MS Settlement Would Benefit City Schools
By Assemblyman Steven Sanders

The proposed settlement of more than 100 class action lawsuits against Microsoft could yield tens of millions of dollars for New York City public schools, and for this reason I have written to the U.S. District Judge who must approve the deal, urging him to do so.

Under the proposed settlement, Microsoft will provide more than $1 billion nationwide in computers, software, cash, training and support services to help make computer technology more accessible to public schools where at least 70 percent of students come from low-income families.

While the proposed settlement has its critics, I agree with NYS Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, who certainly has been very tough on Microsoft, that this a settlement in the public interest and one which will uniquely benefit public education.

The school-computer component of the settlement would provide for the company to make grants to local foundations and community organizations for purchasing computers and software, in order to provide sustainable, long-term funding for information technology in under-served schools. Among other activities, local foundations will be encouraged to establish sustaining programs to further support schools’ technology needs.

It is significant that local school officials will have the flexibility to choose either Microsoft or non-Microsoft technology, and the plan also envisions Microsoft matching a substantial amount of donations of computer technology to local schools from other sources.

While it is most certainly true that computers by themselves don’t improve a school without appropriate support services, trained staff and the requisite classroom space or wiring, the impact of such a large influx of computers, software and requisite support services will be a boon for many for our city’s 1,100 elementary, middle and secondary schools.

Those who negotiated this component of the proposed settlement were smart enough to incorporate aspects involving training of teachers, school administrators and support personnel not just in utilizing the technology but also in how to best integrate it into a school’s curriculum.

If our children are to rise to the challenges posed by the global economy, and in an era of rising standards for academic achievement, every school needs all the resources possible, including excellent teachers, ample textbooks, safe and modern facilities, and state-of-the art technology–with appropriate support services. Regardless of any other aspects of the long and complex Microsoft litigation, the proposed school technology component will bring tens of millions of dollars worth of much needed technology and support service to our local schools.

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