-By Phil and Angela Wasserman
Our vote on May 19tfor the Mineola School District budget and school board trustees makes a statement about where we stand on the district’s use of technology. Should Mineola continue to be a leader in technology and support Ms. Napolitano and Mr. Widman or should we slow down as Ms. Renner and Mr. Swensen suggest? To us, the answer is clear, technology in our schools is the key to success for the district and the country’s future.
Mineola’s current use of technology makes it a leader among school districts, but that is in part because school districts in general are so far behind the times. You can find various applications of technology in your phone, in your car and in your TV. The police department uses technology, as do restaurants, grocery stores and taxi cabs. The only place in America where technology is hard to find is our schools. This is a travesty. According to Atlantic Magazine, in 2013 the U.S. ranked 17th among the 34 OECD countries in math and 21st in science. We can do better. We owe it to ourselves. We owe it to our children.
Technology is the key. It is the present. It is the future. We can no longer consider our children prepared for college or the job market unless we arm them with technology and the skills to use it.
Mineola is not a perfect district. It is easy for Ms. Renner and Mr. Swensen to complain about the bumps in the road. What we should be doing is looking at how far we have come and how far we still have to go. Then, ask ourselves how are we going to get there, and who will lead the way? Ms. Napolitano and Mr. Widman will have our vote. We hope they have yours.
