Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

NYC Counting On Donations To Fund Required K-12 Computer Science Programs

Posted by Soulskill on from the #include-"richfolks.money" dept.

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.

21 comments

  1. Do it right. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As long as they do it properly and not stupidly dumbed down things to make it appeal to certain demographics.

  2. I'm sorry but how is it they don't already??? by Harlequin80 · · Score: 1

    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???

    1. Re: I'm sorry but how is it they don't already??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This can't be true, they must have some kind of science programs but probably not the kind that will teach about software engineering perhaps. If so, that's a shame for such a big city.

    2. Re:I'm sorry but how is it they don't already??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lots of places in the US are extremely conservative about education reform, and classroom computer technology tends to lag behind normal users by at least 5-10 years even in the most respectable (if not wealthy) districts.

      Combine that with the fact that computer programming capabilities have taken off exponentially in recent years, and that most qualified experts are poached for projects with NDA's and security restrictions in the name of national security - and that mathematics education leaves students woefully underprepared for the underpinnings of computer science - and it is no surprise that we are currently terrible at CS education.

    3. Re:I'm sorry but how is it they don't already??? by Harlequin80 · · Score: 1

      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.

  3. Zuck will pay. For the girls :-( by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He's a sexist pig, boycott code.org.

  4. theodp by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How much is theodp paying you to get his posts on the front page? There is NO WAY these diatribes are getting posted based on merit.

  5. Office 365 is "computer science"? by rnturn · · Score: 1

    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 more computer equipment in schools was not improving the students' learning but was actually harming it.

    --
    CUR ALLOC 20195.....5804M
    1. Re:Office 365 is "computer science"? by Stewie241 · · Score: 1

      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, separate announcement. Making Office available is potentially helpful to students who can use it to write papers, spreadsheets etc etc. There is nothing to suggest it has to do with CS education apart from the link the summary makes.

      And, while I do agree that in general, simply putting more computer equipment in schools won't make students smarter or improve learning (duh), I believe that in the case of computer science, it is useful to have computers available in class for students to use. Not to suggest that a lot of computer science learning cannot be done without computers, for the most part, students, especially at the high school level, are more likely to be engaged if they actually get to write software and see it run.

  6. Counting on or hoping for? by Stewie241 · · Score: 1

    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.

  7. Computer science does not equal using a computer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm sick of politicians making grand pronouncement about requiring computer science in primary and secondary education. First, computer science is a subset of mathematics, so unless you got some banging students in math, the idea you could put anyone into a computer science program is problematic at best. You wouldn't build a house on swampland, likewise you would not try to educate someone in CS without basic understanding of advance mathematical theories (descrete mathematics , set theory, probabilities, logical proof and structures, and so forth). This just sounds like a bunch of hype from a blow hard who knows nothing about what he speaks.

  8. NYC should stick with the basics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Instead of TRYING to teach computer science to ALL their students, NYC should devote its limited resources to strengthening their core curriculum (like Math, Science, and English). Their high school graduation rate is less than 66%....that is BEYOND APPALLING!! Computer science isn't going to help if you can't properly read, write, speak, or balance your checkbook.

  9. NOT already available??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    they are poor, maybe if they had some of this money thing they keep hearing about from the people with the clean cloths they might be able to buy computers

  10. there's a name for school funding sources... by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 1

    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.

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    1. Re:there's a name for school funding sources... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      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.

      Blasphemy! Job Creators shall not be taxed!!!

    2. Re:there's a name for school funding sources... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The rich want these CS programs so they can lower their labor costs.

    3. Re:there's a name for school funding sources... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      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.

      All for funding the schools with taxes. Instead of union dominated public schools with all the fraud, waste, and abuse that accompanies it, turn it over to private schools. You can keep the shitty teachers out, churn out smarter kids, and save money all at the same time.
       

  11. A Message from Mayor Bill de Blasio by theodp · · Score: 1

    Computer Science for All: Fundamentals for Our Future

  12. What a waste of time and money. by fredrated · · Score: 1

    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.