Rockland Public Schools Pay It Forward Chromebook

The Rockland Public School (RPS) system is striving towards a 1:1 Chromebook rollout and was planning to complete the process in the Fall of 2020.  The COVID19 virus has hastened the need for every child in the district to have a Chromebook – not in six months, NOW.  The need may go beyond mid-June since the CARES Act money may be available to fund summer and weekend programs.   This opportunity would help keep students engaged and make up for any losses due to having to scale up so quickly to 100% remote learning.  This makes getting additional Chromebooks in students’ hands quickly even more important.

As a 1982 Rockland High School (RHS) graduate, I was privileged to be educated and trained in the RHS Business Department by Bob Fisher, Bob Brickley, Diane Gleason Cronin and Diane Primpas.  For those who do not know, Rockland was the first high school in the state to get word processing equipment via a grant won by Business Department Coordinator, Bob Fisher.  The grant, equipment and teachers afforded many students, including me, the opportunity to be trained to work in offices prior to or upon graduation. 

In my case, to help pay for college, I worked in my mom’s Human Resources department beginning junior year in addition to Holstein’s Shoe Store.  Those skills have also been instrumental in my career as a technical writer.  To say the least, they have kept a roof over my head. 

Feeling an obligation to pay-it-forward, I reached out to the Superintendent of Rockland Public Schools, Dr. Alan Cron.  I subsequently spoke to his assistant, Donna Lamb who connected me with Director of Technology, Tim Wells.  The goal was to determine what the need is (number of Chromebooks), the specifications and costs per unit and a plan to get Chromebooks in students’ hands as soon as possible. 

Not wanting to operate “in a vacuum,” I reached out to classmates Del Chandler and Russ Ryan.  After a group messaging chat, we held a video conference to come up with a plan of action.

The Challenge

Del, Russ and I challenge all RHS graduates starting with the Class of 1982, our devoted former teachers, and our friends and family members to help meet our goal.  We would like to reach our goal within the next two weeks if possible.  Again, it is important to get Chromebooks in students’ hands as soon as possible.  We know many are currently furloughed, have been laid off or are retired.  We understand those who cannot contribute.  However, you can still share the challenge via email or social media.

Specifications

The Chromebook Specifications are as follows:

·         Hewlett Packard
·         4 mg RAM
·         16 GB hard drive (prefers smaller)
·         1.6 GHz

Costs Per Unit

For the district to purchase a Chromebook to loan to a student, there are two costs as follows:

~$205 purchase price of each Chromebook

-$30 per unit for a networking license.  This license enables the RPS IT Department to put the Chromebook on their network and to “push” software updates without loading software to each, individual unit.

Challenge Goal

The goal we have set is 100 Chromebooks either in-kind or the equivalent in cash donations and, if possible, the corresponding networking licenses totaling $3,000.

Additional Donations

Any additional donations that exceed the challenge goal will be donated to the Rockland Education Foundation (www.facebook.com/RockEdFoundation/).  “The Rockland Education Foundation is a non-profit volunteer organization which was founded in 1996 by Richard Phelps, Ralph “Gus” Lordi, and Scott MacKinlay with the support of individuals, organizations, and businesses who each donated $1,000 to get the Foundation up and running. These Charter Members shared a common vision, dedicated to improving the quality of education in the Rockland Public Schools.”

Donation Options

1) Purchase a Chromebook using the specifications provided by the RPS It Department.  Contact Doris Dickson regarding shipping information.

2) Donate to the challenge GOFUNDME page in any dollar amount (no amount is too small).  All Chromebooks purchased (either by individuals or the fund) will be “loaned” to students pursuant to the district’s policies and procedures. 

A Few Model/Vendor Options
At the time of this writing, following is a list of a models that meet the specifications of the IT Department.  Due to the nationwide demand, inventories change quickly.  Feel free to research other HP Chromebooks that meet the specifications.

Vendor:  New Egg
Model:  HP Chromebook 11A G6 EE 11.6" Chromebook - 1366 x 768 - A-Series A4-9120C - 4 GB RAM - 16 GB Flash Memory - Chrome OS 64-bit - AMD Radeon R4 Graphics - Bluetooth - 10 Hour Battery Run Time
Price:  $177.49

Vendor:  Walmart
Model:   Refurbished HP Chromebook 14" FHD, A4-9120C, 4GB RAM, 32GB eMMC, Ink Blue, 14-db0043wm
Price:  $199

Vendor:  CDW
Model:  HP SB 11A G6 EE A4-9120C 16/4 CHROME
Price:  $187.99

Challenge Team Contact Information

Please reach out to any of us with questions regarding the challenge via email or Facebook messaging.

Doris Dickson  (Class of 1982) – [email redacted]
Russ Ryan  (Vice President, RHS Class of 1982) – [email redacted]
Del Chandler  (Class of 1982) – [email redacted]