Social Chicago Public Schools lost 77,000 devices - $23M worth of laptops, iPads and other devices in 1 year, report says

[ColemanwastheGOAT]

And that's how you know it's not theft but shitty oversight and lazy record keeping.

There's literally no way that 100% of the student population lost their devices. It's unbelievable at 1 school, let alone 36.

If that's what's happening at the administrative level, it just lends support to the argument that the school system itself is failing the kids.

Nothing is ever their fault, huh?

 

[ColemanwastheGOAT]

The account referenced a local news report

Nice try

lol

 

[ColemanwastheGOAT]

I love how there's five different progressives trying five different arguments ITT. The kitchen sink method.

 

[panamaican]

Agreed...

And how do you fix it? I don't have the slightest clue honestly. Throwing money at the problem is obviously not the solution.

It would require a complete overhaul of the corporate culture (at least that's the term people would use in the private sector). But that will never happen because they can't fire everyone and replace them as quickly as you could elsewhere. So, they'll try to do rolling replacements but that will just lead to some percentage of the new hires becoming corrupted by the old hires or just coopted by them in order to preserve internal consistency. The school system version of cops covering for cops.

Kids get fucked either way.

 

[panamaican]

Nothing is ever their fault, huh?

Who's fault?

 

[panamaican]

They didn't dispose of them. Per the Inspector's Report (not the response from Chicago Public Schools). These were devices purchased using Federal COVID Relief money and were reported lost or stolen.

Thrust into online learning during the pandemic, Chicago Public Schools spent hundreds of millions in federal COVID-19 relief money on laptops and other devices over the past few years, heralding a monumental shift for a school system in which computer access was limited to one where it’s now plentiful.

But CPS dived headlong out of the tech dark ages without strong tracking systems and has failed to upgrade them in recent years. Now, CPS’ inspector general says as many as 77,000 devices — worth more than $23 million — were marked as lost or stolen in just one year.

I was referencing the various reasons that the administration might have applied for why they didn't track them. None of those reasons were good reasons. But the lawyer in me always looks to "why" people do things. Doesn't make the outcome any better but knowing the motivating factors makes it easier to anticipate and prevent a repeat of this type of thing.

 

[oldshadow]

Not an expert by any means but can't you put a program on the computer that must make connection with some device in the school it will shut it down and make it as missing on an inventory program if this is not done say every 6 weeks.

 

[spamking]

As noted in the Inspector CPS report. How are they going to go after extremely low income families who are barely getting by already?

CPS says it will create a “cross-functional committee” to determine specifics. The district noted that it wants to “decide the best way to hold students accountable without overburdening families that are at or near poverty level.”

I have zero answers for this problem. Because a low income student may honestly lose or have their backpack stolen with their laptop in it. My division manager and superintendent have had their work laptops stolen from their trucks at lunch meetings. Smash & Grabs are crazy around here... as in other places. I never leave my backpack with my laptop in my truck anymore.

And then again, maybe a student decides to sell it and claim it's lost/stolen. And if the family can't buy another one? What then?

Maybe it's time to go back to books, pen and paper... It's amazing I made it through Engineering School with my pencil and a calculator. lol...

I didn't say they'd "go after low income families". I simply laid out how I'd see various folks being responsible for equipment based on my experience. I don't know that there is a one size fits all solution for equipment management when equipment is handed out to non-employees.

 

[Fluffernutter]

Lol.. sigh

The devices in Chicago were funded with Covd Relief Funds.

Thrust into online learning during the pandemic, Chicago Public Schools spent hundreds of millions in federal COVID-19 relief money on laptops and other devices over the past few years, heralding a monumental shift for a school system in which computer access was limited to one where it’s now plentiful.

That's the case for Chicago.

That's not the case for the many many many school districts going through the same thing.

 

[Lord_Impaler]

CPS released a written statement reacting to the report. On the 77,000 lost laptops and other tech devices, CPS said, "the majority of the 77,000 assets … were well over 5 years old." The district added, "the typical lifespan of a computer is five years. Many of the lost assets were thrown out by schools due to their age."

Lol. So they don’t track when a device is stolen and when it’s properly disposed of due to “end of life”?

That’s either the most incompetent and lazy thing I’ve ever heard or purposefully done to make stealing unreportable.

 

[ColemanwastheGOAT]

Lol. So they don’t track when a device is stolen and when it’s properly disposed of due to “end of life”?

That’s either the most incompetent and lazy thing I’ve ever heard or purposefully done to make stealing unreportable.

Why not both? Inept and dishonest.

 

[Ayin]

Lol… ooops. If it’s not any more obvious these districts are run by incompetent clowns. That’s a pathetic CYA statement by someone who’s in panic mode. 100% of inventory “lost” at 3 dozen schools.


An annual report from the Inspector General of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) revealed that millions of dollars worth of tech devices were reported lost or stolen “without appropriate search and recovery efforts.”

The fiscal year 2023 annual report released Tuesday states CPS schools reported 77,505 tech devices as lost or stolen during the 2021-22 school year, totaling well over $23 million in original purchase price.

The discovery, as a result of the district’s first post-COVID-19 inventory, calls the numbers “unacceptably high” and says the oversight process is in need of a “serious overhaul.”

The report said the missing items included laptops, iPads, Wi-Fi hotspots, printers, document cameras and interactive whiteboards.

“At three dozen schools, 100 percent of tech devices assigned specifically to students were marked lost or stolen, inventory data showed,” the district report states.

That’s just astounding.
That can’t be theft alone, that’s got to be some kind of failure of administrative process to track and recover. There’s no way you lose 100% to theft from individual students stealing individual pieces of equipment.

 

[Ayin]

Agreed...

And how do you fix it? I don't have the slightest clue honestly. Throwing money at the problem is obviously not the solution.

Clearly the answer is more money on more administration.

I have various government equipment assigned to me. When it's time to do annual inventory I have to provide physical evidence of where the equipment is located and if it was removed from service I need to provide the correct documentation to support that. If I can't, the property management folks will do some digging to see if an issue exists. They'll make a recommendation to a review board that will step in to review the issue. If they find I was negligent I have to pay for the equipment.

This accounted for all equipment in my department not already assigned to individual staff. As the department manager I had dozens of network switches, servers, etc. on my list that I was responsible for . . . . should be the same for classrooms and/or schools. Either the principal or the teachers are responsible for knowing where the equipment in their classroom is located at all times. Once it's checked out to a student, the student is responsible for the equipment.

So effectively the same system used for library books and every other piece of school equipment in the modern age.

The issue here is clearly that somewhere between often and always the students and their parents can’t replace these devices. So the choice is either to not lend them out in the first place, or accept that 100% percent of devices lent out should be considered lost and any retrieval is a bonus.

 

[spamking]

So effectively the same system used for library books and every other piece of school equipment in the modern age.

The issue here is clearly that somewhere between often and always the students and their parents can’t replace these devices. So the choice is either to not lend them out in the first place, or accept that 100% percent of devices lent out should be considered lost and any retrieval is a bonus.

More or less. I think anytime a school gives out anything to a student they have weighed the risks of never getting it back.

 

[Jacket time]

My daughter uses a school issued Chromebook. They take a deposit.
If it's not returned, they charge you. They have your card.

pretty fucking simple

 

[Ayin]

My daughter uses a school issued Chromebook. They take a deposit.
If it's not returned, they charge you. They have your card.

pretty fucking simple

How does that work with illegal immigrants?
Can you get a credit account at a bank without citizenship? I assume their kids go to public schools.

Also, isn’t some significant percentage of the “inner city” population supposed to be unable to procure themselves ID? I have always wondered, How does someone open a bank account without that?

 

[jamel]

So….

What are the odds that shit is sitting in a warehouse, store room or some shit?

I doubt those devices ever even touched a network otherwise they’d know where they are at.

I doubt your average chi town knuckle head knows how to change MAC addresses in the BIOs.

 

[Lucas1980]

How does that work with illegal immigrants?
Can you get a credit account at a bank without citizenship? I assume their kids go to public schools.

Also, isn’t some significant percentage of the “inner city” population supposed to be unable to procure themselves ID? I have always wondered, How does someone open a bank account without that?

Illegal Immigrants kids are allowed to go to schools? Wouldn't that be a massive burden on a already struggling educational system. I love the videos of liberals saying Black peeps can't get Id's...Its comical and so racist to even suggest that.

 

[Lucas1980]

My daughter uses a school issued Chromebook. They take a deposit.
If it's not returned, they charge you. They have your card.

pretty fucking simple

Yep I had to pay 250 for one when the kid left it outside in the rain and ruined it.

 

[Spounman]

Drug dealers giving out a complimentary Tablet with your purchase of crack?