Did the 2007 voter approved override buy what Gilbert Public Schools promised?

By gpsinformedvoter, on June 23rd, 2012

In 2007 voters approved a technology override for 57.4M. This money was earmarked to purchase computers for students and give them access to the internet.

What we received on that investment as far as we can tell is -only- access to the internet. However, excellent, high quality, access to the internet purchased through a new vendor, Hewlett Packard.

Barb VeNard, director of educational services and technology at Gilbert Public Schools, allegedly exchanged emails with her husband exchanging inside information in order to secure this deal with Hewlett Packard, her husbands company, during the bid process.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/2009/11/12/2009...

According to the article, Jim VeNard left Hewlett Packard to work for a vendor of HP, shortly before the deal was final.

Now GPS wants us to buy our own kids technology? To BYOT, bring your own technology? Read more;

http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/2012/06/18/2012...

According to this article, they tell us the plan will be a success if more kids bring their own computers and technology. A success? For who? For Barb VeNard, after she swindled us into approving 57.4M to put technology in the classroom and now have to purchase the technology ourselves?

This article encourages parents however that they can purchase discounted laptops and tablets through a referral from Gilbert Public Schools. They went through all the trouble to find us a vendor to buy computers from. Did they? Or did they already have a vendor in mind from the start? Would it be the vendor Jim VeNard works for now?

Come on voters, it’s for the kids. The kids will suffer if we don’t approve another override this November. Or will it be the admin that suffer?

Voters should be asking GPS to account for the last technology override before voting for another override this November?

Remember the old saying, fool me once shame on you, fool me twice…

Additional information:

http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/1107gr-schoolel...

http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/47802

http://h30507.www3.hp.com/t5/HP-Networking/Is-HP-Networking-taking-...