Why Districts Buy New Technologies, Part 2: Political and Psychological Explanations
How easy it is to forget that in the U.S., nearly all state and local funding schools depends upon property, sales, and other taxes. Federal money only accounts for less than a dime out of every dollar spent on schools. Local voters and their state representatives approve tax levies, bond referenda, and changes in school funding. Except for Hawaii, states authorize local school boards to make policy except in those cities where elected mayors run schools.
I repeat all of these Government 101 facts to make the simple point that public schools are political entities. Those who make policy for schools are utterly dependent upon voters who pay taxes (most of whom do not have children in school), upon parents who send their children to public schools, and upon those interest groups that have a stake in schools. Without the financial and political support of the community, kiss public schools goodbye.
To secure that external support, schools must be responsive to voters and external organizations (state legislatures, PTAs, city officials, Chambers of Commerce, unions, etc.). When the U.S. lags in global
Putting New Technologies into Schools: Explaining Non-Rational Behavior
In the past 12 months, the average household spent nearly $1400 on consumer electronics (HDTV, computers, smart phones, etc.). Even during a deep recession, overall consumer spending is up 10 percent over last year. In a culture where new technologies that deliver faster and easier access to entertainment and information are highly prized, there many Americans, even during hard times, who line up to buy the next new thing.
And school purchases—including replacement cycles of equipment– of laptops, netbooks, and iPads have surged in these recessionary years. Using federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act funds (Title 1) and Stimulus funds, regular budget line items, bond referenda, and corporate largesse, school districts—again while