US/ND-4: Mandated Plans
Mandated Plans
Bill Cosh (bcosh@wasb.org)
Mon, 16 Sep 1996 20:20:09 -0700
Jan Bolluyt wrote:
"A mandated plan is necessary to get everyone thinking about the goals
that this universal service can help us meet."
I just wanted to offer another perspective on mandated plans. I have
also seen situations where schools have developed community based
technology committees (10-20 people). Everyone is excited about planning
for technology, everyone puts a lot of work and effort into developing
the plan. Only later do they realize that under revenue caps their
school needs to cut $100,000's from its budget, and has no money for
technology. There they sit, with all of their hard work, and great
plans, and no way to implement them.
If technology plans were mandated, I think this type of situation would
only be increased even more.
Wisconsin is a state that has operated on the "mandate" approach for
decates. I have a publication that we produce on school law that is over
a foot high, most of it mandates. Other types of plans have been
mandated in Wisconsin. For example, every school district in the state
has a gifted and talented plan. When the Department of Public
Instruction's auditors show up, the district takes the plan off the
shelf, dusts it off and proves to the state that the mandate has been
met. But that doesn't mean a lot has been done to help kids.
There is a better way!!!! Mandating technology plans will not work.
Bill Cosh
Wisconsin Association of School Boards