“The St. Paul district is scrapping a multi-million dollar project once touted as the centerpiece of its taxpayer-backed technology plan,” Mila Koumpilova reports for TwinCities.
“Dell and the district agreed this week to scuttle an almost $4.3 million contract to design a new online home for the district’s digital learning tools,” Koumpilova reports. “A year and $715,000 into the project, it became clear the learning platform would not work as well or at least as soon as the two partners had hoped.”
MacDailyNews Take: Duh.
“Meanwhile, the district is finalizing a new deal with Apple to provide an iPad tablet for each student by 2015. The district is not disclosing its price tag yet, but officials have said the investment will far exceed the $2 million they had set aside for devices for this year,” Koumpilova reports. “Dell will refund fees on the platform project in the form of credit for the company’s technology. ‘Over the last year and a half we have gotten a lot clearer on where we want to go with personalized learning,’ said Matt Mohs, the district’s chief academic officer, adding, ‘The platform is not necessary for what we want to accomplish.'”
“When the district announced its platform deal with Dell two months after the 2012 levy referendum, some experts cautioned it was making a risky move: The company has limited track record with such software, and custom-designing product would be time-consuming and pricey,” Koumpilova reports. “Some, like the district’s teacher union, strongly opposed the deal, arguing the district should seek more input from the public and educators before signing a five-year contract. The district now said input from teachers and other staffers largely informed the decision to pull out of the project.”
“Dell first pitched a learning platform to St. Paul officials back in 2011 — an innovative product that would allow teachers to tailor lessons and feedback to each student,” Koumpilova reports. “The district sought proposals from vendors in the spring of 2012 and eventually pitched the platform in asking taxpayers to renew and increase its operating levy. A Pioneer Press investigation last fall showed the district had dismissed the runner-up for the project and enlisted Dell to help explain it voters months before the November vote. It presented the deal to the board, teachers union and public, though, two months after the election.”
“Now, officials said over the past year of designing a custom product with Dell, it became clear the technology the district was seeking just wasn’t there yet. For instance, the platform didn’t work well on mobile devices, a key requirement spelled out in the contract. The district would be able to pilot it with only a portion of its ninth graders, and not until next spring,” Koumpilova reports. “‘We felt we had been overpromised and underdelivered to,’ said Jean O’Connell, a school board member and former board chair.”
MacDailyNews Take: Gee, you don’t say?
“Dell will refund most of the $715,000 the district has paid it so far, save for $50,000 for an evaluation of its IT services and infrastructure. Officials said that study provided helpful information,” Koumpilova reports. “They said the past year was not a total loss in furthering the technology plan: The district upgraded its wireless network, engaged teachers and learned a lot about managing a major technology initiative.”
“District leaders now say they zeroed in on Apple because of its track record in working with Minnesota districts. About two-thirds of district educators already use Apple devices,” Koumpilova reports. “It is tapping a state contract with the company, which means the district didn’t have to bid out the project and might not have to secure school board approval… A number of smaller metro area districts, such as Farmington, have recently entered into leasing arrangements with Apple, which markets actively to school districts across the country. St. Paul would be the first large district in Minnesota to invest in a device for each student.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Lesson learned the hard way, but learned nonetheless.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Zanus” for the heads up.]
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