A concerned Mac user and parent is seeking help in preventing a “backward migration” (going from Macs to Windows) at John F. Kennedy High in Sacramento, CA.
David Link’s daughter is a senior at the school. Her architectural design teacher, Craig Yost, has an entire program built around older Macs using Generic CADD, according to Link.
“Now he’s being forced to migrate to the Windoze platform (JFK has nearly $1 million in Digital High School Funds available),” he explained. “Mr. Yost has been told he must move to Windows and use AutoCAD. He has already spec’d out a new laser, plotters, and a G3/G4 server for much less than the Windows workstations will cost. He had also planned to use VectorWorks, which will cost him nearly 1/10 what AutoCAD would cost to outfit 25 stations in the lab.”
The reasoning? According to Link, the administration feels that everyone in the business world, especially in the area of architecture, uses Windows and AutoCAD, so Yost must, too.
“Mr. Yost’s argument is the same as mine,” Link said. “The philosophy of education is not to simply train someone to use a program, but to give these students the skills and thought processes necessary for them to use ANY programs which may be in use or developed in the future. Why train a mechanic to work on Model Ts when new technology arrives daily in the auto industry? Teach students how to think and figure out how to use related technology and software.”
He is hoping that MacCentral readers can help direct him to architectural design companies who use the Mac. You can e-mail him at kerrmiddle@earthlink.net.