LA Unified's iPad Contract Nixed As Concerns Arise

The contract between LA Unified and Apple was nixed earlier this week following revelations that LA's superintendent and one of his deputies had "close ties" to executives from both education-centric Pearson and Apple. News that the current contract will no longer be used was revealed on Monday.

According to the LA Times, superintendent John Deasy said that the decision will, among other things, give time for concerns regarding the program to be addressed. Deasy was a known strong proponent of the project to provide students with the slates, and according to newly released documents and emails, he and deputy superintendent Jaime Aquino were frequently in contact with executives from both of the aforementioned companies.

The emails seem to show the two in talks with executives to ensure the companies would win the bid for the program, but Deasy has denied this, saying the released conversations instead are in regards to a smaller pilot program that came before the larger one under fire.

An official probe into the bidding process and contract are being called for, and according to an unnamed source, the LA Unified's inspector general might be getting involved. Said Deasy about the new process that will take the place of the one that was nixed, "We will incorporate the lessons learned from the original procurement process."

SOURCE: LA Times