To: Bernie Noe, Head of School, Lakeside
Cc: Board of Trustees Lakeside School, http://www.scn.org/commnet/laptops

March 30, 2001

Dear Bernie,

I have been told that you are contemplating what to do in the face of the concerns that have recently surfaced. I, along with many teachers, students, graduates, and parents, are hoping that you are acknowledging that our concerns are based on experience, realism, and a desire to uphold Lakeside as an outstanding educational institution. As you know I believe that a mandatory laptop program, especially the way it has been construed, is contrary to Lakeside's mission and reputation.

Today, just for curiosity, I tallied all the families who had contacted me expressing some concern with the mandatory laptop proposal. Note that I did not count husbands and wives individually but as one family. I also did not add the students, graduates, and teachers who contacted me into the sum. My quick scan yielded 67 families, representing approximately 1/8 of the entire parent population. Please note that these were the parents who have contacted me directly. I'm assuming that there are one or two other families with similar concerns who did not contact me for each one that did. While this number does not constitute an absolute majority by any means, it is, to me, a very significant portion of the population and it signals a profound (and well meaning) resistance to this mandatory proposal.

In my recent work to promote a moratorium on the mandatory laptop program I have become increasingly interested in the use of technology in education. There is, I admit, some apparent irony in the use of e-mail and web sites to be working against the mandatory program. But, as I and others have pointed out, there is no simple anti-technology Luddism taking place here. We are promoting a more intelligent and nuanced use of technology in education rather than the rather blunt instrument of mandatory laptop purchase. We all acknowledge that computer technology is here to stay and that it has important roles to play in education as well. We feel that Lakeside is in a perfect position to do the requisite thinking to integrate technology into education in an equitable and mindful manner. The students as evidenced by their writings in the recent Tatler are also ready to play a role in this.

I am very impressed with the intelligent criticism that has been expressed by parents and graduates that would not have been received this attention without their presence on the web. I have received many kudos from people who have visited the web site including those from abroad. The issue of appropriate use of computers in education is critical not only to Lakeside but to schools across the country and the world. The web site has allowed an important forum for voices of people who are concerned about the push of technology and are interested in its deliberative and thoughtful deployment.

Finally I would like to bring up an important point that was highlighted by the NWREL report in the "Conclusions" section of the report under the heading of "Constructing a Shared Vision."

"Tensions between faculty and the administration over a variety of issues, including the definition and direction of the program, interfered with the success of the laptop program, and they will probably continue to do so in the future, unless they are addressed in new ways. This year, the administration expressed frustration with what it sees as faculty unwillingness to participate in the professional development that would raise faculty familiarity with computers and, presumably, effective use of technology in the classroom. On their side, teachers express a range of concerns, including time limitations, a lack of clear direction, enduring questions about the value of technology to particular disciplines, and frustration about the absence of clearly defined goals and objectives of the laptop "program". Evidently there are other issues of disagreement which extend beyond the laptop program, as well.

Next year, these tensions could go on to absorb an enormous amount of time and energy that could otherwise go into a myriad of more constructive uses, including the effective integration of technology into the curriculum at the Middle School. In addition, these same tensions will probably interfere with the implementation of any other innovations or changes that either faculty or administration might wish to introduce. "

It is my belief that this critical message of the report was not taken to heart. The "shared vision" that the report recommends does not currently exist and the ongoing "tensions" that were forecast in the report were not addressed in a meaningful way. Hence we are now experiencing the problems that the report foretold. Shall we attempt to paper over the broad divisions that exist in the Lakeside community over this issue and institute the plan regardless or will we honestly acknowledge the work that is to be done and roll up our sleeves and get down to doing it?

Thanks for listening. Good luck on your decision-making.

-- Doug Schuler, Lakeside parent