Replacing Labor Costs with Technology and Other: Illogical! Illogical!

During the March 11, 2010 County Council Education Committee meeting (the same one where the Promethean funding shortfall was mentioned), the following argument in support of the proposed technology expenditure was given by Superintendent Weast during the discussion of Technology Modernization - Item #1: Desktop Replacement. The opening sentences by Council staff refer to the 4 yr replacement cycle for computers (follow along p. 9 - 11 of the memo ).

Listen for the following:

"...but the teacher quality has gotten less variable between the top and lowest performing teacher...a lot of that is done through technology…advise the Council that this is a smart expenditure area because you're replacing labor costs with technology. That is your only way to keep up quality over time."

Take away message: Teacher quality depends on up-to-date computers. Replace labor costs (teachers) with new computers.

But then:

"...cut back on training and staff development, will have to substitute some sort of electronic training programs (sound familiar? see Pearson deal )...takes these kinds of devices (remember, still talking about ol' desktop computers) ...trying to reduce variability between the greatest teacher and not-so-great, you have to increase their cultural competency awareness..."

Take away message: Teacher quality depends on staff development - in cultural competency. Replace staff development people with e-versions that will only run on new computers.

Moving on...

"...national standards right on track...we know what to do; we're all on the same synchronicity path....Board very desirous of ..critical thinking kind of curriculum...more integrated...what we have now is strong literacy and math program, not necessarily as good science, or social sciences, or writing, or physical education, those kinds of things...trying to get help from major publishing companies for help...really need devices to deliver assessments in a better way ..."

Take away messages:

1) literacy and math programs are strong - yet we have a Math Joint Work Group which has spent over a year developing "recommendations on ways to improve student achievement in mathematics systemwide."

2) all aspects of curriculum except literacy and math are not-so-good - yet we're ahead of the game in national standards; we know what to do

3) teachers don't know how to assess - so replace teachers with computers so assessments can be done in a better way. Wait, wasn't that what the Wireless Generation/ handheld Palm Pilot program was supposed to do?

4) some of the Board and Education committee of the Council knew back in March that something akin to the Pearson deal was in the works?

Finally:

"...When you save on labor costs, you save on benefit costs. When you save on benefit costs [heh,heh]...it translates."

Take away message: We won't have a budget crisis if we 'save' by getting rid of some local human capital and then buy more technology gadgets (and human capital from other companies - think Pearson).

Logical conclusions? I can't come up with logical conclusions because...

I feel like Norman in the Star Trek episode, "I, Mudd" : "You say you are lying, but if everything you say is a lie, then you are telling the truth, but you cannot tell the truth because you always lie... illogical! Illogical! Please explain! You are human; only humans can explain! Illogical!"