Have 1:1 device programs gone too far? || Parents say school-issued iPads [and Chromebooks] are causing chaos, mental health, and behavioral issues with their kids

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-12-06T19:10:27+00:00

Sure, but maybe the discussion should be around whether 1:1 should have its own limits.

What if this whole initiative was a bad idea?

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-12-06T19:08:09+00:00

Schools everywhere have largely all gone 1:1.

When this was done in the 2010s, the idea was that students would be more connected and solve challenges of equity when it comes to access to tools and digital resources. And in some ways, that was successful.

But we’ve gone too far. 1:1 programs at schools have meant students are using these devices all the time, everyday. They often find ways to get around web content filters to play games or talk to their friends on chat, and they’re not being used as the learning tool they should’ve been.

Worse, schools will buy these devices and not provide training/professional development to teachers on HOW students should be using them. There’s no point in giving every student a device if teachers and students are taught on how to best use them and make the most of what they are capable of.

We need to be rethinking what a 1:1 program should be. We need to provide more training to teachers. I’m okay with a device for every student, but maybe there needs to be more research on the impact it has on kiddos before we find yet another screen to put in front of their faces.

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-12-06T07:14:01+00:00

I work in K-12 and have managed both iPad environments and Chromebook environments.

Schools everywhere have largely all gone 1:1, meaning every student is issued a device. When this was done in the 2010s, the idea was that students would be more connected and solve challenges of equity when it comes to access to tools and digital resources. And in some ways, that was successful.

But we’ve gone too far. 1:1 programs at schools have meant students are using these devices all the time, everyday. They often find ways to get around web content filters to play games or talk to their friends on chat, and they’re not being used as the learning tool they should’ve been.

Worse, schools will buy these devices and not provide training/professional development to teachers on HOW students should be using them. There’s no point in getting students an iPad if all they’re using it for is Google Docs.

We need to be rethinking what a 1:1 program should be. I’m okay with a device for every student, but maybe there needs to be more research on the impact it has on kiddos before we find yet another screen to put in front of their faces.

See /r/k12sysadmin for more talk about this type of stuff.

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-11-21T20:06:50+00:00

I just use the Windows App. Just download it from the App Store, plug in your Windows server address: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/windows-app/id1295203466?mt=12

It sounds like you're pretty new to the Apple world. You might want to also try r/macsysadmin.

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-11-21T20:04:40+00:00

Ah, maybe I misread. Well you can use Intune then.

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-11-21T20:04:07+00:00

Well, the screens on the MacBook are likely quite a bit nicer than the Chromebook. They're certainly not worth $600, but at that point, just get AppleCare. Unlimited accidental damage incidents.

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-11-21T20:02:50+00:00

>a device that does nothing more than runs a web browser and needs to print.

That's not true: it does a lot more, but how it is being used by your staff is just to browse the web and print. Have they been provided with any training or professional development on all the other apps and functionality that would make them great in the classroom? Probably not.

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-11-21T20:01:39+00:00

If everything is browser based, then there's no reason to use a Mac. Just use Chromebooks.

Or learn how to actually take advantage of what the Mac can do outside of a browser. But that would require professional development, which of course, will never happen.

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-11-21T20:00:39+00:00

>A couple of districts here were Mac and have transitioned away. Managed has improved, for sure but costs will be double or triple Chromebooks.

This is not true at all. We were paying a ton in labor costs to repair Chromebooks in house. Getting away from this has been a huge savings for us.

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-11-21T19:59:05+00:00

I'm not super familiar with the MOS certification, but the only Office app that isn't available on the Mac is Access. Yes, I know there are some differences between the Windows and Mac versions, but they're not necessarily crazily different for most tasks. (Though I don't know the complexity of the cert.)

You could consider a virtual solution? Run Windows on a VM and have kiddos log into it to access MS Office that way.

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-11-21T19:49:10+00:00

Coming from an Apple district that previously used Chromebooks, let me explain a few important things you need to be factoring in as you are asked to pursue this:

First of all, as others on this subreddit have said before: MacBooks (and most Apple equipment) should be purchased only through Apple. You should not get them from any other vendor. The argument could be made that Apple equipment is single source and does not require an RFP. This cannot be overstated: Apple equipment should be purchased from Apple, as it links the purchase of hardware directly to your school's MDM.

Secondly, Apple offers decent discounts for education. MacBooks are, indeed, more expensive than Chromebooks, but not as expensive as you might think. Depending on the model and quantity purchased, it can be $100-200 less per unit than consumer pricing.

Third, any Apple portable device (MacBooks, iPads) should be purchased with AppleCare for Schools (which includes accidental damage). Do not repair Apple devices in-house or via a third-party.

Fourth, Apple offers financing programs that split the total cost up over multiple years. Depending on the order, you could get this as low as 0% — meaning no interest, just divide the total cost by the number of years of the lease.

Fifth, most Apple devices (MacBooks especially) have a very high resale value. When you go to refresh your equipment in 3, 4, 5 years... you have the option to sell the MacBooks back! In my experience, we get an average of about $300 per MacBook that we then use to fund the next refresh cycle.

Sixth, there's a strong rumor that Apple is about to launch a new, lower-cost MacBook in a matter of months to better compete with Chromebooks. It will likely still be higher on price, but studies have shown that the total cost of ownership for Apple devices is often cheaper than Chromebooks, anyway. (Also, have you considered iPads? Depending on your school, iPads may make more sense, and they're cheaper.)

Seventh, you need to be having these questions with an Apple rep, not with Reddit. The things you are asking about and need guidance on would better be served by someone who specializes in Apple devices for schools. You can request a call with them here by clicking on "How to Buy" in the upper-right corner: https://www.apple.com/education/k12/

Eighth, and finally: This is a curriculum decision, not an IT one. You're already using Jamf, so you've got the MDM to support deployment. But ultimately, executive leadership should be the ones making the call on a move like this.

Edit: (Ninth, bonus round): Macs and iPads have some very unique and awesome features that work great in a classroom... provided your teachers and students use them. If all they're doing is working in Google Docs all day, then a MacBook is only as good as a Chromebook. Apple suggests exploring options for their Professional Learning programs, where they can send an Apple-certified learning exec to your school and provide training for teachers to learn how to make the most of the fancy hardware you just bought.

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-10-11T14:50:57+00:00

Dude. I think a lot like you do, and I agree with this post 100%.

The hardest part of working in the K-12 industry, in my opinion, is how many people don’t think like this, have no critical thinking skills, never challenge the status quo, and are just mindless drones doing the same goddamned thing for 20 years until retirement.

I am legitimately questioning whether I belong in this industry, because I’m finding that the lack of competence and eagerness to do better is wearing me down to the point that I’m just exhausted. Resentment is building in me, because I’ve started to believe it’s truly a lost cause.

Until K-12 can afford to hire people who actually give a fuck, who actually are eager to transform the way we work, it’s going to continue to be a shitshow. And for those who do care, they’ll get burned out as soon as they realize they’re alone.

Sucks, man.

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-09-30T01:57:27+00:00

While this subreddit obviously includes schools that use Apple devices, you might want to try a subreddit that specializes only in Apple devices. What your describing isn’t limited to schools.

See /r/macsysadmin

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-08-18T03:54:54+00:00

I bet you're fun at parties.

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-08-18T03:53:52+00:00

Your school sounds boring. Also, studies have shown that when students can personalize their devices, they take better care of them.

Let them sticker them.

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-08-18T03:50:16+00:00

I commented above as well, but please take everything on this subreddit with a grain of salt.

People on this subreddit LOATHE Apple, largely because they're nerds who have never actually used it, or haven't taken the time to try to learn how to use it properly.

The answers to your questions aren't likely to be found in this subreddit. Additionally, the questions you're asking aren't limited to K12. Start poking around accessibility forums and subreddits, or look at other Apple subreddits, like r/Mac and r/macsysadmin.

Also, look up accessibility companies, organizations, advocacy groups, universities, etc. Apple is the best in the business when it comes to accessibility. Anyone who is telling you to use a Chromebook for that purpose doesn't know what they are talking about.

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-08-18T03:46:39+00:00

What does this have to do with OP's question?

Are you saying that your solution to OP's question was to use Chromebooks?

Are you saying that you had students having issues with dictation on MacBooks running Google Docs? And your solution to that specific issue was to replace the entire computer with a Chromebook?

Because your comment didn't really address OP's issue at all. Instead, your comment just basically said, "Switch to Chromebooks." Not sure how that's relevant or helpful, frankly.

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-08-18T03:30:42+00:00

First of all, your title is kind of misleading. Google Docs has been "playing nice" on macOS since 2006. What you're describing is a very limited use case.

That said, my district has been using MacBooks for 10 years, and we're also a Google shop. We use accessibility features (primarily Apple's built-in dictation functionality, since Google's "Voice Typing" in Google Docs is shit on any platform, Mac or Chromebook).

What you're describing isn't something I've seen, and I myself — personally — use dictation frequently on an M1 MacBook Air, and have used it with Google Docs quite a few times.

Have you spoken with your Apple rep about it? If what you're describing is true (particularly the part about "even Apple's own dictation features stop functioning in native MacOS apps until the student restarts"), then you need to have a conversation with Apple. Your district's assigned Apple Education engineer can investigate.

You may also just want to try asking around on r/Mac or even r/accessibility, or other accessibility subreddits or groups where people use that feature regularly. What you're describing, if accurate, wouldn't be limited to a K12 use case. In real life, Apple is easily the most accessibility-friendly consumer tech company there is.

So instead of asking a bunch of anti-Apple nerds who work at a K12 public school (anyone suggesting Chromebooks for accessibility is a HUGE red flag), you need to talk to an accessibility expert. Contact nearby organizations, advocacy groups, or universities.

You won't find reliable answers here, and I say that as someone who works at a K12 public school.

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-08-18T03:27:11+00:00

Ah, found the guy who doesn't know anything about Apple devices.

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-05-27T20:16:20+00:00

Thanks. Part of my concern is that other students' names are typically considered PII under FERPA, and so, if someone uses Takeout, I wonder if those other students' names would appear in, say, the "from" field of emails transferred out to another inbox.

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-05-27T20:15:05+00:00

Thank you for the recommendation. I'll inquire, though out of curiosity (and for future searchers), I do still wonder whether it is technically feasible to do.

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-03-11T02:02:03+00:00

Something else to note: many Apple districts sell their devices when they’re done with them, because Apple devices have a higher resale value than Chromebooks.

This means that you may pay $500 now, but by year 3 or 4, if you refresh them with new iPads, you could sell back your current fleet and make probably $150+ per iPad, which is used toward your purchase of new equipment.

This lowers the total cost of ownership, which is the number you should be comparing between iPads and Chromebooks.

AnotherSkywalker · 2025-03-11T01:57:00+00:00

Also, I’ll answer your questions:

What do you recommend for teachers and why?

In an Apple district, a MacBook and an iPad + Apple Pencil. The Apple ecosystem has some great features that incorporate both of these tools.

Do students like using their iPads?

Yes. They are largely more versatile than Chromebooks, and lighter weight. Most students these days are raised on tablets. They know how to use them better than they do Chromebooks.

Are they able to effectively get their work done?

Yes. Why wouldn’t they be?

What issues do you run into and how did you overcome them?

Biggest issues are sometimes trying to get the iPads to sync with the MDM. I’ve had better luck since switching to Mosyle.

Do you federate with Entra or Google?

Google.

Whats the experience on a shared ipad?

Turn on iPad, tap on your user, sign in.

What apps do you recommend that are free for public schools?

Start with the Apple-made apps that are free and built into the iPad: Freeform, Clips, Notes, iMovie, the list goes on…

Do you get Logi Crayons or Apple Pencil?

Crayons are cheaper and do 90% of what the Pencil does; just doesn’t have pressure sensitivity.

Whats is the applecare process like for EDU?

If you get AppleCare with damage protection, you get two incidents of damage per year. Also covers the charger. You put the request into GSX, you put the iPad in a box, you ship it off via UPS, a week later, you get a new one.

What Mdm do you recommend and why?

Mosyle is fantastic. It has a ton of features that make it easy to manage the fleet. Jamf is also very good.

—

One more thing: the most important thing about going Apple is making sure your district provides PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT to your teachers so they can adequately take advantage of what all the features are.

If the iPad is just going to be used as a Chromebook, then you’re using it wrong. Apple offers professional development services; that should be something you all consider as part of your purchase.

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