[lug] Free Software in Schools

[David L. Willson]

A parent's best tools, in this case (as perhaps in every other) are at the ends of his/her own arms. Find a school that has to do things on a shoestring, that still has a problem-solver's attitude, and GET INVOLVED with them. Your willingness to get in the fight will make your words weigh much more, with the teachers, and with your kiddos. 

-- 
David L. Willson 
Trainer, Engineer, Enthusiast 
RHCE Network+ A+ Linux+ LPIC-1 Ubuntu 
Mobile 720-333-LANS(5267) 

This is a good time for a r3VOLution. 

----- Original Message -----

> Yeah, it's really a question of who is running the IT for the school.
> If someone cares to do it, you can usually meet the needs of a
> school on FOSS. I ran IT for a couple mid-sized school districts in
> Oregon for a few years while I was out there and I was able to use a
> lot of FOSS, in the infrastructure and on the desktop. I was able to
> save a ton of money on both hardware and licenses, sometimes to the
> rune of 50%. But that was in and before 2008.

> Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective) since
> then a lot of the financial incentives to run FOSS in schools have
> been removed. Among the plummeting cost of hardware and the nearly
> free licensing programs most major vendors have, and the tight
> integration of curriculum with specific pieces of software, there
> just isn't a lot of pressure to "think different", especially when
> that means your infrastructure will be "weird" and some things you
> want to do might be more difficult or impossible. Unless you have
> someone who is willing to be an advocate and make sure that things
> work right internal to the school, and likely the district at large,
> it's just not going to happen until the current environment of
> incentive and risk changes.

> QH

> On Fri, Dec 21, 2012 at 10:38 AM, David L. Willson <
> DLWillson at thegeek.nu > wrote:

> > RMSEL, the Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning, uses a
> > ~lot~ of FOSS.
> 

> > --
> 
> > David L. Willson
> 
> > Trainer, Engineer, Enthusiast
> 
> > RHCE Network+ A+ Linux+ LPIC-1 Ubuntu
> 
> > Mobile 720-333-LANS(5267)
> 

> > This is a good time for a r3VOLution.
> 

> > > As a parent trying to decide where to send my kids next, I've
> > > been
> > > horrified by many schools proudly calling themselves "mac-school"
> > > or
> > > "microsoft-school" and the likes.
> > 
> 

> > > I've been suggested to sign this petition (which seems hopelessly
> > > doomed to failure, given the incredibly low number of
> > > signatures):
> > 
> 

> > > https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/promote-use-free-software-our-schools-libre-office-gimp-gnu-cash-and-other-gpl-software-which-cost/T1xGw1fZ
> > 
> 

> > > Please sign it and share it, maybe we do have a chance (and
> > > forgive
> > > me if you don't agree and/or you believe I shouldn't have posted
> > > something political to this mailing list)
> > 
> 

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