on Math/Science as the subject over English Lit.
Not elementary my dear Watson, but it is commonly referred to by those in the know as “deductive reasoning.”
Try it, it’s fun! and educational!
Hey Teach,
So, “those children got problems”, eh? Ripping the teacher and you’ve some grammar problems, too. It’s, “those children have problems.” There’s at least one other grammatical error your reply, too. Which one is it?… Oops, it’s not a forgotten comma…
Hey, I’m not perfect, but I’m not you.
High-n-Mighty & Texan:
I never professed to be a teacher so I’ll make all the grammatical errors I care too. When you profess to be a teacher, BLATANT mispellings and syntax errors are just unacceptable. One error, OK here’s some leeway, but MacConvert’s post is so full of errors it’s distressing that this person is a teacher and doesn’t have the intelligence to proof read their posting. Correct communication is key in teaching. Basic communication and language skills are standard required elements in all schools of all students. Maybe teachers should be subjected to refresher courses. That has nothing to do with being a math, science or english lit teacher. Apparently MacConvert doesn’t even know the difference between the word by and buy. “We cannot by Macs with district funds.” And this comes from a teacher?
Teach,
Methinks thou dost protest too much. If MacConvert’s writing were consistently like this, I’d be concerned. But this is a board where hurried, unproofread writing prevails.
My father is a english prof., his writing to me is filled with fat-fingered mistakes, swapped and missing letters, occasional missing works – essentially lazy script. Does this make him a lousy teacher and a bad example? Hardly. It just means he was lazy writing an e-mail to me. And if you think he’s a bad example, maybe the five textbooks he’s written should be re-edited by you.
So MacConvert wrote something that wasn’t the epitome of grammar, spelling, and usage. Whoopdeedoo. Bob pretty much nailed it the first time. “By” and “buy”, I think MacConvert knows the difference….
If you have a problem with poorly written letters to you from your children’s teachers, take it up with them and their principal.
It’s shame you don’t try to maintain the same level of writing skill as the teacher you’re slamming above. Or maybe you were just hurried and a bit lazy yourself? Like I said, methinks thou dost protest too much.
High’n’Mighty:
You just don’t get it. Your father would.
I do get it, but on in this forum. If it were a professional forum, then your point would be valid. But this is certainly not under any circumstances. So your gripe (of which probably all of McConvert’s typos are just that, not a misunderstanding of basic grammar) is really out of line.
Your complaint is misplaced on THIS forum.
If you believe that McConvert does not understand the difference between “by” and “buy” , “technology” isn’t spelled “technologu” and any of the other errors, please state so emphatically. Do you consider this a professional forum (when the forum operators routinely act unprofessionally?). So, is my father now a horrid professor because he commits many of the same errors in non-professional communication?
I hope in whatever you do, your held to the same standard when you aren’t acting in the capacity of your profession that hold teachers in informal communication. I also hope you confront your kids’ teachers in the same way you confronted McConvert’s – face-to-face of course.
High’n’Mighty:
Again, you still don’t understand the point and obviously never will.
Aloha.
Glad you could answer the questions…
True, I don’t understand your point one bit.
Aloha
The Cobb supt loses his job and is being investigated by the DA for jettisoning the district selection committee’s recommendation of Dell and awarding a contract to Apple. And the key Apple education sales guy in Cupertino who handled the Cobb deal is on indefinite leave. Looks like there is a lot more to this story. What shoe do you think will drop next?
I believe that there should be labs using both machines. Students need exposure to both platforms. That way they are ready for whatever they will use after high school. Those that go to art institutes must know the Mac platform.
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