April 29, 2024

L.A. Unified School District Suspends $1 Billion iPad Contract

Posted August 26, 2014 at 5:54pm by iClarified · 7622 views
L.A. Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy suspended future use of a $1 Billion Contract with Apple, which would have been used to provide iPads to all students.

The original $30-million investment was expected to expand to $500 Million, with an additional $500 million being used to expand Internet access at schools. The plan would bring 640,000 iPads to students in the district. Person was also on-board the deal to load curriculum and content on the devices for students. An internal report of the program reportedly showed major problems with the ''process and implementation'

"Moving forward, we will no longer utilize our current contract with Apple Inc.," Deasy wrote in a memo sent to the Board of Education on Monday. "Not only will this decision enable us to take advantage of an ever-changing marketplace and technology advances, it will also give us time to take into account concerns raised surrounding the [project]," Deasy wrote.

Deasy, who was a major proponent of providing iPads is now coming under criticism for his handling of the contract with a bidding process that was tailored to Apple and Pearson. Any iPads already ordered will be deployed to schools in the district, but a new focus will be on laptops, according to the report.

Read More [Memo]