NYC Counting On Donations To Fund Required K-12 Computer Science Programs 21
theodp writes: "To ensure that every child can learn the skills required to work in New York City's fast-growing technology sector," reports the NY Times, "Mayor Bill de Blasio will announce on Wednesday that within 10 years all of the city's public schools will be required to offer computer science to all students. New York City, the Times adds, plans to spend $81 million over 10 years, half of which it hopes to raise from private sources. Earlier this year, it was announced that Microsoft would make Office 365 ProPlus available to all NYC students, and that Google would make its CS First program available to 100K NYC students who participate in after-school programs.
I'm sorry but how is it they don't already??? (Score:2)
Perhaps my impression of public schools in the US is completely wrong but how is it that computer science or some variation of computer science is NOT already available???
I kind of understand some rural back water town with a school of 20 students not having it, but the schools inside NYC???
Re: (Score:2)
I finished high school in 1997 and we had a basic computer science course then that had been available for the last 4 years. It was pretty basic but it included things like learning turbo pascal. One of my assignments was to write a program that could be used to tally votes in an preferential voting system.
My friends kids, who are at school now, all have quite advanced courses available to them as well as mandatory basic ones.
Office 365 is "computer science"? (Score:2)
So now teaching students how to use MS Office 365 counts as computer science? Really? I'm sure that'll let them bypass the first-year CS classes when they go to college and learn real computer science. This seems like nothing more than a scheme to get the schools to buy MS products with taxpayer money. Besides, what evidence is there that this will actually benefit the education these students are going to receive? There was another article mentioned a day or two ago (maybe here; can't recall) that putting
Re: (Score:2)
If you read the summary more closely, you will see that it says "Earlier this year, it was announced that Microsoft would make Office 365 ProPlus available to all NYC students, and that Google would make its CS First program available to 100K NYC students who participate in after-school programs." The summary is misleading because it attempts to draw a connection between something that isn't necessarily there.
Microsoft is making Office 365 available to NYC students, but that seems to be part of an earlier,
Counting on or hoping for? (Score:2)
So the title says counting on whereas the summary says hopes to raise. These headlines that are misleading are beginning to annoy me more and more.
there's a name for school funding sources... (Score:2)
schools are and should be funded by taxes. it's quite simple, works for lots of other things and ensures there are no strings attached. hell... maybe if you just repeal some tax cuts on the rich you could get all that money and more without taking a penny from the common folk.
A Message from Mayor Bill de Blasio (Score:2)
Computer Science for All: Fundamentals for Our Future [nyc.gov]
What a waste of time and money. (Score:2)
Computer 'science'? B.S. How about K-12 classes in critical thinking? People that can think will pick up CS in a heart beat. Kids that are taught 'computer science' will be unlikely to actually think, and will have wasted their time as soon as the technology they were taught is obsolete.