The current board lives in the Stone Age and it doesn't look like, moving forward, this will change.
Several studies have been commissioned to look at issues ranging from web services and upgrades to efficiency audits; studies that can be performed by either the Department of Public Works or Office of Technical Services.
Any 13-year-old script kiddie can set up web services for the county. They just have to use the same software used by 99 percent of the rest of the world. It's a combination of Linux OS, Apache Web Server any SQL database (usually MySQL) and Perl (or PHP/Python). It's collectively referred to as LAMP, yet the county pays thousands of dollars to an outside firm to study the issue.
STEM is window dressing. Our schools have replaced electronics years ago with classes that don't teach technology, but the manufacturing process, so students learn the skills to push a button labeled "go." Electronics is the basis of technology and the foundation of advanced technical sciences.
The school system says interest in STEM has waned. The solution offered is to get girls interested in STEM. Science doesn't care what gender you are. The reason there aren't girls enrolling in STEM classes is because there aren't girls enrolling in STEM classes. The school system wants to roll out a plan to get girls interested in STEM in elementary schools. Are we going to put feel good programs into elementary schools at the cost of basic education? Will they buy pink Legos?
The school system's plan for personal devices is a half-measure. Teachers will be monitoring use and supervising students, but schools aren't responsible for loss? The county network uses a captive portal. Not all devices are compatible with portals and require that devices turn off security to work. Will the schools protect the students' devices? Unsecured networks have been in headlines recently. Will the school system be responsible when your child's device is hacked? No, they aren't responsible.
We are a decade into the 21st century, not the 1980s.
Sean Shaffer
Westminster
The writer is a write-in candidate for County Commissioner representing District 4.
