European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 3, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Procurement on the sly it by Dave Walczak education writer f f Jet cloak and Dagger Way of doing my  a a that s How one department of m defense dependents school principal described the process of procuring computers through local funding. You take the head of the Pat into a closet and a piece of paper mis out of your  he said. It says i need two computers he says is his yours you say no but the next week you get two  the Clandestine modes Sperendi came As a result of converging requirements the immediate need for Micro computers in the classroom and a 1985 revision to procurement procedures As applied to local Dodds schools. Many High school principals had begun Bowling the local bus has for funds to buy computer equipment As Early As 1980. With Dodds regions unable to provide computers Many principals saw no other Choice than to find an alternative to make up for the computer shortfall. Heidelberg High school principal Bud Korth said his Community fund raising efforts began with his arrival in 1981. I was always out in Tho Community. Computers were the greatest thing we needed because that need expanded so rapidly. We have real Active organizations like Tho wives clubs pts coasters club and a a club they All kept asking How come Dodds does t provide for that " that same question was asked by authorities in Safe and Usa eur and Drew a response irom former Dodds director Beth Stevens in 1985. The response came at a time when according to John Davis executive services chief for the Germany Region Doods was belter funded than Ever. Principals could no longer solicit funds for specific needs. Equipment such As computers could be accepted but overt requests Lor Money or equipment were ruled out. Davis defended the revised directive saying that it puts the focus on educational needs at the proper level. Principals can always make bigger and better i efforts he said. It s up to them and the local11 Community to determine what Money is available some communities May want to put Money into scholarships. Other communities May say let s make computers a priority but there Are enough computers to handle the curriculum  if so it s because principals and communities worked together to provide them nearly Matching the number provided by the Region. But local purchases produced a wide disparity in computer availability in Germany Region High schools. Figures supplied by Dodds Germany Region officials illustrate the inequity in computer availability. At Bonn High school 29 computer work stations support a student population of about 350. At Nuernberg High school. 11 computer wik stations support t ,173 students. Bob Terzian Dodds general counsel said Dodds May again a fat authority to principals to accept Cash girls and loosen existing procurement procedures but unless the Secretary of defense deals with this Issue Doods administrators must abide by the current directives. Computers Are the future said Bonn High school principal Lowe Jacobson. Anyone who does t see that is not watching what is happening. When i arrived Here in december 1983,1 Felt strongly that computers needed to come into the curriculum. And we have the Best computer per student ratio in the Jacobson discounted criticism Hal his school benefits irom a wealthy local Community which he estimated has contributed Between $20.000 and $30,000 toward computer procurement. There s not More Money Here or in Heidelberg. There s More Money in Stu Olgert for example. Principals have to decide whare they want to become involved. One o Siom who has vowed to gel involved is principal Larry Philpot. Who blames himself for a Lack of computers Al Nuernberg the largest Junior senior High school in the Germany Region. We dropped behind and it s my Lault he said. Maybe the principal at Bonn waa smarter than me maybe some principals were More creative in interpreting that regulation about soliciting. But we re going to have computer based instruction at the school. And i a going to computerize this school through Community  Jane Ware said the first word out of my Mouth was computers " when she took Over As principal at Augsburg High school this year. Augsburg has Only eight computers All supplied by Dodds for a school of 622 students. Tha one computer per 79 students puts Augsburg Only ahead of Nuernberg in terms of computer availability for High school students in the Germany Region the eight computers form Augsburg s computer lab where up to 18 students Are enrolled. The Lack of computers translates into More than two students per machine which computer teachers feet is the minimum needed for effective hands on instruction. Without computers you have to create seat  said Larry Burner a computer teacher at Frankfurt High school. It s supposed to be a hands on  getting his hands on computer equipment has proven to be one of Phil pol s toughest hurdles since a took Over at Nuernberg four years ago. I cafe Ron Lackrone just before the school began this  Philpot said. I said Ron. I be been waiting three years for these things. Can you Tell me that we re going to get More computers this year he said no " the biggest Success Story in terms of local computer procurement probably belongs to Jim Hallay principal of Aschaffenbur elementary. The school for grades one through eight received Only four Dodds procured computers but has 47 on hand with another 13 expected by the end of the school year. Halley said the Community considered Small by some standards has raised More than $15,000 for computer equipment. Aschaffenbur is not an affluent Community Halley said. But i m always surprised at How Well his Community supports the  Halley Laid although he understands the disparity throughout the Dodds system in terms of computer availability fund raising so forms by communities should be rewarded. Unfair if i were the Dodds director maybe i d feel that Way. But is in unfair that we re Able logo beyond the program i think thai too often people overseas look for their needs to be met by Congress and not by local agencies. To Don t need to do  Dennis Mcguane whose computer lab at bad Kreuz Nach High school features 15 work stations or classes not in excess of 18, said a would veto any Effort to Transfer locally procured equip men to More needy schools. What do you want us to do take away some of our computers so thai another program is better the Moat you can expect is to get two or three computers a year. How can you build up a compute program ii you take away computers Thomas Rowley computer curriculum chief for the Mediterranean Region said principals in every Region faced an Una Allouc local procurement Burden. A even offered them help on How to do .11." a mid. What a Tacky Way to run a   pq�1s ,1986