All schools are required to host parent meetings to inform the parent community about the program, school expectations for proper use and care of devices, take home policies and Internet Safety programs. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, schools should share with their community the school’s educational goals and how MLTI supports those goals.
Devices should not go home until parents have attended a meeting to understand the roles and responsibilities (or the school is satisfied that the parent is well-informed and understands their role and responsibilities), and parents have indicated that they understand the relevant policies that the school and district have adopted. Both the student and parent should sign the permission form created by the School Board. Device procedures and rules for home use should include clearly-defined provisions for recharging and caring for the machines, and expectations for appropriate use at home. MLTI devices are ultimately the responsibility of the school.
While the Department does not encourage schools to impose additional fees on families, it recognizes that some schools implement theses fees. The Department cautions schools that choose to impose these fees that it should clearly explain what coverage the Buffer Pool provides, the costs associated with repairs, and how the amount of the fee was determined. Lack of clarity around these types of mandatory fees has, in the past, been the source of significant misunderstandings between schools, their communities and the State.