[vox] [fwd] Another GNU-Linux school in San Francisco

[Bill Kendrick]

Seen on SF-LUG's list.

PS - Christian is coming to LUGOD again in April to talk about
Linux in K-12 education.

-bill!

----- Forwarded message from Christian Einfeldt -----

Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:13:06 -0800
From: Christian Einfeldt
Subject: [sf-lug] Another GNU-Linux school in San Francisco

   I am very happy to let you all know that another school's lab has been
   converted from slow, virus-bitten Microsoft Windows to GNU-Linux.  This
   school is the ISA school at 18th and De Haro.  There are now 22 machines
   running in the library running Karmic Ubuntu.  Most of these machines were
   previously too slow to be used effectively by the students, and so they
   just sat here unused.

   Now there will be about 4 classes in the library daily using Free Software
   to do web browsing, email, and essay composition. 

   In addition, one of the teachers here has been using 3 Linux machines in
   his classroom since January, and likes it.  Soon, we will install Linux on
   another teacher's mission-critical teacher machine, meaning that teacher
   will use it for his teacher assignments and work. 

   This conversion was made possible by James Howard's cool mass installer. 
   We were able to install these machines in just about 2 hours or so.  The
   machines are going to be stand-alone clients with access to the Internet,
   at least for the short term, until we get a server in here to establish
   top-down control of the software.  The machines all have parental control
   filters that function as part of the SFUSD protection for the students.

   It is really rewarding to see machines which had been abandoned as junk
   turned into functioning machines to allow students to get online and do
   what they need to do.

   This particular school project is also a huge step forward for the
   Partimus Linux school conversion project, because it has been followed
   closely by the IT staff for the entire SFUSD.  If this process works well
   and is reviewed well by the SFUSD IT guys, there is a chance that we could
   see a real domino effect, with SFUSD adopting Linux as a viable
   alternative for Microsoft Windows.

   The timing of this migration is fortuitous.  San Francisco's Mayor, Gavin
   Newsom, has come out strongly for FOSS recently:

   http://mashable.com/2009/10/21/san-francisco-government/

   "Second, I am challenging City departments to use open source software
   when they look to update or purchase new software. In recognition of how
   far open source has come today, I am also pleased to announce the launch
   of my new city web site in open source powered by WordPress. Open source
   software has been able to deliver shorter implementation times and lower
   costs. We have seen this with DataSF.org, RecoverySF.org and our 311
   integration with Twitter."

   We are seeing the grassroots movement in schools possible converging with
   Mayor Newsom's visionary move to FOSS.  Perhaps the day is not far off
   when Microsoft will face real competition for the hearts, minds, and
   wallets of budgeting departments throughout San Francisco city
   government. 

   So many thanks to James Howard and Grant Bowman, the two FOSS gurus who
   have been heading up the schools effort.

   We still do need decent printers with ethernet ports, so if anyone has
   some that they could share with us, we would be grateful.

   --
   Christian Einfeldt,
   Producer, The Digital Tipping Point

----- End forwarded message -----

-- 
-bill!
Sent from my computer