LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy on the iPad program fiasco

Since it began the first phase of its roll out, the LAUSD’s $1-billion iPad program has been plagued with issues. First, some 300 students figured out how to unlock the security feature on the devices so they could use them to surf prohibited websites, which led the district to ban kids from taking their iPads home. A couple days later, school district officials said that about 70 iPads – out of about 14,000 issued so far – had gone missing.

Since it began the first phase of its roll out, the LAUSD’s $1-billion iPad program has been plagued with issues. First, some 300 students figured out how to unlock the security feature on the devices so they could use them to surf prohibited websites, which led the district to ban kids from taking their iPads home. A couple days later, school district officials said that about 70 iPads – out of about 14,000 issued so far – had gone missing.

The LAUSD program aims to put an iPad the hands of every student in the Los Angeles school district within a year. Thirteen schools are participating in the first phase of the program, which began about two weeks ago. Even before its inception, the iPad program has been dogged by criticism; many think the money should be spent on restoring some of the cuts schools and teachers have faced over the years.

Guest:

John Deasy, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent