BP DIAZ CALLS FOR CHANGES TO SCHOOL TECH REGULATIONS

Directive 10 is out-of-date, and must be amended to allow schools to purchase Apple iPads, Google Chromebooks, Samsung Galaxy Tablets, Amazon Kindles and other portable devices

  Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is calling for urgent amendments to Directive 10, an out-of-date set of rules that prevents city public schools from purchasing portable technology such as such as Apple iPads, Google Chromebooks, Samsung Galaxy Tablets and Amazon Kindles.

In a letter to New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, whose office administers these rules, Borough President Diaz notes that Directive 10 currently prevents New York City public schools from purchasing such items using capital funding as they could with traditional desktop computers. The letter goes on to urge the comptroller to update these regulations to allow students access to the most current technology possible.

“Tablet computers have become almost ubiquitous, and have potentially limitless potential to expand learning opportunities in our classrooms. However, New York City’s public school students remain limited in their ability to take advantage of them because of the regulations laid out by your office’s Directive 10, which prevents the use of capital funding to purchase them,” states Borough President Diaz in the letter.

The full letter to Comptroller Stringer can be read at https://on.nyc.gov/2NWqGyH.

“In order to best prepare our students for higher education and the workforce it is our duty to ensure they have access to the most current technology, and that includes tablets and portable laptops,” said Borough President Diaz. “Directive 10 is holding our students back, and I urge Comptroller Stringer to change these regulations and allow our public schools access to the full range of technology options.”

Earlier this month, Borough President Diaz issued a report, “Programming New York City Students for Success,” which outlines an expanded view of computer science education in New York City public schools. Included within that report are recommendations that buttress the borough president’s call to update Directive 10, including the need to continuously evaluate and revise computer science curriculum to keep it fresh,  as well as the need to ensure access to computer science in areas where funding has historically been lacking.

That report can be read at https://on.nyc.gov/2Ow0Q9X.