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School's Out Forever at SV High Tech High

theodp writes "Touted as a model of successful education by the likes of Bill Gates, Silicon Valley's High Tech High just held its first — and last — commencement ceremony, graduating only 21 students in its brief history. Despite the financial support of the world's richest man, the charter school cited money woes as it voted to shut its doors. Adding insult to the poor HTH kids' injury, the local public H.S. district plunked down $8.6M to snatch up their abandoned school and will turn it over to a brand new crop of kids in the fall."

4 of 190 comments (clear)

  1. Hmm.. by jessiej · · Score: 5, Funny

    My guess is they weren't using free software?

  2. Not surprising by gweihir · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Education is not about modern equipment. In fact modern equipmetn may seriously hinder education at times, when the sudents attention and mental capabilities are bound more by the technology they used than the subject they are learning. My guess is it will still take a few decades (or centuries) until computers can compete with pen and paper and blackboard (that have been perfected for a few centuries as well...). I know that in order to be creative and insightful I use pen and paper or, even better, a whiteboard.

    Incidentially some of the "worlds richest men" are directly responsible for a slow computer revolution.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    1. Re:Not surprising by Wellington+Grey · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Education is not about modern equipment. In fact modern equipment may seriously hinder education at times,


      Agreed. I work as a teacher and for 99% of tasks, technology just gets in the way. I'm also horrified at the number of my fellow teachers who think the Internet is some magical panacea where they can just plop a class down in front of a computer, tell them 'research topic X' and the kids will actually learn something.

      -Grey
  3. This is what happens ... by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... when your Principal is Microsoft Bob and your school mascot is Clippy.