Front Page  education

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

$40,000 for Charter School iPods Spotlights Disparities

By Amy Miller
Journal Staff Writer
    Cutting-edge technology sets Southwest Secondary Learning Center apart and keeps the charter school's waiting list long, principal Dolly Juarez said.
    Still, $40,000 for iPods that the school got from the state Legislature may be too extravagant for Albuquerque Public Schools, and officials said they may reject it.
    "We can always say 'no,' " said Kizito Wijenje, APS capital master plan director. "Last year, we got money for SUVs, and we said 'no.' "
    The school wants the iPods, which cost between $250 and $350 each, so students who don't have high-speed Internet connections at home can download lectures whenever or wherever they want, Juarez said.
    It's technology used at universities such as Stanford, Purdue and Duke, she said.
    "We think it's a wonderful idea," Juarez said.
    But when other schools need money for basics like furniture or portables, iPods hardly seem necessary, Wijenje said.
    APS carefully considers any money the Legislature gives schools before accepting it. That's because the money counts against school districts when they compete for capital money through the Public School Capital Outlay Council, he said.
    Juarez said iPods are in fact essential to a school with a technology focus. Officials just don't realize that, she said.
    "We've done the research," Juarez said. "And I'm more than prepared to show them."