September 18, 2011
UPDATE:
The article entitled, "Glitchy System: Inside the Student Software Debacle", has created a new conversation about the technology used in Albemarle County Schools.
Parents and School Board members are responding to the article and its claims.
In a written response, school board chair, Steve Koleszar said, "Purchasing the Student Information System was a serious error. School Net was the low bidder and promised customization that other vendors would not. Unfortunately they were unable to deliver on their promises. When It became apparent that they would be unable to deliver, we purchased another system."
Despite that comment, Koleszar defended Superintendent Pam Moran, saying there is no conflict of interest with Dr. Moran. Koleszar also noted the positive progress in Albemarle County Schools.
Parent Rebecca Dameron responded to Koleszar by saying, "The problem with the computer system choice was not that it was a poor choice but that the teachers were ignored when they sought answers from administration. This erodes respect from your teachers and your community alike. "
September 16, 2011
The chair of the Albemarle County School Board says that he is not particularly concerned by a newspaper report sharply critical of Albemarle County Superintendent, Pam Moran.
The article is entitled, "Glitchy System: Inside the Student Software Debacle".
In the article, The Hook claims that Dr. Moran lead a school technology initiative that cost the system hundreds of thousands of dollars and then ended up failing miserably.
The newspaper suggests that Moran did not react quickly to the problems because she was linked to the company providing the computer software.
Albemarle County School Board Chair Steve Koleszar told CBS19 that Moran acted ethically and stated:
"I'm so much more concerned about the results we have with kids than a newspaper article."
He added that The Hook report had "a lot of distortions."
Koleszar did say the school board should have more closely examined the effectiveness of the Student Information System before buying it.
The comments sections of Newsplex.com are designed for thoughtful, intelligent conversation and debate. We want to hear from our viewers, but we only ask that you use your best judgment. E-mail is required, but will not be displayed with comment.
As a host Newsplex.com welcomes a wide spectrum of opinions. However this is a site that we host. We have a responsibility to all our readers to try to keep our comment section fair and decent. For that reason The Newsplex reserves the right to not post or to remove any comment.
If you have any ideas to improve the conversation or this section let us know. Send an e-mail to webmaster@newsplex.com.
powered by Disqus
