Technology Overspending
Is Your School District Overspending on Technology? There is a common misconception being perpetrated onto the American public: that spending more on technology for our schools is directly correlated to the performance of our students, both in and out of school. However, the facts say something very different. While we are number one in educational spending per student worldwide, we come in at number 17 out of 40 countries studied for educational performance in 2014.
An Extreme Example
How can this be? Surely making every effort to keep our students up to date in the technology field will result in a better education, correct? As districts endeavor to remain competitive in the technological marketplace, time and again we see that they are leaving their students behind. In one of our favorite examples of this behavior, we found a single Texas school district that overspent on technology by over $2.7 million dollars in the race to equip its students with the newest and best available equipment. Unfortunately, these purchases were impractical and unnecessary, and most of the equipment and software was left sitting idle for over 7 years! We wonder how many useful programs were cut to make room for these purchases in the district’s budget.
While this is one extreme example that cannot be extrapolated to represent the entire public school system, the fact that this level of overspending on technology went on anywhere in our country is alarming. It indicates a greater reality that there is a lack of discipline and common sense when it comes to purchasing IT Equipment for schools.
The Daily Struggle
Chances are, your school district or state is one of many that is constantly struggling with issues such as financial strategies, lack of funding for teachers and programs, and creating effective strategies for classroom instruction. If your district is overspending its budget on IT Assets that are not necessary, the students will feel the effects through lack of other, more beneficial programs. With quality teachers leaving our public school system in droves due to overwork and low pay, it’s time we took a good hard look at where all of the money is going.
The Cure
It’s time to get involved, and encourage those that are charged with handling our school district’s funds to get creative when it comes to technology solutions. Yes, students should be provided with adequate hardware and software to meet their needs. Yes, we want to be competitive as a nation in the global marketplace. However, spending more money on the newest, latest, and greatest technology is not the way to go. We need to operate with some restraint, and ask the basic questions before making decisions on technology spending.
As a nation, we need to remember that there are many facets to providing high quality education in our schools. No matter how new or shiny the computer lab is, it does not benefit the students if there is no one there to teach them the technology. If we continue to cut programs such as art, music, and physical education, our students are going to become more and more disengaged from their educational experience. It’s time to say enough is enough, and look for creative ways to solve our technology issues before America gets left even further behind.
I’m Michael Scamardella, Sales Director for Filmar Technologies. I’ve been supplying off lease and refurbished equipment to many industries and disciplines for the last 7 years at points all over the globe. I have a B.A. in Communications with a focus on Media Studies from Western Michigan University. I am fascinated with the cultural and economic effects of technology, past, present, and future. I truly enjoy writing about and discussing ideas and concepts of modern technology in our professional and personal lives and the ubiquitous role it plays in this modern global climate.
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