Dear Bernie,

I want to go on record with the many other parents who are strongly opposed to the laptop program. We have yet to hear compelling educational arguments for the program, and the current generation of laptop machines is not yet equal to the task.

I urge you to (1) reconsider your decision to institute a mandatory laptop program; (2) to delay implementation for at least a year while teachers have an opportunity to devise new curricula in advance of the program; and (3) to spare the 11th and 12th grades the inevitable disruption of introducing a centrifugal force just when the educational goal is intellectual consolidation. To elaborate...

(1) It was clear at the meeting last night, and from discussions at parent brunches, that the proposed laptop program disturbs and angers many parents who either doubt the wisdom of this decision or are strongly opposed. You risk alienating a large number of parents by ignoring our passionate opposition.

(2) Many parents are convinced that classrooms are better learning environments without computers, especially because computers have now affected, or infected, almost every other aspect of our daily lives. If a laptop program were the right thing to do, the teachers and parents would be clamoring for it; something is wrong if you have to force this on the very people you hope to benefit.

(3) The introduction of any significant new technology always comes at a price, and it is grossly unfair to ask the 11th and 12th graders to endure a difficult transitional period while teachers are figuring out what, if anything, to do with the new technology. You argued that laptops must be mandatory for all, because classes are mixed. Many parents and children are unconvinced by this argument because mixed classes are the exception, few students are involved, and teachers could easily make allowances for the haves and have nots. A little confusion in a mixed class would be far better than subjecting all 11th and 12th graders to the growing pains of a laptop program that may never benefit them significantly.

In addition, laptops are heavy, delicate, and expensive to replace. I do not object to a 2K investment in our daughter's future; I do object that children will have heavier backpacks (already too heavy) and parents will have to replace the machines at 2K a pop when children bang them, drop them, drench them, leave them on the bus, etc.

I say all this as a committed educator and research scientist who uses computers every day for communication, composition, and computation. I also speak for our daughter (Molly Weiner) who is computer-saavy and happily uses computers as a research tool both at home and at school. Molly now uses Zip disks or email attachments to move files between home and school. We do not need a laptop program to do this.

Finally, I must say that many of us were deeply shocked by the Trustee who chose to remind us that Lakeside is a "business" with students as "customers"! We all understand that Lakeside depends on the largesse of donors both large and small, many of whom are in business, but Lakeside exists to provide the best possible education for those lucky enough to attend; it does not try to turn a profit for investors or employees. Although I appreciate your impulse to invite a representative Trustee to such an important debate, it was impossible to trust the vision of a man who could view our children (and his own!) as customers.

Sincerely,

Alan Weiner