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State Representative Rick Hansen
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-6828
For more information contact: Ted Modrich 651-296-5809
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STATE REP. RICK HANSEN APPLAUDS SCHOOL-BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP IN SOUTH ST. PAUL
(SAINT PAUL) — Today state Representative Rick Hansen (DFL – South St. Paul), joined Governor Dayton, students, teachers, and other local officials in celebrating the success of Governor Dayton’s Adopt-a-School initiative for the South St. Paul School District. The district has been seeking and working with business and community partners to install a SMART board in every classroom throughout the district.
Through the first 3 months of the program, the district has received enough donations for 49 SMART boards from individuals, local businesses and community organizations, including the South St. Paul Teachers’ Union. Governor Dayton was invited to the event by Rep. Hansen.
“I was pleased and proud to invite Governor Dayton to visit our great public school system," Rep. Hansen said. “I also want to congratulate the South St. Paul School District, its administration and teachers, and the local businesses and community organizations for their excellent work in making this initiative a success. Investing in new technologies to engage students and teach them in a whole new way is a key to increasing student achievement.
“In a struggling economy and time period of budget cuts, shifts and delays to schools districts, this achievement is even more remarkable,” Rep. Hansen added. “It’s incredible — just as the last generation of students had their education shaped by the introduction of computers in the classroom, this generation will have their education shaped by SMART boards and iPads that offer an entire new world of teaching and learning tools.”
A SMART Board is an interactive whiteboard that uses touch detection for user input and a projector is used to display a computer’s video output onto the whiteboard, which then acts as a touch screen. Combined with an Apple iPad, it increases the opportunity for greater student success and achievement. Apple iPads and SMART boards also create opportunities for paperless assignments, electronic textbooks, board meeting packets and other initiatives throughout the district that could save thousands of dollars in printing and paper cost while also protecting the environment.
To date, the District has installed 51 SMART boards of the 178 classrooms capable of supporting them. In addition to recently approving the purchase of 600 Apple iPads, the South St. Paul School Board approved the purchase of 30 additional SMART boards. Though Governor Dayton’s initiative, the school is attempting to build a partnership program with local businesses and community organizations to close the remaining 97 SMART board gap. Each SMART board costs $1,500.
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