L.A. School District Officially Ends $1.3 Billion iPad Initiative in the Midst of an FBI Investigation

[MacRumors]

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) today officially ended a $1.3 billion education initiative that would have seen all students in the Los Angeles school district outfitted with an iPad, reports the Los Angeles Times. LAUSD superintendent Ramon C. Cortines clarified that the district was not going to use "the original iPad contract" anymore.

"We're not going to use the original iPad contract anymore," Cortines said Tuesday. "I think there have been too many innuendos, rumors, etc., and based on my reading of a great deal of material over Thanksgiving, I came to this conclusion.

"As CEO and steward of a billion-dollar operation, I have to make sure things are done properly so they are not questioned."

Cortines' official statement comes just a day after the FBI seized 20 boxes of documents from the L.A. school district as part of an investigation into the district's contract with Apple. The FBI is reportedly looking into the bidding that led to deal, which would have seen the district spending $500 million on iPads and curriculum and $800 million on staff, improved broadband, and other expenses.

In question is the relationship between Apple executives and former L.A. superintendent John Deasy, who resigned in October. Deasy has said that he did not do anything wrong when securing the deal, but there has been speculation that the bidding process for the deal was modified to favor Apple and Pearson, the company providing content for the devices.

The contract between the Los Angeles Unified School District and Apple was first suspended back in August after Deasy's ties to Apple executives first became apparent, but the district was still planning to spend millions of dollars on iPads up until this week.

Apple's deal with the Los Angeles Unified School District was formed under Deasy in an effort to give all students in the district equal access to technology. A $30 million agreement was signed last year to facilitate an early rollout of the program to 47 schools, which was expected to lead to a larger deal between the two.

Initial testing unveiled quite a few problems with the program, including an issue that saw students discovering security workarounds to freely access content on the iPads, which led to a home use ban on the devices. Despite the cancellation of the current contract with Apple, the L.A. School District plans to continue moving forward with its technology program, shifting towards Chromebooks and other laptops.

Article Link: L.A. School District Officially Ends $1.3 Billion iPad Initiative in the Midst of an FBI Investigation

 

[jontech]

Should have given a Korean company a chance.....

 

[Iconoclysm]

Should have given a Korean company a chance.....

US tax dollars should be spent on Korean products? No thanks.

 

[Dekema2]

Here comes $1.4bn worth of Android tablets!!!

 

[DJLC]

I feel like Chromebooks would be a better choice anyway. Much more educational content — including Pearson's — is available on ChromeOS than iOS.

 

[Garsun]

And I like the fact the chrome book doesn't have any security workarounds that the students can exploit

 

[ApfelSchaf]

US tax dollars should be spent on Korean products? No thanks.

Better spend US tax dollars on made-in-China-products, right?

 

[A MacBook lover]

With Wikileaks founder saying that Google is working for the state department, FBI getting mad at Apple over encryption, and this. It's starting to sound alot like US GOV vs Apple. And the GOV (and Google) are pulling all the stops into slicing Apple with lawsuits and undercutting products.

Sad world.

 

[jontech]

US tax dollars should be spent on Korean products? No thanks.

Exactly

 

[Digital Skunk]

You can give ALL students access to technology for a lot less that 1.3 billion dollars.

We really don't have to put iPads in every single students' hands or in every single classroom. Especially if it's going to cost 800 million just to update and support the technology.

This is another one of those, "sounds nice on paper" kinda things.

 

[Monique1]

Yet again, the kids lose because of "adult" chicanery.

 

[gavroche]

Interesting. There is no question that there are alternatives to the iPad that cost less money. But whether they better meet the school's needs, or whether they are likely to last very long (so many articles lately about those crap tablets that don't last a year before their parts start giving out, such as memory chips) is something that is more difficult to quantify.
Unless that guy somehow personally profited in the deal (i.e. corruption/fraud)... not sure why the FBI would be involved. I'm sure there are always people that have their personal preference and will try to steer the contract in that direction.

 

[ApfelSchaf]

With Wikileaks founder saying that Google is working for the state department, FBI getting mad at Apple over encryption, and this. It's starting to sound slot like US GOV vs Apple. And the GOV (and Google) are pulling all the stops into slicing Apple with lawsuits and undercutting products.

Sad world.

Right. How dare these evil companies to undercut Apple.

After all, Apple only wants to make their customer happy, and does not care one bit about profits and CEO salaries.

Oh, and let's not forget, Apple is donating the little profit they made on the most "underfunded" disease of all -- HIV/AIDS: http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0016837 ("NIH Disease Funding Levels and Burden of Disease").


Seriously, why does Apple not donate large amounts of money to Pancreatic Cancer research? Would that not be a good way to honor Steve Jobs?

But I guess, in today's PC-crazed society AIDS research is perceived as more PC...

 

[Iconoclysm]

Better spend US tax dollars on made-in-China-products, right?

Better than completely foreign, is it not? Or are we being completely daft here?

 

[Tubamajuba]

After all, Apple only wants to make their customer happy, and does not care one bit about profits and CEO salaries.

Nobody has ever said this. Ever.

Don't be ridiculous. If you feel the need to call people out, don't make up junk like that.

 

[ApfelSchaf]

Better than completely foreign, is it not? Or are we being completely daft here?

Better an US ally (South Korea) than an US adversary (communist China).

 

[puma1552]

Better than completely foreign, is it not? Or are we being completely daft here?

The only daftness in this thread is the shortsightedness to not realize that this is a world economy, where every dollar invested in a foreign market ultimately ends up being reinvested back in this one.

Do you think it's 1950? AMURR'CA!

 

[ApfelSchaf]

Nobody has ever said this. Ever.

Don't be ridiculous. If you feel the need to call people out, don't make up junk like that.

LOL, maybe not. But why does the poster I was responding to get offended at the thought of companies attempting to undercut Apple (never mind all his/her tinfoil-conspiracy nonsense)? After all, companies undercutting each other is best for the consumer.

 

[ricci]

Better an US ally (South Korea) than an US adversary (communist China).

The irony of this one! Side with the country we one day may have the next world war against and a country where Samaung resides that can( but I doubt) put Apple out of business! Hmmmm!!

 

[sviato]

Should just give them those leftover Windows RT tablets.

 

[Tjex]

Should have been spent on more and better teachers, healthier cafeteria food, renovating old schools, etc..

 

[Tubamajuba]

LOL, maybe not. But why does the poster I was responding to get offended at the thought of companies attempting to undercut Apple (never mind all his/her tinfoil-conspiracy nonsense)? After all, companies undercutting each other is best for the consumer.

Well, there could be something there regarding the conspiracy. I'm not sold on it, but it makes sense- Google hoards information for the purpose of monetizing it while Apple keeps far less of it, and actively takes steps to prevent governments from getting their hands on any user data (iMessage encryption being a good example). Who would the government prefer, Google or Apple? Again, I wouldn't bet on there really being any sort of conspiracy, just pointing out the logic. Now, the undercutting part? Very out of place, I agree. Companies undercutting one another is how I got my 46" Samsung TV over the weekend for $240 less than the usual retail price.

The irony of this one! Side with the country we one day may have the next world war against and a country where Samaung resides that can( but I doubt) put Apple out of business! Hmmmm!!

Uh, wrong Korea...

 

[Michael Goff]

US tax dollars should be spent on Korean products? No thanks.

Any money made in the US by a Korean company would be taxed in the same method as one from a supposed American company, and dodged just the same as well.

 

[The Doctor11]

Should have been spent on more and better teachers, healthier cafeteria food, renovating old schools, etc..

Forget healthier food. Make it taste like something other than ****.

 

[cdmoore74]

Yet again, the kids lose because of "adult" chicanery.

The kids lose??? You make it sound as if the iPad is a replacement for a good teacher. I still remember my tough as nails German engineer turned teacher who retired from Motorola in the 80's. That guy was brutal when I first started but after everything was said and done I received an A in that class; that was 17 years ago. I gained that guys respect due to hard work and motivation and I did not need a tablet to do it. I don't even remember the car I was driving but I still remember his name to this day.
We need better teachers; not tablets thrown in front of our kids. Please don't say that kids will lose because to me that's an insult to good teachers around the country who would never use a tablet as a primary teaching tool.