For the past five years I have used a personal device in order to save money and have better technology (FCPS charged for their devices in the past).
As of this year, I am being forced to use a school issued device. A few weeks of school have passed and already there have been issues with these devices. The FCPS requirement to use their devices is highly flawed because the school system cannot afford these devices, it is a waste of money for families who bought personal devices, and such a high level of security is unnecessary.
Quite annoyingly, Senior at Brunswick High School, Henry Caulton, and I have both had issues with the computers not properly connecting to the internet. The chromebook I received, very annoyingly, has a faulty spacebar. Throughout the composition of this essay I have been inconvenienced by my computer not using spaces as I used the key. This poses the question, why should students suffer the consequences of the poor quality of these devices?
To continue, demanding these devices be delivered to all secondary students is just another expense that FCPS cannot afford. FCPS recently was forced to make major budget cuts; both programs and teachers have been cut. Yet somehow they afford to supply every middle and high school student with a chromebook free of charge? To buy these devices, FCPS is wasting money that could be spent to better our schools.
Due to the demand for more chromebooks for secondary students, chromebooks are being taken from the elementary schools. While elementary schools do not need a 1:1 student to chromebook ratio, they need all of the devices they can get. Taking away the devices from these children accomplishes nothing; however harms their learning potential, which is saddening.
Furthermore, requiring that students use an FCPS device becomes a waste of money for parents who have already bought a device. Now that students are required to use FCPS devices, those who used a personal device now have a device at home that most likely serves no purpose. Even worse, most colleges require students to use a device that runs either Windows or Mac, making chromebooks obsolete post high school.
Interestingly enough, FCPS claims that a uniform device for all students would lead to a greater ease of maintenance and security. It is true that it would make life easier for the tech support staff, but it is unnecessary to have such high security levels at the highschool level. Starting off, most students are not on their chromebooks very much during class, most who are distracting themselves, use their phones, and most aren’t on their phones at all due to the FCPS Cell Phone policy. The truth is, not all websites blocked on school devices were blocked on personal devices, but most were. All personal devices also have LAN School downloaded on to them. Teachers are just as able to monitor and control a school device compared to a personal device; this further enhances how useless a uniform device is.
To conclude, requiring school issued devices is a mandate FCPS cannot afford, it inconveniences those who have already bought a personal device, and it is no easier to monitor and control a FCPS device compared to a personal device. The usage of personal devices would benefit students by cutting down on technical issues and allowing students to have a device for at home and at school. Making this change would benefit students, faculty, and FCPS as a whole.